A Blessing in Disguise

Sometimes one thing just leads to another. That's the way it all happened for Barbara...

Skin Cancer Leads to Eyelid Surgery

A retired Pacific Beach resident, Barbara had been thinking about, as she puts it, "fixing her face," for several years but she never took any definitive steps in that direction. Then, just over a year ago, she was diagnosed with skin cancer next to her nose. Her dermatologist told her she needed minor surgery to remove it, and Barbara requested a plastic surgeon be involved to repair the wound so she wouldn't have a noticeable scar.

Barbara's dermatologist advised her to meet with Dr. Richard Chaffoo. "Dr. Chaffoo told me you can't just put any old skin there," she says. He suggested her excess eyelid skin would be a good choice. Barbara recalls thinking, "Well you're not just going to give me one eye open!" She decided to go ahead and have eyelid surgery for both eyes when her skin cancer was removed. She admits her lids were sagging anyway saying, "At 63 years old, they get droopy!"

"A Marvelous Experience"

Barbara was impressed with the treatment she received working with Dr. Chaffoo. "Everything was so first class there. The offices are beautiful. And I never had to wait; they always saw me right away." She also commented on the people she met. "Dr. Chaffoo was very knowledgeable; all his people were knowledgeable. Everyone was very reassuring," she says.

Not only that, Barbara remembers that recovery was pretty easy. She just had one uncomfortable day and she only had to take Tylenol®. After the swelling subsided a few days later, Barbara was very pleased with her refreshed appearance. Above all she had wanted to avoid "that stare-y look," and after surgery she reports she felt very happy with her eyes.

Not too long afterward, Barbara headed back east for her high school reunion...

Reunion Leads to Rejuvenation

Barbara had just retired from her job with the county at the time of her reunion, and as she prepared for the big event she remembers feeling very unhappy with her jowls and her neck. Barbara describes her experience at the reunion this way: "I looked around the room and thought, 'Who are all these old people?!'" She goes on to remark that while many looked old, some looked great. She realized that those who looked so good had probably had surgery, and, according to Barbara they didn't have "that horrible look." She recalls thinking, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Back to Dr. Chaffoo

Although she had many surgeons to choose from throughout San Diego, for her face lift Barbara went straight back to Dr. Chaffoo. "I had no question about trusting him or his staff," she says. Her surgery was unremarkable, but recovery was a little more challenging this time. The prescription pain medication didn't agree with her and she discarded the pills, deciding to go with just Tylenol again. "I know they would have given me another type of medication," she says, "and I should have asked." But even while she had about three days she recalls as not too much fun, she says she would do it all over again without question. "I never regretted it for a second. My neck is tight and my jaw line is great."

Far from having "that horrible look," Barbara says her appearance is completely natural. She says some of her friends around San Diego know she had face lift surgery, but those who don't know, well, don't know. "Some people tell me I look great, and I say, 'I retired!'"

Barbara Leads a Happy Life

Asked how she feels about her surgery now that a year has passed, Barbara says, "I just feel great." She remembers she used to hate having her picture taken but, "Now when I get a picture taken I say, 'Wow!'" She says she feels more self confident and she's even thinking about dating again. "I was always happy with myself, but now I feel even better," she says. Then she laughs, "I know I'm always going to look younger than most other people my age!"

Getting serious again, Barbara says it's important to do research before making decisions like having eyelid surgery or a face lift in San Diego, or anywhere for that matter. She reports that she looked at a lot of Web sites, and she knew better than to go to "some cut rate place." But, having made that remark, Barbara goes on to say that surgery was not as expensive as she had thought it might be. "I heard friends discuss what they had paid for various procedures, and it seems to me that Dr. Chaffoo was very reasonable."

Today, Barbara is satisfied with her appearance, and she's actually glad she had a health issue that drove her to seek plastic surgery. "I thank my lucky stars I had skin cancer," she says, explaining that though she had always thought about doing something about her looks, "It pushed me over the edge."