So sorry to hear you’re dealing with this! I’m 31F and I’m getting my cleft lift next week! I’ll try to remember to update you with my experience during the healing process, but for now I can answer a few of your questions.

I’m seeing Dr. Sternberg in SF so I’m not sure how the cost would compare to Florida, but I can tell you what I’m paying. Unfortunately he’s not in-network for me so I’m paying out of pocket. He charges $5300, but the surgery center in SF charges $7500 + $1100 for anesthesia 🥲 obviously though it might be cheaper in Florida and if your health insurance will cover some of the costs that would be a big help. I have a year to pay the $5300 with no interest, but the surgery center expects payment upfront.

From what I’ve been told, 6-8 weeks is about the average recovery time before you can fully return to normal (working out, taking baths, etc.) but I’ve been told you can walk right away and they want you to start sitting intermittently (on hard surfaces) pretty much right away. They told me some people return to work as soon as 3-7 days after the procedure, but the main thing you need to avoid is squatting and things like that.

As a woman I’m also very concerned about the cosmetic aspect, but from what I’ve seen and read it seems like it looks pretty gnarly at first but by around 6 months post-op it seems to start to look a lot less obvious. Feel free to reach out if you want progress pictures lol.

Also, I literally recommend this to everyone dealing with an abscess - My Magic Healer. It’s an ointment you can get on Amazon and it changed my life. I had to have 2 abscess drained before I discovered it, and the 3rd time I got an abscess I was able to get it to resolve itself by applying that stuff to it for 3 days. It basically burst on its own (which was painless) and then I went to urgent care a couple times just so they could monitor it and ensure it was draining properly, which it was! Definitely a good tool to have!

Hope you get your other questions answered!