LOVE, SHANTIQUE STYLE: Section One Excerpt
IT was a beautiful Saturday in May and maybe it was the birds that were singing or the bees buzzing around the floral bushes that prompted me to introduce our only two in-house guests to one another.
Jennifer was from New York. She was an attorney who had told her husband that she was off to Los Angeles to a spa for two weeks. Jennifer was very attractive, in her late thirties, just the right height, the right build, the right jewelry, clothes, suitcases, shoes etc. The woman knew how to put herself together. She decided she was going to have a facelift before Grandmother Nature made her entrance. Jennifer heard that if you attacked the aging process early enough the swelling and bruising was minimal because they didn't have to "do a lot of work". She figured by the end of two weeks the signs of recuperation would have diminished enough that make-up would do the trick and her husband would never be the wiser. Her surgery had been on the previous Wednesday and she was progressing beautifully.
Alan was in his early fifties, pleasant looking, smart, who decided to spruce up his face to keep up with the young hotties in this town. He spent his days managing real estate that his mother owned and would someday be his. He had a great sense of humor and I truly liked him for his honesty. Alan's surgery had been on Thursday and he, too, was doing well. First I asked Jennifer if she would like to meet Alan. She said she was interested and I already knew that Alan would want to meet her. I don't think Alan would pass up meeting a lady under any circumstances. I guess he proved that because he still had his head dressing on with drains hanging from each ear.
I served each of their lunches in the day room so they could meet on neutral ground and have a parlor atmosphere instead of a bedroom environment. Little did I know that would not be a deterrent. I was off on Sunday and returned to work the 3pm-11pm shift on Monday. Jennifer was in Alan's room, they said they had enjoyed each other's company over the weekend and would be dining together that evening. I had both of their trays delivered to Alan's room at 7:00 pm as requested. A few minutes after dinner was delivered to their door, a waiter walked past the nurse's station with a bottle of wine and two glasses on a tray. I watched him go down the hall and into Alan's room. I phoned the room and told Alan that I didn't think that wine was wise at this time. Alan assured me he had enjoyed some the evening before and was just fine. An hour later another bottle of wine is carried down the hall and into Alan's room. At this point I am concerned, but it is a hotel and we can only counsel, we cannot force an adult guest to rearrange his behavior. Approximately forty five minutes later, around 9 pm, Jennifer came to the nurse's station door and beckoned me into the hall. She was flushed and stammered as she told me I had best go and check on Alan.
I quickly went to Alan's room and when I opened the door I stared in total disbelief. Alan was standing there holding a sheet around his naked...
The FACELIFT: Section Two Excerpt
The next area of the body to exhibit aging is the chin and neck. How much the neck/chest area ages depends extensively on how many pleasurable moments you indulged in worship of the Sun Goddess in your earlier years. Many women lose their chin line at an early age due to heredity. It either exhibits itself as a true double chin via excess skin and fat, or as a flap of skin that actually hangs down as an appendage beneath their chin. In other words, the turkey has begun to gobble. Your cheeks may have begun to sag, your mouth definitely turns down at the corners, and your collagen layer is at halfmast. You have found yourself heading for the turtle-neck counter in the stores and your plunging necklines have found their way to the back of the closet. No way are you planning on drawing attention to this part of your body.
There is an answer and it's called Rhytidectomy or the Facelift. I know you're all familiar with it. You've heard it mentioned in jest, ridiculed, used as focal points in comedy skits, and gossiped about over the bridge table, but I feel fairly certain you havn't heard this factual story. One of my guests at Le Petit Ermitage told me she had included a facelift in her divorce agreement because, as she put it, "That man put about 100,000 miles on this chassis and by damn he's going to pay for the retread!"
The facelift, sometimes in combination with a neck lift, is one of the most exciting cosmetic surgical procedures to experience. The results are right out there for everyone to see and admire so they can tell you just how terrific you look. Cosmetic surgery is a personal choice, and whether a woman wants to divulge the fact that she has undergone the procedure is completely up to her. If a facelift is completed while still in the 45 - 55 age range the results are less dramatic and the new-you can still be attributed to your 'new interest in exercise, proper eating habits, and a few weeks at a spa.' It is not always necessary to divulge your surgery to others, this is your choice.
The placement of suture lines are now such that it is very difficult to visualize whether or not surgery has taken place. An important question to ask your surgeon is ...
SURGEONS WHO EXCEL: Section Three Excerpt
The surgeons in the following chapter are the true Masters of the nip and tuck. They are all located in the Beverly Hills area and are the famous “Surgeons to the Stars.” I have based this list on 18 years of caring for their patients. This unique opportunity allowed me to assess and evaluate their patients based on the following:
1. Amount of bruising and swelling
2. Amount of pain experienced
3. Amount of nausea
4. Number and type of complications
5. Placement of Suture Lines
6. Aesthetic surgical results
I have indicated their certifications. Certification means that they have carried the seriousness of their profession to the highest level. Although complications from surgery and anesthesia cannot always be avoided, these surgeons have taken every precaution to see that their patients receive the finest in medical equipment and pre and post-operative care. Add the surgeon’s skill to that combination and the surgical results can be commendable.
I have emphasized the surgical procedures that each surgeon excels at. Not every surgeon performs every procedure with the same adeptness. It is important to choose a surgeon that excels in the procedures you desire.
In all fairness, there are other recovery retreats in Los Angeles and other surgeons that refer to them. My list does not represent every good surgeon in this town, only those whose work I have observed over the years.
It is important that you consult with at least three surgeons before selecting the one that you feel the most confidence in. Remember, you are entrusting him with your body and you only have one. You must trust him, respect him, and relate to him/her. Trepidation is a standard emotion when going under elective surgery, this can be kept at a minimum by the proper choice of your surgeon. They are listed alphabetically.
From the pages of Facelift Hotel...