I have read so many amazing reviews on Dr. Segev at American Lipo Center that I decided to go with him. Which makes things a bit more complicated for me as live in NH and will be flying down for my procedure. But honestly, I would much rather do this and go with a doctor I trust.
Anyways, I have decided to do my upper abs, lower abs, and flanks. They are still running their 50% off sale so this came to a total of 3200$. I put a 500$ deposit down today in order to book the appointment and will be using care credit for the rest.
I booked my flights and hotel already and now I'm beginning to get more anxious! I just hope everything works out. I have been trying to lose weight for what feels like an eternity but my problem area (my stomach) just does not ever seem to change. I have the measurements to prove it! I have been keeping accurate body measurements using my BodyBugg program since 2011 and everything else changes BUT my stomach. Its frustrating! I eat well, I work out at least an hour a day and in all honestly I felt like I was about to give up. I even built an entire gym room in my basement! So when I found out about laser lipo I was so excited. Finally a non invasive cosmetic surgery. I just do not like the idea of general anesthesia, not to mention the cost is much more affordable! So now I feel like once the fat in my stomach is gone I can continue working out and feel like its actually making a difference! I do not plan on using this as a quick fix. My ultimate goal is to be in the best shape of my life. This is just a little boost!
I am so nervous! Any ideas or input on what I should bring/wear/be prepared for would be much appreciated! I plan on updating this a lot (with pictures too!), especially once my procedure is done. I just know this website helped me tremendously so I want to give back if I can :)
Finally Decided to Do It!! Lower/Upper Abs and Flanks - Alexandria, VA
I have read so many amazing reviews on Dr. Segev...
Well, here I am. Its the night before my procedure...
Well, here I am. Its the night before my procedure and I'm feeling anxious! It was SUCH a long day..taught 4 classes, drove an hour to the airport, 2 flights down to DC and finally made it to my hotel in alexandria. I am exhausted. Which is good because I need to sleep! Otherwise, i don't think i would be able to being so nervous. I have my consultation at 9:45am and then my actual procedure is booked for 2pm. They told me I will have to go get prescriptions filled, eat bfast, and then come back by 1:30pm. Ugh looks like I'm going to be needed lots of taxi's while here. Wish I had a car! I also wish I was able to drink more water today as I know I'm supposed to be drinking a lot but I didnt want to have to get up and pee a bunch on the flight so I barely drank. And now its midnight and my hotel's vending machine is sold out of water. Of course! Hopefully it doesnt affect things too much. I took a TON of before pics which I will post soon. Guess this is it for now. I will update tomorrow after my procedure :) WISH ME LUCK!!! ahhhhhh neerrrrvouuus
Ok guys so i just finished!! Literally like 15...
Ok guys so i just finished!! Literally like 15 mins ago. Heres how it all went down, Ill try to put in as much useful information as possible:
First I went to fill prescriptions (2 anxiety pills, hydrocodone, and antibiotics) I came back and they had me take the anxiety meds before the procedure which helped me relax a bit. Then they took me into the surgery room (which I took pics of for you guys) then I undressed putting the paper panties on but kept my sports bra on. And then the doctor came in to draw on me, I hopped up on the table and we began.
The beginning was a piece of cake. Just quick shots of lidacaine with a little burn (only lasted a few seconds) then the tumescent numbing fluid. Which i heard was the worst part....but honestly i didnt think it was that bad. Yes, I felt some pokes and burns especially around my ribs and belly button but we were all joking around and talking the whole time so I didnt think it was that bad. But there were a few spots that were more painful so he would just add more anes and start again...i was always thankful for the added anes! It made things so much nicer. He did the upper and lower abs first (4 incisions there...2 near my hips and 2 under my breast where the bra goes). Then he had my flip over and lay on my side to do my flanks, those werent too bad either (i believe theres only 1 incision on each flank). Then he had me stand up to check everything out and decided he wanted to do more. So I laid back on the table and he began again.....now this part was painful. I dont know if it was that the anes was wearing off but OUCH I could feel it all. But the nurse was great and let me squeeze her hand and they kept checking on me to make sure i was doing OK. The last part was over quick though, I think he just wanted to get a few last little spots done. He said he took about 6lbs of fat out!!! SO excited for that. When I stood up I felt a bit dizzy so the nurse had me hold on to her shoulders and helped me get into the garment (much tighter than i thought it would be! Not sure how I;m going to get this thing off and on by myself haha). She then went to get me a bottle of water. I felt better after that. She helped me get dressed and then I was on my way! I walked out by myself, called a cab. Stilling feeling a bit dizzy so i ate a granola bar while waiting for the cab and felt MUCH better after that. I am now back in my hotel room and happy to just be able to relax. Because I came here alone and do not have any helpers to watch me Dr Segev is insisting that I call him at 8pm to check in. He gave me his cell phone number. They are all so nice! So my procedure started at 2:30pm and ended at 4:30. Not bad!! Losing 6 lbs of fat in 2 hours...I'll take it! I think thats about it for now. I took tons of pictures: of the office, surgery room, and of course the cylinders full of fat. My before pictures are at home, so when I get home (I'm flying back in 2 days) I will post them.
First I went to fill prescriptions (2 anxiety pills, hydrocodone, and antibiotics) I came back and they had me take the anxiety meds before the procedure which helped me relax a bit. Then they took me into the surgery room (which I took pics of for you guys) then I undressed putting the paper panties on but kept my sports bra on. And then the doctor came in to draw on me, I hopped up on the table and we began.
The beginning was a piece of cake. Just quick shots of lidacaine with a little burn (only lasted a few seconds) then the tumescent numbing fluid. Which i heard was the worst part....but honestly i didnt think it was that bad. Yes, I felt some pokes and burns especially around my ribs and belly button but we were all joking around and talking the whole time so I didnt think it was that bad. But there were a few spots that were more painful so he would just add more anes and start again...i was always thankful for the added anes! It made things so much nicer. He did the upper and lower abs first (4 incisions there...2 near my hips and 2 under my breast where the bra goes). Then he had my flip over and lay on my side to do my flanks, those werent too bad either (i believe theres only 1 incision on each flank). Then he had me stand up to check everything out and decided he wanted to do more. So I laid back on the table and he began again.....now this part was painful. I dont know if it was that the anes was wearing off but OUCH I could feel it all. But the nurse was great and let me squeeze her hand and they kept checking on me to make sure i was doing OK. The last part was over quick though, I think he just wanted to get a few last little spots done. He said he took about 6lbs of fat out!!! SO excited for that. When I stood up I felt a bit dizzy so the nurse had me hold on to her shoulders and helped me get into the garment (much tighter than i thought it would be! Not sure how I;m going to get this thing off and on by myself haha). She then went to get me a bottle of water. I felt better after that. She helped me get dressed and then I was on my way! I walked out by myself, called a cab. Stilling feeling a bit dizzy so i ate a granola bar while waiting for the cab and felt MUCH better after that. I am now back in my hotel room and happy to just be able to relax. Because I came here alone and do not have any helpers to watch me Dr Segev is insisting that I call him at 8pm to check in. He gave me his cell phone number. They are all so nice! So my procedure started at 2:30pm and ended at 4:30. Not bad!! Losing 6 lbs of fat in 2 hours...I'll take it! I think thats about it for now. I took tons of pictures: of the office, surgery room, and of course the cylinders full of fat. My before pictures are at home, so when I get home (I'm flying back in 2 days) I will post them.
Also, I forgot to mention. I am still in a good...
Also, I forgot to mention. I am still in a good amount of pain. I was hoping to be able to nap when i got back but i dont know....this is pretty painful right now. I just took another hydrocodone so hoping that helps. Also, I am SUPER swollen! Yuck!
Also, I forgot to mention. I am still in a good...
Also, I forgot to mention. I am still in a good amount of pain. I was hoping to be able to nap when i got back but i dont know....this is pretty painful right now. I just took another hydrocodone so hoping that helps. Also, I am SUPER swollen! Yuck!
So today is the day after my surgery. Last night...
So today is the day after my surgery. Last night was a bit rough but I knew what to expect from reading other reviews on here. I was waking up every 3 hours to change my pads. I actually used cut up puppy pads and it worked like a charm! And I had puppy pads lining my bed but thankfully I didnt need them. I did not take my binder or undergarment off at all. I was simply just lifting it up and changing the pads from there. And yes its true, you should expect A LOT of drainage. Blood was pouring down my legs so I would just stand there for about a half hour each time switching out tissues when the other one would be soaked. I waiting until it stopped and would change the pads and then attempt to go back to sleep. I really wanted to stay ahead of the pain so I was taking them every 4 hours when I would wake up to change pads. The drainage finally stopped at around 8am. The binder is definitely VERY uncomfortable. I barely slept. You have to sleep on your back which is just not what I usually do.
I had my recheck appointment this afternoon and they needed to take the binder and garment off to check everything out. OUCH I can see how some people pass out during this process. Its such a strange feeling. Its like a release of pressure and pain. SO thankful for the wonderful staff though, they were incredibly helpful and understanding. Helped me remove them and get dressed. I have a lot of swelling and bruising especially on my flanks but OMG I almost cried when I looked in the mirror! Even with the swelling, I cannot remember the last time my tummy was this flat. I thanked Dr Segev over and over. He really is such a nice guy! Very personable. He kept telling me how nice of curves I have. Made me feel good :) I had the rest of the day free so I asked him where a good place to sightsee is. He suggested going to see the monuments. So I took a taxi to the Lincoln monument and walked everywhere to see everything including the white house. I walked for about 3 hours straight. I was walking slowly and a bit stiff but I did it! The binder gets to come off after 24 hours so I was SO excited to be able to take it off at 4:30pm. I found a restroom outside the white house and ripped that baby off. Oh, it felt so good! Now I just have to wear the binder at night now. Which makes me excited. I was not looking forward to wearing it on my 4 hour flight tomorrow!
Overall today I felt better than yesterday. I am still taking my hydrocodone every few hours just in case. It hurts the most if I need to sit or bend over. I just feel stiff. I also have arnica gel I am applying to the bruised areas, hoping that helps. I am flying home tomorrow so I will be sure to post my pictures then. Night!
I had my recheck appointment this afternoon and they needed to take the binder and garment off to check everything out. OUCH I can see how some people pass out during this process. Its such a strange feeling. Its like a release of pressure and pain. SO thankful for the wonderful staff though, they were incredibly helpful and understanding. Helped me remove them and get dressed. I have a lot of swelling and bruising especially on my flanks but OMG I almost cried when I looked in the mirror! Even with the swelling, I cannot remember the last time my tummy was this flat. I thanked Dr Segev over and over. He really is such a nice guy! Very personable. He kept telling me how nice of curves I have. Made me feel good :) I had the rest of the day free so I asked him where a good place to sightsee is. He suggested going to see the monuments. So I took a taxi to the Lincoln monument and walked everywhere to see everything including the white house. I walked for about 3 hours straight. I was walking slowly and a bit stiff but I did it! The binder gets to come off after 24 hours so I was SO excited to be able to take it off at 4:30pm. I found a restroom outside the white house and ripped that baby off. Oh, it felt so good! Now I just have to wear the binder at night now. Which makes me excited. I was not looking forward to wearing it on my 4 hour flight tomorrow!
Overall today I felt better than yesterday. I am still taking my hydrocodone every few hours just in case. It hurts the most if I need to sit or bend over. I just feel stiff. I also have arnica gel I am applying to the bruised areas, hoping that helps. I am flying home tomorrow so I will be sure to post my pictures then. Night!
Day 3: I have to fly out today. 1.5 hour flight to...
Day 3: I have to fly out today. 1.5 hour flight to chicago then a 2 hour flight to NH. The worst part about the day was having to carry my luggage! Also, having to take my shoes off at security...it was a chore to bend over and pick them up off the floor. Gosh i just hate bending over! It hurts! Also sucked having to sit and stand up so often on the planes. I was so hoping the people next to me wouldn't need to get up. And having to walk gate to gate carrying all my stuff. Overall it was exhausting! I was so happy to see my husband and to get home. I decided to go to bed early after such a long day so I put my binder on and attempted sleep. WORST night ever. My back still hurt SO much. Its not the incisions or anything to do with the surgery, its like my spine is being squished! I kept waking up every few hours with back spasms, it was horrible. I only have a few hydrocodone left so I took one just to get four hours of sleep. Horrible binder, i hate you!
Day 4: After having like 5 hours total of sleep...
Day 4: After having like 5 hours total of sleep last night I decided to call the office to ask about my back pain. They said to stop wearing the binder all together. I am SO relieved. She said it really is squishing my spine and to just not worry about it. I asked if it would affect my results and she said NO. This makes me wonder why they have us wearing it at all?? My back is still having mini spasms but nothing compared to last night. So today I decided it was time for me to take off the garment to wash it and shower. Boy was that a chore! Its just so tight! And difficult to get off. Its like a release of pressure when it finally came off. But the shower felt so good! I threw the garment in the wash on delicate cycle so I am now sitting here without it on. WEIRD is all I have to say. I just feel tight and a bit numb. Not looking forward to putting it back on. So overall the pain is better today, with the exception of my back (but thats not surgery related, thats stupid binder related). I've been putting triple antibiotic ointment on my incisions and continuing with arnica gel on the bruises. Finally, I am home and can post pictures!!
Day 6: I spoke with the office yesterday about my...
Day 6: I spoke with the office yesterday about my nighttime back pain and they told me there really isnt much I can do without affecting my results. They feel the pain is due to the swelling compressing my spine (exactly what it feels like! ugh!) She said the only option I have is to purchase another 2nd stage garment or something similar (like spanx) for at night. She told me they used Merenagroup garments so I looked on their website...81$s for a 2nd stage one! Then I remembered I had purchased a spanx-like undergarment for a wedding I was in last year. Nervous to affect my results I decided to take a sleeping pill in hopes to just sleep through the pain. I woke up at 5am in severe pain and decided I couldn't do it anymore. So I painfully removed the garment and put the spanx-like one I have on. Its tight but not AS tight as their garment. I took some melatonin and was able to sleep 4 more hours. This morning I woke up sick :( I'm sure its due to a lack of sleep but this is just like torture! My back hurts, my throat is sore, my nose is all stuffy, I have a pounding headache, this garment is so restricting, and I'm sooooo sleepy! Ugh, now I'm just rambling. But the sickenss combined with recovery...not fun! So I took the spanx-like garment off, took a shower, took more pics, and put the original garment back on. You can probably tell from the pictures that I am now more swollen. I'm assuming this is due to the fact I wore the spanx instead of the garment last night. Ugh! Its like a never ending cycle. I just want the swelling to go down so I wont have back pain, can sleep through the night, and get rid of this cold! Heres the worst part: I go back to work tomorrow. I do not have a desk job, in fact, its the opposite. I will be standing/walking/teaching for 8 hours straight. Not sure how this is going to go :/ Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Does anyone know any tricks to getting this swelling to go down?? At day 6 should it be gone by now? Am I over exerting myself?? frustrated and tired :/
( I forgot to mention that I had gone 1 night...
( I forgot to mention that I had gone 1 night without the binder and just wore the garment and the pain was NO better so thats why I called the office about it again)
Day 8: So its been a little over a week and my...
Day 8: So its been a little over a week and my back pain seems to be getting better. So last night I decided to try wearing the binder again and i made it about 5 hours in before having to take it off from the pain returning. But I will say last night was the best night of sleep I have gotten since the procedure! Felt so good to almost make it through the night. I do seem to still be just as swollen if not more swollen then before. Is this normal?? Also, my belly button is looking a little funky. its like a line -- Really hoping this is just due to the swelling and not a permanent change! Anybody else have a weird change in belly button shape?! I also have an indentation about an inch below my breasts where the garment ends....also hoping this is going to go away once the swelling goes down. Anybody experiencing the same thing??? Oh and I have to say, Arnica gel is amazing. Its a must for anyone having this done! I cant believe how helpful it is on the bruises. They are almost gone.
Day 10: So last night was the first night I slept...
Day 10: So last night was the first night I slept through the whole night without waking up in pain, and with the binder on too! I suppose that must mean that the excess swelling is reducing. I do find that when I wear the binder at night I seem slimmer than if I don't wear it. I also have noticed that most of the pain is decreasing now. I am still sore and I am now to the point where i feel like I have done a million sit ups. I have seen others describe the pain that way but honestly prior to this 10th day the pain was worse than that. I am now able to sit and lay down almost normally. Also, the other big news...Today I went shopping. I actually really didn't plan to but I was by the mall and had some time to kill. Not as much time as I would have liked but enough time to buy a size medium skirt. This makes me so happy! My hips were always small enough for a medium but my stupid stomach always got in the way and I was forced to buy a size large. I know this isnt a HUGE deal but for me it was. I also tried on shirts I would have NEVER tried on before. Ones that were more clingy in the middle. I am in love with my new shape. I feel like I am the way I should be. Great curves and a tiny waist! And whats even more exciting is I know that I'm only on day 10 which means my results should be even better than they are today (or so i hope!). I plan on getting back to my workouts on Monday. Question: When do you think I should take my post op measurements and weight??? I know i still have some swelling so i don't want to be disappointed.
Week 2: Still being able to sleep through the...
Week 2: Still being able to sleep through the night with the binder and garment on. A small amount of back pain but nothing to wake me up. My scars are healing up very nicely. I've been applying triple antibiotic ointment to it once-twice a day and still using Arnica gel for swelling as my bruises are pretty much completely gone. I'm kinda addicted to the stuff. I've been using it all over my abs lol. Not sure if that's OK or not but it seems to help with the swelling so w/e! My belly button is still odd shaped, hoping this is just swelling causing it. I am now able to remove my garment without much discomfort. And able to bend and sit however I want. I am working 100% (I have a very physical job which includes 10-12 hr days of being on my feet ALL day). I still feel like there is a lot of swelling. My abs are still kinda numb when I touch the skin. Mostly my upper abs but I can slowly feel my skin returning to "normal". The other big news is that I resumed my workouts yesterday! I was able to do some Zumba, my stair master, and did my leg workout on my bow flex. I felt pretty good. No real discomfort. All in all I am really happy with my results so far. I cant wait to see what results I will get with mixing in exercise and healthy diet too!
Week 3: I am starting to feel more and more normal...
Week 3: I am starting to feel more and more normal. My skin isn't as numb feeling and I can now sit/sleep/lay however I want without discomfort. I also do not find the garment to be as annoying as others post on here. I really don't mind wearing it during the day. My scars are healing up nicely and I just started using Mederma on them in hopes to completely vanish them! My left flank def. looks a bit more swollen and i think I miiiight be able to feel a few small pea sized bumps there (which i expected as Dr Segev told me it was likely I would get them and that it is normal!). I will massage them a bit. Anyways, I cannot tell you how happy I am with my results. I am almost in tears every time I try something new on. My goal was to be able to wear jeans and a Tshirt without looking horrible with the muffin top and I can now proudly say that I went shopping last week and purchased new AE jeans and a medium Tshirt... that's all i wanted! So happy! Also, I have always wanted to be able to wear a highwaisted skirt with a tucked in shirt but never could with my tummy not being flat. So I also bought the cutest skirt from AE...I am in love. All in all....i couldn't be happier! This was soooo worth it. And the recovery really wasn't that bad at all. Now I just need to stop being so busy with my business so I can really get on board with working out. I've been working 10hr days so as soon as I cut that out I am going to go hardcore diet/workout phase.
3 months:
I have been so busy I havent been able to update this! Anyways, things are going really well. My scars have been almost completely erased (especially the ones on my back). I have no more discomfort and feel back to normal. If i touch my stomach I still feel like there may be some extra skin that needs to tighten up. I kinda freaked out a bit about a month ago because I noticed that my left side was much larger than my right. I called the office and they told me I have to wait 4 months before my body really stops changing and if its still uneven then I should call back and send them pics. Well, looking at the pics I just took, I am still uneven. So lets hope I drastically change in the next month or so. I do not want to go back for a revision! I had not taken any measurements prior to this time because I thought it was just too early. So today I finally did it. On the day of the procedure my belly (measuring at my belly button and around) was 42.5 inches. Today it is 37 inches. So 5.5 inches off the belly, not bad! I also have to admit that I have been really bad with nutrition and working out. So I am going to get my stuff together and get back to that! I know I would see better results if I were working out and such so I really need to!
Dr Segev and his entire staff at AmericanLipoCenters are incredible. I cannot say enough good things. They were very caring, gentle, professional, and knowledgeable. They made me feel at ease the moment I walked in. Dr. Segev even gave me his cell phone number and asked me to call him with updates. Day 3 he called me at 7pm to check in. Such a great guy! So happy I flew down to have my procedure there. They were all so flexible with me being out of state too. Awesome experience!!! 10 stars if I could :)
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