When I was young and decorating my first home, I chose to put quite a few mirrors on the walls, mostly to reflect as much light in my home as possible. My interior designer was an older woman, and she commented to me that only her younger clients decorated with mirrors; that when women get older they generally avoid mirrors. She was right. As I grew older, and we moved to bigger and better houses, I'd leave the mirrors behind, and decorate with fewer and fewer, until the point that there were mirrors only where absolutely necessary: in the bathrooms. I just didn't want to look at my face any more than necessary.
That's changed.
Four years ago my fabulous husband passed away. I was left still breathing, but just barely, and not someone fully alive any more. And I looked that way.
Then a year ago I began to lift out of the fog, and I realized without a doubt that my late, amazing husband would have wanted me to be happy and fulfilled again. I asked my dermatologist about Botox, and he directed me to Dr. Eshima, a man he described as not only a superb plastic surgeon, but as a consummate artist as well. I met with Dr. Eshima. He asked me to sit and chat with him for a few minutes, and I realized he wasn't just listening, he was carefully observing my face and my facial expressions as we conversed. After our discussion Dr. Eshima told me he didn't believe Botox was for me, and recommended eyelid surgery and a neck lift. A month or so later I had these procedures, and I am indeed a new woman.
Even just a few days after the surgery I could see a new face and neck underneath the swelling, and I started breathing a little more, just a little -- the life was flowing back into me after the years of pain and sorrow and loss. Each day the swelling went down a tiny bit more, and a young, glowing, breathing ME started to emerge. It was thrilling and I know my late husband was looking down from heaven so happy and so proud of me!!!
The Latin root of the word inspire is spirare, meaning to inhale, to breathe! At last I am healed, physically and to a very great extent emotionally as well. Dr. Eshima and his staff, Magaly and Kathy are kind and inspiring. For me this has not been only a physical surgical procedure, but one that brought me fully back to life.
I am so profoundly grateful to Dr. Eshima and his staff. I am so pleased with my new look and the life and air and inspiration flowing back into me. And I've been hanging mirrors: in the dining room, the living room, the bedrooms, and even the hallways.
If there's been a change in your life, a death or a divorce, or if you're just not looking in mirrors anymore, I implore you from the bottom of my heart to visit Dr. Eshima. I know you'll be inspired.
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