! Yes They're Fake ! Visitors' Journals - The Gore-Tex Lips Experience

The Gore-Tex Experience

This had to be the most painful surgery of the three (four if you include the re-do but the second and final attempt for this procedure barely hurt at all). I was miserable as you can tell by my expression. With my nose, well it didn't even hurt, really. It just felt like I had a head cold for a week. You don't move it so it doesn't hurt. My breasts, well that kinda hurt a bit, I won't lie to you. But, they gave me really good meds so I don't remember much. They are bandaged to your body for about a week and a half anyway - so they didn't move much either. But, your lips - Oh my God! They move all of the time. I never really noticed how much your lips move until it hurt to do so. I mean anything at all. Even a little grin. My advice to you: don't watch anything funny and don't keep company with funny people, at least for awhile. Trust me.

Preparing For My Surgery
You will be given a pre-operative information packet that explains everything you should do and know before your surgery date. The packet should include all the medications you should not take for up to 2 weeks before your surgery. These medications will include, but are not limited to, aspirin containing products. Would you like to view a typical Medication & Supplements List?

It is quite possible that you will have "blood work" performed. This is normally an extra out-of-pocket expense that the patient must participate in to check your white and red blood cell count and check for disease or disorders beforehand. So many things to do... so little time. Surgery will be here before you know it so visit the Preparing For Surgery page and relax. This section contains, printer-friendly pre-op lists, tips and advice as well as things you must do to prepare for your big day.

15 min.
pre-operative

The Surgery
They basically make a small incision at the corner of each lip (that's four incisions) and skewer (there's that word again) your lip with a metal rod with a hook on the end. The Gore-Tex is hooked to the end of the the rod and pulled through you lip (my boyfriend said this was rather violent and it slipped off twice making a very gruesome sound). After the implant is "threaded" through your lip the ends are trimmed and the incisions sutured up. Viola! an hour later you have lips. You aren't anesthetized for too incredibly long so you wake up rather easily and you immediately start feeling a painful throb. I am telling you the lips are sensitive after being skewered. So, immediately they give you Vicodin or Darvocet to ease your pain. You can't feel your lips as far as pressure for days (just pain). So, when you try to drink or eat you get more on your chest than you do in your mouth. It didn't take too long for the swelling to subside plus I had them replaced with 3mm strips after an infection - my doctor said that the 3.5mm was too large for my lips. This procedure costs approximately $1,825.US. However, we received a 10% discount because I am a "repeat offender"! Remember that fees vary from state to state, region to region. so, it could be much more or much less.

By the way, my doctor prescribed a Pharmaceutical grade Arnica Montana derivative in pill form called SinEcch and an Arnica Montana topical ointment. I swear by this stuff. I had one bruise about the size of a quarter on my left side from my bra when I was sleeping on it and that is it! You can order SinEcch from Alpine Pharmaceuticals for about $35.US. It significantly reduces swelling, bruising and speeds the healing process. If your doctor does not offer it, perhaps you can speak to him and suggest its use. I strongly recommend it and so do many other patients.

3.5mm strips
post-op 5 hr.

The Recovery
OUCH!!!!! This hurts like hell! Okay, okay - maybe I am a compete wuss but geeeez! My doc said he had a difficult time getting the 3.5's in me but lo and behold after slipping a few times it finally got shoved in there. I have an asymmetry of the right sides of both my lips and they are smaller on the right side because of this.

Recovery was harsh, I bumped my lip on Marc's shoulder and started to cry it hurt so badly, then of course it hurt more and I cried even more! Then I couldn't feel that I had spaghetti having on my chin and lips and sat there with food all over my face. What a site.

My Gore-Tex Recovery


3.5mm strips post-op 3 days	3.5mm strips post-op 3 days	3.5mm strips post-op 3 days	3.5mm strips post-op 3 days


3.5mm strips post-op 1 wk	3.5mm strips post-op 1 wk

A Few Weeks Later
It certainly looks nice!!! I have lost the ability to whistle, nit that I go around doing that often but I can't do it - it is also weird to kiss. Doc says I'll get used to it. We'll see. Here are some befores and an after photo of my 3.5mm Gore-Tex smackers with lipstick on. I am still pretty swollen and my nose is only a few months old - twisted as hell.

Before & After


before lips/nose	post 3 weeks (post 4 mo nose)

The Infection
We were going on vacation and I noticed my bottom lip was getting larger and more sensitive. It was especially painful around the right corner of my lip. This was almost 6 months post-operative so I didn't think an infection was the culprit. It felt like the corners of the implant were sharp or the implant was too long or SOMETHING. It just hurt. I had also just gone to my dentist for a root canal and he was so NOT gentle. I kept telling him to be gentle and lo and behold I received a shot in my lips and viola no more pain, but I could feel the pressure and I just KNOW his paws were stretching and rubbing on my lips pretty badly.

In the mean time I was off for quite the road trip. I was mortified at the thought of getting my lip implants taken out!! I was taking Marc's antibiotics (he got for a root canal) and took them while on the trip, hoping it would clear up.

As the trip wore on it got worse. Within 4 hours of leaving, my lips would ooze the nastiest of nasties. Yellowish-green and foul smelling, every hour it would get tight and throb. I would dab at it at the now gaping hole at the corner of my lip, and when I applied the slightest of pressure it would open up and ooze green stuff. I called my doc and well, nothing I could do until I got home. I was cursed to walk around with leprosy of the lip and it was so embarrassing. Hell, I wouldn't talk to me if I didn't know what it was. EEEEW!

Pretty much by the next day it was every 5 minutes and it would burst forth. It now hurt like hell, I was taking Marc's pain killers and antibiotics. I couldn't wait to get home. The trip was utterly ruined and my lip was killing me.

lower lip infected
3.5mm strips

We got home the next day or so and I went to see my surgeon. He gave me some STRONG antibiotics and said we'd hope for the best. Well it wasn't going away. So well it's an in-office removal of the bottom implant and I couldn't have a re-operation for THREE WHOLE MONTHS!!! He said he could do it under regional anesthesia with a nerve block.

I wanted to kill him. He moved the needle around and when it finally hit my nerve cluster I almost passed out and then he said "ahh there it is". YA THINK???? They kept telling me to lie back and I needed to get UP, because I was about to throw up or pass out. One of the two - or both! Everything spun around and I swear to you even being trapped under a guardrail with an open knee cap after I got hit on my motorcycle was a picnic compared to that shot!!

Out came the implant and I was devastated. The beginning of three months of looking like I had an over bite. He said he would replace it with 3mm tubes in 3 months after he was sure the infection was gone.

Three Months Later
Oh glorious day!! My surgery is coming!! Well, it's time to replace my implants. I was in and out and it didn't hurt much at all - recovery was a breeze and off to my home, I went. I was a happy camper, this didn't hurt at all, no bruising, only slight swelling - barely any pain. BUT! The wound on that same side isn't closing Might be an infection, because it is weeping although it is CLEAR!! There's still hope. Could be one of two things, an infection or the wound edges are so interlaced with scar tissue from the last infection and two surgeries, it is having a difficult time adhering again. If it is an infection? Three more months of waiting and more than likely not choosing Gore-Tex again. If it is the latter and my wound edges are basically avascular, well it's off to trimming a bit of it off and resuturing.

Dr. Friedman said to "come in for a swab". He is going to wipe my lip with a big cotton swab after squeezing it and send it to the lab. They are going to culture it - if it grows bacteria, removal again. If not? I am home free.

It came back negative but the edges still close for a few days and then open back up - I am still taking a strong dose of Clindamycin and hoping for the best.

A week later it closed!! I am healed!! Here are the photos!

Final Before & Afters


befores	6 months post (3mm)	post-op 13 mos. redo w/ 3mm strips	2.5 yrs. post (3mm)

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