Stomach and Flanks... Actually a Fun Time!

Week one is over with. I must say, I have tried very hard to keep a positive attitude about it but it has been very stressful. You want to see the results as soon as possible, and if you don't have blind faith then you can get discouraged very easily. During the first week, the only pain that I had was on the flanks towards the back. The fat in there seemed to be compacted and was a little harder for the Dr. to get out. I hardly bruised at all however, on Friday I awoke the find a yellow ring all around my stomach, and I had swollen up more than prior. I was concerned to I immediately left a message for my doctor in which he returned very shortly. He diagnosed it over the phone but also asked me to send him pics so that he can make a definitive diagnosis. It turns out that although I didn't go through the normal stages of bruising, the yellow is the last stage. I have been using the Arnica Gel and Tablets along with the Bromelain with Chro-something. I assume it has helped because I didn't bruise. The Dr. recommended to go out and buy one of the back braces that has velcro on it to add some additional compression to the waist to help get the swelling down more. I have some pictures to post when I get home tonight.

8/23/2009 2300 I had a really good day today. Pain is almost non-existent. All the leakage stopped yesterday so I can wear regular clothes again. I was able to take several long walks without my knees or ankles getting too bad. I put together an IKEA book shelf, and a IKEA desk for my bedroom. I basically am back to SOP as far as recovery goes. I have alot of people waiting to see my results. They say they are really excited about this new technology they have never heard of and really want to get a consultation if I turn out well. I do have an itching sensation. I read that it is common though. I have also put some baby powder on my body prior to putting the wrap back on, which made it more comfortable. I went and purchased a Arnicare value pack which contains the Gel and the Tablets. I am going to start using it tomorrow after my shower. I also purchased Bromelain with Quercetin in it. I am hoping that these two combinations will help with the swelling a bit. I haven't noticed any bruises where the procedure was done. However, ...ahem...I have noticed a certain Male reproductive tool is two-tone now. It seems that the blood can drain down due to gravity and I look like I was kicked by a horse in my friendly area. I can't help but laugh because it looks freaky. I would post a picture but I don't think the admins would allow it.

Hello. My name is Anthony and I just underwent Laser Liposuction yesterday, August 21st. I didn't find this sight until after I came home from the consultation and immediately read all the posts regarding everyone's procedures. I can't thank you all enough for all the wonderful knowledge I have received through this site. I had such an amazing experience with my procedure, I wanted to share it with you all. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed going through it. If you are in the Tri-State area (NJ, PA, DE) I hope you find this very helpful in choosing your doctor. I am 5'3", and was weighing in at 208 at my highest. At the time of the consultation I was 200. I am very stocky, and carried it well, but none-the-less I could feel it in all of my lower extremities which all have been operated on at one point. I am a disabled veteran, retired from the Army at the age of 25. I spent 6 years in the Infantry before suffering from a life threatening accident which resulted in my retirement. I am use to being in great shape (155-160) and being able to do any activity I wanted to do. However, 10 years the later, I had to come to the realization that I just couldn't lose the weight I had packed on over the last 10 years. Not being able to exercise anymore due to the excessive pain, I had to swallow my pride and find another way. I did diligent research on Liposuction, amazingly enough though I never coming across the Laser Liposuction until speaking to a friend who went through the regular procedure. She recommended this place in Sewell NJ and told me I should look into it. She felt that I didn't need to go through the normal procedure, and to try this new one out because it was more fitting. After doing some quick research, I was intrigued and called the Medical Spa in Sewell NJ. The lady on the phone was wonderful and I found myself in the consultation 2 hours later. I met with the doctor after filling out some minor paperwork. I must admit, at first I smelled a salesman right away however, upon discussing the procedure further with him, and finding out that he was in the service for 16 years (always a bonus in my book), I decided to go forward with the process. I walked out in amazement that I had just paid over five grand for something that I knew nothing about. Guess he was a good salesman after all :) So, after reading everything on this site, I researched as much as I could about the doctor and came up with nothing negative, thank goodness. I showed up on Friday morning, and was immediately greeted by one of the assistants. As they gave my sister instructions, they walked me back to the room where the procedure was being done. Immediately I was pleasantly surprised by the doctor's wife, who is also a M.D. She said that she was sent in to keep me company. She ended up being the assistant and I cannot be thankful enough. Having her there made things so much better. As I was laying there, and they were getting ready to start, I asked him how many of these he had done. He told me almost 200 and I was immediately relieved :). He has a background in surgery also which made me even more confident. When the procedure started, I felt absolutely no pain. I had just sat for a seven hour session of getting tattooed on my upper back so a super thin needle in my stomach was nothing. I stayed awake through the whole procedure, and was laughing and joking with both the doctor doing the procedure and the wife assisting. We joked a lot during the procedure but also had some more serious conversations about his business in general. One of the conversations that was most enlightening was the fact that you only need 8 hours of training to be certified to do this. We shared some stories that I read on this site, and that he had heard from others. It was an amazing experience. I cannot express how comfortable those two doctors made me feel during the whole procedure. I almost didn't want it to stop I was having such a good time. When I first stood up so that they could try to drain me, I was looking down and I could see the fluid coming out of me. It reminded me of the old cartoons where someone would get shot and then take a drink of water, having it spill out through the bullet holes like a water fountain. Call me morbid, but I thought that was the funniest thing. I did get a little uncomfortable when I saw them pulling out maxi-pads to put on my body. Call it the manly side of me :) They wrapped me up in the pads...(Ughh!) and explained to me what was needed to be done for recovery. This took about 5 minutes, as they told me to wait 24 hours to get a shower, try to take it easy, and only change the pads if they really needed it. They also told me to not be alarmed by the drainage, which I was aware of from this site. I literally asked them if that was it, waiting for some extra-long instructions for recovery, but they never came. I was prescribed Tylenol 3 for the pain. However, the pain from the Tattoo marathon 2 days earlier was overriding any pain I had from the procedure. Lucky me! I took pictures the day before which I will post soon. I also took pictures 24 hours afterwards, right before the shower. It has been about 27 hours now and I have been to the store, cleaning, chatting on the phone, etc... The only discomfort comes from bending down or moving too much in the waist. It is like going back to the gym for the first time and overdoing it. My sister and I are already amazed at the results. At first I was a little down because I still looked fat but when I touched my finger to my stomach instead of fat I felt muscle. I do have abs underneath it all!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this post and I will continue to keep posting as I journey through the healing process. I will keep posting pictures on a weekly basis as my skin shrinks back down to normal.