In Reply to: Hollandaze thanks posted by Rockin Robyn on Wednesday, 8. September 2010 at 14:40 Bali Time:
Posted by Holladaze on Friday, 8. December 2006 at 13:23 Bali Time:
Jbr 3...ARC Clinic not for the feint hearted....
At 4.30pm after our arrival at 11.30am I turned up at ARC. I had pre-arranged this free consultation with Dr. Ian Gregory via e-mail and also had a quote of 10 million rupiah or $1,471.00 for an upper eyelid Blepharoplasty. Quoted 6 months previously in WA for $4,500-$5,000, this would be quite a saving. I could not have this operation done as a medical procedure in WA, had to be a cosmetic surgery as the eyelids weren't droopy enough YET. I felt the need now as I didn't want such a large change in 5, 10 or 15 years time when everyone I met would say, 'What have you done?' As it happens I'm so happy with the procedure that I'm telling everyone, even the lady in the checkout at Coles!
Asked for proof of my appointment, as they had none lucky I had copies of my email, they then found my name at 10.00am...oops! I was flying over the ocean at that time! I thought this is a good start, anyway apparently there was some emergency or stuff up somewhere in Jakarta and Dr. Ian was otherwise engaged and I saw another Dr.. The clinic was very clean, new looking, sterile as far as I could tell and the staff lovely. I'm so sorry I can't remember the name of the other Dr. but he had trained in WA, lived here for quite a while and as far as I was concerned HE could've done the operation there and then. Anyway all my fears...you know the one where my eyelids may never shut properly again....were taken away and I said YES let's do it tomorrow...alas because I'd only temporarily said yes, a booking had not been made but I could be fitted in the following Wednesday...a week away. Oh! Well what's a week when you are in Bali? As it turned out it was for the best as we were so busy.
The day arrived and my trusty driver dropped me off, I had opted out of another free consultation for a meeting with Dr. Ian, didn't feel the need. I left Lena back in Tuban doing business stuff; I would be about 2 hours. I sat in the comfy waiting room reading 'Hello Bali' for 5 minutes then taken in and finally got to meet the Dr. Ian Gregory, a little older than his pics, sorry, but just as comforting and after going through the whole procedure with me again he got me to take a tablet for it's calming effects and I sat again in the waiting room for about 15 minutes. Just like a normal Dr.'s surgery on entering there is the bed, I slipped my shoes off and a gown was put on over my clothes and down I laid. My hair covered up and head wrapped in towels. My eyes were cleaned. Ready or not this was about to happen...................
The needle pricks were just that, all around each eye, once they had taken effect I could smell this burning, yeah right me, slowly but surely my eyelid was cut open via laser. I could talk and was, I could see also. The fat was pulled out and trimmed off, I felt someone wiping the side of my face but that was all. Then the next eye, wouldn't you believe it one eye was fatter than the other and another deadening prick was needed, Dr. Ian said you may get a bruise from that one now. True to his word I did get a bruise that side of my eye, the only one though. Anyway once the fat was all out the way the eyelids were stitched back up. I sat up, fluffed up my flat hair, put my shoes on and sat back at the desk....too easy and still no pain. I was given some Panadeine Forte to take back to the hotel with me and a 3-day course of antibiotics, a tube of cream to wipe on top of the stitches each night and instructions what to do and not to do. 40 minutes I think it was, next thing you know I'm in a taxi back to the hotel. Walking in to the Green Garden I saw my sister about to have lunch, we ordered and ate, I took my antibiotic and a pain killer (in case) and went back to the room for the prescribed lay down and rest and put wet cold gauze on the eyelids to prevent swelling and to stem any bleeding. I had a few drips of blood down the side of my face in the taxi but nothing to worry about.
So Lena took off on another errand and I lay down. After a little time I got like a brain freeze on my eyelids...you know like when you get too near the car air-conditioner! I thought it was the cold compresses so immediately took them off, the pain continued for about 15 minutes, I pressed my hands to my head and all I could think of was 'What have I done' 'What have I done'. Over and over I said it and then it just went.... obviously the painkiller kicked in, I've never taken a thing in my life stronger than a Panadol, friends have said about the wonder of Panadeine Forte, but I was sceptical. We went out to dinner, internetted, and did a bit of shopping, nothing changed but as you will see from the photos, the swelling was quite bad. I should have laid down more and used the cold wet gauze more. I did lie down in the afternoons and use the wet gauze but maybe I should have tried more and not had the swelling for so long. It just got in the way of the holiday and I wasn't in pain again. NO PAIN.
Each day Lena took photos, I couldn't believe that I looked so bad and yet felt no pain. Lena left to return to Australia on the Tuesday night and the next day, Wednesday I returned to the surgery and the stitches were removed. A few had fallen out on their own, no problems. At anytime I could have phoned and asked Dr. Ian for advice or gone in again to see him if I felt the need but I was fine. That Saturday I returned home, still a little puffy in the mornings but none in the afternoon. I think if I hadn't been in contact with a certain sick little Brendan and not caught his cough/flu like symptoms (whatever) I may not have looked quite so yucky on returning home. But unfortunately this bug had caught a hold on me, how did Brendan manage on that day out I don't know because I felt like.........for 2-3 days after my return home.
Anyway as previously said before on this forum, search the archives, ARC were professional in all that they did for me, and even though I took the cash I paid by credit card with no extra added fees...more cash for me to spend in Bali. Any questions ask away. They do have their own website just google for ARC.
Please e-mail if you want to see the before, during and after photo's......if you dare.