My Partial Facelift

I have had what I thought was a mole on my face since I was born. I say thought because apparently you are not born with moles. So what is it? I don’t know….since I found out you aren't born with moles, I have been referring to it as “not a mole” or my “not mole”. It only really bothered me in elementary school and that is only because some kids made fun of it. Mom and dad gave me the opportunity to have it taken off. We went to the doctor. He explained to me what it would require to have it taken off. Then mom and dad gave me the choice to keep it or have it taken off. Maybe it was my fear of needles, I don’t know, but I told my parents that Heavenly Father had given it to me and I wanted to keep it.

Fast forward 25 years. I still have my “not mole” on my face. I don’t even notice it is there anymore. Last year, however, it started changing. It got swollen and bumpy. Nothing too scary, but anytime something that has been there that long starts to change it is scary. After a few trips to a dermatologist and a referral to a plastic surgeon, an appointment was made to have it removed.

Here are a few pictures I took the day before it came off.

January 26, 2009…the day it went away. I have had surgery several times, but never had any procedure like this done while I was awake. It was a surreal experience and was over pretty quick. As I lay there, I wondered “is he maintaining sterile technique?” (It is the nurse in me.) To keep myself calm, I listened to my nephews screaming in the waiting area. Really, it only took about 15 to 20 minutes and it was done.

When we got home, I had Caroline take some pictures of me. I couldn’t smile. I looked like I had had a stroke. The entire right side of my face was numb. I tried sooooooo hard – can you tell? I even over tried, but there was no smiling. The pictures are funny though. I promise...I am trying.

So now we are nearly a week out. I hardly bruised - there is a small amount of yellowing above and below the incision. My face has only been a little tender. The steri strips are still in place so I don’t know what it will look like, but I am glad to have it gone so I don’t have to worry about it anymore. I am still awaiting the pathology results. Since I am still waiting…that must be good news. I am sure I would have heard by now it was something bad.