CoolSculpting: Stories

I had the procedure done 3 days ago. Let me first start by saying it is painful. I wasn't expecting it to be after reading the other reviews on this site, but it is!!

I had a consultation the day before the procedure and the nurse decided the large applicator would be the best option for me. The large applicator cost $1250 for the lower abdomen, which was reduced from $1500 because of a Valentine's day special the office was running. I scheduled my procedure for the following day.

Started off by taking pictures, then we went into the procedure room. They first put a gel pad on your skin to protect it from the cold of the applicator. Warning! That gel pad is extremely cold! Then the machine is turned on and the vaccum starts sucking before the applicator is placed on your skin. Once it is placed on the skin, the suction begins immediately. It is painful having your blubber being sucked into a small chamber! I was not expecting that much pain, and for the first 5 mins, I wasn't sure if I would be able to continue. I started feeling a little dizzy, hot, and had a slight urge to throw up. The first 5 mins were the worst. Then after around 10 mins, either my body started getting used to the pain or maybe the coolness of the plates numbed my skin, because it started to become bareable. However for those first 10 mins I had to concentrate on how great I would look after it was done just to keep going. I also felt a lot of pressure and didn’t feel like I could take a deep breath, but that subsided after the first 10 mins. Forget about trying to cough, so don’t go if you’re sick! During the remaining 50 mins, the only pain I felt was at the base of the applicator. Maybe because that part of the skin isn't cooled by the applicator and therefore doesn't get numb. I also felt a little cramping and a slight sensation like the fat was being separated from the connective tissue. As far as the cooling part, that was surprisingly a breeze. I felt the coolness, but it didn’t feel cold. I'm usually very sensitive to cold, but maybe if the pain from the suction wasn’t there I would have noticed it. The entire procedure is still very unpleasant, so I highly recommend taking a magazine or book or something to keep your mind off of what you are feeling. I had my laptop propped up on the pillow and my lower thighs and did some work, but a trash magazine would've probably worked better!

After the hour was over, the nurse came in to remove the applicator. The applicator still had suction going after the time was up, so she had to pry it off of my stomach. The blubber was congealed into the shape of the applicator, then the nurse started massaging it in order to break up the fat. The more she touched it, the more painful it got. After only about 15 seconds, I had to tell her to stop because it was soooo painful! She massaged the left a second or two more than the right side and then I started to feel a sharp pain on the side where she massaged it too much. It was horrible! I had to ask for a pain killer because it was so painful. However each minute that passed after she stopped massaging it, the pain subsided. I didn't need to take any more painkiller for the rest of the day or even until now (3 days later), so that was by far the the worst part of the entire ordeal.

After reading others' reviews, I thought I'd be able to work out in the evening as usual, but that was not the case. My stomach was so sore that I couldn't even touch it. It was swollen and even hurt when I walked, because the slight bounce of excess flab stimulated the nerves. I think a girdle or something that holds the flab tight would help to alleviate the pain if someone didn't have the luxury of sitting around after the procedure like I did. As long as I was still and didn't accidentally bump anything on my stomach, there was no pain.

Each day my stomach is feeling slightly less and less pain. Today it is still sore/numb, but not as bad as the first day. When there is pain, for example when walking or bumping the stomach, it feels a little like being electrocuted, which I imagine is due to the nerve sensitivity. Every now and then there is a shooting pain, but it doesn't last and I can go about my business. I'll post an update and pictures in a couple weeks.

Had the procedure done Feb 23 and today is Feb 28. Last night I could barely sleep due to the sharp pains and what felt like jolts of electricity in my abdomen. I took advil, but that didn't do anything. After suffereing for a few hours in bed, I finally got an idea to try ice packs, since that helped to numb the pain during the procedure. That worked for a little while and I was able to get some sleep.

After reading other reviews, I called the place where I had it done to ask for Neurontin (a nerve blocker). I'm waiting for a call back. From what the other reviewers are saying, the pain usually begins around day 4 and ends around day 14. It's really frustrating that no one tells you how bad the pain will be and the office where I had it done made it sound like I'm the only one who was felt that much pain. It seems to me that a majority of people are experiencing it, not only me like they want you to believe!!

Today is Day 11 and there is still pain. It's easing up a little, but I'm still not able to work out or do anything that makes my stomach jiggle. I'm so annoyed, because I had hoped to be able to continue working out 4 days a week after getting this thing done. I'm basically bed and couch ridden, so I'm getting fatter because I'm just sitting around all day. Ugh, sooooo #$% annoying!!!!!!! By the way, the Neurontin is not a miracle worker like I thought it would be. It only takes the edge off of the pain and if I take it during the day, I get dizzy and sleepy. I can only take it at night for that reason. So I also got Dr. Bowes to call in a prescription for LipoDerm for me. 7 patches cost me around $70, which makes me soooo mad, because they don't even work all that well. They also take the edge off, but they do not take the pain away. What a waste of money. I will be so pissed if this procedure doesn't work and I had to suffer through this shitty quality of life while I wait to feel better.

I am 3 weeks post procedure. The shooting/stabbing/electrocution jolt pain stopped on day 13 (Mar 6). The pain was a gradual buildup and the pain peaked between days 4-11. There was also a gradual reduction in pain from then on. Even today, day 23, I am not completely without pain. However the only time I feel it is when I touch the stomach area. It feels like a bruise. Luckily with bruises, they don't hurt unless you touch them and that is when you realize one is there.

I'm still wearing low rise pants since tight waistbands or jeans on my stomach are still uncomfortable. It is miles away from the sensation I had before, but it is still more comfortable not to have anything tight on that area. A loose-fitting waistband is perfectly fine though. I've been able to exercise since the pain stopped at day 13. For the first few days after that, I had to wear a compression garment on my stomach in order to run or jog because I felt non-painful shocks when the stomach moved. Now I don't need anything.

I was hoping to see some results since I read on others' pages that they began seeing results at Week 3. I don't notice any difference yet, but I can say that the swelling is gone. Yay! I'll post pics once I see some improvements or at the 2 month mark, whichever comes first.

I really want to thank everyone who posted comments. Your support and comments helped to get me through this painful experience.

It has been over 2 months, and I do notice that it has worked for me. However, the one downside is that the results are not even. The left side is flatter than the right side and now that my lower abs are smaller, it looks like I have an upper stomach bulge.

Regarding the left side being flatter than the right side, the only explanation I can think of is that after the procedure when the nurse did the massage, she worked on the left side slightly more than the right side. The pain was so unbearable that I just couldn't have her try to massage the right side equally since I was reeling from the pain. Now I'm kinda stuck with the consequences. It's not horrible, but it also doesn't look natural. I want to get my upper abs done now so that it matches better with my lower abs. I started exercising, so if that doesn't help, then I'll probably go back for the upper abs.

But I'm happy that the lower abs worked. Pants that used to be too tight on my waist now actually fit. I guess all of the pain wasn't a waste.