After researching liposuction for almost two years I finally decided to do it. I am 43 yrs. old and I have had thick thighs since puberty; no matter how thin or fit I was they would remain thick and out of proportion with the rest of my body... Thank you, estrogen. I read everything I could find on the internet, looked at thousands of pictures and I went to consultations with three Doctors, one of which is head of plastic surgery at Penn, but I chose Sonobello and Dr. Talaie. After everything I read and saw on the internet, and on realself, I realized that it is as important to choose a board certified surgeon as it is to also choose someone that specializes, or at the very least, does ALOT of whatever procedure it is that you want done. I think that those two factors, along with having realistic expectations, are the only way to approach cosmetic surgery. Doing the research also helped me understand what is and is not possible, as well as, what I did and did not want.
Unfortunately, the fear I had after reading so many horror stories kept me from taking before pictures. I was afraid that something might go wrong and I didn't want to have to explain. Even though I'm happy with my result I'm surprised that I even went through with it because I was so freaked out... It's surgery! I'm currently at three weeks post-op and still a little swollen/tender, but I'm down from my 148 lbs. post-op weight to 141lbs. I'm not gonna lie... That first two weeks was rough! ...between the pain and the fear I thought I was going to lose it.
Updated on 20 Nov 2014:
When I was doing my research I came across a lot of negative comments, etc. regarding places like Sonobello. There seems to be a misconception that these places have inferior doctors, or something to that affect. The more research and consultations I did the more it became crystal clear to me that a lot of cosmetic surgeons specialize in certain things: rhinoplasty, facelift, breast augmentation, etc. Though I am not a Doctor, I am a Hair Stylist, what I know about skills is that they get better by practice and education, not licensing. Licensing ensures that the operator can meet certain standards, which is VERY important, but it doesn't tell you about their skill level beyond those standards. Hair Stylists can't be great at everything related to hair, unless they have been practicing for a long time AND have consciously tried to expand their knowledge base. Many don't. The same is true for every other profession. Don't just educate yourself on the degrees your Doctor holds, or the pictures you see on a website, also educate yourself about liposuction, in general. Please, learn about techniques and tools and types so that you can make a truly informed decision.
Updated on 20 Nov 2014:
I apologize for the poor quality, but as I said, I wasn't planning on posting a review.
Updated on 25 Nov 2014:
Most of the major swelling has decreased and the bruising is all but gone. I was only able to find one hard lump and that has since softened. I am starting to see some minor imperfections, but I am still tender and probably swollen, so I'm not going to get too worked up about it just yet, besides, I know from doing the research that touch-ups are pretty common. It's so weird to look in the mirror and see a more proportionate shape after all those years of cursing my thighs. My jeans fit better too! ...they're no longer super tight in the thighs!
For anybody that is wondering, I went back to work by day three, but had a very shortened schedule for that first week because I do stand on my feet all day. This past Sunday I went on a pretty difficult (for me) 11 mile hike in the Appalachia mountains and I was fine. I was pretty sore the next day, but that was to be expected. Also, my weight has stabilized at 144 lbs., which seems about right to me. I think 141 was a result of not feeling well.
Updated on 29 Nov 2014:
Updated on 2 Dec 2014:
Updated on 2 Dec 2014:
I still can't get used to looking in the mirror and putting on pants and not having my thighs be the bane of my existence. I am wearing my stage 2 garment to bed and various stage 3 garments to work. I am no stranger to compression since I stand on my feet for 8-9 hours a day, it's been a part of my grind for years. Hey, no varicose veins so far! I'm sure it will take a little longer for the swelling to completely resolve as a result of extended standing, but things are coming along. I can see there are some places that will need to be touched up, but I am going to reserve commenting and picturing until the 4 month mark, by then it should be resolved enough to see what's what, but I can already see some irregularities that I am not happy about after plunking down that much money.