#ThisIsForty-(One). Part I.

My sweet little girl and me at my birthday lunch at Ellerbe. Photo credit: Bree Linne Photography.

I turned 41 this month {insert shocked and sad emoji face}. It’s funny because when people ask me how old I am I continue to answer 40 (because THAT’S a badge of honor) and then I have to remind myself, no, I’m 41. Forty-one. Sigh. I’m not anywhere close to where I want to be with my personal and lifelong goals. I am certainly taking steps to get myself there, and if you know about my jewelry line, you will know just how important being intentional and goal setting is to me. What I do know is that for the bulk of the last 9 years I have been pregnant, nursing, pregnant, nursing, pregnant with twins, nursing said twins, running multiple businesses and raising these little people as well as trying to be a good wife for my husband. It’s A. LOT. I am not looking for sympathy here because as moms we all go through the normal ups and downs of motherhood. I am not complaining one bit either, I truly wouldn’t have it any other way. What I do know is that I have been there so much for everyone around me for a very long time and I hardly ever take time to address my own wants and needs. I don’t splurge on big or even small purchases, I have a very modest home, I drive a mini-van for goodness sake. I am your stereotypical soccer mom who volunteers at the school on occasion, enjoys a couple of girls’ nights here and there, but for the most part I am with the kids or working.

I’m sure you’ve heard that song on the radio with the lyrics “This is my fight song, take back my life song, prove I’m ALRIGHT song”. As I prepared to write this blog post that song popped into my head. It might be because I finally did something just for me today. I am fighting for me. It certainly is going to sound vain, but I don’t care. I have been unhappy with my appearance and the deepening lines on my brow for the last couple of years and I am ready to do something about it. I have close friends who get Botox regularly and look fantastic. I am a virgin to it though, mostly because of the expense, but also because I am a little fearful. You’re getting injected with a toxin, it sounds scary but it’s FDA approved and has been used on millions of men and women. I do encourage you to do your own research for benefits and risks associated with the treatment.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a talk at Dr. Camp’s office to discuss injections and fillers as well as cosmetic surgery. There are plenty of options in Fort Worth and I encourage you to schedule multiple consultations if you are looking to have minor or major cosmetic work done. The following week I set an appointment to have Botox injections. And today was the big appointment. I had no idea the protocol for going in, so I opted to go without any make up as you can see in the picture below (insert monkey covering his eyes emoji).

I took the picture with my iPhone with natural daylight to show you the lines on my brow and around my eyes. The hyperpigmentation on my face will be my next battle, but I’m taking one step at a time.

I arrived at the appointment and had a short wait in the waiting room while I consumed massive amounts of watermelon infused water they had in the foyer. I made a note to self to prepare this at home, because Lord knows I need to drink way more water than I do. Dr. Camp’s staff were all very sweet and quickly got me back to the procedure room where I spoke with Dr. Camp for over an hour prior to getting Botox. I’ll leave that talk to a future blog post, but I was able to ask a million more questions about a surgery I have been thinking about as well as listen to what my options are.

We were then ready to begin the Botox treatment. The conversation prior to the procedure assuaged any nerves that were left and so I just laid back in the chair as he cleaned my face with an alcohol wipe. The first several shots were not painful at all, like tiny little bee stings. If you’ve had children, you’ve been through WAY worse. The injections at the top of my forehead were a touch painful, but totally manageable. I hardly noticed the shots around my crow’s feet. I actually love that term, it perfectly describes the wrinkles around your eyes. I don’t mind the appearance of crow’s feet so much. I think it shows that you spend time laughing and enjoying life to its fullest. In my case I may have a few too many crows putting their dirty feet on my face. Dr. Camp knew I wanted to have a very soft subtle change. He said some request the frozen look, not this girl. He injected me with about 60% of what he would most patients. Again, I am taking baby steps to a more youthful appearance. I never want to LOOK like I’ve had work done, it will be our little secret…ok? Pinky swear? 😉

So here I am immediately after being shot up. A few little red dots, some of them being where he marked me up with a red pen. I was able to hang out there for a bit and relax and take lots of embarrassing selfies. All in the name of spreading good information to you ladies of Fort Worth so you can decide if it’s time to chant your own Fight Song.

This next picture I took right after I left the office and got in my car. You can already notice that the red marks and swelling had been reduced in minutes. Dr. Camp said it would be a few days before the effects would kick in. I’ll be sure to update with pictures then.

As soon as I got home I loaded up the 4 kids and took them to the pool for a few hours. Now here’s the advice I will pass along to you. I wasn’t prepared for there to be a little dull throbbing pain and wished I had brought an Advil with me. As soon as I got home I took one and the pain quickly subsided. All in all, I am happy that I made the decision to invest in my appearance. I will continue to keep fighting the sands of time by eating well, exercising as much as I can, and treating myself to some minor cosmetic procedures. (insert lady dancing in a red dress having a hella good time emoji)

As a treat to Tanglewood Moms readers, Dr. Camp is offering a major giveaway. If you don’t know how amazingly awesome this is, just trust me. It’s the biggest giveaway we’ve had on the blog, and might ever have on the blog. Huge. I wish I were eligible to win!

One winner will receive one round of Botox, a hydrafacial and skin care analysis with Visia. Please comment on the blog with how you’ve earned one of those laugh lines or wrinkles (we welcome funny stories). One person will be chosen at random and announced on Sunday night (Aug 30th) on the blog. Good luck everyone!

Steven Camp, MD is board certified in general surgery and plastic surgery and is a member of both the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He was recently recognized in the RealSelf Top 100. Dr. Camp is also a member of the Texas Medical Association and the Tarrant County Medical Society.

THE WINNER IS Erin, with email: erinreed20@….. I’ll email you shortly with details!