Australia, here I come! My plane leaves Boston Logan airport February 5th and I have a two-hour layover in Los Angeles before the 14-hour flight to Sydney. It's a long flight and I have pretty good case of jet lag when the plane lands at 6:00am Sydney time February 7th.

I clear customs and crash in a hotel for a day. I am picked up the next day and meet Dr. Angela Campbell and get transported to my accommodations at the surgery center where I met Dr. Woods. I am examined by both doctors then settle in and prepared for surgery the next day.

As prepared as I was and with the information I had, it really comes down to putting yourself in the hands of the doctors. Surgery starts at noontime! Extensive videotaping and then discussion between the two doctors. The left frontal side was damaged from prior surgeries as the thick wall of plugs and scaring was severe in this area. The anesthetic is applied to the frontal area by Dr. Campbell in very small amounts. The "ouch factor" is minimal and I tolerate it well. Dr. Woods and Dr. Campbell proceed with the labor intensive task of plug removal and skin grafting the area where the plugs were removed. The follicles from the plugs are disbursed into other areas. The two doctors work together and independently. Breaks are taken for lunch and resting. Surgery finishes 13-1/2 hours later at 1:30am.

I take it easy over the weekend and I feel OK considering the marathon surgery I just went through and prepare myself for the next surgery.

The right frontal side is addressed in the same manor as the left side. This area was very pluggy but was not as damaged as the left side. Surgery time with lunch and breaks is 10 hours.

The next day is a rest day. There is some minor swelling and this is normal with hairline frontal surgery due to the anesthetic.

This was a short day with the top area approached away from the frontal hairline and hair follicles are extracted from the donor area and implanted into this region. Surgery time is 8 hours.

Another marathon surgery! Follicles were removed from the donor area and implanted in the frontal area establishing a new hairline. The hair follicle has to be inserted at the proper angle in the recipient site. A very long tedious process! Surgery time is another 13-1/2 hours.

I want to point out that this method of surgery is exhausting for the physicians as they are bent over you for hour after hour wearing binocular visual aids.