I'm on 23 Hour Lockback in this Garment!

Hi ladies! I'm 5'3" and 167lbs. I gained 60lbs from pregnancy & haven't been able to get that body back. I'm so excited & so nervous at the same time. Can't believe I'm finally doing it after 10 yrs of talking about it! Any advice on prepping for my appt or diet & exercise is totally appreciated!

Ok, ladies, as I get closer to my consultation, I'm trying to think of important questions I need to make sure I ask. Anyone have any suggestions or questions you wished you had of asked afterwards??

So, I've been seeing a whole lot of BBL things on this site and I'm not sure what they mean. Can someone please enlighten me? I feel so slow right now. What is shelf? And what's the difference between that and projection? What is fluffing? I need to make sure I know how to correctly explain what I want to Dr. S.

So I finally had my consult appt. I know it took forever but I wanted to have it in person so I could meet Dr. S. I was a little worried when I got there. I called because I just knew I was in the wrong place. Nomie seemed a bit irritated by my phone call but I let that go. Figured it was really busy inside. Out of towners, consult office is in Aventura Heart & Health building on the 3rd floor.
When I got inside the office, it still wasn't the warm welcome I was expecting. IDK, I guess I'm used to people at least saying hello when you walk into a business. First impression almost made me change my mind but I didn't fly that far for nothing. Anyway, I completed my forms and moved on. I was called back into the room and told to undress and I did so. Dr. S came in shortly after, introduced himself, and then told me to take the gown off. I was so nervous. I know he's sees this stuff all the time and he didn't think twice about it but I sure did. In my mind I'm thinking "Damn, I just met you...At least buy me dinner first!" LOL. Anyway, Dr. S was definitely straight forward and to the point and that's just what I was looking for. He wasn't trying to sell me a dream booty--just showing me how he could enhance mine. Apparently I'm "A" shaped but I want to be "Heart" shaped so bad. We shall see....On a side note-all the questions, I've been thinking up and writing in my iPhone somehow ended up deleted! And when did I discover this?? As I was sitting in the freaking lobby completing my forms. I couldn't think of half the things I'd written to discuss. So p'd off! I know that contributed to my nervousness. All of a sudden, I was nowhere near prepared and naked. What a combination..
I read on here somewhere that Dr. S does not like wish pics. He told me that is NOT TRUE!! He wants to see what you envision, just be realistic with your expectations. He also told me I may want to consider a tummy tuck first.. Ummm, no I don't Dr. S! That was not what I wanted to hear but I knew he was keeping it 100. I didn't know how to feel about his suggestion but I've given it so much thought. His pros and cons why def make sense but I looked up tons of other TTs and realized I just can't do it. I'm sooooo grossed out by the TT scar and I always have been. I'll take my chances. I'd rather SPANX it up everyday than look at that scar when I take off my clothes. No offense intended to anyone, just what I want for me. I want to love what I see and I know I'd still be disappointed with it, so it's just out of the question. I don't have tons of sagging skin but of course there is some. The results I expect may not be achieved with BBL alone but I'll see what I'm working with afterwards. I have been looking at other options though, just in case I'm not completely satisfied. Has anyone considered SmartLipo after their procedure? Looks like that may be a possible route but that requires further research and review of my post-op results. I've seen a couple before and after pics of ladies who chose that over TTs. While none of them were super flat in the end, the sagginess seemed to be less apparent. And that was with the SmartLipo alone. Shouldn't the combination of a BBL and SmartLipo yield better results??? Anyway, it is a procedure, I could get close to home, if needed and it wouldn't require a lot of time away from work.
Dr. S said I could lose about 5-10 lbs before but no more. I'm wondering if strength training and eating right will help with toning and tightening of the skin? I'd like to start that before sx and def get those 10lbs off. He did confirm that the max fat he can take by FL law is 4L. I'm figuring if I lose the 10 on my own that will give me the best results. Then, *crossing fingers* maybe I won't need anything else after all. Ugghhh!! I just want to wear my crop tops again. It's time to get in the zone. I have work to do and I know time will fly by.
Last but certainly not least, Nancy and Cynthia are the BEST!!! So friendly and funny. They are like two peas in a pod. They sealed the deal for me choosing Dr. S. This will be a long process and knowing that the people I'm dealing with are compassionate and competent goes a long way with me. I heard someone in the hallway saying they were looking for me. I opened the door and Nancy said are you XXXX? I said yes and she just ran over and hugged me like we were long lost friends. I followed her to their office and it was nonstop conversation until I was out the door. I was cracking up the whole time I talked to them and I felt so much more at ease. I think I spent more time with them then I did with Dr. S!! Reuben wasn't there but hopefully I'll get to meet him next time.

I must admit I'm becoming so booty obsessed. Every since I left Salama's office, I've been on RS everyday all day long! I want my booty now and I have a whole year to wait. :( I keep thinking I'm going to end up trying to switch my date to bump it up but then I'll only have 2 weeks off work. I'm thinking too many people would notice me returning to work donk-i-tized!! Lol. Have any of the vets out there had problems with questions going back to work? My job closes the week before Christmas and reopens after the first of the year. I'm booked for 12/10/2013 & I'll use 2 weeks vacay. The holiday will kick in after and give me almost 4 weeks out of work to rest my bootay! I don't think people will notice until much longer after because everyone would have been off for a while. This should be enough time right?? I think my plan is laid out well--it's just the waiting!! Ughh!

Stalking this website is overwhelming to the say the least! I am back and forth about my decision with Salama. After reading reviews and viewing before and afters, I'm more confused than when I first started! I've seen a lot of Yily girls and I really love her work, but I just cannot seem to reach her. I've sent numerous emails since December but they remain unanswered. I know she's busy but four months????

I want to get this done and I'm already thinking about needing revisions with Salama. That can't be good. He told me I had an "A" shape and I want as close to a coke bottle as possible. I read another girl's review where she really wanted an hour glass shape. He told her he injects fat in the same places on everyone and let's the fat do its thing?? This can't be the mindset of Jimerson and Yily, can it? I mean, they've created some masterpieces! Shit! She was much smaller than I intended to be pre-op. My doc needs to be creating miracles as far as I'm concerned. And WTH is an "A" shape anyway? I always thought I was more pear than anything due to these hips of mine. Ughhh! So frustrating! I don't like wasting my time or my money. Has anyone doubted Salama but went through with it and glad they did? Or how about those that changed their minds about him? What sealed the deal for you? Let me know, ladies! I need that insight only vets can give.

Hi ladies! I have determined that 2013 will definitely be the year of me! I've decided to do all the things that I've always wanted to do for me, starting now and forevermore. I digress…anyway, I had four teeth extracted yesterday AT THE SAME D@$# TIME!! Idk, what in the world I was thinking about. I'm wearing braces and my orthodontist recommended that I have them removed so space will be made in my mouth for my teeth to align properly. I wasn't sure about going thru with it. I was very proud of having all my teeth and I didn't have problems with overcrowding, crooked teeth or gaps. My problem is my overbite and I didn't realize it could affect so much. After three "second opinions" I decided to trust his judgement. Ladies!!! Let me tell you--that shit hurt like hell! I'm so glad I'll be under for BBL surgery because I don't think I could handle the pain.

The dentist seeing me was temping in my regular dentist's office. He initially put me under local anesthesia, shooting numbing gel in my mouth and gums and then went to try to pulling my teeth out of my gums. I cut the damn fool! Told him to get off my mouth and stop because he was hurting me like hell! He had the nerve to tell me he couldn't do anything about the pain I was feeling, so I told him to get out of my mouth!! My regular dentist came in and said, "She has really, really strong bones. You can't just give local for her." I was thinking to myself, that's exactly right! Now get that imbecile out of here! Anyway, she took over and put me under Nitrous. I'm telling you, that stuff felt so good!! I've never been so emotional around strangers before. She was asking me questions about my boyfriend and I just began to laugh and laugh. I guess that's how she knew I was ready. I could hear the first tooth as it came out and I just began to cry like a baby! I was pissed about my tooth so I just bit her! She said "Ouch, she bit me" and I guess at that point I knew I was wrong so I just started apologizing over and over again! Lmbo! It was just so crazy. Anyway, my orthodontist expects the space to be closed and braces off by July. I can't wait for that! I'm going to throw in teeth whitening after that and then I can focus all my energy on my BBL.

Hi Ladies...not feeling things today. I wish I didn't have to post this but I have no one else to turn to. I ran into a guy that I used to date last night. Our timing was so wrong when we met. We really liked each other or so I thought but our schedules always kept us apart. He worked 3 jobs and I had 2. He grew tired of me being at work when he was off and so he gave up. That was so unfair to me bc he was ALWAYS at work when I was off. I usually had to come to his job to see him and get some time in. We managed to fit in two real dates over the course of six months. Anyway, it's been a year and I walked into Chili's and he was right there. My heart began to flutter, my body started sweating. I truly felt like a school aged girl again. Anyway, we began to talk about how much we missed each other. He told me he thinks about me all the time and all he wanted to do was "make love" to me. I told him that I was willing to try again because I never stopped thinking about him and I couldn't get over him. It just seemed so surreal, like I could finally grab ahold of what I should have never let escape me. The min I told him I couldn't see him that night bc I'd be out with my family, the conversation changed instantly. I didn't understand, I invited him to come along with us. Out of nowhere we were a waste of time and it wasn't worth it to him to try anything. I know I shouldn't spend one more min caring, but I'm just so heartbroken. Men act so strange-the way they act and think just doesn't make sense. Idk right now, I feel like such a fool, putting all my feelings out there. I didn't want him to walk away without knowing how much I cared, so why do I feel so stupid?

If you used FMLA leave for time off, did you tell your job the truth about the need for medical leave? I'm considering this but don't think it'll get approved bc I need to rest my ass for six weeks. I'm not interested in sharing this info with my coworkers, so what should I say? What reasons did you ladies use?

Just want to say I've been noticing these bodies coming from Salama lately! Can we say BANGING?!?! He's cuttin' the hell up right now! Ok, that's all……

My measurements
39 - 38.5 (WTH??) - 43.5; 167.4lbs

Think I'm going to keep track of this weekly for a record and accountability. I've got 7 months to lose 7-10 more lbs. BTW, by the time I had my consult I was up to 172 so I've lost a few lbs since then.

REALSELF, I'd like to be able to update my entire profile!! Not just the parts you think I should. Can't even go back and correct a mistake! DANG!!

Added side shot pics of me in my clothes. I like the shape I got with the plastic surgery simulator. My booty doesn't seem too bad now but I want it to be more shapely.

38-37 3/8 - 43 3/8; 166.4lbs

38 - 37 - 42.5; 163.8lbs

Does anyone know how early in advance I can obtain financing for my procedure? I have the cash now but I'm looking to buy a home also and I want to hold on to the cash in the event I need it. I'm thinking I want to try care credit and take advantage of the interest free finance period. Any ladies from Salama's office use them? Any thoughts/opinions on them, please share.

How soon is the first massage given after surgery? And how often should we get them after that? Trying to figure out how often I should get them while I am there and when I come home.

Gone for a min, now I'm back again. Well, I've been lurking, but no updates. So excited and anxious to see Dr. Salama again--I officially have 11 weeks until I'm on the table--shit just got real!

I fell off the wagon with the weight loss but I'm back at it again. I'm 166.8 now, so I'm not far from my goal. Losing a pound a week, should put me where I want to be. I can't wait until I'm all slim waist and booty poppin'. Life is good.

My flight is already booked, hotel and rental car are taken care of--I've been getting it in behind the scenes. I was approved for Care Credit financing, so that worry is out the window. I'm only worried about my supplies now--I don't want to overpack. I have:

5 maxi dresses
thick maxi pads
3 fitted T-shirts
wipes
Medical Gloves
2 Wife beaters
Thermometer

Still on my list of things to purchase are:

Nivea Q10
Heating Massage pad
Cotton Balls
Bacitracin
Benadryl Cream/Pills
Solo Cups
Shower Shoes
2XL panties
Bicorneum gel
Cotton balls
Sesame Oil

Ladies, am I forgetting anything?

Just some helpful links I stumbled upon on RS. Hopefully, someone will find it helpful. lnfo includes shopping lists, before/after pics, a glossary, frequently asked questions answered by Dr. Jcurves.

http://www.realself.com/forum/bbl-preparation-list-glossary-and-before-after-gallery-available

Went to the gym yesterday for my free trial personal training session. Needless to say, he whipped my ass! I'm sore today but my mind is good. I came to the conclusion that I need an ugly trainer. Mine is sexy and he knows it. I can't have that fine ass man staring at my fat jiggle while I'm sweating off the pounds! I'm pretty sure that's against the laws of nature or something--not a good look! Lol! Well anyway, he bought up the subject of being in shape and having a phat ass! My mind was like screeeeeecchhhhh!!! (sound of slamming on squeaky brakes) I know my face probably looked something like this- o.O He goes--"all the girls where I'm from have a big ass. That's just South Florida though." It took everything in me not to fall out laughing. I just kept thinking "Of course they do! Hell, I'm going to South Florida to get one too!" Every woman he talked about training, he recalled them based off the size of their ass. While it was truly unprofessional, I was a little disappointed I didn't see the booty squad before meeting him. Terrible, I know but I don't want to be remembered by my bootydo! Lol! (For the ladies that don't know--that's when your stomach sticks out further than your "booty do".) Anyway, that's all for now, I'm about to go get in. I have to thank him later for breathing new life into my Kanye Workout plan. Smooches!

I know how important pics are...Sorry for the graininess and blurriness in some--taking your own ass shots are hard. Ladies, I'm going back and forth and I'd like to hear your opinions on my hips. Should fat be added? I want an hourglass shape. I've always thought my hips were good but idk....

And now I'm thinking about coming back to work. I just found out that my job may not give us time off at Christmas this year like they have every other year. I don't know if I'll only get the two weeks off I put in for or the entire four weeks with the Christmas vacation time. This sucks! What will I do to protect my booty investment? I can't stand in my office 8 hours a day for four weeks. Any ideas ladies?

I was listening to the radio and they were talking about how many girls are getting butt injections these days, how unsafe it is, it looks fake, yada, yada, yada.. I had to chuckle a bit, bc they never mentioned fat transfer. I assume people think every woman with an unusually large ass and smaller frame has injections. Anyway, one of the radio personalities just started going in on Nicki Minaj and how her butt looks so fake. For the life of me, I just don't see it. I think she looks great so I don't understand the problem. Aside from whether her ass is real or not, I think she looks great in her clothes. I realize she can dress a lil' cray cray but that's her. There's a fine line sometime between someone expressing a difference of opinion and just plain hating so I'm interested to know what you ladies think? Is her butt really out there like that? I've seen quite a few BBL sisters that appear to share and/or exceed her measurements---so why is everybody trippin'?

And the 30 day squat challenge today. My upper body is getting stronger but my legs are on fire! I walked by the mirror and noticed my booty is sitting up really nicely. I'll have to take some pics of this new shelf I think I'm developing.

I'll be starting the 24 day ab challenge from Bigbootytinywaist next week. I've been using Palmers Massage Cream for Stretch Marks on my butt and Palmers Firming Butter on my stomach, back, thighs and breasts daily since 60 days pre op. Idk if they're working yet but I smell so good! I know my routine may be a bit much for some but anything I can do to help mold my results the way I wish, I will try. Besides, I used cocoa butter for stretch marks when I was pregnant and I don't have stretch marks soooo, I'm trying it for my booty. Hopefully, it will pay off--taut skin and no stretch marks. I've also started 100 mg of iron as of 45 days pre op as the office instructs. I need to jump on the Vitamin C though. Idk how much of that I need. Does anyone know if a multivitamin will suffice? Can I drink OJ instead?

I got a call from the office. I should be taking 325mg of Iron-not 100mg. 5 of these bad boys per day. I can tell it's working. I am not cold all the time and my stools are dark. I know, I know. TMI! 40 days to go!

My surgery cannot come fast enough! I'm so consumed with this surgery and I'm ready to get it over with! I'm too paranoid to let anyone see anything on my phone for fear a booty pic will pop up and they'll starting looking at me all crazy. My daughter picked up my phone to play a game and I dove across the bed and snatched the phone out of her hand!! I mean really, when the hell did I start flying??? I have got to get my life back!!

Idk where to start. Should I even be thinking about buying them now? And are the squeems and corsets the same thing? Is one brand, type, etc. better than the other? Vets, I would love some help here. Any suggestions other than the thong versions? I know I can't take that tight fabric through my crack.

Woot! Woot!! My bank account may be light but the ass will be DYNAMITE! Watch out now!! 27 days and counting…

But it would be too easy for my day to go right. Let me start from the top.

Three days ago, I called my doctor's office to make sure they could do every test Dr. S was ordering. There was one they weren't sure of (the UA & CS) but they researched it and found out they could do it. Cool! That eased my nerves. Fast forward to today. I'm leaving work heading to the dr--hop in my car, and it WOULDN'T START! The radio and all that was coming on tho--It's a friggin' 2012! (Smh...had to have the damn push button start). So at this point, I start to panic. I call the dealership and they tell me, they cannot take me right away bc they're too packed. I started pleading with the guy on the phone and he tells me that it sounds like my brake sensor is going out. He tells me to start stomping on the brake as hard as I can and it should start. I'm in my stilettos, stomping this brake out like I'm trying to prove a point. I hear him say, "Good God! Is that you stomping?" I was like yeah...he goes, "Well, it should be good now." I gave it two more stomps and sure enough it came right on. He laughs and I tell him, "U don't understand, I have got to get to the doctor!" Ladies, y'all know I was thinking about my blood work--it's less than 30 days. He laughs again and says "just come by here after you leave the doctor and I'll take care of it for you." SCORE!! Whew! I was not trying to replace car parts right now.

Sooo, I get to the doctor's office and check in. I get back to the room and immediately start telling the doc that I'm having elective surgery and I need the tests done. She's super cool and she had no problem with that. But then she says we don't have the capability to do EKG here so I may have to refer you somewhere else. WHAT?!?!?!?!! But I called and verified this already!! Damn office workers...Are ya kidding me right now? So long story short, couldn't get that done. She says she'll make a note of that to Dr. S. Idk what I should do about that right now. If I HAVE to have that, then I'll have to pay ANOTHER doc for ANOTHER visit!! Ugh!!! My ass better treat me good!! Does she know what I had to go thru to get her??

Anyway, I leave the dr's office (can u believe the car started right up?!) and hit the dealership. Sure enough, they covered the cost of everything. That was a blessing bc my warranty didn't cover that (of course, right?). As I was leaving, one of the sales reps started trying to pitch to me for a new car. I was like nope so then he said "At the very least, I'm taking you to dinner!" Owwww!!!! I know that's right, boy! Lmao, let me stop…on second thought, he was cute…I may have to think about it.

Ladies, did you know Brazil holds an annual competition for the best booties out there? The Ms. Bum Bum winner actually walks away with lucrative endorsement deals and promos. I think that you have to be from Brazil to enter though. I wonder if something like this will trickle over to the US?? These booties could actually turn into an investment. :D

Cleared for surgery today!! 19 days to go and I'm feeling so amazing!! I finally took the initiative to do something just for me AND followed thru with it. I won't feel apologetic or undeserving! I thought of 5 rules that I should abide by from now until surgery.

1. I will continue to take my iron pills and vitamin C as instructed.
2. I will password-protect my phone just in case my boo-thang has an idle mind while waiting.
3. I will keep the details of my procedure on a need-to-know basis. My coworkers are nosey as hell and they're already asking me where I'm going!! DAMN!
4. I will stop obsessively analyzing booties once and for all---ok, I'm going to break that one...smdh...and last but most certainly not least,
5. I will pray, pray again, then pray some more!

That's all for now. Wishing all my BBL ladies with upcoming dates, successful and uneventful procedures!

Smooches!

And my nerves are all over the place! Surprisingly, I'm not worried so much about my health and well-being. I have this strange calm over me about that--I just know God's got me there! I am worried about lumpy lipo and my butt size and shape. I want my lipo as aggressive as possible. I know that'll make things project more. I saw K. Michelle on the Soul Train awards and I panicked! That's way too much booty for me...there would be no such thing as hiding that. I'm in a professional environment so I don't want to be outrageous. With that said, I've been going back and forth about how big to say I want it. Do I ask for as much as he can give and hope reabsorption works in my favor? I don't want to ask for the max and then it's wayyyy too big but I don't want to ask for average then it's not enough...soo confused. I've been judging the elasticity of my ass on my stomach. I mean if the front had no problem stretching, what good reason could the ass have?? OK, that was soooo random.....So anyway, I told my boo I was nervous and his behind talking about "me too". WTH? I mean, it's sweet and all but one of us has got to be the strong one....I can't run anything by him without him worrying extra hard, which makes me even more nervous than I already was. Let's just hope his ass tightens up!

Ladies, I'm picking up my rental car from the FLL airport. Any Florida natives know if there are any cashless tolls I should be aware of b/w the airport & Salama's office? Will I really need to buy a toll responder to go down N. Federal Hwy.?

I did an update yesterday but I see it didn't post. I'm here at the surgery center now so I'll fill u all in on my fiasco getting here later. No bad vibes going to the table. See u on the other side!

I made it to the other side! Ladies, please, please prepare yourself mentally. This surgery is no joke. The garment is cutting into my whole life! It's so uncomfortable, I can't wait to put my tshirt on under it for a little relief. I have no idea what size it is and all that. I'll update that info later. This shit hurts like hell but I'm moving around a little. My butt is so big! I'm so ready for my
swelling to go down. Ok, my arm is numbing now so I have to go. I'll update tomorrow.

Here are two pics my boo took 1 day post op. He's been so good to me. Haven't had much energy to take a lot of pics but I couldn't leave u ladies hanging. My stomach is a lot flatter but the skin is a lot more wrinkly than I thought it would be. I'm a bit traumatized by that and the size of my butt. I know I'm still very swollen so I'm trying to stay out of the mirror and keep my mind right. My garment's feeling a little loose in the stomach area so I guess it'll be changed tomorrow after my first massage.

I'm on 23 hour lockback with this damn garment! I've come out of it about an hour almost every day and I friggin' hate this thing!! Much respect to the vets for doing this for eight weeks. How long do I have to be in this butt out garment?? I'm really dying to change this one--OMG! These pieces running thru my crack and up under my butt cheeks are killing me!!! Trying to sleep comfortably is a joke. I feel like my ribs are being crushed with the foams and garment. My face swells sleeping face down and my arms get numb fast. If I lay too long, I get so painfully stiff that I need a Vicodin just to get back to somewhat normal. I have severe hot flashes and then I get extremely cold immediately. I just don't know how to cope right now.

I had my first two massages with Eileen and Celia. THEY ARE NO JOKE!! Ladies, DO NOT forget to take your pain meds at least an hour before your massage. U will need it!

I flew back from FLL yesterday. My flight was safe and on time, (thank God) but it was packed. Had to sit on my boppy during the whole flight. It felt so weird--like I was sitting on one of those toilets seats kids use. The boppy isn't that sturdy so I'll need to find another way to comfortably prop my thighs. I felt like I was mashing the pillow down and flattening everything. We'll see...My little sister saw me and was like, "what's wrong with your butt? What did u really go and do?? It's huge!!" I was so caught off guard and embarrassed, so I told her I had lipo and my whole body is swollen....I mean it IS true, I just left off the fat transfer part...idk how I'm going to conceal this.

This procedure will definitely show you your strength--mentally and physically. Many blessings to ladies that add arms and legs, BA's and TT's at the same time. That's a lot of trauma for the body to endure at once and recovery is just that much harder. I want to thank u ladies for all the well wishes and prayers. I really appreciated each and every message.

Not sitting for six weeks is going to be much harder to accomplish than I thought. I had to drive to work today bc my boss kept calling me about things she couldn't find! No one could get on my computer, so of course I had to go to get things straight to be able to enjoy the rest of my vacay. I didn't sit the entire time I was there but driving with that boppy and a small back pillow is not the shit! It doesn't provide any decent support--really sux monkey balls! In total, I spent an hour driving today, 20 minutes driving home from the plane, and an hour and 45 minutes sitting on the boppy flying back! I really hope I haven't killed a lot of fat but I am a little nervous. Ughh! This is too much money, pain and time invested for me to mess it up driving. Any ideas for using anything other than the pool roll or yoga roll under the legs while driving?? I'm at a loss here. I did roll up two hand towels under my legs during my first BM but it wasn't comfortable enough to do for an extended period of time. Oh! And it seems like my ass is a moving friggin' target now. People have been bumping into me left and right! On top of that, I'm bumping into walls and shit like crazy--I'm knocking my hips on stuff, bumping my butt into tables and chairs, WTF! I mean, it's big but damn, I feel I can't accurately judge my own walking space anymore!

I'm irritated and aggravated today ladies. Wondering if I should've just gotten a tummy tuck instead of this BBL. My butt was decent so idk why I felt the need to change it. I know TT's are painful, but I would've had immediate results to be excited about. Looking at this wrinkly stomach, hoping for a change with garments is depressing. I'm only 10 days post op and I'm so tired of itching all over, tired of not being able to sit, tired of hot flashes, not sleeping comfortably, the extra expenses--just tired. Losing my independence is weighing on me emotionally. I want to jump in my car and go where the hell I want and I can't. I didn't realize something as simple as sitting down for a bite to eat would affect me so much. I'm on vacation and I'm laying around all day, bored as hell bc I'm scared of further jeopardizing my results. I can only walk around for a limited period of time before I get exhausted so I've been avoiding the mall. I also don't want to attempt to try on clothes with all this damn foam on. This is some BULL!

Is it ok to wear leggings after the procedure? And why can't we wear jeans?

I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't help it. A nice pair of Levi Jean leggings on sale--light denim and so effin' cute! I swear I only had them on for 30 seconds but they fit these curves so right. They're super stretchy so I'm praying I won't get too far away from the size my booty is now after the dropping and fluffing bizness....Looking at my new hourglass in the mirror, I can say I'm finally feeling better about everything. It's still a process but the wrinkles are the least of my worries, truthfully. I'm going to keep my compression and hope for the best.

I was a little confused about how long to keep wearing the foams, so I asked Nomie about it. She told me not to wear them anymore so I took them out of garment. Boy, did I pay for that today!! Not enough compression and my stomach blew the hell up! Vets, how long did you wear your foams? I hate how big all that stuff looks under clothes but my new garment still hasn't arrived. Grrr! I accidentally shrunk this one in the dryer but it did buy me a little more time for my new one to arrive. I swear it's taking longer than I expected though. I'm going out tomorrow to find a cincher to put over this garment for the time being. Should I buy it to fit over foams and board or just the board?

I'm 6 weeks post op! Man! Recovery is a serious commitment. I thank God I'm making it through. I had to take a break from RS because I couldn't cope with my recovery reading about everyone else's. Every time someone mentioned itching, I started itching badly. If they had a keloid, I thought I had one too. I had to detox bc OPP (other people's problems) was driving me nuts!

So first things first..I have to say I didn't follow all the rules to the T..shit happens. I've been sitting with pillows and blankets at work since 4 weeks. I did stand and kneel as much as possible but NOT sitting at all was NOT an option for me at work. I believe I lost some volume and I do have slightly dimpled areas because of this so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't HAVE to sit. The areas don't bother me as much right now bc my butt looks really natural. I'm not phased enough to consider a revision at this point but hopefully, they'll look better after fluffing??? Idk...Now my stomach on the other hand....hmmm..I'm definitely considering a second round of something but I'm going to hit the gym with the trainer first to try to get it done the old fashioned way. With that being said, I feel my body looks a hundred times better! Dr. S really shaped me the way I wanted and I am eternally grateful for that. I haven't gotten a lot of attention for it bc I'm still disguising in lots of layers of clothing, garments, foams, corsets and squeems. It's really cold so that part isn't that hard to do. I will say I saw an old "friend" that I hadn't seen since last summer on a day I just happened to wear my vedette, a fitted tee and jeggings. He went bananas! Needless to say he's been blowing up my phone since.

My massage therapist was a little suspect. I had to dump her after my 10th massage because she truly made me feel uncomfortable. No matter how many times I told her not to touch my butt and hips, her hands always found their way there. I thought maybe I was imagining things and being paranoid. Every time she touched it, I corrected her and each time she'd say, "oh, I'm sorry! I forgot." Really? You forgot three times in ONE session?? Yeah, ok. I tried to stick it out with her because she was specially trained in lymphatic massage but I couldn't do it. I had my boo fill in for the last two weeks. I can still feel scar tissue under my skin. Now that I can lay without the boppy, I will pickup weekly deep tissue massages with my regular masseuse for another month or two and see how it goes.

No one ever says anything about knee/elbow pads! I would strongly recommend them because you will definitely put your knees and elbows to work. Maybe I kneeled more than most girls would but you will get tired of laying down ALL THE TIME! By the time I noticed the damage done, my knees were so sore and my elbows were always extra ashy even after lotion. They are getting better but I personally would invest in something to protect them a second time around.

Nomie showed us how to remove the second drain once I was home. My boo pulled it out. The drain starts attaching to your insides so you will feel it ripping out. Somehow a piece of one of my stitches was left inside. The hole would not close up and he noticed something was wrong because the drain in the back didn't heal that way. He went in and pulled the rest of the stitch out about 4 days later. Painful but it closed right up afterwards. Now, I'm hoping the scar it left will go away. I'm using kelocote on it everyday. Girls, it's good to have someone around who will truly care for you and who will notice the things you just can't.

Finding the right garment is definitely tiresome. I don't live in an area with faja stores so I have gotten my mother to alter my second garment each time it got loose. I had to tell her I'm waist training so she'd stop asking questions but it worked. Anyway, I put my foams in and put my squeem or corset on top for tight compression. Overall, this seems to be the best and most cost effective solution for me. It's tight in the waist where I need it to be and supportive around the booty. My only problem with this one is that the butt cutouts make the butt look deformed when wearing it under my clothing. The piece going down the crack bothered the pure hell out of me in the beginning but it got better as the swelling in my butt went down. I also ordered the Vedette 130. I would say this garment only has medium compression. Not enough for the waist training stage. It also hooks in between the legs and I am NOT a fan of that! I also ordered the Forma Tu Cuerpo MRTA115 with the butt in to get away from that thong piece from the butt out garment. The compression was too tight to me in the butt area--no bueno! The Leonisa Boyshort Body Shaper is an excellent choice if you don't have big thighs. The boyshort kept rolling up on me and making a home in my crease. It's made of powernet with the exception of the fabric in the butt area to prevent flattening--very little compression there. I'm going to order a longer leg version of it for daily wear when I get to my final size.

Since surgery, I have dropped to 158lbs. My eating habits have changed drastically. I can't eat more than a kids meal size portion of anything. Some foods I used to eat regularly, give me a BM within an hour so I've stopped eating them. Trust me, pulling all this stuff off to use the bathroom, is not worth the temporary gratification. When you do eat, the compression from the Squeem will force you to put the food down! Eating too much will make you feel sick--almost to the point where you have to vomit. I'm moving down to a small Squeem now and I've ordered the miracle vest version so I can be without my butt out garment sometime. The Squeem makes the waist look snatched for real, hunnies!!!

Sleeping is a bitch!! Wearing all this stuff to sleep is sooo uncomfortable. I've woken up in the middle of the night a couple times, snatching everything off! I know I looked crazy but I had to get out of it. Now a couple nights a week, I sleep without everything. It is a little painful because the nerves in your back WILL let you know they are craving the support the garments give. I just tough it out until the morning and put everything back on. My body's always like "ahhhhh!" once I have everything back on...it's the strangest feeling in the world.

I didn't measure daily after surgery bc I didn't want to obsess over size but I know you ladies love measurements, so here goes:

Before surgery: 165-167lbs
Waist: 36 1/2 inches
Hips/Butt: 43 inches

Immediately After: not sure but I was 172 when I got home a week later.
Waist: 33 3/4 inches
Hips/Butt: 47 inches

Now: 158 lbs
Waist: 30 1/2 inches
Hips/Butt: 45 inches--my butt has been holding here since around 3-4 weeks post op.