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Face ache! But it was worth it in the end...

By Pauline Field, 52, from Luton, Bedfordshite

In February, Chat reader Pauline Field entered our Win a Facelift competition, writing a poem about her "droopy face" and "baggy eyes." You felt sorry enough for her to vote her the winner. So, in April, Pauline flew off to Prague in the Czech Republic, courtesy of Europa International, to have all her sags, bags and wrinkles smoothed out. This is her story.

Pauline's facelift diary.

Saturday 19 February

"I'll get it!" yelled my grandson Amarni, 3, as the post came through the door.
"I am Postman Pat!" he giggled, handing me a collection of envelopes. Bills, Bills, Bills.
"Hang on, what's this?" I muttered, looking at the plain, white envelope.
I sliced it open.
The headed paper said Chat at the top.
"Dear Pauline" I began to read aloud. "We're delighted to tell you that you're the winner of our Facelift competition!"
I couldn't read any more, I was screaming too loudly.
"David!" I called to my husband. My daughters Karen, 23, and Laura, 21, came running, too.
"I'm going to get a new face!" I squeaked waving the letter.

Sunday 20 February

"Will you get off that phone?" yelled my hubby. "We could pay for a facelift with the money you have spent on phone calls!"
I'd been calling my friends and family all day to tell them the good news.
But as I lay in the bed that night, I started to worry. You hear so many horror stories about plastic surgery. What if I didn't wake up? What if I woke up on the operating table?
"I didn't get a wink of a sleep," I told my husband the next day.
"Don't worry - those surgeons know what they're doing," he smiled.
Then the phone rang.
"Hi, it's Libby Babbage from Europa International," said the voice on the line.
That was the company organising my facelift!
"I'm so glad you called!" I said, and began bombarding her with all the questions I'd been dying to ask.
Libby was so good, she waylaid all my fears. I slept well that night.

Saturday 2 April

BEFORE

"You'll never guess what - I got stopped in the street again!" I laughed when I got home.
Word of my facelift had spread and I was becoming a proper little celebrity in my neighbourhood!
That night, I began packing my bag for my trip to Prague.
"I brought round this nightie," Karen said when popped in later. "I thought it might be easy to put on - y'know, with the bruises and all."
I looked at the big, baggy, white nightshirt.
"Thanks," I winced. Was I doing the right thing?

Sunday 3 April

"I'll see you in a week, then, love," my husband said as he manhandled his golf clubs out the door.
Nothing could keep David away from 18 holes - not even his wife going abroad for a major op!
"Good luck," said Laura, as she left for her job as a beautician. Works all hours, that girl.
It was just me, Karen and Amarni when the car turned up.
"You'll be absolutely fine," smiled Karen.
"Bye, granny," Amarni said, giving me a kiss.
"I'll see you soon," I sniffed, trying to cover up my tears.
I couldn't believe I was getting so emotional - it was only a holiday, after all. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

Monday 4 April

I nearly didn't wake up - the bed in my hotel room was so comfy! So quiet, too.
I had to go for a medical this morning.
"There's a small problem with the left side of your heart," the Czech doctor said, in English.
What?
"Your veins are a bit blocked. But, as long as you don't start smoking, or weightlifting, you should be fine."
Well, I wasn't planning to start smoking any time soon, and as for weightlifting - forget it!
My op would happen tomorrow morning. My stomach was starting to churn.
"Are you OK?" Karen, one of the other facelift patients asked.
She was staying in my hotel, and we'd decided to go sightseeing around Prague together.
As we walked over the beautiful Charles Bridge, I told her my fears.
"You could always back out," she smiled.
"No way!" I said. "I want this facelift more than anything!"
That night, I took a sleeping pill - I was determined to be well rested for my big day!

Tuesday 5 April

When I woke up, I felt completely calm.
This was it!
John Babbage from Europa International picked me up from the hotel and drove me and Karen to the clinic 15 minutes away.
"You starting some new fashion craze?" Karen and John laughed at the clinic.
The surgeon had put my hair up in lots of small pigtails to keep it out of my face. I looked ridiculous! But the laughter took my mind off the op.
I went into surgery at 8:30am - it was due to last about three hours. The next thing I remember is waking up and feeling like my face belonged to someone else!
"Urgh!" I groaned through my bandages.
My head was so heavy, I couldn't sit up without help.
"Try and get some rest," the nurse said, as I drifted back to sleep.

Thursday 7 April

After two days being bed bound and eating mashed banana, it was time for my bandages to come off.
As the doctors unwound them, I felt a huge sense of relief.
"Do you want to take a look?" my surgeon Peter Hayduk asked, handing me a mirror.
What a shock.
I had two black eyes, and bruises everywhere - my face was so swollen.
But, already, I could see the improvement. My skin was wrinkle-free. I was so excited!
That night, back in the hotel, some Italian students were making a lot of noise. Dressed in my white nightshirt, with bruised face wrapped into a compression bandage, I stormed out into the corridor.
"Shhh!" I said, as they all stared in horror. They must've thought I was the ghost of some poor murder victim!

Friday 8 April

That night, my husband arrived to spend a few days with me.
"Blimey, you look like you've gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson!" he said. "Did it go OK?"
"Fine," I said. "Apart from a small problem with my heart. It didn't stop the op but it means we can't have sex any more!"
You should've seen his face!
"Only joking!" I laughed, as I hugged him.
People stared at us as we walked through the street - they probably thought he'd been bashing me about!
"Why don't you cover up a bit?" Karen said. She always wore a big scarf wrapped around her head, Audrey Hepburn style.
But I didn't care. "I am not going to see these people again," I laughed. That was the beauty of being in a foreign country.

Friday 15 April

I looked in the mirror as we left our hotel room. Gorgeous!
The bruising had nearly all gone, and I looked 20 years younger. I was sad to be leaving Prague. I'd had a great time. But I couldn't wait to get home and show off my new face.
"What do you think the girls will say?" I asked David as we checked in at the airport. "You know they'd always love you either way." David sighed.
"I know - but now I love me, too!" I laughed.
"Mum, you look great!" screamed the girls when I got home.
And it didn't stop there. People were looking at me - strangers - and it wasn't because I looked like I'd been hit by a bus, either.

Saturday 16 April

AFTER

I went into town for the first town with my new look. I didn't realise I knew so many people. Everyone seemed to stop me and compliment me on how great I looked. Said they couldn't believe how young I seemed.
"Well done!" they said. "You're so brave!"
Most people wanted to know if it hurt.
"No pain, no gain!" I laughed. I feel that now I have a face that suits my body and mind.
To Europa International and everyone at the clinic who treated me so well - I can't thank you enough.
And the same goes for all the Chat readers for sending me to Prague in the first place - you've changed my life!

See also

• Libby Babbage cosmetic surgery story
• Roslyn make-over plastic surgery story
• Michelle professional glamour model plastic surgery story
• Vanessa Myers

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