"No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly."
- Oscar Wilde
Friday December 12, 2008 one of the longest days in my life. It was my first time ever meeting Dr. Luis Casavantes, AND have him do a major dermatological treatment on my face! (This ain't no consultation, fur sure...totally!) Dr. C was highly recommended from colleagues and friends, I viewed photos and watched his video included on this website, and I was feeling like I had done my research, but there was still some sense of anxiety.
After making a connecting flight through Chicago, arriving in San Diego, and traveling the 45 minutes through the border to Tijuana, the medical shuttle driver pointed out the office of Dr. C, rising like mini Twin Towers up the road. How apropos, me being from New York City and witnessing both of the towers fall. This will be my chance to rebuild my face to its former glory...I know it's kind of stretch. I was greeted by an assistant who photographed my "before" face from every angle imaginable, while I was admiring the view. The towers (or Grand Hotel Tijuana complex, including Dr. C's 11th floor offices) were adjacent to an exclusive golf course, which appeared as an oasis in the valley surrounded by the desert mountains. Not to shabby, compared to my NY dermatologist's office with street level views of E64th Street. After I was ushered into the office of Wade Zobel, Dr. C chief nurse, for a pre-procedure interview and a document signing fest. Wade was employed by Dr. C and was also a patient, so he was speaking from first hand experience about the procedure. After viewing my "old" face from my passport and license, Wade had a better idea of what I was looking for. My face had totally changed from the wasting; originally I had a square face (which was news to me.)
Make no mistake; the procedure was horribly painful and uncomfortable. But in comparison, the other traumas I've experienced during my trials and tribulations with AIDS; did NOT produce such amazing and immediate results. I'm not sure which was worse, the Lidocaine injections or the PMMA being inserted under my skin. During the numbing process, I was given two "squeezies" balls, which were surprisingly a great detraction from the needle being poked relentlessly into my face. After what seemed like hours of Lidocaine injections, with sweating, white-knuckles, and flats squeezies balls that looks like pancakes, I opened my eyes to be greeted with the PMMA "gun." The stainless steel "gun" has a micro-canula tip (to me it just looks like a big fat needle,) and I was actually astonished with the result...only after many hours later! The video of the procedure left out the quintessential element – the patient's internal soundtrack. When the micro-canula gun entered my temple, I felt no pain, just the tearing of flesh (on the inside of my face) reverberating through my skull bone. "What cost beauty?"…hee hee. The cheek entry-points were a different story. Unforeseen was the fact that I had thin skin (apparently, most Italian have thick skin, literality,) and I learns this the hard way, with the micro-canula tearing dangerously close to the inside of my mouth. Hopefully, you're getting the picture! Afterwards, Wade said, "Your face is really pissed off right now," which I thought was very heartfelt, in its own way. Yes, my face was super pissed especially when the Lidocaine wore off. I couldn't even hold my Blackberry against by cheek, because my face was so swollen and sore.
Arriving late Friday night to stay with a old friend, I slept thirteen hours (on my back, my face was too sensitive.) My face had exploded into a balloon overnight. All my friends were telling me I looked fabulous, I guess they were expecting bruises and scars or something?! I avoided shaving all weekend, only on Sunday was I man enough to take a shower, scared of that shower-head hitting my tender face. On the plane returning to Newark airport Sunday night, I noticed a women blatantly reading "Ten Days to Self-Esteem." Still a little uncomfortable from the procedure, I thought to myself, it only took me three, loser...hee hee!
It sure feels good to be back!
Dplus
To read more of this gibberish, please visit my website
your new look rocks! must be a tremendous load off your mind
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/aycm8620/urockk.jpg
You look great and I am so happy for you. I did not realize what the process entailed so I commend you for your bravery in search of happiness.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Big bear hug,
Dab Garner
Wow! You do look fabulous. I have the opposite problem,globs of fat deposits everywhere,so I can empathize with how you felt. It is horrid to wake every morning and not recognize the person you see in the mirror,almost as bad as when you meet an old friend and they ask what is wrong.
Wonderful to read your story, but I was preplexed by the pain you reported.
I have..no I HAD grade 4 lipoatrophy of the face and after seeing Dr Casavantes I look like myself again, but I am confused...the lidocaine takes about 3 seconds and stings for 2 seconds, but thats it.
I had no pain at all when the PMMA was implanted into my face...it felt odd, like nothing I ever felt before but I would not call it pain, maybe slightly uncomfortable. The canula does not have a sharp end, so its hugely less painful then needles which I had with Sculptra (what a waste of time and money that was).
It concerns me that some people might get frightened off because of what you said about pain and avoid taking care of their face wasting.
I am not saying that you did not have pain, but what you describe is nothing like happned to me and suspect that I got way more PMMA then you did with my level of wasting.
Doug
I have to agree with Doug. I also have been treated By Dr. Casavantes and the new Micro-Cannula technique and found it to be essentially painless.
Some people do have a very low tolerance to pain so I would guess that they might feel more pain, but none of the 3 dozen friends and patient I have personally referred to Dr. Casavantes ever reported the agony of hours of lidocaine injections and needles of PMMA being relentlessly being repeatedly poked into their faces.
I have done a considerable amount of research into PMMA and it's applications all over the world and I think that the above testimonial is unique in the pain it reported.
As someone who has had at least 5 different materials implanted into my face and with both needles and cannula by Dr. Casavantes, I can attest to Casavantes' technique is the easiest to deal with and had the least trauma.
Albert Benson
i may have this done myself, and greatly appreciate the 'blow by blow'...
Wow... amazing!!. It really felt like rediscovering you.... i liked a lot the pic of sunday :) very cute :) but yet the final work is very nice, i can imagine how happy you must feel. Where i live this kind of treatments are not available not even known so i had no idea of what it was like until i saw you... thanks for sharing. And welcome back!!! :)))
This is in response to Doug from Dave:
I have VERY low pain tolerance level, for one. And any thing involving my face and pointing or "canulaing", and sticking needles,etc. is not enjoyable. "Slightly uncomfortible" is not how I would describe it.
Dr C is the best in North America. I would recommend him to wholeheartedly to everyone that's suffering from wasting.
This is MY story. I'm also on blood thinners (Lovenbox,) beta blockers (Nadolol,) and suffering from bone loss. Maybe some of these meds made the PMMA treatment more painful?
I would do is again in a second!
WOW! what an amazing transformation. You look wonderful!!!!!! You face just beams. Congrats!
U look great, can u send me more info ? at navojoa1@hotmail.com. Thanks
Everyone has a different level of pain they can handle so do not shame or make Dave's experience less than it was.
Love to all,
Jerry
Wow. What a fabulous blog about your journey to feeling and becoming normal again. I now suffer from self-inflicted lipatrophy after I chose to get smart lipo on my thighs. So much fat was removed that I now suffer from this. I was wondering if you would mind updating me as to how you are today? Any complications or migration? And what about this procedure in the legs and thighs. Should I try to reclaim my life. I really want to find love but I won't even try now because I am too ashamed of what I have done and how horrible I look. I know I have not battled what you have but I need you. I need your honesty. You look amazing and have had the courage to do this. Can you share some more information to me. Ndmoreno@sbcglobal.net
Sorry Natalie, this Spring/Summer I've really had a rough time. As you can see I just starting blogging again.
The PMMA treatments, I had another round a year ago, I'm very please with it. But the photo of the "after" shot was only taken a week after the treatment. It was still kind of swollen, even though it did returned my face to the look of a 20 something. After a while the entry points from the needle started showing slightly. There is NO migration at all. The PMMA adhered in microscopic beans permanently to the skin. PMMA is very good for filling the temples where the skin is sketch across bone. Sculptra, which of course is temporary, is good for the cheeks and caused NO bumping. I actually have some Sculptra injected to my cheeks this Summer to help smooth out the bumps. I hope this was helpful.
On the flip side I very unhappy with my butt and legs. There's no fat whatsoever. I have to wear padded underwear for comfort and just to feel normal (see www.buttforyou.com.) The PMMA can be used all over the body - the butt, legs, arms, etc. I'm eventually planning on fitting my butt. Of course it is much more expensive because more PMMA is needed. I've also giving up on love because I so embarrassed - you are not alone on that one!
Please free to ask anymore question. I happy to help you.
David