Liposuction: Stories

I've wanted this for ages but held back due to the cost. I actually consulted with Dr. Shenker back in 2009 about having my knees done, and intended to go through with it, but I ended up leaving my job and going back to school, so no money to pay for it.

I'm paying for this with the remnants of my student loan - definitely not something a financial guru would approve of, but I'll deal with it. I figure that I'd either have to spend time saving up for it or spend time paying it back...and I'd rather have the results DURING the time it takes me to pay it back, rather than look the same for the amount of time it would take me to save.

I'm 5'5", 140 lbs. I actually weigh about 20 lbs more than I did two years ago but pretty much the same - that's muscle weight for you!

Basically, I'm hoping that liposuction will give me the body contours that I've been longing for. I work out a lot but I've never had any success in slimming down to my "ideal shape", despite years of calorie counting/restriction etc. Also, when I lose weight the "natural" way, it always comes off my chest first - exactly where I don't want to lose it from!

I'm not nervous about the surgery - my only fear is that I will spend all of this money and not get the results I'm expecting.

I will update this post with before and after pictures.

**posting some dreadful BEFORE pictures**

Well, the ones in the blue dress aren't that bad. I'm posting the pics of me in the jeans because those are my "goal" jeans, i.e. I'm hoping/thinking that after lipo I will be able to fit into them nicely. Once I get the surgery done and swelling goes down I will take more pics in the same jeans, and fingers crossed there will be a big difference!

Ugh....I'm still 99% sure I'm going to go through with the lipo, but for some reason today I am having a huge panic attack about it. I've been reading articles about that stupid study that said the fat removed in liposuction would just come back elsewhere etc etc. I know that obv you have to maintain a normal eating/exercising lifestyle after lipo to avoid gaining weight (same as you would even without lipo) but I am suddenly terrified of my arms getting even fatter than they are now. I've always carried an odd amount of bulk in my arms and now I'm envisioning looking like a Pillsbury dough boy up there!

I'm also panicking about my normal leg cellulite getting worse....it would be awful to be smaller but have much worse looking skin...

Ughhhhhhh! I don't know why I'm suddenly freaking out today =( I'm feeling all defeatist and worried for some reason.

Still freaking out, but this girl's amazing blog is making me feel better:
http://lipojourney.blogspot.ca

Surgery is next Thursday. I just made my second payment on my surgery (my credit card limit doesn't go high enough to cover it!).

For some reason the act of actually paying for this makes me feel more nervous/upset. I think I just feel embarrassed that I'm actually doing this. I like Dr. Shenker but I do find his staff just a little bit on the cool side, although I couldn't give any specific examples.

Anyway. Just nervous!

Holy crap! Doctor's office just called and my surgery is TOMORROW, not Thurs!!! Thank god they called to confirm =O! On the negative side, I haven't had a chance to go buy some prep stuff, but on the positive side, this reduces the amount of time I had to worry about it....!

DAMN! Just wrote a big long detailed review and then accidentally hit the back button on my browser.

Anyway, I made it through. Doctor took out 3000 ccs total - was at the clinic for about 5 hours. Waking up from surgery was pretty bad though - way more pain than I thought. Currently in bed lying on old beach towels. Pain is much better, but mainly because I am not moving!

Has anyone else had a standing prep? I haven't heard anyone mention it on here so I thought I'd give a quick description. The one I JUST WROTE was great, but as I said - stupid browser!

Basically, a standing prep involves standing basically naked in the OR while the nurses either spray you or swab you down with either iodine or an alcohol based solution. Mine was alcohol - it was bright pink! Generally speaking they will limit the amount of people in the room so you, as the patient, are as comfortable as possible. For me, there were only two nurses in the room. Needless to say, it's a bit embarrassing. One of the nurses, Ange, held my robe sort of bunched up behind me to cover my boobs and make me feel a little better, but obviously no underwear =S Once they're done you have to get onto the OR bed without touching it with your hands to keep the sheets sterile - basically just sitting down and swinging your legs up.

So anyway - if your doc tells you you're getting a standing prep, that's what it is! It's probably worth it to ask your doctor in advance of your surgery if that's what he's planning, as that way you'll at least be prepared.

Still in a fair bit of pain, however I don't find it as bad at the bone pain I've had from previous foot surgeries. I've been taking Percocet regularly, as well as some Lyrica/ ibuprofen etc. Swelling is definitely increasing - my feet look like little sausages!

I haven't showered yet, as just the thought of taking off my garment and then getting it back on again practically makes me tear up in anticipatory pain! Maybe tomorrow.

How did the rest of you manage with massages? My doctor wants me to start self-massaging ASAP, and also book a lymphatic massage. Right now the thought of massaging myself, or having someone else do it, is AWFUL! My skin hurts way too much.

Ugh, so my recovery is being plagued by one little thing - I'm having a really hard time peeing! Basically it's like I just don't have anything in my bladder, but I definitely do. Sorry for the TMI, but after all this site is where we all go to get the nitty gritty of other people's experiences!

I'm really worried that I've got urinary retention and will end up needing a catheter (basically worried about the embarrassment/discomfort factor). I've told my doctor (who is really great - super attentive!) and he said to give it another 24 hours, but to keep checking in with him.

Finally got a bath today! It didn't go very well, but at least now I feel clean and refreshed.

I was going to try having a shower this morning, so I took a Percocet about an hour before. My mum turned on the water but unfortunately I got really nauseous and light-headed and ended up throwing up before I could get in. I hadn't been taking the Percocet regularly but I've decided to stop taking it completely - I have a fairly high degree of pain but the Percocet is obviously too strong for my system. I'm going to stick to Lyrica/ibuprofen/tylenol.

Anyway, luckily my mum is a nurse and is used to all this stuff, so I ended up sitting in the tub (but didn't fill it, as the incisions shouldn't sit in water) while she washed my hair for me. By the end I was feeling okay enough to shave the bottom half of my legs - priorities, right? lol. She also washed my garment and sheets. I feel so much better now that I'm clean, but I really hate the process of getting the garment on and off!

Swelling is increasing - particularly noticeable in my stomach.

It's amazing how much surgery makes you appreciate just having your normal everyday body, slim or not! I can't wait to be back to no pain and no swelling and no limping around like I'm 84! =D

Just wanted to update specifically about my doctor and experience at the clinic, for those in the area.

I am VERY happy that I chose Dr. Shenker. It's possible that he's a bit more expensive than some other surgeons, but I firmly believe he (and his clinic) was worth EVERY PENNY. I'd commented before, during one of my panic sessions, that I wished his reception staff was a little friendlier-sounding on the phone, but really that's a very minor complaint in comparison to the excellence of the care and concern that I have experienced overall. The three nurses that cared for me pre-op and post-op (I believe it was Linda, Ange and Emily) were incredibly sweet and made me as comfortable as possible. Dr. Nicholas, the aenaesthesiologist, is both highly competent and very comforting. Dr. Shenker, my PS, was just excellent in every way. I really feel like he is a surgeon who has the best interests of his patients at heart. The ideal plastic surgeon should be a perfectionist, and really engage in a dialogue with the patient about what is achievable/rational/desirable in their results and chosen procedures. I feel that Dr. Shenker does this admirably. He also communicated regularly with me post-surgery about how I was doing. The first night I missed his call and the call-back number wouldn't connect. Instead of just brushing it off and moving on to his next client, he then tried emailing me, Ange (one of the nurses) both emailed AND facebook messaged my mother, and they called all the other numbers associated with me. THAT is an example of true concern for your patients!

Also, his clinic is really amazing. It's located in a beautiful old house but it has been modernized tastefully and his surgery and recovery rooms are top-notch.

In sum, I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Shenker and the Cosmetic Surgery Clinic to any of you in the area who may be considering him.

Adding some pictures. I'm not going to call these "after" pictures yet, as I'm still only 9 days post-op. However, yesterday was the first day that I felt that parts of me really did look different. The place that I see it the most is actually in the front of my thighs - they are so much flatter and I think fit my pants better. (NB: I'm wearing 4 inch heels in the black jeans picture....my legs are actually really short - 28" inseam!)

When I feel like my swelling has really gone down (it's still pretty noticeable in my knees and stomach) I will post proper "after" pictures just wearing underwear, so you can see.

Added a couple photos just to update on progress. Sorry they're so small/blurry. When I'm closer to 2 months post-op I will take proper ones.