New Year, New Me ... correcting mistakes of childhood past - Bogota, Colombia

So it turns out that the intense pain in my right leg was due to a seroma in my abdomen on the right side. The minute it was aspirated with a syringe (the tube on the right side was removed quite early on due to the pain in my right leg ) the relief was just unbelievably instant. About 60ml was removed the first day and then 40ml the second.it's hard to believe that such little bit of liquid can render me completely unable to walk due to the excruciating pain.

Each time, the left abdomen was also aspirated but it yielded nothing.


Tomorrow I again see dr. Juris for follow up.. hopefully get the all clear to fly and no seroma.

Having problems getting my laptop to connect to network here.. so been a bit slow on that. Uploading now using my mobile phone.. hopefully it works. Comments welcome.

Went for my last 'free' massage yesterday and the different than usual massage therapist noted something unusual - immediately she took pictures and what's app'd it to the doctor who said he would come down in an hour to take a closer look. It turned out to be nothing but i really appreciate these kinds of attention that i am getting from all my carers. They are all very closely connected to dr juris so it's a very tight and seamless experience.

The doctor said i might have some seroma around my belly button, and i am having a follow up with him today.

I previously asked him how much fat had been removed and he commented 6litres which is great! I think previous lipo surgeons have only been able to remove 750ml and 1.2 litres. Dr juris, as already mentioned, is super agressive with his lipo. Another, tiny little girl staying at the recovery house (but on the heavier side) had 9kgs removed!! I saw her day before pics and saw her in person ofcourse after the operation and there was a remarkable difference.

My surgery was just after hers. I was asked to come into the medical centre (it's in the same 10 storey building as Dr. Juris's office; the building itself is full of medical practitioners who use the surgery centre so it's not like i am having the operation in the doctors office but more a specialist medical centre. It's the norm here in Colombia. Infact for about a 2-3 square km there is nothing but modern medical centre, hospitals, medical services.. It's quite incredible). Week before surgery i had submitted my blood results. The day before surgery i met with anesthetist who did further tests and took my history. The decision was to start off with epidural and then go with general anaesthetic after.

At 10am i arrived at the centre, was shown to my private room (1 night with nurse was included in the price). I put my heavy luggage, i had been traveling for last 2.5 months) and changed into my scrubs. Then i was taken into pre-surgery room and given a lot of medications intravenously. The cleanliness and following of protocols was done to military precision. All my vitals, etc were recorded. Dr. Juris' was running quite late.. He eventually came around and marked me up. I again told him how much i hate my love handles and i don't mind an extended TT scar .. Anything to get rid of my mushy love handles.

I was taken into the surgery room where on the walls they had written all my essential details incl list of procedures. A nurse came in and went through a last checklist with me ... Very nice! Then they applied some liquid to my body.

Woke up after the 5-6 hour surgery in the pre-surgery room. Then was wheeled into my private room where i think the nurse kept giving me pain medication intravenously at timely intervals. In the morning (12 hours after surgery) i was given a shower. After dressing up i went downstairs to doctor's office and was given my first massage.. Thank God for all the pain medication. I was then packed up with diapers to the Max and put me into a very high quality faja. I can't believe they managed to get m me into that. Dr Juris is very much into high compression immediately and for 20 days after... To the point, as mentioned before, the put in specially designed foams, triangles and a specially designed wooden board once the majority of the bleeding has stopped. You pay for these items separately.. They are not expensive and you are told upfront that these will cost extra. These items are common with Vaser lipo.

Two new patients of Dr Juris here at the recovery house - i can reflect from them the recovery progress i have made in last 10 days.

Feel loads better, my aim is to be able to put on my compression socks myself and not be draining out any fluids before i start my long journey. There is the slight pain still in my leg from the drain. One drain is still in and i am aspirated through it everyday.

Dr. Juris had a quick look yesterday and said he will l let me know on Wednesday if it is safe to travel or not. Hoping he will take out the last drain then also, although it is not bothering me.

I have pics from day 7 or something but need my laptop to upload. Might get some more today and then upload together. Also, today is the final massage although i might pay for some more since i might be around for 5 more days and there is not much else to do - except go to a salon for haircut, manicure, pedicure, shave (total 20,000 COP). The recovery house is 180,000 a day i think ( includes airport pickup/drop off, transport to post surgery follow ups, really amazing meals, 24 hour attention, adjustment of your fajas, etc). The additional massages cost 40,000 COP.

other than that the only additional expenses have been lots of diapers and small amount of medicines. It's great that you can just call the local pharmacy and they drop off all the medicines and stuff (you don't really need a prescription here - LOVE that) to your doorstep.

Will be VERY sad to leave Colombia - it is a fantastic country.