Dear Lucinda,
There is a big diffenence between the hours and days after surgery and the weeks and months after surgery. You can prepare your family for the hours after surgery by telling them that you will most likely be gauze wrapped, drainage tubes everywhere, hooked up to a bunch of monitors, and FACE SWOLLEN like crazy. [I almost fainted the 1st time I saw my husband in the recovery room after surgery, but it gets better day by day.] John came home with staples in his neck from ear to ear. We just had to be asiduous about keeping the area clean and when the staples were out there was no visible scaring. You won't be "pretty" the 1st few weeks, but you will get back to normal. If you really want a "recovery room" picture, I think I have one, but it may not be the best thing for you to look at. Amy in the Ozarks