Abdominoplasty Compared to Laparotomy, Working after that and Mini Facelift, Acceptable...

i just scheduled an abdominoplasty and mini facelift for early January.  I have been reading previous postings, but haven't gotten a totally clear picture on what to expect.  A few questions:

1) How does the pain compare to a laparotomy?  I had two 30 years ago for an ectopic pregnancy and then for infertility surgery.  The first of them was really painful - the second not so bad possibly because I knew how to handle getting up and down, coughing etc.  Should I expect essentially the same recovery?

2) I can work from home (desk job) somewhat indefinitely.  I'm having the surgery on a Wednesday and hoping to begin work from home the following Monday (5 days later).  Too soon to work from home?  When should I plan to go to the office again?

3) How long until I will look okay after mini facelift to be seen again in my office?

4) Finally - cost for both with general anesthesia and one night hospital stay = $12,000 (in Massachusetts). That seems pretty reasonable to me.  What do you think?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

That cost is very reasonable - esp if done in a REAL horpital with one night stay (which can add $1000).  I would STAY AWAY from anything that looks like a physicaian clinic for anything over than the most minor procedure.  IMHO and experience,they will send you out in terrible shape even if you should be in a hostpital - all they want is to get you out the door and go home at 5pm. 

So, that is the #1 thing you are doing correctly. 

Pain can be really bad for 72 hours on the facelift (or anything else) when muscles are being tightened and traumatized - esp in the facial region because those forces are being transmitted to your head and the headache (at least mine) was excruiating and unrelenting and there is no neutral postion to stop if from almost killing you - or making you want to jump out of a window to stop the pain.  In the hospital, if you need them, you can get the pain relief meds you need.  If you can get the pain under control in the first 24 hours, you have a chance of keeping the pain under control. I do not know how difficult your mini-face lift will be - but if it entails a brow lift be careful that is the most painful - worse that child birth.

I could not been seen in public for over a month with my full face lift.  It was really terrible - they people who said a week weere totally optimistic - with the winter - turtlenecks will help because my neck was BLACK for weeks.  Also get beige and printed tops where the makeup will not show if it rubs off.

I only ventured out of the house with a hoody to walk. Friends did  my food shopping for me.  I looked like an alien for a week and then like Mrs. Potaoehead for another 3 weeks.  I am not yet happy I had the face work done. But I had more than you are planning - you are taking a more reasonable approach and I wish the dr had not suggested more work.

At a second time, I had an arm lift and breat lift.  It was a longer surgery. Thebbody work did not prevent me from being seen in public - I am very happy I had it done.  It was done in a real hosptial, I was treated wonderfully, pain was treated and I went home after surgery with no pain. Recovery went better also - I believe the untreateed pain for the face lift cauesed additional swelling that 6 months later is still a problem.

Thank you Sharon, I appreciate the feedback.  Hopefully it won't be too bad, but luckily I can work from home for a few weeks if necessary.  

I can't speak to a face-Lift, but had a Lower Body Lift and hernia repair last February. For me the first week was kind of a blur from pain killers...not that I wasn't walking and talking, but weeks and months later, I remember very little of that week...LOL. I know DCgirl on here started work from home a few days later after LBL... so for some it is doable. I'd be afraid I'd be making sense on one hand, but not remembering it later....

Thanks - I'm having it done on a Wednesday. Based on what I'm hearing I now think I'll take off wor****il a week after the following Monday, then work from home until ready to go into the office (so start work from home @ 12 days post-op).