The Best All Around Experience in Dominican Republic! Thank You, Dr Luis Fernandez Goico - Dominican Republic, DO

Dr Goico did an amazing job in sculpting my figure. Now I just have to be patient and let time take its course for all the ucky swelling to dissipate. The scar looks amazing. And I like my new belly button too. And my upper abs function beautifully - I can already do the tummy roll using my newly fixed muscles. I am so looking forward to the swelling part being over! But I'm already so thrilled with the results!

I just felt compelled to say something about the Lymphatic Massage: IT DOES NOT HAVE TO 'HURT LIKE HELL' TO GIVE YOU THE ABSOLUTE BEST RESULTS!!!!

It saddens me and frustrates me to no end when I read about these women subjecting themselves and their bodies to such horrific pain with well intended but unnecessarily cruel treatments of their minds (from dealing with post surgical pain) and their bodies (from dealing with post surgical pain) all in the name of beauty achieved from post surgical lymphatic masseuses that just don't understand the key to optimal healing.

Pain causes inflammation! Inflammation is breakdown of tissue which is the opposite of healing!

I learned that lymphatic massage is a very gentle technique that takes away swelling to boosts the body's ability to heal itself from a wonderful lymphatic massage specialist in my hometown of Texas, U.S. Several doctors refer their patients to her for healing.

Good news everybody!! Dr Goico had his lymphatic massage specialist here in the Dominican Republic that has been trained in this exact same way! She is gentle but firm in her soothing technique that breaks up hard knots of fluid and flushes them out with gentle kneading through your lymphatic system.

The first two or three days Postop your body will be on fire to the touch - unless your totally doped up on pain pills which I do not recommend because it impedes healing and may cause you to inadvertently hurt yourself because you can't sense where your body is really at in the recovery process when it's all numbed out artificially.

So, Edu is the third member of Dr Goico's personal staff that makes him Hands Down the 'A Team' for the best surgical results.

I love Edu so much I want to take her home with me! She makes the lymphatic massages something I am grateful for in my body's healing and recovery process. Rather than an event I would dread and even fear particularly when lymphatic massage post surgically does not have to be a painful event.

I am so grateful that the Lord brought me here to the beautiful Dominican Republic with these beautiful and kind hearted people!!

The lists that fellow RealSelfers provided were so immensely helpful for me to get an idea of what I would need in preparing for surgery and after as well so I am providing my list in the hopes of helping you to have the essentials and to avoid buying too much.

Better to avoid overbuying and put that money into a good recovery house! Arelis Recovery House is the best but if she is full on your surgery dates then at least get your own room and your own bathroom- the extra couple hundred for those essentials will be priceless when you are actually recovering from this major undertaking in improving your quality of life.

I also wanted to say that time is precious and if you haven't started exercising then please do so now- just alittle bit will go a long way! Here are the exercises that helped me to be strong and recover easier from surgery because they helped me to maneuver myself when my body was weakest.

I came here for surgery alone and even tho' Arelis is available 24/7 - well I am fiercely independent and I just abhor the idea of needing to have someone at my beck and call just to go pee pee or because I wanted an extra snackie or some lotion for my suddenly dry hands, etc.

Here's my short and easy and priceless exercise list:
1) Walk walk walk- around your room at home- or if you're blessed enough to live in the country like me- outside in the fresh air is so lovely- just 30 minutes a day as fast and brisk as you can! That's all you need. If you can do more great! But at least get to where you can do 30 minutes walking as fast as you can every day.
2) SQUATS! Ohmigosh I cannot emphasize the benefits of squats. There is a squat challenge that I looked at and I just recommend at least reading one to make sure you are doing them properly. Then, if you can get to where you are able to do 50 squats with 3 repetitions every day, you will have the core strength to recover so much easier from major surgery. That's it!
3) Wall arm push-ups! No GI Jane one arm push-ups required- not even parallel to the floor! Just 30 against the wall push-ups with 3 repetitions every day and you will have the arm strength for getting in and out of bed so much easier during your recovery.
4) Crunches! Upper and Lower abs - and hold for a couple seconds as you crunch at your core and move at a steady pace as you do 30 upper and 30 lower for 3 times a day.
5) Finally stretch! Reach in all directions with your arms waist and legs and ankles and wrists and neck- just do it gently- stretch all those joints and hold for about 5 to 15 seconds daily and you will be limber and so much more comfortable during your recovery!

There are thousands of online short instructional guides on these key exercises I'm mentioning here. I did them throughout my workday. During my lunch break, between patients, I would fit my workout in between my life's stuff so they were easy to accomplish on a daily basis and I didn't have to take time away from my kids and my husband when I got home from work in the evenings so I could enjoy the time with my family.