Wanna Be Flat - Atlanta, GA

I'm getting closer to becoming flat again. I've been taking my Arnica Montana pills and my Vitamin C 1000mg tablets daily for the past five days now. I hate taking pills, I already take enough for my migraines on top of these pre surgery pills not to add the ones after surgery. Of well it'll be over with soon. I also bought my spanx to wear on top of my garment from the Dr after surgery, but he said not to wear it until a few days after the procedure. I can't wait. The only thing I dislike is not eating or drinking after midnight and the morning of. I get so hungry and thirsty just knowing I can't have anything which kills me. If it were any other day it wouldn't bother me one bit. Well I'll keep you ladies posted for sure.

Well tomorrow is the weekend before my surgery and my instructions were to continue my Vitamin C 1000 mg 2-3x a day, Arnica Montana 4-5x day, protein intake, plenty of water this weekend and less salty foods. I hope I bought the right garment thing(spanx). I got mine from walmart, but kept the receipt just incase. It fits tight though. Anyhow, can anyone share with me on when to wear it and if I wear it over my garment from the doctor. I think that's what my doctor told me I just forgot. I have too many things running throughout my mind bc I'm full of excitement. When you see my recent photo, yes you will see Shakeology. That's my PROTEIN I'm taking. Hell, I bought it prior to summer and stopped bc I had a knee injury and couldn't continue my workout program per doctor's orders so why not take some now. Seems to be the perfect time for some protein anyhow. Lmao. I had a friend at work (the only one who knows about my procedure) tell me to feed my face all the pizza and cake I wanted last week bc it's gonna get sucked right outta me. I giggled and walked away. She is right to a point, but I don't want to use that as an excuse bc what happens after if I did that and my stomach stretched and got used to me eating. All that junk and I would continue wanting to eat it all the time, then I'd be s.o.l. Anyways, I'll keep y'all updated as much as possible.

I'm sitting here waiting to go and nervous as all get out. I was nervous at work all day yesterday too. I was a wreck yesterday trying to get my last minute things done around the house before bed. This morning knowing I can't eat is the worst bc I'm starving and it sucks. Well I have to go now surgery is at 7:30 and I have to be there at 6am. I'll try to update you ladies today if possible. Chow!

OMG is really all I can say. The pain is worse than I expected. It's about quarter after 9pm now and I'm a little more awake and I have eaten so I'm starting to feel a tad bit bare able, not too much tho. Dr. Fara has already spoke with me to see how I was doing.(love that he cares). I think the bleeding has slowed down a little too. My 13 year old really is a trooper, MY HERO. He has taken care of me ALL day and his little brother who is a year and a half(assisting my mother in law with him) all while my hubby is at work. I owe him five times his allowance now. Lol I just got up and used the bathroom by myself bc I can tell my baby is getting tired. It did me some good tho. So far in my garment and swollen, I like what I see. I'll post photos in a day or two. Well for now I feel the zzzzzz's coming back. Good night y'all.

Oh dear, I really wasn't expecting all this pain. Today I feel like I've been hit by a transfer truck multiple times. I'm real swollen today. I pulled down my garmet bc I needed to use the bathroom, but by the time it took me to sit down, I couldn't relax enough to go. I'm hoping each day gets better and better. I have a lot of bruising as well. Enough of me complaining, so for now I'm going to get a nap in. I've been up and moving around more today bc it feels better to move than to sit still and get all stiff.

Well I can finally say today has been an easier day by far. I'm still sore, but it's getting better each day. I got to take my first shower this morning. Let me tell you how exciting that was. I felt so refreshed and some what clean. I was a little scared to scrub to hard bc I didn't want the little pieces of tape covering my incisions to come off yet bc I wasn't sure if they were supposed to or not. When I got out of the shower I did a quick dry bc I started feel nauseous and my face was turning pale due to seeing all the bruising and he dried up bloody gauze pads I took off my body. I had to go lay down for a little while to cool off. My husband said I look like I've been in a bad car accident which I do and I expected that bc I do bruise easy. I'm hoping it'll all be gone sooner than later bc like I said we have a beach trip planned for the week of Labor Day and I would hate to still be bruised all over in my two piece. The only thing I dislike about my garment is the pee hole. It is digging into my skin and I keep adjusting it. It's more towards my butt area where it's aggravating me at. I'm a little nervous about going to work on Saturday bc I work 12 hr shifts on my feet and my PS says that's where the fluid and swelling will come from. Ugh I know it'll be worth it all in the end that's why I'm not beating myself up about all the things I dislike. I. Just going with the flow. After reading enough of y'all's reviews on here about your lipo journeys I think I pretty much knew what to expect. Anyhow, I'm continuing to keep my legs elevated while resting on the couch. It's also getting easier to get up and down but still painful, I just kinda roll into it now, lol. Well until my next update, hope you ladies enjoy your day.

Every night I sleep with my feet elevated to help with blood flow, but for some odd reason tonight I feel a little extra swollen than I did before I went to bed. I got up to pee and adjusted the annoying pee hole around my butt area where in literally digs into my skin and noticed my vagina was a purplish color like it wasn't getting any blood flow,,scary I know. I showed my hubby bc my main concern is I have to wear this for the best six wks and I go to work Saturday which I work 12 hr shifts standing all 12 hrs, even more scary. So now my next move will be to call my PS in the morning to notify him of this to see what get suggests what to do and if I should work Saturday or stay home. Besides the itching like crazy everything else is pretty much good besides me wanting to vomit when I look in the mirror when I take my garment off. I could never be a nurse, I'm a weakling. Lol.

I've been feeling nauseous ever since late last night. I thought it might have been bc I didn't really eat dinner so I ate a bowl if cereal which kinda helped until the feeling came back. Now im starting to really guess what it could be. I have not had a bowel movement since Sunday and every time I feel the urge to go by the time I get undressed and sit down I can't relax enough to go. The Dr said my pain meds have me backed up so my hubby is picking me up some stool softner. Hopefully this will help asap. In the meantime I snap a few leg pictures for you ladies while I was in bed waking from my nap since I was already uncomfortable. It looks way worse in person.

So I decided to stay home from work today to get one more day of rest before standing on my feet for twelve long hours with swollen painful legs. I already have the mind set of when we go grocery shopping that I'm going to get in an electric wheel chair to save my swelling as long as possible. Well as we are pulling up to a close parking space there is a lady standing in the way so I told my hubby to honk at her. She basically throws her hands up with the oh well look on her face while my hubby says that isn't right. So me and my big mouth wasn't going to be nice and keep it shut and lady like today knowing I just had surgery, already couldn't walk great and need a wheel chair. So I jump out the car while in motion and give her a piece of my mind. I let her have it, she didn't say a word to me. She eventually walked away and no car even parked there. It's all good, I let her know God doesn't like ugly. So with that being said and done, on to the next. I'm a little upset bc it's now after 11pm and I've been waiting on my PS to return my call on a concern of mine I have for work tomorrow. It's been a little over two hrs now and that isn't like him. His daughter replied informing me he was driving and would return my text when he got home, maybe I'm just impatient, idk. Anyhow, I've been laid up all week elevating my legs to help with the swelling and today I decided to treat myself and go over to our neighbors to socialize for 2 hours. In those 2 hrs I was sitting down most that time which I haven't even done since surgery(in a sitting position) and the swelling actually got worse. My ankles are now kankles like when I was right after I gave birth......huge. How I am supposed to work on my feet for 12 hours if I can't even sit up in a chair for 2 hours? I don't get it. Just when I think the swelling was going away....baaammmmm it gets worse. Now with that said also, I have one more depressing thing to complain about, sorry ladies. This pee hole thing in my garment is really upsetting me from all this swelling as well too. My vagina is purple. It looks like a huge hicky. It's scary, it makes me think it will never turn back to its original color. Oh the joys of having cosmetic surgery to better yourself just to find out it's always not what we think it is looking from the outside in.

I had my doctors apt today and all went well. After he took the tape off his mouth literally dropped and said OMG you have amazing results just after one week. I was so scared I was going to have some left over saggy skin and I dont. He is absolutely amazing. Im so in love with my body even more than I was before. Look out mirror bc ill be in front of you twice as much now. Lol my waist measured 94 around my bellybutton b4 and now an 84 he said I lost 4 inches 10 cm. And 1-2 inches off each thigh swollen so thats great. So besides all the pain, stiffness, aches and bruises Im one happy camper.

Well today was my first full official day back at work. Let me remind y'all I work three days a week twelve hours each day standing all twelve hours in a warehouse. A pretty easy job, just a little rough on your feet and legs. Well about four hours into my shift my legs started to swell and go numb. I got a little scared so I went into my mgrs office and sat down for a few minutes bc we don't have sit down positions at my job, lol. As the day went on the swelling got worse, but I hung in there and stuck through it. We didn't work our full shift(lack of business) so we got off early. I worked a total of nine hours and I was ready to run out of there, but to bad my legs wouldn't let me. By the time I got home I grabbed the ice bag, iced my knees and feel asleep for roughly two hours. I woke up and my body was stiff and sore which has been normal this whole heal thing process and I was ready for my pain meds. I'm feeling pretty good right now, just relaxing and getting ready for day two as it comes pretty quickly like any other work night approaches you fast like a lightening bolt verses when your off and the days go by kind of slowly. Until we meet again ladies, hope you all are happy, healing well, and those of you waiting for surgery you'll be just fine. ??

Sorry in advance....I'm in one of my complaining moods bc I'm just completely uncomfortable. I attempted to re tape myself after my shower the other night and I didn't do so well. At least I didn't feel as though it was done correctly like the doctors perfection so I went in yesterday to see him so he could do it correctly. I'm just tired all around of wearing all this stuff. I don't sleep well at night, I'm all stiff like, I can't sleep in different positions bc these zippers dig in my skin and hurt like hell even with the tape. So he doctor didn't want to peel off my tape bc he says it can cause the skin to stretch and sag from getting outta position (in all the medical terms he used) so he put tape on top of tape which means I'm more stiff like and more uncomfortable. My body is covered with tape, my garment, and the spanx I have to wear on top of my garment and on my work days I have to wear the long tight socks to my knees that holds and stops swelling. I covered almost head to toe. I can't wait for this to end. I knew I was going to have to wear a garment for awhile afterwards but I didn't know all the other stuff too. It's so aggravating I could scream. He did tell me in two more weeks I could take the garment off at bed time...yippy do da day. Starring out the window looking at the sunshine it's like it's calling my name to come to the pool, but I can't. Lol my legs are still bruised, but getting better and I couldn't go if I wanted to. Oh well, I'll be on the beach in 5 weeks. I guess I'll just get a tanning bed membership since I've lost some of my tan. The lipo blues no one ever mentions us about before the procedure. I was also starting to feel like my body shape hasn't changed either. I mean my belly is def flat, but my hips, and inner and outer thighs still look the same before the surgery. My Ps says bc all the swelling and I really won't tell my final shape for at least a year. wtf, I know most women on here doesn't take that long. What's up with that. Anyhow, mixed emotions, up and down, feeling blue one day the next day feeling ok. Whatever hopefully this will be over with soon.

Im feeling way better than before. Almost back to my normal self again. All my bruises are about gone so I think tomorrow I'll treat myself to a pedi since they can't see any bruising and I dont look like ive been beaten or driven over by a truck. My stomach changes evety time I take/change the tape on my belly. I don't really like it right now. Its lumpy and a lil wrinkly. Im comparing it to the first time I seen it in the doctors office and it looked flatter. My PS told me it will change daily due to swelling. Im just worried about my upcoming vacation Labor Day week. I never have and dont plan on wearing a tankini. He assured me I'll be just fine and sexy in my 2 pc but I want to be certain bc I love to take beach pictures and post them and if I can't even wear my swimsuits ill be upset. Besides my friends are waiting to see my results and I dont want to end up with wrinkly skin. Im just stressing myself out and I need to stop. Well besides all that this past wknd at work I didnt swell up in my legs like I have been. I guess those steroids he prescribed to me for 6 days worked with the swelling. I may even go for a walk tomorrow since im feeling pretty good. Im going to see my doctor tomorrow to be re taped again. :( . I had to take off the tape tonight so he can re tape me tomorrow. Hopefully I wont be wearing it much longer. One more week one wearing my garment 24-7 and then I can take it off at night time. Yippy! Well until next time ladies.....happy healing.

This is for ALL my cosmetic surgery buddies out there. I thought this was too cute to leave on the shelf. Keep your heads up ladies. Its all going to be ok in the end.

Well I went to see my doctor today and of course he re taped me. :( at least not too much. I'll post a pic later. I just don't feel like un dressing right now, sry feeling lazy. On the good side of it all I've lost 6 1/2 inches off around my waist measuring around from my belly button. Whooohoooo on the down fall of it he said he can't promise about my skin changes. So about me sobbing the other day, I went in telling him I was sad and depressed and he asked why. I showed him my belly and he was amazed and really liked it. He said the lumps are from scar tissue and said I could massage those to smooth those out but in time they will smooth them selves out. As far as my skin and can't promise anything and doesn't want to promise me one thing and another happen. He said I had stretch marks before, which in my defensive voice I said no I didn't, but you could really see them because they matched my skin color. He's the doctor and he knows best and if he says I had them then I guess I had them. So, with that being said since I had them then this means the skin may or may not all the way flatten out. It has flatten out a huge amount as you all can see, but as I bend to sit down it squishes up together and I do not like that. He said I have about four weeks before my vacation and I should heal up just lovely. Give it time he says. So I will be patient. I understand he took a lot of fat off me and I do look better, but it's just the skin that's bothering me and that's why I'm wearing the tape for so long. So I'll continue to wear the tape to fix this issue. I have to go buy an extra small garment now bc my small is a tad bit loose. Yippy again. I mean as my hubby says skinny in not in nor is not sexy and I don't want to be skinny, I want to have a flat tummy, that's all. So to have to have an extra small garment to flatten me more is exciting. I'll post pix tonight even though I'm not comfortable showing them.

Here's the pix I promised even tho im a day late. This is the new way he is taping me so it'll open up my bellybutton again. All the tape before had it closed up looking all squished up. So again the lumps are from scar tissue and should go away and hopefully so will the wrinkles when I sit down. Who wants that after pay good money. I know its not guaranteed, but still wishing.

I am starting to see better results with my skin and scar tissue so that's a good thing. On a down fall of things, last night one of my incisions starting to feel irritating, painful, was reddish and had a burning feel to it from the inside. It also felt like a larger hard lump which had me worried so I showed my husband and when he rubbed it a yellowish puss came out through the incision which was weird bc they are all closed and healed. I text my doctor at 1am and let him know the situation. He told me to keep it dry and to put antibacterial ointment on it. Im going to see him in the morning and to also get re taped again so we shall see what his out come will be this go around.

Im feeling my normal self again which feels great. I still feel numb all in my back and some in me knees, but im sure sooner or later all the feeling will eventually come back. My right knee is practically healed where my left knee is still a little swollen. I am FREEEEEE from ALL the tape. I feel like a jailbird outta jail. Lol I also took off my garment two days ago too. I wear my spanx still. I figured its time I start massaging these lumps out. My beach trip is a little over a week away and I still dont feel comfortable wearing my two pc which is odd for me bc thats all I wear and I cant even find a monokini anywhere here in GA so I guess ill wait til I get to FL. I just dont like the lumps and my doctor says it'll smooth out but can take up to 4-6 mths. So now im just telling myself by next summer I better be smoking hot. I can tell im still swollen bc I went without my spanx just to dinner Friday night and I literally felt like a balloon slowly filling with air and no it wasnt from the food bc I hardly ate bc I had to tend to my one year old and by then I wasnt that hungry. When I got home I put my whole garment on and it was tight so I knew I was swelling up. Im wondering if I need a different kind of garment now since im in a different stage of healing. I forgot what the massage therapy lady called it, but something to squeeze and hold me in tight. Anyhow im hoping for for insane results which my doctor said ill continue to shrink so we shall see. I did just start to notice a dimple on my right side of my stomach too. Hope it not serious. I worry too much only bc I spit out tooooo much money in less than a year on my body and I only want the best. Until next time ladies. Chow!

I'm thinking since Monday I'll be 7 wks post op I'm going to start my workouts again. I feel that I'm ready. Even though I have my flat tummy back I still want abs and to look tone. Of course my running too and my legs must have more muscle to them as well. So I will be getting back into soon and I'm more ready now since my biggest fear is gone....my flabby belly. ????. 21 Day Fix-mama is coming back for ya. Autumn Calabrese your welcome back in my living room now.

I'm loving the way I look in blue jeans all around, my legs, no more love handles and my flat tummy. However I'm not liking my belly today. It's starting to really bother me. I don't know if it's just not all the way healed yet and Hopefully not, I'm praying not bc I'll definitely have issues if it continues to look like this. One side has an indention and the other side is fine but the side with the indention is wrinkled more and it's way bothersome to me. I refuse to have anymore surgeries. All I wanted out of this was a FLAT SMOOTH belly with no saggy ness or wrinkly skin. I don't have the saggy ness but some wrinkly ness in certain spots. It's stressful, annoying, aggravating, depressing, and scary bc I want what I want and paid for. My doctor did a hell of a job I'm just waiting for the end results and wondering when they will appear. Someone please help or assure me it will get better or even smoothen out if at all.

Here's my 8 wk post op pic. I still wore my 2 pc on the beach as I always did before. There are a few things I dislike. I do realize im still healing and have some more ways to go which I will address with my PS tomorrow at my apt. Fir example for lower stomach, my legs have no "after lipo" shape to them, I have a small dent on my left upper thigh( nothing extreme), my left leg looks slimmer than my right. So there are a few small things I can see in the mirror myself but my hubby says im crazy. I stay in the mirror and no one knows your body better than yourself so no im not crazy im just perfect when it comes to anything different or any kind of changes to my body. I'll update y'all tomorrow on what my doc says.