Growing up, I was always a runner and into fitness, eating well and being healthy. Over the years, I’d lost myself. The true me was gone. I got married, had kids, quit working out, ate like crap and felt awful about myself. At 40 years old I was 5’4” and 196 pounds, which was more than I weighed at full term with my son. My blood pressure was high, my BMI reflected I was obese, and I hated everything about the way I felt and looked. So. I decided to quit making excuses, got up off my ass, quit complaining and did something about it. I got a gym membership, started the paleo diet (kinda) and looked, really looked at myself. There’s nobody else to blame but myself and I knew I needed to make some huge changes. This is when I decided that in addition to what I was already changing, I wanted to get rid of my ugly tummy, muffin top, tire roll....whatever you wan to call it. I wanted it gone. It didn’t matter the amount of core training, cardio, paleo...it just never would go away. That’s when I called Sono Bello and set up a consult. At my first visit, they asked what I was looking for, why and gave me my options. Julie was my consultant and she was like a gift sent down from the heavens!!!! Such a sweetheart and made me feel so comfortable!! After the first visit, I st up my next one or a week later, which was for the pre-op. At this visit, I met with Dr. Volk and he felt like I was a great candidate for the liposuction and laser to the upper and lower abdomen, with removal of the excess skin in the lower abdomen (since I had sagging there). I scheduled my appointment for the following week and had the procedure done. When I got there the day of the procedure, they gave me Xanax and Percocet prior to numbing me up. Then they did the numbing, and out of the whole thing, this was absolutely the worst part. Once I was numb and the liposuction started, I couldn’t feel anything but a little pressure and some pulling (kind of like during a c-section). Thy played my choice of music and talked throughout the procedure. I was very comfortable and knew I was in good hands with Dr. Volk and my nurse, Jasmine. They did an awesome job!!! I’m still in the recovery process, but I’m looking forward to the results!!!! Updated on 26 May 2019: It’s been a little over two weeks since my procedure and I’m already seeing results!! I have had to go in four times to have excess fluid removed. I was really nervous about that Bc it’s a big needle hey put in your lower side of abdomen!!! Good thing is, my doctor did it first time and awesome nurse Elizabeth the other times and they numbed me up before doing the big needle. It was fine!!! My pain level overall is much better as well. I’m only taking Advil now. I am still pretty swollen and it’s hard to stand up straight. Most of the swelling is in the lower abdomen, legs and sometimes ankles by the end of the day. Updated on 7 Jun 2019: The swelling is still here, it’s moved down to my lower abdomen and mostly right around where the scar is. I’m trying to eat less sodium because I notice I swell up and retain a lot of fluid. Dr. Volk and his nurses and staff have been amazing!!! They are all very friendly and have made this whole journey comfortable and fun!! I’m really trying to notice a nice shape round my hips and throughout my abdomen. There’s still a few little bumps and some uneven areas, but that will all improve with further healing. I’m already very satisfied with my results!!!!
I had tri-sculpt lipo done just over a week ago for my trouble spots that working out wasn't helping. I went in at 141 lbs and 18% body fat. I had my inner/outer thighs, knees, under my butt and hips done. Had just over 4lbs removed and was 16.9% bodyfat when I hopped on the scale the other day. I was 146 lbs but contribute that to all the swelling. I'm still very sore and swollen. The recovery was much harder than I expected but I love the results. I've already seen results and I know will get even better when the swelling and bruising go down. I will say this was the most painful thing I've ever done and I'm pretty tough with a high pain tolerance. I wanted to write this review so people are prepared for that part. I read a lot of reviews about people back to Normal after a couple days. I was flat on my back for a good week and kept passing out every time I took my compression suit off. Everyone is different but that was my experience. My surgeon did an awesome job and I know I'll love the result! These are my after photos. Updated on 27 May 2017: This is the best before pic I have. You'll see I have pretty big upper thighs
Before I had kids I had a "perfect "body in my eyes. I was very athletic and worked out 3-4 days a week and always had a pretty good diet. I watched what I ate but I wasn't a fanatic about it. After I had my first son I noticed that I had problem areas that would not go away with exercise but it wasn't bad until my second son was born. I was able to get back to my pre-baby weight which was 135lbs. I was satisfied but not happy about I looked in certain areas. I never thought in a million years that I would have underwent liposuction. My husband and I was finally done having kids. We made this official by him getting a vasectomy last year. When I turned 34 I realized I needed to focus more on myself. Instead of working out at home, I got myself a gym membership and took up pilates classes and cycling. I had put on about 10lbs with been busy and working. I was weighing in about 145lbs. I still had my flat stomach and nice lifted butt but my inner and outer thighs and knees had problems and it was not going away. Being a registered nurse I did some research about body contouring. I wasn't really looking to lose weight but to tone the areas that I had problems in. I had been working with my pilates instructor on certain areas I wanted to focus on for a year and I was seeing slow results. My upper body responded so well. Lower body-not so much . I made a consultation at Sono Bello. I had a friend whos sister went to Sono Bello's and had amazing resultry and I heard nothing but great things about Sono Bello. I had all my questions lined up and all of them were answered. I research the surgeon who was recommended for me and he had many years and experience of doing this type of procedure. Sono Bello made me feel so comfortable about everything. I discussed this with my husband and the decision was made for me to do it. I didn't tell my family members , coworkers or even my bestfriend. I wanted no judgment and I wanted this decision to be my decision. I had pre-op exam and everything was explained to me on what I needed to do and not to do the weeks leading up to surgery. I followed these instructions strictly. I made sure I drank 2-3 liters of water per day. Limit my salt intake and abstain from any alcohol use and including additional instructions that were given by them. The day of the procedure I was very nervous and anxious but they gave medications to help with that. I was given an anti-anxiety medication called Xanax and anti-nausea medication called Zofran and my first dose of antibiotic which was keflex. The doctor came in and mark me all up and verified the areas that were being done. I was also given a pain medication called demerol which is similar to morphine. The nurse also put in an IV just to have access in case for an emergency situation. Everything was going smoothly and the medications were kicking in. I was placed on the table and the numbning process began which was the most uncomfortable part but not bad. He started the other process where the tumsent fluid went in. Sorry if my spelling is wrong but this is where they fill the areas up with lidiocain, epi, fluids. This part was uncomfortable but it seemed to fly by. I was in and out do to the medications. Dressings were put on and the nurse helped me into my compression garment. My husband drove home and i slept most of the day. The surgeon called and checked on me the night of the procedure. I was pretty sore. Pain rating 5/10, like I had done a extreme leg workout and them some. I took my pain medication that I was prescribed which was percocet. The next day I was pretty sore and but I got up walked everyou 2-3 hours. Made sure to stay hydrated with water and elevated my legs as often as possible. I had a ton of drainage that I changed my clothes 3 times. The next day the nurse called you check on me and I was doing good. Still sore. I switched over to ES Tylenol and was feeling good. Took my first shower. Felt woozy and a little nausea when I took the compression garment off for the first time after surgery. I made sure to move slow with this process so I wouldn't faint. Changed my dressing on my incisions and some were already starting to close up. I could notice results right away. No bumping my outter thigh and my inner thighs do not touch anymore. My knees I notice a significant difference. The fat was gone and this was only post op day 1 Post-op day 2 Up and about around the house doing light house work but making sure to take it easy. Im still sore. I'm having burning and numbing sensations which is a normal healing process. Changed my dressings again. Significant less drainage. Some areas are not draiNing anymore and have started closing up. Still swollen in my thighs though but this is expected. I did wash my garent while I was in the shower. Post op day 3- is today!!!! That's today and in feeling great!! Taking ES Tylenol. The swelling on my thighs have decrease a lot. I'm planning on taking my dog for a walk today to get outside. Still having the burning and numbing sensation at times. Drinking plenty of water, limiting salty foods and taking it easy. Updated on 15 May 2016: Sorry for any misspelled words or for my grammar. I'm writing this on my tablet. I will take pictures soon. I wish I would have taken before and after pics because I noticed results already. I'm still having some swelling in my thighs but I'm making sure to elevate my legs and drink plenty of water and continue a low salt diet. My pain is way better. Pain rating 3/10. Still taking ES Tylenol because I'm still having the burning and numbing sensation. I go back to work tomorrow. I'm a little nervous because I work 12 hour shifts and I'm on my feet a lot. I'll remember to take my Tylenol, drink water, elevate my legs while I sit. Like I said. I will put some photos on the next couple of days to follow . Thanks for the support Ife Updated on 16 May 2016: I went back to work today. I was super anxious because no one knew I had the surgery done. Of course it had to be a manic Monday. I tried elevating my legs as much as possible but of course my coworkers were suspicious and the worse thing about it, I work with all nurses!!! I just said my legs have been swollen and I needed to elevate them. To be honest my legs were very swollen. I worked a 12 hour shift and I think it set me back a day. I'm elevating my legs right now and will be sleeping in the leather recliner chair tonight. Thank goodness I have the next day off so I can rest my legs and elevate them all day. I did give away my 12 hour shifts this week and some next week to help aid in my recovery. My incisions are healing nicely and are very small and non-noticeable areas. That's really good. I forgot to mention that I also been taking arnica pellets which is an hemopathic medicine that helps with bruising, swelling and pain. I totally forgot to bring that with me to work today. Oops. I will take pics tmrw. I'm super shy and negative comments really do hurt my feelings so please be nice. Thanks Updated on 17 May 2016: Things are a little better today. Still dealing with swelling and mild pain. Didn't have to work today so I took it easy and ran some errands with my 4 year old son. Thanks to my supportive husband he cooked dinner so I could relax and be off of my feet because I do have to work again tomorrow. I did talk with the nurse and the swelling is completely normal and gets worse at post-op day 6 and 7 and starts to get better around the two week mark but everyone heals differently. Im still a little nervous and shy to post pics on here as I want to stay miss anonymous for a little bit. I hope this doesn't make anyone mad. I just don't feel comfortable putting half naked pics online of myself. I hope people can understand this and thanks for understanding. I find this site to help me a lot because Im really unable to express my feelings and update anyone on my progress except for my husband. Thanks for listening ? Updated on 19 May 2016: It's been 8 days since I had my procedure. I'm doing really great. Back to work and working about 8 hr days. My pain is nearly noticeable. The only thing is I'm still having a lot of swelling in my lower legs. This has increased has my activity has increased because gravity pulls downward. Towards the end of the day my legs are swollen like balloons. I'm elevating them at work and when I get home and during the night. I'm not taking any form of Tylenol or ibuprofen anymore. The only thing I'm taking is my arnica pellets. Which also helps with pain swelling and bruising. I also noticed my bruising is way worse too. My incisions are closed so I have started using my arnica cream on my bruises and swollen legs. My follow up is tomorrow at 2pm. Theses are the things I have noticed already. My clothes fit very loose even with my swollen legs. Lol. I've lost weight even though I wasn't trying to lose weight. I'm down to 140lbs. The day of my procedure I weighed in at 147lbs. I honstly thought I would have gained weight due to the swelling??? I'm curious to see what I weigh when the swelling goes down. I'm excited to wake up to see the results of the day. I also forgot to mention I noticed that my thighs are more firm and tight. I haven't noticed any bumps or irregularities at all. Those of you out there. This takes time. Be patient and the results will come as everyone heals differently and at different speeds. Thanks for reading and your time. ???? Updated on 22 May 2016: I had my one week following up and it went great. I've already lost inches off my inner and outer thighs even with the swelling. The nurse took more pictures and my compression garment that I have now is fitting a little loose so I'm down to a medium. I'm feeling great today. Everyday my swelling is getting better and my results are looking better every day. Sorry I don't have any before pictures. I honestly didn't know what to expect with this procedure. I had my husband take this pictures of me last night. I will be wearing my little blue dress today with leggings. Haven't worn it in 7 years. I will try to keep posting stuff every couple of days. As always thanks for reading and your time. ???? Updated on 24 May 2016: I'm having a great morning. Woke up and notice more results. Even my husband made a comment, "your legs are looking more toned". Yesterday I did have some soreness but it was tolerable. I did do a lot of house work yesterday with organizing and cleaning, going up and down stairs. The swelling has been a lot better. Theses are the things that I have been continuing to do. Eating a well balanced diet. Making sure to include all food groups and picking healthy choices. Staying away from processed foods and preparing my meals from home. I've been eating like this for many years so this is easy for me to but can be hard to change if this is something hat needs to be changed in your diet. Im Drinking at least 2 liters or more of water a day. I don't drink soda or pop. Since I was a kid I never was a soda drinker. I do drink coffee but I don't drink specialty coffee's such as mochas or cappuccinos because they contain a ton of sugar and calories. I stop doing this about a year ago. It was hard but now I don't even care. I just drink light roast with almond milk. I have not drank any alcohol since my procedure. I do like my glass of wine and a cocktail every now and then but I think it's best to just refrain from drinking until my body fully recovers and plus alcohol can make you retain more fluid and cause dehydration. I'm choosing not to drink for about 3 months. Keeping my stress level at bay. Avoiding certain people or things that can cause stress in my life. I know this is getting a little personal but I have also ease back into sexual activity. Taking it very slow but this is important to me and my husband so making sure you get your alone time with your significant other. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are times that I need to elevate my legs or take a break and asking a friend or your spouse for help is ok. This is what I've been doing. Please feel free to add or give me any suggestions as I'm learning along the way. As always thanks for reading and your time. I will post photos at the 6 weeks mark. Updated on 25 May 2016: It's officially been two weeks since I had my procedure done and I'm seeing results every single day. I'm so happy and excited that I had this done. I worked a 12 hour shift today and it wasn't too bad and it was busy but I made sure that I took care of myself and elevated my legs and took my breaks. Not nearly as much swelling as last week. I have tomorrow off so I will rest up because I do have a long weekend ahead of me. I work Memorial day which is my holiday to work this year. After that I will have six days off to relax so I'll be fine. We'll I'm continuing on with my healthy eating habits and drinking plenty of water. Like I said before, I will post pics at the 6 week mark. As always thanks for reading and your time. Updated on 30 May 2016: I know I said I was not going to post pictures until the 6 weeks mark but I wanted to post more pictures because I'm seeing amazing results and it's only been 3 weeks. I still have slight swelling but it's tolerable. I was able to work 4 days in a row, one 12 and the rest 10 hr shifts without feeling like my legs were swollen like balloons. Today was the ultimate test because i hit 10,000 steps at 430pm!!!! We were crazy busy this memorial day. Almost 300 patients were seen and a lot of walking back and forth. My legs were expected to be swelling and achy. My sweet husband had dinner prepared and waited on me while I elevated and rested my legs. In the meanwhile I took a couple of pictures because I noticed how small my legs are getting and I wanted my fellow readers to see the results. I even got myself a long mirror so I can see how clothes really fit me. I feel so much more confident. I feel like a different person. The first pictures are week 1 and the second pictures are week 3 Updated on 8 Jun 2016: It's officially been 4 weeks since my surgery and I'm feeling great. The swelling has gone down so much. I still have a little swelling in my inner thigh. I looking forward to working out in two more weeks. I'm down to 137Ibs. I started out at 147lbs right before surgery. I have been walking and trying to stay active as much as possible. Just not doing leg exercises. Still eating really clean and healthy. Drinking plenty of water and no alcohol. I will post pics at 6 weeks. Again thanks for reading and your time. Updated on 22 Jun 2016: It's officially been 6 weeks since my surgery and I'm absolutely loving my body again and the results that I'm seeing every day!! I've went shopping and feel so confident in my clothes. My coworkers have notice that I've lost weight and look more tone and I wear scrubs at work. I did post pics of myself at the 6 week mark. I did do a short 20 min pilates workout today. It felt really good to work out again. I just have to keep reminding myself to ease back into my workouts to avoid injuries or set backs. I also get to wear the garment on an as needed basis but they did say the more I wear it the better my results will be. To be honest, I like wearing the the garment, its very comfortable. I will continue to wear it until it's no longer beneficial. I hope everyone that's reading this is doing well and as always thanks for your time and thanks for reading.
I have waited a long time to address these areas, most specifically my abdomen. Nothing I did took away that pouch and it ruined the look of everything I put on. I am one week out and do not miss it one bit, even though I still have swelling, I can see it will be gone forever. Though I wish I could have had the procedure years ago, I am glad to have finally had it done.
I am still loving my results. My "Muffin Top" is FINALLY gone. I am over joyed at the results. So much so that I have been considering getting another procedure done. The staff was GREAT and I look forward to going back. It is truly amazing how they can make your body look 20 years younger in a matter of a few hours......THE PROCEDURE WAS WELL WORTH THE COST.
After three children I had the tummy pooch- under my belly button that rubbed against jeans and made things just uncomfortable. I finally decided to go for a consult at Sonobello in Edina, MN to see what could be done. My areas of concern were primarily my tummy and also my legs (especially my calves which have always been large and heavy and out of proportion to my 5'1 frame. ) The initial consult was done with Cassie who went over some general information, looking at my frame/ body over my clothing and giving me a rough estimate of cost. It was more than I anticipated as one 'area' might only be $1300...but basically no one has 'one' area done. Your tummy might contains 2-3 areas such as upper abdomen, lower abdomen, flanks, etc...so it seems like it's always more than you anticipate. I later read that people 'diggered' the price quote given, which made me feel a bit taken as I didn't try to digger them down.....live and learn? I was able to meet with Dr. Volk that same day which was convenient as I am 2 1/2 hours away and this appt met my pre consult dr. visit. Jess (I think was her name) was a great nurse...very open and fun and up front about what to expect. She made it less 'uncomfortable'- cus let's face it, getting naked in front of people and analyzing your fat and flaws isn't a ton of fun....but she focussed on the excitement of what they could do and what she's like to have done someday and that made it less weird. One thing I read was that you would expect the areas of concern to have 50-70% less fat. I told them that WHY would I want 50% less fat if 70% was an option?! She said that Dr. Volk was very good and known to be aggressive and she said I would be happy. I hoped she was right. Because I was having tummy, flanks, inner and outer thighs, inner thigh and calves I needed to have two separate procedures. (I wasn't going to do outer thigh at first but Dr. Volk suggested it saying tho I was pretty muscular he thought it would benefit the overall results. I didn't get the impression he was trying to 'up-sell' me..but just giving me some honest & educated opinions. Proceedure 1: Tummy area: after getting my drugs and prep I went into the surgical room. Did it hurt? Most of the time it didn't hurt..but when the probes went high into my rib area or very low down into my pubic bone area it did hurt a fair degree. Kinda like a sander was grinding my bones. This wasn't constant and so I survived...tho they had to keep telling me to put my hands down. Josie was my nurse for the procedure and I was a tad disappointed not to have Jess- but Josie was friendly and I liked her as well. She was super nice putting my garment on my swollen body and getting me ready to go home. She took a photo of the fat vials and said they removed about 5 lbs of fat! RECOVERY PROCEDURE 1 (TUMMY area). Expect a lot of wet drainage. I wasn't prepared to feel so faint and nauseous when we tried to change my pads out that evening when we got home. The removal of the garment lowers blood pressure and makes one feel super dizzy. Be prepared. I have no idea how anyone would 'do this' alone as I was basically a drugged floppy sick mess. I was extremely sore and just trying to get horizontal in bed was trying. I will say EACH day got incrementally easier. By day 3 I was still sore but I could move pretty good. I know they say you should be able to return to work after 3 days, but I think that would be pushing it. Maybe 4 days if you had a total desk job. The first day I took off my garment to shower and looked in the mirror it took me a moment to adjust what I saw with my eyes to what I had seen for so many years ,because my whole frame looked so much smaller. It was like someone 'cut' off my sides and shrank my whole torso size down. It had shape and it was just awesome. My tummy was almost nearly flat! FLAT. I guess Dr. Volk WAS aggressive and it was awesome!!! Every day I felt better and better and I felt so great not having to suck in my tummy and wear girl fit t shirts and have nothing but flatness on my tummy. By 7-10 days I was feeling pretty much back to normal though it felt great to have the garment holding me in tight. At 2 weeks post op my tummy was flat and when the nurse compared my pre op photo to post op even she was totally amazed at the difference. I still have some lumps and wrinkly unevenness but even if that never goes away ( I think it will?) I'm happy! I didn't take a pre op photo of my tummy, but I plan to get the one the clinic took. I think I was so disgusted at the time with my tummy I thought I'd never want to see it again..but now that it's gone it would be fun to compare. I will do a separate post on my Procedure 2 (Lower body/ legs, thighs and calves) .Procedure 1 and 2 were 2 weeks apart.
AWESOME! First, I'm glad I opted for lipo vs. tummytuck. I always had a poochy tummy; it bothered my since I was little (elementary school)...menopause & poor habits added to tummy and waist. Photos coming. First, early July was spent on this site, others, and YouTube -- educating myself. On 7/8 I went to Dr. David O. Smith for TT consult; opted out. In the same building, Sonobella had consult availability the next day! On 7/9 the Sonobella consult went quickly. The price was within researched parameters, and they had a surgery opening the next day. I paid with my credit card, signed on the line, and returned a few hours later for my pre-op. Dr. Volk was going to do 5 areas - upper/lower abdomen, waist, flanks. On 7/10 I met Dr. Volk. He marked me up and I was in and out in a few hours. Pain was essentially as expected - moderate (only painful first 5 minutes & near ribs & pubic area). The doctor got 8# of fat! Post-op pain and drainage as expected (not pleasant, but tolerable - only used Rx'd meds for 1 day). I had a lazy weekend and was back on my motorcycle 5 days later (though taking it easy). (Since I'm a teacher, I don't have to go back to work for another month! YAY!) I still have swelling (1.5 weeks), but it's less every day. Waist is already down 5", tummy bulge GONE! I'm 54 yrs old; I expect to have loose skin once the swelling subsides. My clothes already fit 100% better and it hasn't even been two weeks. I'M THRILLED!! Updated on 28 Jul 2014: Still shrinking! I'm still pretty swollen (tummy & pubic area very firm w/ fluid). I'm wearing my CG all day & a seamless waist cincher about 1/2 the night (then I'm just too hot and take it off). My waist is down (started at 43", 1 wk post op was 37", now almost 35"). I'm kind of lumpy (as warned) and the evening itching is tough (massaging kind of hurts but it helps the itching & lumps). I'm still avoiding carbs and losing the weight slowly, but one day pigged out with sodium and paid for it for 3 days (waaay swollen; live and learn). Rx update - Of the 5 preop Xanax I was prescribed, I only took 2; I only took 1 of the 5 pills for nausea; and only 4 of the 30 Oxy's. I used Tylenol a few times for pain as well as hoping it would decrease the swelling. Mainly I wear the CG, add the elastic binder, and take it easy when it bothers me too much. Preop shorts / jeans / slacks do NOT fit - they look ridiculous! YAY! I find myself most comfortable in tshirt dresses (loose on midsection & cooler). Yesterday I wore a pair of my old, smaller size slacks but used the old rubber band trick so they wouldn't pinch my waist when sitting. Though I'm still 175#s (not slender), I'm very happy with my silhouette. My tummy is a whole lot flatter and I have a waist. My goal is to get down to 150#s over the next few months. Regarding the photos, no, I am NOT going out to the beach in a bikini, but it was fun to see what it would look like (I had some from younger, fitter days and they cover the pannus / lumps / loose skin). Updated on 9 Aug 2014: I'm continuing to wear either the CG they provided or firm / extra firm shapewear I've found elsewhere (I like the variety). I'm still a little swollen, mainly in my lower abdomen and pubic area. I massage the bumps and lumps a couple of times a day. But, IN CLOTHING, I feel really confident. I have a waist!! I have a flat tummy (something I've never had). I'm down to 173# (-20# from my max weight; but only -10# from my preop photos). I only lost 2# since last week...but who is complaining. Two pounds is two pounds! My goal is 150...loose skin will be a reality, but it's definitely something I can either live with or decide to have removed in the future. Not on the agenda for now...it's about looking okay in clothing. Updated on 8 Sep 2014: Between week 5 & 8 I only lost a pound, but I've gone down two sizes! I was 171# and now am 169#, but I've shrunk! YAY!! I started with my size 14s being tight. At one month I was quite comfortable in my 12s. I pulled old 12s from a storage box; a week later they were baggy! I was able to fit into 10s! A measly week later, I was back into the storage boxes, looking for more clothes. I'm now wearing 8s and 10s! Quite thrilling! And now that I'm back at work and we've done the 1st crazy week (teacher), I can get back into an exercise and eating routine. I still want to get down to 150#s, so I have a ways to go. But I'm getting LOTS of compliments. It's great to have a waistline (for the first time in my life). Photos will be posted soon.
I’m 45 years old, 5`4, 135 lbs. I work out everyday and eat pretty healthy but I’ve always had the belly bulge. I’ve been wanting a more defined stomach and after trying many things I decided Sono Bello might be my answer. I obtained quotes from other places and although Sono Bello was about $1000 more than my other quotes, I felt more comfortable going with someone who performs lipo on a regular basis. I had a consultation on 9/25/2015 and it was decided I needed three areas: upper abs, lower abs, and waist. I signed up for the Sono Bello TriSculpt laser assisted liposuction process. The cost of the surgery is based on your BMI. For me, each area was $1295, then there is a surgical fee of $1995. I qualified for the Sept special so received $250 off and if you pay up front or use their financing you can get $1000 off. My cost for the surgery was $4742.64. Surgery was scheduled for the next day, 9/26/2015 with Dr. Volk. I was given prescriptions to pick up the following medications and was instructed to bring them to my surgery appointment: - Alparazolam, taken for anxiety - Cephalexin, antibiotic - Ondansetron, taken for nausea - Oxycodone, pain relief I was also supplied with Arnicare skin care cream to apply to the skin after surgery (not the incision points). They also gave me Boiron Arnicare homeopathic medicine to take three times a day for a couple of weeks. Surgery was scheduled for 10 and I was required to be there at 9. They gave me pregnancy test, gave me the drugs listed above, along with a shot of Demerol. Then the doctor came in to “mark me up.” When I disrobed, I broke out into hives on my chest– the dr was concerned it might have been an allergic reaction. No – I explained when I’m nervous my chest breaks out. Ha. I had a wait a bit for the surgery to get started as they wanted the drugs to kick in. I believe the surgery started around 10:20am. They asked what type of music I wanted to listen to, gave me some eye goggles, then the doctor proceeded with making the incisions for the pain medications. This experience was not bad, I really didn’t feel much. Through the 1.5 hrs of surgery, I only felt pain 1-2 times when he was working near my hip bone. Some people say they fall asleep during surgery or they feel that they are “high” or “drunk.” I didn’t feel or experience any of this. I may have been a little “calm” but that was really it. I definitely knew what was going on at all times. After surgery, the nurse has the wonderful job of trying to squeeze you into a compression garment and bandaging you up. This is not fun and a little embarassing but Jess the nurse tried to make light of things. A very tight binder was also put on. Special instructions are given to your pick up driver, who must also sign you out (at one point I thought about hiding this surgery from everyone and checking into a hotel – I don’t think a taxi driver would have signed me out…) Jess the nurse put me into a wheelchair and wheeled me out to our vehicle. The two hour trip home was a little uncomfortable, just hard to sit up straight. As soon as I got home, I immediately went to bed. Later that night I asked my husband to help me change the bandages. This was NOT fun. Taking off the compression garment was not an easy task, it is SO tight. And my bandages were full of blood. I immediately got light headed. I usually have a stomach of steel and am not nauseous at the sight of blood, but this was a really weird feeling. Thank goodness my husband helped me – he got me a bag of ice to put on my head while he tried to figure out how to change my bandages. Sono Bello suggested using maxi pads but of course my husband had a hard time figuring out how to use / position them and he was kinda freaked out by it but we got it done then had to tried to squeeze myself back into the compression garment. The next day I was 100% bed bound. I just couldn’t move, my stomach muscles hurt so bad. We changed out the bandages again and I got sick to my stomach, and vomited. The only times I were up was to use the bathroom. And that was a challenge too as you just don’t think you have to use muscles to urinate, but you do. I hurt SOOOO bad. I was completely black and blue, especially in my pelvic region – even my vagina was swollen and black. On Monday, I took a sick day and stayed the whole day in bed. Still a lot of pain and my bandages had quite a bit of drainage. On Tuesday, I still couldn’t image going into to work so stayed home and stayed the whole day in bed. I worked the rest of the week and it was HORRIBLE. My drive is about 30 minutes and the worst part is climbing in and out of a vehicle and sitting. Fortunately I’m on my feet most of the day because sitting just doesn’t work. The compression garment is extremely uncomfortable and the hooks and zippers are digging into my sides. I haven’t told anyone at work about my surgery but everyone is noticing I’m not right. It hurts to stand up straight, it feels like my skin is ripping and tight. My walk is definitely slower and I can’t bend down to pick up anything. It’s pretty difficult to hide these types of things. A week after the surgery I was still very, very black, blue, green and yellow with bruises. Every part of my back, sides, and stomach hurt. My pelvic area also was still very sore. During my one week follow up, the nurse seemed a little concerned with my incision points as she didn’t think they were healing very well. Because of that she brought in Dr Volk to review. Typically, you don’t get to see the Dr. after surgery, it’s just the nurses but since she had a concern he took a look. Dr Volk said my healing is a little slower than normal but felt I was still on the right track. Apparently I’m in the 9% of patients who have extreme pain after surgery and slow healing. Figures. At my appointment they provided me bioCorneum topical scar treatment. I’ve already seen an improvement and I’ve only used it 2 days. It has now been two weeks since the surgery and what ride it has been. I’m still extremely uncomfortable, especially when sitting up. My pelvic region is very swollen which is preventing me from bending. My second stage of compression garment came in and it has been a HUGE relief. Although it is extremely uncomfortable getting it on, when it is on it doesn’t feel bad. There are no hooks or zippers like the first one. The garment was about $80, it is Isavela. My model number I BS04-MD-BL. If you are considering lipo, here are some tips or things you might want to get: - Maxi pads and bandage tape for covering the wounds - Step stool for climbing into bed - Puke bucket / pail handy in bed and for when changing garments - Arnicare skin cream. They provided me one tube, which I used up pretty fast. I purchased another tube at Walmart for $7.99 - Plenty of water at your bed stand - Watch your diet – stay away from Salt. Attached are pictures on the day of the surgery and two weeks later. You can tell from my pictures how tight the first compression garment was. I’ve still got a long ways to go but I’m happy my stomach is much flatter than it was. Do I think it was worth it? I don’t know yet. I’ve been so miserable, I had no idea I was going to be in this much pain. I’ll update you as my journey to getting athletic abs continues! Updated on 16 Oct 2015: My pain has been decreasing but it is still very uncomfortable to sit and driving is the worst. This week I noticed some hard bumps and dents on my stomach. Also, my pelvis region is VERY hard. In doing some research, it looks like I should be massaging. So as painful as it was, I gave myself some hard massages a few days in a row. But it backfired as on Weds/Thurs of this week my pelvis region really swelled up and became more painful. Any suggestions? Two of the five incision points seem to be healing pretty good. But the incision points on my left side are much larger and red. The one near my left buttock hurts every now and then, feels like I'm getting a shot in the butt. Very strange feeling. Some of the numbing sensations are decreasing but my skin just feels weird. The feeling actually feels amplified when touching it. It is still difficult to sleep at night, pretty much only sleeping on my back. I'm still unsure if this surgery was worth it. And I'm nervous about an upcoming hysterectomy I have scheduled for the first week of November. I hope my swelling and healing will kick in soon and that I didn't screw the timing of this surgery up. Any suggestion you might have would be appreciated. Updated on 24 Oct 2015: I'm really not feeling much different from last week. Still uncomfortable to sit and especially bend. My skin still feels very sensitive, especially my sides. The ripples and a few lumps are still present. I've been trying to massage but it is very painful. I attempted an electric massager but that lasted a whole 2 seconds because it hurt too much. I'm still wearing my second stage compression garment every day/night. I only take it off when showering in the morning then for about an hour before bed to prep the wounds. I started wearing my white binder the last few nights, thinking that might help shape me up a bit but so far no differences other than it makes sleeping even more uncomfortable. I am still very swollen and in the mornings I feel like a bloated pumpkin. My pelvic is still very hard and swollen and I can feel it also in my thighs. The doctor told me absolutely no exercise for 6 weeks and if I do something I could compromise the results. I don't quite understand though why Sono Bello's brochures mention you could be back to your usual activities in 2 weeks. That's crap. The good news is that my OBGYN doctor said the lipo has no affects on my upcoming hysterectomy. So both doctors have given me the thumbs up -- WHEW. Incision points on my left side are still much worse than my right. Seems like it not healing very fast. Tonight is girls night out so putting on a pair of jeans for the first time in a while -- not looking forward to it because I'm sure it'll be uncomfortable.
