Hi Jullian40:
Well I am 3 weeks post op as of yesterday. I went in for my two week check up and the Dr. said I no longer have to wear the compression garment. I was really relieved as I was sick and tired of it. HOWEVER! I went without it for a few hours and before too long I had it back on.... The skin throughout the area I had done began to throb and it felt like all the nerves were firing at the same time. Not only that but I swelled up a bit and I did not like that. So... back into the compression I went. I ordered an under garment from Under Armor that is a much lighter compression garment - That one seems to do the trick just as well so I have been alternating between them.
I recently discovered Arnica Montana. Its a homeopathic remedy that helps with muscle soreness and with healing skin. I started taking it on Saturday and I have to say that I am noticing a big difference with the skin discomfort. I am using a topical version on the entire area and a homeopathic pellet that I place under my tongue. It may be just coincidence that it seems to be working. What i am experiencing may be normal for 3 weeks out but i am going to keep taking it just in case. Has anyone else had success with this?
Seriously hang in there - the first week was so miserable for me that now I look back and almost cant believe i made it though. I have to say that taking the photos yesterday morning I compared them to the before and I am absolutely thrilled with the results! I saw my hip bones poking though my skin for the first time that i can remember!
I had my abs, chest and flanks done 3 weeks ago tomorrow. I plan to do a full post with pics soon. I know that this procedure is very easy for a lot of people but I think it depends on how extensive the area is. I had 4600cc of fat removed. That is a LOT! If you are having a large area done I suggest that you take more time off than you planed to. I scheduled two days post surgery but ended up taking an entire week to recover. Also I suggest Arnica both oral and gel. It really helped with the bruising and has helped my skin to feel better.
Hang in there! I had 3 areas done - chest, stomach and flanks. The first week was really painful and uncomfortable. I asked myself many times why I had done this to myself. I became depressed after a couple of days and wondered if i would ever feel normal again. On the 8th day my body turned a corner and made remarkable progress over the next two days. I am 18 days post op and am thrilled with the results. Its going to be a while before I can really see the full result but so far I am thrilled. Just hang in there - it will get easier. Remember that you have had a laser completely pulverize the middle part of your body. The skin is detached and your body is trying to figure out what to do about it. Just keep trusting - it will get better.
I had smart lipo on my stomach, flanks, and chest 8 days ago. I have not posted anything as I am not sure of the results at this point. I would totally agree that the first week was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I had planned to be out for two days but ended up having to be out all week. I am not sure how long yours took but the Dr. took over 6 hours on my three areas. It seemed like a very long time but he was being very thorough and had me stand up several times during the procedure so that he could see what my torso looked like when I was standing. I have experienced the swelling and movement that you describe and it has been very uncomfortable this week. The compression garment that I have had to wear 24 hours a day seems to have helped with the swelling to some degree.
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