My cosmetic surgery in Turkey, an honest account

1. Why I decided

I go by Ivy. It is the English form of my first name, my full name is in the legal notice. I use it here because I would rather that someone searching my name did not find my surgery first. Almost every woman who comes to me wants the same thing.

I didn't start with a decision. I started with a thought I told nobody for two years. Not my best friend, not my mother.

2. My research

I read at night. Forums, Instagram, clinic sites with prices from, before-and-after photos that all looked the same. The more I read, the less I knew.

3. Choosing a surgeon

In the end it wasn't the price that decided, or the reviews. It was one conversation.

4. The first consultation

I'd written down twelve questions and asked three. That's how nervous I was.

5. Preparation

Blood tests, an ECG, the question of whether I smoked. And the question of who was coming with me.

6. The journey out

The flight was the easiest part. The hotel room the night before was not.

7. The hospital

It was more modern than I expected. And busier than I expected.

8. The operation

I remember the markings, standing up, the cold of the theatre, counting backwards. Then nothing.

9. The first days

Day three. I cried without knowing why. Now I know: almost everyone does.

10. Pain and healing

The pain was bearable. The impatience wasn't.

11. The flight home

My husband joined me, and we flew home together. It taught me something: it is better to have someone with you.

That is why I started the community. Women travelling in the same period can find each other there and support one another. All the more so when someone is travelling without a companion.

12. Aftercare

My GP's practice nurse took the stitches out and frowned. Not at the scar. At the word Turkey.

13. The result

At six months I looked properly for the first time, without checking.

14. What I'd do differently

Two things. Don't go alone. And talk to someone beforehand who's done it, not someone who's selling it.

15. Would I do it again?

Yes. But differently. And that's exactly why this site exists.