I have two children with my youngest turning one years old a month before surgery. The nurse Sundance was amazing! She expalined everything and made sure I was comfortable. Dr. Shotwell was very reserved but continuously made sure I was okay during my procedure. I am one month and 2 weeks post op and still have some soreness. My stomach has gone down a lot but I wish more fat was removed. Dr. Shotwell stated he removed as much as he could safely. Overall I am please and now it's time for me to work on minimizing the remaining fat in my stomach.
My motivation was my health condition Rheumatoid arthritis before I always dealt with the belly fat and minimized it by exercise and dieting but after having a baby and dealing with RA I would lose weight and gain it right back mostly in the abdomen. Dr. Shot well was great despite other reviews his bedside manner was good. He answered all my questions and talked to me during the procedure. He asked me several times how I was doing and catered to my needs. I would definitely recommend him. I love my results even though it's 3 days postpartum I can tell the difference. I got my lower and upper abdomen and flanks done. He removed 2500 ml of fat that's equivalent to 5.5lbs from my abdomen area. People are already giving me compliments. I was 178lbs on surgery date now I'm 176lbs today! I still have soreness and bruising but it is reducing slowly every day. Updated on 12 May 2015: Updated on 21 May 2015: There is still some swelling and pain but I can only tell when I remove my undergarments and compression garment. Over the last few dys I had some itching and numbness but extra strength cortisone creme worked just fine twice a day for the itching. Other than that all is well I am enjoying my new tummy getting lots of compliments and cant wait for 4 weeks. Right now my waist is measuring 32 inches I started at 35-36 in waist. Updated on 14 Jul 2015: I haven't lost any weight final results Updated on 9 Aug 2015: here's a link for those who prefer to see a video instead of pics http://youtu.be/FppDGk24_pg
So i am very active and eat pretty well but i have stubborn belly fat and i was so over it! I finally saved up and got it done. I went to American lipo center in Atlanta. My nurse Sundance was awesome! My Dr was nice but seemed like a shy guy. Both answered all my questions and very honest. The day of the surgery was about 4 hrs in total. I was pretty out of it most of the time. I can see a difference and i am def smaller and i see definition! I still have soreness and numb on lower abdomen. My incisions are healing. I leaked only the first day. I wear my gurdle 24/7 and a waist trainer at night. I walk about 3 miles daily with a sport waist trainer. Im just taking it day by day. Oh but i do HATE the gurdle straps! They dig into my under arms!! Updated on 14 May 2015: Didn't think I'd still be sore but i am. Not enough to be taking meds more of annoyance. I'm still a little numb too. I made it to 4 weeks so its exercise time. Im ready to do more than jog. I'll update on how i feel with a few days of working out. Updated on 19 May 2015: Don't feel much change. Hopefully it will keep sliming down. Still have pain but not enough for medication. I wear the waist trainer for about 8 hrs a day. And wear a walmart slimmer for sleeping.
After I went from being a size 5 to a 14 after having my son, nothing including working out seem to make me lose weight in my mid section. Fortunately I am extremely shapely so it didn't look horrible but I wasn't happy with my size so lipo was inevitable. I went to American Lipo Center and they were able to get 5lbs of fat from my stomach and flanks. I can't wait to see the final results! Updated on 26 Sep 2014: The first day I felt like a million bucks! I went to the store to get a few items and even went to lunch afterwards. I guess the numbing medicine was still in full affect! I have 7 incisions total and only the bottom 3 leaked worst than I can imagine. It was horrible being that I couldn't take off my garment or shower. I soaked up my sheets 3-4 times. So make sure you buy plenty of pads to cover your wounds and puppy pads to lay on. Day 2 is mostly soreness it's not the worst. I'm actually getting out for a dentist appointment today! This is the best decision ever!! Updated on 3 Oct 2014: Once again I must say this had been the best decision EVER! I'm still swollen and sore. My skin has not all tighten back yet but I can see a clear difference!! Updated on 9 Oct 2014: Swelling has decreased significantly! I'm loving my new body! I don't believe the incisions will scar either!
I have tried to lose my "baby fat" for the past 5 years. I had an extreme amount of belly fat over my abdomen. If I ate the smallest meal Mt stomach would bloat as if I was 5 months pregnant. I mastered the art if ducking in. I extremely happy with my results. In March 31st At 5 Am I Went Into American Lipo Center Atl GA And immeadiediatly one day later I saw extreme results dr. Shotwell did amazing I know the best is yet to come I still have swelling soreness and I believe all of my fluid subsided late last night. Any questions feel free to ask Updated on 6 Apr 2014: I took these pics on the 3rd I have the most swelling seems to be above my belly button.. I do have pain but my medication is very helpful. I have gone out probably 4 times and wore no garments I'm hard headed and anxious lol. I find I have most pain in the morning and middle of the night. Sex has been bearable. My fiance has been the best help ever. So far my experience is fantastic Updated on 6 Apr 2014: I feel so beautiful and sexy lol that garment is no joke I swear that's where most of my pain is from. I'm wearing it half of the day today I know I shouldn't but it cuts me the Dr gave me an xs my post op appt is tomorrow still a Lil swelling above the belly button but not as bad. My belly and waist is very sore to touch my fiance gave my stomach and waist a light fingertip "massage" not really a massage just ran his finger tips all across my stomach and waist and it felt amazing my skin kinda feels numb but it's not idk how to explain it Updated on 6 Apr 2014: Swelling was really bad on the 3rd day it's improved way better Updated on 23 Apr 2014: Going through the the hardness and swelling....not too appealing to me. Can't wait till this stage is over will post pics later going to buy a waist trainer today I can't stand their garments any linger which give me weird creases through out the day.my boyfriend is a personal trainer so I can't wait to get in that gym ....3 weeks left. It will be so much easier for me to achieve the body I want now. My stomach is not tiny as I imagined and remembered from high school but I have to remember that was 5 years and a baby ago my waist will never be that small again. I love my hourglass figure tho. Can't wait till bikini season. Updated on 24 Apr 2014: Got my waist cincher today tried on a medium which was the size I would originally wear. I went out with my bf one night and wore my waist cincher on the last set of hooks [the tightest] and came close to fainting....Needless to say the medium is wayyyy to big for me now. So I put the small one on the tightest it cam go and I feel like I need an xs. It does not feel like it's cinching anything lol. That makes me feel good. Deff posting pics tonight I forgot yesterday. Yayy to me needing an xs!! Updated on 24 Apr 2014: Me ducking my stomach in. Updated on 24 Apr 2014: My stretch marks have faded very well u have to be in a certain light to really see them. Updated on 24 Apr 2014: I hate my side view but I'm sure the gym can quickly tighten my muscles up. I still love my results I guess I was just picturing my body before I had my daughter which was literally right after high school. And my upper torso was the same size as my lower. But this is what my body has formed to super curvy. I have a very short torso so it makes me feel wide but whatever no more pudge! Updated on 27 Apr 2014: Okay so I have a great man who has helped me every step of the way through this healing process. We knew beforehand marriage and kids were in our future and he even recommend waiting until we had our 2 kids outside of my 1 child and his previous kids. But of course I waited 5 years for this I didn't want ti wait anymore. He takes great care of me and we are the best of friends. He badly wants 2 kids of his own with me because he deals with 2 mothers who does everything they can to keep his children away from him. We will be getting engaged in the next couple weeks. How do I know? Lol. He asked my mother if he could take my mother and grandmother out to dinner without me in a couple weeks. So I'm guessing lol. Anyway i wanna nice wedding so I'm guessing we will be married sometime around the end of this year or january. Which will be about 9 to 10 months since my lipo treatment and about 7 after what is considered full healing time. And maybe a baby a few moths after? So let's say a baby a year after lipo....what can I expect? Will I need more abdomen lipo? Will it make my abdomen out of shape? Will my stomach stretch more and get more stretch marks? Please fill me in Updated on 1 May 2014: Waiting for hubby to come home and decided to snap a few pics ; ) hehehe 4 weeks post op and LOVING my results! Updated on 10 May 2014: I'm so in love with my body it's a beautiful feeling. I can't wit for possibly boobs and a even bigger booty than the one I'm blessed with lol. Anyway just was looking at my progress and decided to post. Updated on 9 Jun 2014: These are some updated pics I'm 2 months post op. I love my body at diff points of the day I'm A Lil puffer than others. I was a Lil swollen in these pics. I love how I look after wearing my waist cincher a few hours. I feel so much smaller but if I go all day with out it kn I pretty much look like this...is that normal for waist training? Or is there as much of a difference because of the surgery? Idk. I really need to start working out. I'll get the real results I'm looking for. I haven't worked out a drop lol. Updated on 16 Sep 2014: Hey ladies it's been a while. I'm here with one of my last updates. I was horrible I've gained about 20 lbs and I have not been to a gym once. I've worked out about 5 times since my surgery. My life has just gotten so hectic. I have 3 step kids that we have custody of now plus my own I started a beauty business and I help my fiance with his car lot. I cherish every moment of sleep. So here's pics
I am getting smartlipo to get rid of my two layer stomach fat. I went to get my consultation on Feb. 26, 2014 at American Lipo Center in Atlanta, Dr. Shotwell. My consultation was with his nurse Rosha(row-shay). They are having a special u/l abdomen and flank, so I decided I would like this for myself. Get three areas for half price! At the consultation they will tell you they don't have any specification for this procedure due to the sell. They will ask about your health history, weight check, and just any questions you will have. Today is the 10th so I actually met the doctor this morning. He is very cool and talks very gentle. He will explain to you not to have big expectation for the procedure because everyone's body react differently to Smartlipo. He tells you the difference between tackling hard fat and soft fat, which soft fat is easier to get out. He talks about the incisions and where he cuts you. I don't know what to feel right now as I am numb to the fact that this will hurt, but I want it so badly I just can't worry about pain at this point because my procedure is just the day after tomorrow...WOW!....Wednesday. I'll try to post pics, but it won't be too soon after my procedure, that's unless I get too excited and want to show off my results. Oh yeah I also ordered me a hand held massager to help the fluid and fat so it will not clump up and make lumps. I think this is the biggest mistake many make after Smartlipo not enough manipulation. Updated on 12 Mar 2014: I am so sore around my belly button area. It feels like stings of some sort, but this is where I had the most fat so Dr. Shotwell was awesome enough to work the heck out of it and my muffin. I was swollen so I didn't get a picture of my body yet, but i'll be posting it later when I stop stinging. But I do however have a picture of the jars of fat. I don't know how many mL they were, but will be finding out later. Other than that the worse part was the stinking of the numbing, they burned. But the lidocaine was ok and the suction. One side of my flanks was sensitive, but it was ok. Overall it was a great experience. Updated on 12 Mar 2014: I will be relating my experience after my follow up appointment. Updated on 13 Mar 2014: Yeah me! Even though this is day two I have to give credit to my husband who had my back, change my pads, and feed me. I love him so much! Updated on 14 Mar 2014: Here are two pictures of how I looked after I took my binder and stuff off. I am really pleased even though I still have lots of swelling. As you can see the muffin has really been deflated. Yeah! Me! Updated on 15 Mar 2014: I still have a top "hood" over my navel, but it's swollen very badly because I remember Dr. Shotwell working the heck out of it. Also it is the most sensitive right now to touch, especially when I slide my compression garment up "OUCH!" So far its good and the work pleases me. Updated on 15 Mar 2014: I just wanted everyone who see " not sure" to know that I will update this when my swelling goes down, even though I do see results. Dr. Shotwell is an awesome doctor. Updated on 16 Mar 2014: Feel good today just stinging here and there no serious pain like I've read. I'm just taking infection pills right now. I was itching last night and I took some benadryl and it stopped or I feel asleep which ever came first I don't remember. Now I am about to dreadfully go to Walmart for a body pillow..girls make sure you have one its a must for bed. I can't get comfortable worth a dime in bed. I am up and down all night whinning like a baby stacking pillows. I have ordered me another compression garment because the one the doctor gave me almost makes me pee on myself trying to unhook it and it feels funny when it pops over what use to be my muffin top. Well just an update and now the dreadful car ride to Wally. Updated on 25 Mar 2014: I haven't updated in a while because I have been battling stinging. It's so weird how this pain feels. I start with arnica oil, then coconut oil, the preparation h, well nothing helps because this is what it feels like when numbness goes away and healing began. The numbing shot feels better than this at least it's burning doesn't last this long. I have does ice packs, peas, and heat. Heat is the best. I started sleeping on my stomach which is more comfortable. No more back pains I notice as I had with my big stomach, it was breaking me down. A heavy stomach is just like a pair of heavy breast, will hurt your back. I will be adding picture updates soon. I am still happy with my results. Updated on 27 Mar 2014: Im healing fast but still burning, itching, and stinging. But it cheers me up to know that my short size has gotten smaller and they look smoother on me. I can even wear tights like ever one else. I even walk the same two miles that we use to walk and we did it in no time. Im very proud of myself and more confident. Updated on 27 Mar 2014: I meant "shirt size" above here? Updated on 27 Mar 2014: Look at the four levels of healing! Updated on 24 Apr 2014: When I first started researching SMARTLIPO I found hardly no one my height, my weight, or my body type. That's why I tried to give more details and show more pics of the results side by side to give you the best results or to help you make the best decision for yourself. Nobody was my weight and body portion and I am hoping you can relate to my experience. Good luck on the new you and stay healthy. Updated on 21 May 2014: Hi everyone! Just still stopped by to say I'm still loosing weight. I weigh 203lbs now, I was 211 after the surgery and that was coming from 216. I walk 7-8 miles a day and the one a day women vitamins are curving my appetite for some reason and I'm not complaining...LOL! Still w little itchy on my sides and under my navel but it all good. I still wear my garment at night and sometime through the day cause my stomach feels like pins and needles if I don't. But this is just the high lights NO COMPLAINT! I love the new me cause I don't get car sick, period are lighter with no cramps, pre diabetes are gone, and my sex drive is crazy good just because I made the right choice for me......I LOVE ME! Updated on 30 Sep 2014: Went to a follow up on September 11 and found out I'll need a retouch around my navel. So I decided to get a retouch in that whole area again. My result look good, but when I started exercising it looked as if my stomach became flabby. I do free weight squats and cardio on the cybex 760a for months. I really hate to do this again, but I want to look good. I wish I would have chosen Dr. b.Boutte for my surgeon because even though I'm mostly hips and breast, my waist should have gotten better results than what I have, and I have seen Dr. Boutte make women with bigger stomachs than mine look awesome. I think Dr. Shotwell's problem is he doesn't tell you to stand up so he can see where the fat is hanging or where he missed. My retouch surgery is next week October 8. Wish me luck. Updated on 30 Sep 2014: These are the areas. It's been six months. Updated on 23 Oct 2014: I was a little nervous, but it all passed after I took the medication. I had read that a touch up in the same area hurts, but it didn't the only part that hurt was the numbing shots. As he was putting the fluid it you could feel popping and cracking like he was breaking vines. The Dr said that scar tissue that had healed from the first time I had SL in that area. He also used this vibrating tool that sucked and cut the scar. After it was all said and done he got out 2 lbs of fat. I will be showing new pic soon because I'm sore, but it wasn't as bad as the first time. I talked through the whole procedure. Dr. Shotwell kept asking are you alright and I was like Yeah. Updated on 24 Oct 2014: You can do the comparison I really want my lower stomach even with my Mons pubic because I had a crease from the last SL session. So it looks a little swollen on the pictures, but I feel great. Dr. Shotwell didn't have to use any more laser for retouching so I guess that's what makes me have less pain than the first time I had SL. They say the second time hurt more in the same place, but I was good, I guess it was because of great drugs and excellent numbing. Updated on 24 Oct 2014: This makes the second treatment he has done for me. Last time no one called and checked on me no one called to schedule an appointment. They make you feel once you get it the Doctor/patient relationship is over. You really have to call and ask for a follow up. Yes he is very busy, but you have to have time for your patients. This is his office only down side. They also try to get you off the phone quickly when you call and have any questions. The relationship is very one sided, it make you think it's all about the money and not your well being, as long as you make it off their operating table, the figure you should be good. Good Dr, just bad check up and recovery concerns. Updated on 29 Oct 2014: I saw on YouTube where they lipod this guy to make a six pack and then they used 3m sponge tape to separate each muscle. So I decided this method would work to help keep the skin around my navel from dropping over my navel ring and making that ugly hump of skin/fat at the top. See pic. Also is using new CG cause the one they gave me is making the muffin pouch and got a nice zip up one that holds everything extra flat.Also corseting cause I want my muffin to adhere flat also. Updated on 29 Oct 2014: Zip up cg. Updated on 29 Oct 2014: Have to do all my pic separate because my tablet keeps erasing my posts. Updated on 1 Nov 2014: As you can see the doctor took a lot out that was bulging. I was tell him how ugly it a looked and asked could he at least try to level my lower fat with my pubic fat. Also the top over my navel he got a lot out there ad well. I will be posting another pic of it later cause it look entirely different from all this cause my husband's been massaging every night before bed time. He's so awesome! Updated on 3 Nov 2014: Still a small bit of swelling and a lot of deep tissue hardness. But these are great results this time...i love my tummy! Updated on 5 Nov 2014: Received a call from ALC checking to see how was my recovery. Made a two week appt to see Dr. Shotwell(I bet) What Starks me is the touch up wasn't as bad as the first time I got smartlipo and it was a month or two before I called myself and asked "do I suppose to get a check up or something?" She told me the first appt is with th Dr, then the second one with the nurse. Feeling special today, let's see what he says next week. #very grateful Updated on 14 Apr 2015: Picture 1 show how my stomach use to look before surgery and after surgery. Then you have one front view, rear view (you can see my body has changed due to exercise), and then a picture with the new look in a collage. I think if you are thinking about smart-lipo, it is worth the money. But you can't just sit around and eat and not take care of your body because that is what got us in trouble in the first place. Be good to your new body. Updated on 29 Feb 2016: I saw Dr. Shotwell last October because I notice my love handles(flanks) were bigger since the swell went down and my lipo is older. He would not retouch them, instead he told me he would not go back in due to skin damage. I could not convince him that he skipped my flanks. Then he tried to sell me on this new surgeon he had in the office to get invasive tt. So, I went to another surgeon and he said my u/l abs were down beautifully, but the doctor did nothing for you flanks. So, now I am being charge $5100 for tt and flank. I called American Lipo Center and talk to the lady about it and I was informed of a new doctor. I guess they got rid of Dr. Shotwell. If you have been jip by dr. Shotwell I would inform you to inquire about your flanks as well. Dr. Shotwell did not know where flanks are on a women, but that's what we get for a medical doctor doing a plastic surgeons job.
Thursday, November 13th was 1 week and 2 days past my 44th birthday. I had been exercising all year long and trying to keep my body in shape. I have 2 children, a 16 year old and a 5 year old. (12 years...yeap, I know, you go figure...don't know what I was thinking!!!!) Nonetheless, I love them both dearly. Before I had my last child, I was a solid 12 and sometimes could fit some 10s depending on how they were made. I have always been pretty athletic so I don't really see exercising as work, but it is just a stress reliever for me...WHEN I can fit it into my schedule. And thus cam my problem. I was an 18 at the end of 2012 and with my exercising I have dropped to a size 16 and could even squeeze into some 14's but they were not presentable for public wear...LOL, if you know what I mean. The zippers were so tight that I was afraid that my crouch would eventually have an aneurism...LOL. But I would put them on from time to time to encourage me to keep working out. I dropped from 213lbs to 197lbs and seemed to just stay there. No don't get me wrong, I could see some change, but not like I needed to stay motivated with exercising. No matter what else was getting smaller, my stomach was not going anywhere! Finally, I saw a billboard and started my research on laser lipo. I contacted several offices but only 1 responded back, American Lipo Center (Atlanta, GA) I called and scheduled a consult, went back and met with the Doctor and then scheduled my appointment for procedures to my upper and lower stomach along with my flanks to be completed Thursday 11/13/2013. I arrived at the office shortly after 8am because I could not have food and the nurse wanted me to eat before taking the medication to reduce nausea. So, once she administered the meds, we were heading into the procedure room at/around 8:45am or 9am. The nurse took pictures after I got undressed and then Doctor Shotwell came in to chat with me before he started his markings for the prodedure. Finally, up onto the table I went. I was very prepared mentally because I had read a LOT of reviews about the procedure...good, bad and the ugly. I not only read the good ones, but I read the bad ones too. I wanted to hear both sides of the story and see what I should have been looking for when I went into the offices for consults. You will not find a lot of information on-line about Doctor Shotwell, other than information about his Private Practice. I found this to be good information because "no news is good news!" I was impressed with his knowledge, background concerning surgery(s) and his ability to answer all of my questions efficiently and effectively. I like that he gave the me worst case scenarios about my skin elasticity and did not offer any unrealistic promises concerning my final outcome. NOW On to the Procedure! Once he marked my body, he stepped out of the room to allow me and the nurse to prepare for the procedure. Once back in, he explained to me that most patients say that the entering of the anesthesia is the most painful part. And it was...the removal of the skin was not as painful as the initial prep. There were some times that it was uncomfortable, but he would add a little more pain reliever. He allowed me to look at my stomach once he had finished 1 side and it was AMAZING! The other side still looked like a mountain while one side was flat. I was elated from that point on. I have hanging skin because it will take time for it to move back onto place and some of it may not ever move back just depending on my elasticity. Nonetheless, I am EXTREMELY pleased and it is just day 3. The first 24 hours was a LOT of draining. The pain fluid that was pumped in has to run out so this is expected. Get maxi pads for your body and puppy pads for your bed and floor. The first day is the worst...so be prepared. The more that you massage the more that fluid will release, so by Friday night I was completely dry because I really pushed a lot of it out on Thursday night. Line your car with the puppy pads and even with plastic. I still have large plastic bags under my sheets just in case...to prevent my mattresses from getting messed up. Some people washed their garments in the machine...I washed mine on hand and wrung them out with a towel, put them in the dryer while I was in the shower and they were ready when I got out of the shower. It will take you about 1 hour to remove your clothes and shower because you are not moving at normal pace. BEST ADVISE EVER...take your meds every 4 hours, do not wait until you are in pain otherwise, you will have major issues trying to manage it. Getting in and out of bed is hard, but I try and move or at lease turn over every hour or so. Also, I would get up and walk around my house for about 20 or 30 minutes when everyone was sleep to help keep me from getting sore and stiff. I have kept water and Gatorade next to my bed and please eat before you take the meds...it will make you nauseous if you do not. I am sorry for my post being soooooo long, but this is what happens when you don't get to do it daily. My pain meds are kicking back in and I will try and keep you posted aging on tomorrow and though out me next few weeks. I am trying to post a couple of before and after pictures for your review. I have to learn how to get them downloaded, but as soon as I do, I will upload them. Please note, that I bruise really easily and therefore they may be too graphic for some people. Until I chat again, Mrs. Happy that I did it! Updated on 29 Nov 2013: Thursday, November 28, 2013 2 Weeks post-opt update Area of procedure – Laser Lipo to Upper/Lower Stomach & Flanks/Waistline Well, Hello RealSelf Family, I have learned 2 things the really hard way. I will not try and process an updated from my IPad, Tablet or phone because after doing all of that work, I still tend to loose the information and have constantly lost over a hour of typing…therefore, I will keep a log in WORD and then just past it to the site in the future. I will try and recap what I wrote earlier, but a portion of my enthusiasm is gone from the lost of that work. I would like to confirm much of the information that has been written on this site and also offer some additional advise as well. 1) Puppy pads are the best for the drainage during your first couple of days, but they also were very helpful when I encountered very dry skin from not keeping my stomach lubricated post-opt. I began to peel REALLY bad after the 1st week and was encountering raw skin (like a burn mark with the bubble skin) in the areas that had not drained. My Doctor's office advised a product called, “Arnicare” and it is located in the burn/deep heat area of the the pharmacy. I am NOT recommending this information just letting you know what happened to me. I believe that I would have not had this problem if I had kept my area lubricated from the beginning…so this is something that I would discuss with the Doctor during consult. I also used A & D ointment for this area as well. I am still using these products and will have to give an update about them next week. a. Lining your bed with the puppy pads is great, but also putting large plastic bags under the sheets will help with the drainage that leaks through. I did this and it did not destroy my mattresses. I am a SUPER clean freak, but you will not have time to change the sheets everyday in the beginning. Just FYI… 2) I took my pain meds every 4 hours as recommended and my antibiotics as stated. There was another med that is mainly used for anxiety, but it will help you to rest and will help with the stomach spasms. I took this religiously in the beginning, but then only as needed as time went on. I was not really hungry after the surgery, but strongly suggest taking your meds with a piece of toast, crackers, or something light to coat your stomach otherwise you may feel sick. Because I was not really hungry, I drank a lot of Gatorade and kept 1 at my bedside at all times to sip on through out the night and first thing when I work up in the morning for hydration. a. The initial pain will only allow you to sleep around 4 hours. I would get out of the bed and walk around my house for 10-20 minutes after I changed my pads to help with the soreness. I would take my meds first, change my pads and then walk so that by the time that I walked around for a while I would be ready to go and lay back down…they will have kicked in by then…LOL b. You will NEED someone with you during the first 48 hours…I know that a LOT of people have stated that they did this on their own, but I am one of those SUPER (I can do it all by myself people too) and I strongly suggest someone to be there with you during those first couple of days. It is difficult to change the pads and put the garment back on and work through the pain. The drainage is so heavy on the first day that you just really need help with maintenance and your balance is not really steady so standing and sitting it not really easy by yourself. Not saying that it can’t be done…but it will make your life a whole lot easier. c. I have school age children and making arrangements for someone else to pick/drop them off the 1st week was a blessing. My procedure was on a Thursday so I had the weekend to recover, but it was not enough. I could have done it but I would have had to add about 1 hour to my morning prep time in order to be dressed before they woke up each morning. As WOMEN, we have a hard time asking for help…ASK for HELP and don’t let your pride get in the way! ? 3) My incision wounds healed really well and very quickly…just taking a shower is odd with the fluid in your surgery area. I use Dove Soap, but I strongly suggest asking your Doctor for the best bathing tools. I would stay away from any specialty soaps, you know like body shower lotions, and bubble bath stuff, but I am not even sure if Dove was mild enough because I still had the problem with the dryness and peeling....so this may be trial and error. a. I had a lot of bruising in the 2 areas where the fluid did not release as quickly and therefore really needed to know more about how to care for these areas. I was fine when I visited my Doctor for my 1 week check-up but I should have been keeping the areas lubricated. I begin to peel almost like a burn victim, which opened me up for infections…but the nurse, at American Lipo Center (ATL) was great. She and I communicated via text and thank God for Smart Phones, I was able to send her pictures for the Doctor and we were able to work through this challenge. I am still working on this and will update next week. Still taking my antibiotics though. b. I am still dealing with the peeling…been about 4 days now, but I am feeling much better now that I know HOW to lubricate the area and ward off infections. Take the antibiotics as assigned…do not miss them. This is crucial to your healing. The peeling has been my worse experience of it all, but ALC (Roche and Dr. Shotwell) have been great with getting me through this. 4) I am going to post a few of my pre-opt pictures and a couple of post-opt, with and without clothing. I will not post my peeling because it is very graphic and I do not think that they are a true representation of my overall surgery. However, I will post photos of me with then compression/surgical garment on. These pictures will not show true representation of my skins elasticity and how it currently hangs but I believe that the true pictures are too graphic for public viewing. I will be happy to share more with anyone that sends me a personal e-mail or contact, but not in general. I will give another detailed update by next week…I think weekly is best because it gives more details and solid information. Updated on 2 Dec 2013: 2 weeks and 4 days post-opt Monday, December 2, 2013 Hello Everyone, I had to give you a quick update. There are several myths and I want to bring clarity to for those that may be thinking about having a procedure completed. 1) Many people said that this (laser lipo) is a QUICK recover surgery - I am almost 3 weeks in and it am still in a lot of recover pain. Now let me say that based upon what I have read from other people, I expected to jump up and just be having fun right now. My surgery went very well, but my body has undergone a MAJOR process. Although I am fairly healthy, this is not a “quicky” surgery. People are able to return to work, but not as they had mentioned on some of the reviews. For instance, I can dress myself now but bending over to tie my shoes is a HUGE and painful task. If I drop something on the floor it has to stay there until someone else can get it for me. So don’t take it lightly that you will be able to just jump back into your normal duties. 2) The pain that I am having now is more from the tightening of my skin than it is the surgery itself. Now don’t gets me wrong, I am REALLY happy about my results and this process, but it is extremely uncomfortable and I can tell that this process will go on for a while (6 weeks or longer). I have these little spasms (sharp pains). They don’t last long, but for anyone that has every had a baby, they fell like very light contractions, they don’t last long, but they are noticeable. 3) Knowing what I know now, I would have had this procedure during the warmer months as going outside in the cold is extremely uncomfortable. (I am in Atlanta) The first day, I did not really think it though, but I try and wrap myself up really well when I am going out in the cold…you know like to old people used to say, “don’t want to catch cold in my body.” But seriously, the cold weather shoots pain into every area where the surgery took place…it is just something to be cautious of and keep a little blanket with you at all times to cover your surgery area for added comfort. 4) Read up about all of the side-effects. I had one called “seroma” which is the clotting of the blood under the skin in the pockets where some of the fluid did not completely drain…and it is a normal reaction for some people. My surgeon was very comfortable about my “bruising” but I will share with him that it needs to be explained more so that when the patient has this reaction they will not panic because initially I was ok, but then began to worry. It helps to know so that you can mentally prepare yourself for the skin peeling and treatment that goes along with it. I found a review by another Doctor that gave some really great advise and it has really helped me in just the 3 days since my reading his review. I did take pictures of this, but will only share those via special request. 5) Drink plenty of fluids!!!!!! This will help with you antibotics/constipation and with the hardening of the skin that you are going to experience. If you are not a BIG water person like me, then try Powerade or Gatorade…but stay hydrated! It will help you in more ways than one…LOL Mornings and nights are the toughest because you are so stiff during those times. It is much better when you keep moving around…so keep the walking going. I am in school and I walk while I am reading some of my material and it helps a lot when I have to sit in my classroom for a few hours straight. Massaging your stomach/surgery area while you are sitting in class or watching tv really helps to subside the pain. I am thinking of going to my local massager to see if he could help just a little. Maybe going to see him 1 time per week for a couple of weeks or a month would help also. I have heard about masseuse that specialize in surgical massages but they are about $150 per session and my regular guy is on $40 per session, but he has been in the business for about 10 years so I am sure that he could study about it and still give me a better price than the $150…just something to think about. Well I am about to head to bed now. Gotta get my pillows right so that I can get comfortable for the evening and make the best of my night before it is time to drop my kids at school.…LOL Updated on 15 Dec 2013: 4 weeks 3 days – Post opt December 15, 2013 Hello Everyone, I have been pretty busy and missed my update for last week as I would have liked. Nonetheless, here we go…and let’s have some fun! First off, I am EXTREMELY satisfied with my current results, I can finally wear some of my dress pants and flex jeans that are not as fitting on my stomach. I have mostly been wearing sweat pants because they are the most comfortable and do not press against my stomach as it is trying to heal. I wore a pair of my pants on yesterday and they were actually pretty loose in the waist because this is the area that healed the quickest for me. Then, my lower stomach has given me great results in comparison to my worst case scenario that Dr. Shotwell had given me. (Basically, he did not make a lot of promises to me, but he advised me that my skin may not tighten in that area…worst case, but it possibly could) So my excitement is that mine is tightening and I can actually start to see the results of procedure. Realistic Expectations – When I went into this process, I had very realistic expectations. I had been working out consistently for almost 1 year and though other parts of my body were shaping up, I knew that my stomach was not going anywhere…no matter how many planks, and ab exercises that I did. Also, I was not on any of those strict diets because I know that is not a reality for me. I have cut back on my chocolate, sweets and sodas, but I still have them from time to time. So with this said, I was not looking for a MIRACLE cure for my abs, but needed a little help in pushing them in the right direction. I am still in some pain, but have dropped down to 800 ml pain meds instead of the original stronger narcotics. I can take these 3 times a day, but I am down to 1 or 2 per day depending on my pain level. I am not one to take too many pills/drugs so I try and only take them when really needed. I try and massage my areas all throughout the day…when I am laying in bed, sitting and watching TV or walking through the mall. This movement helps a lot with the tightening that is going on with the skin. The massaging also helps with the hardness that comes as a result of the surgery. Some of my hard areas have already returned to a normal feeling because I try and massage through the pain. Allergic Reactions – I had an unusual situation to happen to me and this is not likely to happen to everyone, but the burn like peeling and bloating that I mentioned in my earlier post was not just a condition but also a reaction to the anesthetic that was used. I met with Dr. Shotwell on my 3rd week and he provided a silver sulfate cream for application and immediately I was healing much better within 1-2 days. I have been using the cream now for 1 week and a day and my entire upper and lower stomach are almost completely healed. Just FYI, if you notice burn like (looking) marks after your surgery, notify and visit your Doctor immediately. If I had gone sooner, I believe that it would not have gotten so bad and would have cleared up much quicker. Overall Results – I have really been satisfied with my overall results and believe that I would have been more pleased if I had taken care of the peeling earlier. However, I am smiling every day when I look in the mirror because I have not seen my body look like this in quite some years. I believe that the more active that you are, the greater your results will be. I am still tired sometimes because although this is an invasive surgery, it is still surgery and your body will need time to bounce back. Therefore, I am getting in and out of the car better/quicker now, I can bend over a little more now and I can sleep on my sides with less pain right now. More importantly, WEAR YOUR GARMENT EVERYDAY as assigned. This garment is a surgical garment and it helps to shape and contour your body. Other than allowing my wounds to get some air every night for about 1 hour, I am in my garment. It is very uncomfortable…for the ladies, it is like wearing a good bra…such a relief when you take it off…LOL, but you should wear it if you want to see great results! I am still very happy that I made this investment into myself and do not have any regrets even with the allergic set back that may cause me to take 8 full weeks to heal instead of the normal 6 weeks. I am also pleased with how American Lipo Center has handled my concerns and assisted me with taking care of me during the follow-up concerns/appointments. It is still one of the best things/gifts that I could have ever given to myself.
So I had my stomach and waist line done with Dr. Shotwell - American Lipo Centers (Atlanta office) and I'm happy, happy with results!! My stomach has always been my big problem area, no matter how much I worked out. Well those days are gone! Can't believe a lifetime of dealing with muffin top and in only 2 hours it was gone! Dr. Shotwell was very calming, super nice, and made the whole thing easy for me. First few days I was sore but could get around okay. Within a week I was feeling pretty good. I so thankful I found American Lipo Centers/ Dr. Shotwell. It has been life changing!
Here are pictures of my skin after the procedure. I have keloids in the areas under my breast and on my thighs which means I will never wear a halter top or a bikini again. That area where he did the incisions under my breast is not small as a pen needle like the pre procedure instructions said it would be. The areas in my thighs have just rolled over, turn black and keloid. I also burned in some areas. I include pictures of the cream I’m using to help heal my target areas. However the keloid’s I can do nothing about. Ok ladies, just be careful. We are our worst cretic. I had some areas on my body that I wasn’t happy with. I wanted to do the procedure as a jump start in my weight loss and it has. I just will not be naked in these areas anymore.
I had four areas done. I received burns on my lower abs. Not enough was taken off of the upper abs. I was given cream on two occasions for the burns. I still have the scars from the burning after 1 1/2 years. Very little work was done on the bra roll. I still have a bra roll. That was a waste of money for the bra roll, I didn't get to see the doctor when I went back for my checkup. I saw the nurse. The nurse assured me that Dr. Shotwell had done a lot of these procedures, and there should not be any problem. I was never told that there a possibility of burning. Every time that I look at my stomach, I'm reminded of the surgery. I have some hard spots in my stomach.
