My name is Marie Lalini and I am 44 years old, and I have had several procedures with Dr. Fernau. The first procedure I had... Some people make the mistake and think that Botox is plastic surgery and it's not, because there's no surgery. But that was the first thing that I had had done, and that was in Weirton, West Virginia. I've been a patient with Doctors since I was 29.
After that, I went into have some lip fillers, which I liked. Liked him so much I ended up having him do lip silicone implants, which I love. He's also done a rhinoplasty. I had a deviated septum, and after that he had straightened my nose a little bit and did some reconstruction.
What I loved best about working with him is that he allows my input and my opinion. So he has done my nose and he's done my lips, and we kind of balanced everything out with a small action.
It's funny because I was 29, 30 years old and I was in the gaming industry and happy with my look. But I have the time and I also had the finances to have something to do with my own architect... the architecture of my face. And I was excited about that.
I had heard so many wonderful things about Dr. Fernau because I was thinking of doing a Botox or a little filler and I heard he was amazing. And once I sat down with him and I spoke with him because everything starts with a consultation. It's really one, one thing led to another. And what's so great about Dr. Fernau, for me, is that he really allowed my opinion and what I wanted to see done for me, for nothing else. And that made it so much more exciting for me because then I want it to have more opportunity with the design of my face and my nose.
And every 10 years, every five years, every evolution that you come into as a female, anyone, it's very exciting. Especially when you have somebody to work with and somebody who continues their education like Dr. Fernau does. And I did a lot of background research on him because I could go to any surgeon and I choose to come here.
It's changed my life because it's really changed me. So many people are under the misconception that women have plastic surgery because they hate themselves. And that is not true. Or because we wanted to fight age or because of a boyfriend, or not at all. If I was on a deserted island and it was just me, I still have it done. It's all about us. Sorry. But it's a girl thing and as long as we're happy and we look and we see that we're doing our best as we do continue and time to change, 44 doesn't look like what it did 20 years ago.
You know, Jennifer Lopez is three months older than me, you know? So I mean that raised the bar for women nowadays, you know, to want to keep up and keep up with the times and have something to do with how they age. We actually have a handle on how we can age now. And being a personal trainer and a certified nutrition consultant, I have that edge. You know what I mean? So we're able to kind of envelope it all. Which is great. So it's changed my life because it's made me happier having something to do with my age management or lack of aging.
Some have been a positive because knowing me that when I get something in my head, I'm going to take it like doctor and perfect it. And I have so many family and friends that actually that actually, you know, excited for me because they know how much time and effort I put into being amazed. Some are either typical family and friends and say, you look great. Why would you do that? Why are you not happy? What? And it has nothing to do with that.
If you have the time, the availability and everybody has a different concern of how they want to age and they have different funds. But Dr. Fernau has made things so easy.
And I've, like I said, I have the opportunity to work with other surgeons and I've interviewed several surgeons. I've never had somebody sit down and say, okay, what do you think? Tell me what you see. What do you want? You know what I mean? You would have surgeons say, I see this or that, where there's nothing wrong. And a lot of times doctor will say that, you know, Marie, you're just fine. And I'll say that's great, but that's not why I'm doing it.
So I've had a lot of really good support because my sister's a nurse, my other sister was a doctor. She has since passed, but they've had experiences coming up with me to see and meet Dr. Fernau and they've seen him as empathetic as he is. And he's very gentle. He's very kind. He's excellent with follow ups. So I've had a lot of good support because of that bedside manner. I will give you the advice, I would tell any female because I feel, I have people look at me all the time in the fitness industry and say, why would you do anything?
And I was like, I don't think you understand, I think we're all unfinished project. And if you are going to consider fillers or Botox or any type of surgery because you want to evolve and look a little different. Do your homework, you know? And interview your surgeons and really sit down and think to yourself why you want to do it. If you're doing it because you want the world to perceive you differently, that's one reason. And that's fine. That was never my reason.
If you do it because you want something to do and have some input in what God gave you and the way you're going to look for the next 20 years, I think it's amazing. And I think that's great. So I would definitely say make sure you sit down and really analyze why you want to do it. And it could be for a selfish reason and that's fine.
But if it's really for the reason that you want something to do with the aesthetics and you actually can have a handle on it. And there's a lot of surgeons that won't allow you to tell them what you want. Dr. Fernau's not like that. And that's really what made me very happy.
After I would book my procedure with doctor, it usually was after two consultations. The first excitement consultation and then when we would sit down and really go through it. And like I said, he's so wonderful because he allowed me such input and I don't know if I would've stayed with a surgeon that didn't allow me to tell him the design I wanted. And that's what's very cool and that's very rare because with surgeons you see a lot of egos. And that's not what's here, which was very good for me. Cause like I said, I could go anywhere.
Usually the night before, his staff would always make sure that you had your regime and your routine ready for any pharmaceuticals that you would need prior to. Being that I'm type O blood I can bleed very easily. So I would start with vitamin K and I just know this because I've done so many procedures. But the staff is just on point, which is great.
So you're prepared the week before. The night before you have everything you need, usually 72 hours before the procedures. And the staff, you know, will make sure that you take anything that you need at a certain time prior to the procedure. So they foolproof it for you. You don't have to put any thought into it. That you have a driver, that you have this, everything taken care of.
And then the morning of, like I said, the staff is, he keeps his staff, which is so great, very knowledgeable. He makes sure that they are always educated. He... I remember saying, one time, to me many years ago, he probably didn't think that I picked this up, but he can hire and everyone wants to work for Jim Fernau???????.
And he doesn't hire people right out of school. Cause I remember him saying to another patient, I don't use my patients as Guinea pigs. I will let interns come in. They're allowed to, if the patient's comfortable, while I'm performing the procedure. But I won't let someone who has not been in the field or educated to come in and work on my patients. And I liked that.
So I always knew whether I was getting a Fraxel laser, which I've done for my acne scars, anyone that I dealt with here, I knew it was somebody who was degrees. Somebody had already been in the business for several years. He makes sure that they were certified. He makes sure that they were educated and that was so important to me.
But I'm sorry, getting back to your question. After the procedure, you have your ride set and you have the pharmaceuticals. Everything's all said, the staff will peruse it. There'll be a 24 hour call. Usually it would not be to me cause I couldn't talk if I had my nose and my lips done. So whoever the caregiver was, they made sure that they have the name and they have the number and they would contact my mom or my sister. And that would happen pretty much every 24 hours. And then there would be a follow-up within seven days.
I actually wanted something else done this month and his staff had advised me that doctor was going to be gone 10 days after this procedure and they thought it would be to my best interest to wait. So this way, the followup that will suppose to be seven to ten days, he would be here for. And I thought that was very cool because they don't have to do that. Do you know what I mean?
He is very attentive to that. He wants to make sure, cause he's such a perfectionist, that you're following procedure and that you're keeping your splint on, or you're getting, making sure you're the relaxing, and how the caregiver to make sure you're not leaning over, which is going to cause more bleeding. That's all covered. They explain it, they put it in writing and they follow up with it verbally. And especially whoever is a by your side.
So it's so simple to reinvent yourself here. Yes, Cindy performs a fractional lasers. And her procedures, it's interesting cause like I said, if you do your homework, and these are people that are working on your face. These are people that you're handing over with your pain management to. And you want to make sure that they're educated and they're skilled. And everybody does have a different procedure. But when somebody is coming at your face with a laser, you want to make sure that they are educated or more educated than the other people you've interviewed.
And I find that with her. Which is why I continue to have them with her. She knows how to seat you. She knows to what level, what degree, the pain management. And all of that goes into making a procedure very simple and making it simple enough for you to continue doing it. Because if not, then you won't see the results.
And that's what I find here. I find it with Cindy. Sherry has been absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing. I actually request her almost every procedure. She's very kind. She has an incredible bedside manner and she's very intelligent. His entire staff is very smart. They're very knowledgeable. He makes sure that they are. He makes sure that they stay a community in a team. All of them, if one can't follow up because somebody is busy, somebody else knows what you've had done, and that's great.
I mean, he truly can orchestrate an incredible staff. And I've had several procedures. The only difficult recovery time procedure I've experienced was the one that I should have. And that was my actual rhinoplasty because he went into my sinus cavity because my septum so deviated. It changed my life because it changed my sleep and it changed my breathing, which changes your life.
I was very fortunate that my sister's a nurse. Which like I said, he questions you on your caregivers. So my sister was able to be there to know that this is gonna sound a little gross, but, was able to help make sure that the breathing straws I had stayed clean. He knows that that allows for much more comfort.
I remember when I went up to get them removed, even though I was on a painkiller narcotic that I was prescribed for this pain in surgery. My sister drove me up and what impressed her, which is very difficult to do to an ER nurse, when somebody runs an ER. And she said, I was very impressed at how kind he was because since you were medicated, he could've ripped them out and you wouldn't have known. He could've just hurried up and went through it. And he didn't. And he was that careful and that precise. And I thought that was really, really cool because I wouldn't have probably felt the difference. But he still knew the procedure, after procedure, what all of that does in healing, you know?
And he's a nice guy, on top of being an excellent surgeon. He's a nice guy and that makes a big difference. So hearing that from my sister, who's a perfectionist, like Dr. Fernau??????? also gives you some comfort.
The rhinoplasty was really the longest and that was two weeks. So when I had my lip implants, that might've been three days. There was some swelling. And after the swelling went down, you don't even have know you have them.
The same when I had my chin squared off a little bit. It was a few days and if you follow procedure, which is making sure that your hands were always clean, you're not touching your face, things like that. It's just, it's very simplified and like I said, they're very kind, because they continue to follow up and they stay on you to make sure that you get in. Because Jim, I'm sorry, Dr. Fernau??????? is very adamant to make sure he sees you within a week or 10 days. Personally, I think he just gets excited. And when the bandages come off and he sees somebody light up, that has to be rewarding for him.
My goodness, I would recommend him from a Botox to rhinoplasty, to reconstructive surgery, which I believe is really what he is renowned for. Car accidents, things of that nature, I would, I always recommend him. In fact, I've had several friends who also could choose any surgeon in the country and go to. But once they got to meet the doctor and saw his bedside manner, realized his education, also realized that he had respect for your opinion in his work. Which is very, like I said, very difficult to find in a surgeon. You just don't. There are some surgeons that say, okay, I understand, and then when you get the results, it's what they want. And that happens a lot in cosmetic surgery because it's cosmetic.
So usually it's not life threatening. But it's nice when you come out and it's results that you want, you just happen to work with a sculptor and somebody who has this incredible education that continues to keep getting educated. And you become a team with them, at least that's how I feel with Dr. Fernau???????.
And that's why I enjoy that every time I say, okay, it's time for a little evolution. I always get excited about what we're going to create. Or meet with him. He's so easy to talk to. He always makes time for me. Even if his schedule is crazy. If I'm here, somebody's always going to come back and say, he could probably just see for 10 minutes knowing there's something I'm going to want to do.
Like I said, you'll never feel ignored. And that's very important. You know, somebody cares. I trust him. I trust him with my face, and that's very important. So I trust him with my life.
