Kim, the Amazing Duck-Faced Girl
Day 1
I probably shouldn’t have gone straight from the doctor’s office to work — after the needles in the lips experience, I’m not sure doing traffic reports for 8 hours was the best rehabilitation for my poor mouth! It actually didn’t hurt that much, it was more like the feeling you get hours after a visit to the dentist when there’s a Novocain needle involved.
More interesting was the slow bloom of bruising on either side of my mouth. I wasn’t surprised — I get a black and blue mark from a sharp look — but it was a little disconcerting to watch them develop. After 5 or 6 hours, I had blueish smudges just above the corners of my rather swollen upper lip, and a thin line of purple from the corner of my nose to the outside of my mouth. I was prettier already!
I ran into my neighbor Michael on the way home, who said he was mesmerized by how my upper lip couldn’t keep up with my lower lip when I talked.
Day 2
Looking in the mirror, there was no arguing with the fact that the real estate between my nose and upper lip was pretty distended, and then there were those dark bruises creating a sort of weird painted on looking smile. That’s when I knew what I looked like: Daffy Duck IS The Joker!
I piled on the coverup and pulled my hair forward. The good news is that as a traffic reporter, I get to sit in a room by myself all day, and hiding from co-workers is definitely an option!
Day 3
Spent the day obsessively running my tongue over the blobs of Restylane I could still feel on the insides of my lips. How long will that last?
I almost forgot I got Botox. I’m looking in the mirror every 30 seconds: is it working yet? Is it working yet? Is it working yet? (No!)
The bruising is starting to fade and my face is starting to get back to its normal shape. I already can tell that the pleats on my upper lip are gone and best of all, the perma-frown has been defeated! I’m still quite puffy but I think I’m going to be very happy in a few days.
Day 4
I’ll be darned if the botox isn’t working. The lines to either side of my eyes are smoothed out. I’m starting to see why people like this stuff. And as far as my face being frozen, well, I suppose if you inject it by the quart that would be the case, but my face looks and feels quite normal. I can make faces to my heart’s content.
Still bruised although that is also fading, and a lot less puffy. I wore lipstick this afternoon and it didn’t wander up my face!
The Weekend
This is the big test. My fiancé lives in Philadelphia, and I live in DC, so he hasn’t seen me during the duck-face portion of my recovery (and never will!). The swelling is nearly gone and so are the bruises.
To be honest, he probably will never be totally on board with me working with Dr. Sundaram. It was important to me that even if he would never have suggested I get some work done, that he doesn’t feel like I’m making a horrible, face-altering mistake.
Fortunately, my results were both subtle and impressive. And like he said, I look like me, only happier. He says go for it! Woohoo!
Two Weeks Later
I have a smooth lipline, and the corners of my mouth turn just slightly up rather than dragging down. I went out and bought new lipstick and it stayed where I put it. My eyes don’t disappear into my head when I laugh, but neither is my face frozen into a serene-yet-chemical mask. Oh, and the blobs have spread out and I can’t feel them anymore. I kind of miss them.
It’s been really interesting (and sort of thrilling) (make that completely thrilling) to see changes for the better. Take that, forces of gravity!
Next up, we fix my neck!
Read Part One: Kim vs. Gravity
Read Part Two: Breakfast: The Most Important Part of Your Cosmetic Surgery Day!
Read Part Four: Intermission/A Radio Drama
Read Part Five: Dangerous Apples
Read Part Six: Aspirin, or I take one for the team
Read Part Seven: Gin Blossoms Are Not a Pretty Flower!
Read Part Eight: Post-wedding wrap up