POSTED UNDER Laser Liposuction REVIEWS
Lipo on Tummy to Flatten What the Gym Can't - Atlanta, GA
ORIGINAL POST
I'm a super active, healthy, 26 year old. I had a...
Betty312March 24, 2013
WORTH IT$3,500
I'm a super active, healthy, 26 year old. I had a breast lift/aug a few years ago, and decided to have lipo while I was under. I didn't talk with my surgeon much about exactly what I wanted to get out of the surgery. He ended up working more on my sides to give me a good shape than flattening my stomach. I was happier with myself after the surgery than before, but not fully happy. I also had very realistic expectations that were not met (probably because of my lack of communication!).
Now, 4 years later, I have decided life is too short to be unhappy about things I can change. So, I began the search again for a good surgeon. I stumbled upon this website and made contact with many surgeons I read reviews about. I met with John Connors and was so happy that I booked my surgery that day.
I didn't want to be put under for lipo, and liked that he does the procedure in his office. Everything about my visit with him was perfect: his staff, gorgeous Candace Olson-esque office, his bedside manner, and also his answer to my many questions. I did my homework beforehand and know exactly what I want out of my surgery, so I made sure to ask all the right questions.
My surgery is now less than 2 weeks away, and I'm so excited! I'll post pre-op pics soon, and post-op ones afterward.
Betty312's provider
Replies (1)
UPDATED FROM Betty312
1 day post
I am officially 1 day post-op! Here's a timeline...
Betty312April 5, 2013
I am officially 1 day post-op! Here's a timeline of how my day went yesterday ...
7:00am - woke up, cleaned my house, walked my dogs, and spent some time with them before having to take them to the boarder
10:30am - took Lyrica and my antibiotic with a small sip of water. I felt the effects of the Lyrica within 10 minutes of swallowing the pill. It made my tired. I almost fell asleep in the shower!
12:30pm - arrived at Dr. Connors office, very relaxed, and waited about 45 minutes to go back (there was another lipo surgery before me, and I didn't mind the wait at all. I was so chill and played Candy Crushers on my phone).
1:30 - change into a gown, then am given the Dr. Connor "cocktail" (1mg Xanax for anxiety, 75mg Lyrica for pain, and 25mg Phenergan for nausea) and told to relax. I was already very chill from the Lyrica earlier, so once these kicked in I was feeling pretty good.
2:00 - Dr. Connors comes in to mark me up. He asked me which areas bothered me the most, and circled them with a sharpie. I appreciated this SO much, because I know he is going to work on the areas that are the most troublesome to me (unlike my previous surgeon who didn't really ask what I wanted). I was still more alert than they wanted me to be, so I took another .5mg of Xanax.
2:30 - I was moved into the operating room (located in Dr. Connors office and just 2 doors over from where I was relaxing). The nurses were talking to me the entire time, making me feel very comfortable. His nurse Ashley is amazing!
3:00 - This is when the magic started to happen. I was injected with a local anesthetic on my tummy. Then 4 incisions were made, underneath my bikini line, for the cannula. Dr. Connors started with filling me up with the tumescent solution. It was a very strange feeling, because I could feel the cannula going in and out of, but it wasn't painful. It was like the other skin that wasn't numbed (tops of my legs, boobs, flanks) were also being moved because of the cannula, but again not painful - just an odd feeling.
If I said this experience was totally pain-free, I'd be lying. My experience is different than most because I had scar tissue built up from my previous lipo procedure. Dr. Connors had to forcefully break through that, which was painful, but nothing unbearable. Pain is beauty! There were also a few areas (mostly on my bra line) that I could feel pain when he hit, but that was a huge problem area for me so I didn't mind taking some pain to get rid of it. Overall, the procedure was easy.
They said that most people sleep through it, but I was somewhat alert and aware of what was going on (which I didn't mind at all). I kept asking questions, like "are you injecting the tumescent solution now?" "do you do a lot of lipo procedures?" "when can I start working out again?" etc etc. They were super nice, but I'm sure they wished I would just shut up. I could help that I felt a little loopy and wanted to babble!
Afterward, they stitched up 2 of my incisions and left 2 open to drain. I was then put into my compression garment, which is crotchless (thank god!), has shorts, comes up below my bra line (so I can wear my own bra) and has straps. It's actually really comfortable. They packed me with gauze pads over my lower stomach where the incision was made, and then some foam padding over the rest of my stomach. They must have packed me in really good, because I haven't had any drainage at all.
4:45pm - I was back in my recovery room, and was totally alert and aware of what was going on (but by no means was I completely "sober." Still had lots of drugs in my system). I called my roommate and gave her directions about where to meet me when I got wheeled down in the wheel chair. I was given pretzels and ginger ale, which I devoured and chugged. I also brought a huge powerade with me, which I also chugged. I get in the car with her, give her directions home, get home and pretty much immediately get in bed. I had no real pain on my tummy yet because I was still anesthetized.
5:30 - I'm drifting in and out of sleep for about 2 hours, then wake up and realize I'm in some serious pain. I hadn't taken any of my pain meds yet, so I take 1 of them. I was prescribed 2mg of Dilaudin (I'm allergic to all things codeine, so no perkoset, vicodin, or hydrocodone for this girl), and the directions take 1 every 4-6 hours. I'm not a wuss when it comes to pain at all, I actually have a very high threshold for pain, but I was really hurting. I deliriously called Dr. Connors office to ask them if I should take the Dilaudin or the Lyrica (if I was in my right mind I could've answered my own question - Dilaudin). 1 was not enough AT ALL, so 15 min later I took a 2nd one. 30 minutes of so after I took the 2nd one, I had some relief. Tip: don't wait for pain to arrive to treat it. Treat it before it happens, and don't be afraid to take your prescribed meds. That's why they're prescribed to you!
7:00 - I get a call from Dr. Connors to check on me. He asked me how I was doing and made sure I did a few things I was supposed to. I LOVED that. It was so nice to hear from him.
7:30 - about a half hour after I took the 2nd Dilaudin, my bf got here with Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I wasn't hungry at all, but needed food in my system bad. I got the Skinnylicious roasted turkey, avocado, and bacon sandwich. Hit the spot in a big way. I made him get 3 different types of cheesecake, too, because I was in the sampling mood (I gave him my order pre-surgery). I had no appetite, but I LOVE sweets, so I had room for some cake. I probably ate 1/3 of each slice and he had the rest. I felt a little sick afterward and could've vomited, but didn't want to because of how bad it would hurt to contract my stomach like that. I sucked it up, and we laid in bed for hours. I was drifting in and out of sleep the whole time.
I also had to go to the bathroom, so I get up to walk over there. Getting out of bed is AWFUL! Having to use my lower stomach muscles (where all of the incisions are) sucked. But I have a wrought iron bed, and I have now figured out exactly how to pull myself up and get in and out of bed with no problems. Sitting on the toilet was painful. It's tough to sit at a 90* angle like that, so I came up with a solution ... Somewhat gross, but I don't care. I close the lid on my toilet, have a huge bowl that I put on top of it, stand over it and pee, then toss it in my shower. Gross, I know, but no pain and easy so I don't care.
11:30 - Bedtime. I take 2 Dilaudin for pain. I was instructed to wake up every 2 hours to walk around to prevent blood clots, so I set my alarm for 1:30am, 3:30am, etc. I don't remember this very well, but my alarm goes off at 1:30am and my bf comes over to help me up. I told him there was no f*ing way I was getting up bc I was in too much pain. He goes back to bed, and then the 3:30 alarm goes off. He comes over to help me up, and I slowly get out of bed. When I stand up and all of the blood rushed to my stomach, I was almost in tears. I had to stand up and bury my head in his shoulder before I could walk to the bathroom. That was the last really painful moment I had.
5:30am - Alarm goes of again. I get up, walk to my kitchen, get back in bed. Wasn't feeling the need for pain meds at all. I was just sore, but I ended up taking 1 Dilaudin just in case. I didn't want to get back to the point of severe pain.
7:30 am - Same thing, but I go to the bathroom. I am feeling sore, but not painful.
10:30 am - Take Lyrica and antibiotic.
1:30 pm - Call Dr. Connors office to ask Ashley a few questions. I got a prompt call back and answer to all of my questions. His staff is A-mazing. I cannot speak highly enough of my experience.
3:30 pm - Nothing eventful has happened today. I've eaten some chicken w/ olive oil, fresh fruit, and some oreo cheesecake from last night. I've drank 2 huge powerades, and have gotten up to talk around 6 or 7 times. Sore, not in pain, and groggy from the Lyrica. I think tomorrow will be much better.
*Oh, I forgot to mention that I saw my stomach before they put the garment on. All I can say is that when swimsuit season rolls around, I'm gonna be one happy girl :) I have decided to leave my garment on until my post-op appointment next Thursday, so I will post pics once I change it.
7:00am - woke up, cleaned my house, walked my dogs, and spent some time with them before having to take them to the boarder
10:30am - took Lyrica and my antibiotic with a small sip of water. I felt the effects of the Lyrica within 10 minutes of swallowing the pill. It made my tired. I almost fell asleep in the shower!
12:30pm - arrived at Dr. Connors office, very relaxed, and waited about 45 minutes to go back (there was another lipo surgery before me, and I didn't mind the wait at all. I was so chill and played Candy Crushers on my phone).
1:30 - change into a gown, then am given the Dr. Connor "cocktail" (1mg Xanax for anxiety, 75mg Lyrica for pain, and 25mg Phenergan for nausea) and told to relax. I was already very chill from the Lyrica earlier, so once these kicked in I was feeling pretty good.
2:00 - Dr. Connors comes in to mark me up. He asked me which areas bothered me the most, and circled them with a sharpie. I appreciated this SO much, because I know he is going to work on the areas that are the most troublesome to me (unlike my previous surgeon who didn't really ask what I wanted). I was still more alert than they wanted me to be, so I took another .5mg of Xanax.
2:30 - I was moved into the operating room (located in Dr. Connors office and just 2 doors over from where I was relaxing). The nurses were talking to me the entire time, making me feel very comfortable. His nurse Ashley is amazing!
3:00 - This is when the magic started to happen. I was injected with a local anesthetic on my tummy. Then 4 incisions were made, underneath my bikini line, for the cannula. Dr. Connors started with filling me up with the tumescent solution. It was a very strange feeling, because I could feel the cannula going in and out of, but it wasn't painful. It was like the other skin that wasn't numbed (tops of my legs, boobs, flanks) were also being moved because of the cannula, but again not painful - just an odd feeling.
If I said this experience was totally pain-free, I'd be lying. My experience is different than most because I had scar tissue built up from my previous lipo procedure. Dr. Connors had to forcefully break through that, which was painful, but nothing unbearable. Pain is beauty! There were also a few areas (mostly on my bra line) that I could feel pain when he hit, but that was a huge problem area for me so I didn't mind taking some pain to get rid of it. Overall, the procedure was easy.
They said that most people sleep through it, but I was somewhat alert and aware of what was going on (which I didn't mind at all). I kept asking questions, like "are you injecting the tumescent solution now?" "do you do a lot of lipo procedures?" "when can I start working out again?" etc etc. They were super nice, but I'm sure they wished I would just shut up. I could help that I felt a little loopy and wanted to babble!
Afterward, they stitched up 2 of my incisions and left 2 open to drain. I was then put into my compression garment, which is crotchless (thank god!), has shorts, comes up below my bra line (so I can wear my own bra) and has straps. It's actually really comfortable. They packed me with gauze pads over my lower stomach where the incision was made, and then some foam padding over the rest of my stomach. They must have packed me in really good, because I haven't had any drainage at all.
4:45pm - I was back in my recovery room, and was totally alert and aware of what was going on (but by no means was I completely "sober." Still had lots of drugs in my system). I called my roommate and gave her directions about where to meet me when I got wheeled down in the wheel chair. I was given pretzels and ginger ale, which I devoured and chugged. I also brought a huge powerade with me, which I also chugged. I get in the car with her, give her directions home, get home and pretty much immediately get in bed. I had no real pain on my tummy yet because I was still anesthetized.
5:30 - I'm drifting in and out of sleep for about 2 hours, then wake up and realize I'm in some serious pain. I hadn't taken any of my pain meds yet, so I take 1 of them. I was prescribed 2mg of Dilaudin (I'm allergic to all things codeine, so no perkoset, vicodin, or hydrocodone for this girl), and the directions take 1 every 4-6 hours. I'm not a wuss when it comes to pain at all, I actually have a very high threshold for pain, but I was really hurting. I deliriously called Dr. Connors office to ask them if I should take the Dilaudin or the Lyrica (if I was in my right mind I could've answered my own question - Dilaudin). 1 was not enough AT ALL, so 15 min later I took a 2nd one. 30 minutes of so after I took the 2nd one, I had some relief. Tip: don't wait for pain to arrive to treat it. Treat it before it happens, and don't be afraid to take your prescribed meds. That's why they're prescribed to you!
7:00 - I get a call from Dr. Connors to check on me. He asked me how I was doing and made sure I did a few things I was supposed to. I LOVED that. It was so nice to hear from him.
7:30 - about a half hour after I took the 2nd Dilaudin, my bf got here with Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I wasn't hungry at all, but needed food in my system bad. I got the Skinnylicious roasted turkey, avocado, and bacon sandwich. Hit the spot in a big way. I made him get 3 different types of cheesecake, too, because I was in the sampling mood (I gave him my order pre-surgery). I had no appetite, but I LOVE sweets, so I had room for some cake. I probably ate 1/3 of each slice and he had the rest. I felt a little sick afterward and could've vomited, but didn't want to because of how bad it would hurt to contract my stomach like that. I sucked it up, and we laid in bed for hours. I was drifting in and out of sleep the whole time.
I also had to go to the bathroom, so I get up to walk over there. Getting out of bed is AWFUL! Having to use my lower stomach muscles (where all of the incisions are) sucked. But I have a wrought iron bed, and I have now figured out exactly how to pull myself up and get in and out of bed with no problems. Sitting on the toilet was painful. It's tough to sit at a 90* angle like that, so I came up with a solution ... Somewhat gross, but I don't care. I close the lid on my toilet, have a huge bowl that I put on top of it, stand over it and pee, then toss it in my shower. Gross, I know, but no pain and easy so I don't care.
11:30 - Bedtime. I take 2 Dilaudin for pain. I was instructed to wake up every 2 hours to walk around to prevent blood clots, so I set my alarm for 1:30am, 3:30am, etc. I don't remember this very well, but my alarm goes off at 1:30am and my bf comes over to help me up. I told him there was no f*ing way I was getting up bc I was in too much pain. He goes back to bed, and then the 3:30 alarm goes off. He comes over to help me up, and I slowly get out of bed. When I stand up and all of the blood rushed to my stomach, I was almost in tears. I had to stand up and bury my head in his shoulder before I could walk to the bathroom. That was the last really painful moment I had.
5:30am - Alarm goes of again. I get up, walk to my kitchen, get back in bed. Wasn't feeling the need for pain meds at all. I was just sore, but I ended up taking 1 Dilaudin just in case. I didn't want to get back to the point of severe pain.
7:30 am - Same thing, but I go to the bathroom. I am feeling sore, but not painful.
10:30 am - Take Lyrica and antibiotic.
1:30 pm - Call Dr. Connors office to ask Ashley a few questions. I got a prompt call back and answer to all of my questions. His staff is A-mazing. I cannot speak highly enough of my experience.
3:30 pm - Nothing eventful has happened today. I've eaten some chicken w/ olive oil, fresh fruit, and some oreo cheesecake from last night. I've drank 2 huge powerades, and have gotten up to talk around 6 or 7 times. Sore, not in pain, and groggy from the Lyrica. I think tomorrow will be much better.
*Oh, I forgot to mention that I saw my stomach before they put the garment on. All I can say is that when swimsuit season rolls around, I'm gonna be one happy girl :) I have decided to leave my garment on until my post-op appointment next Thursday, so I will post pics once I change it.
Replies (0)
UPDATED FROM Betty312
10 days post
*10 Days Post-Op* The worst is over!! I have to...
Betty312April 14, 2013
*10 Days Post-Op*
The worst is over!! I have to admit, it was tough for a few days. The most frustrating part for me was that I had to wear these 1/4" thick foam sheets (the size of a piece of paper ... 2 of them) covering my stomach because this was a revision. Dr. Connors said it was to prevent the lumpy-bumpiness, so I was more than happy to wear them! Unfortunately, they were SO hot and irritated my skin, so I wore a shirt underneath the foam. So my layers went tank top, foam, garment, normal clothes - I was one hot girl for a few days.
But that's over, and I am glad to be out of it. I had my post-op appointment at the 7th day mark. On the 6th and 7th days I was extremely swollen, to the point of it being hard to breath in my garment. I began icing often, putting arnica gel on my stomach and sides 2x a day, and taking an epsom salt bath 2x a day. What a difference! My garment now fits comfortably and I am noticeably less swollen.
I have noticed that when I walk quickly that I swell up really bad. So, now I walk extremely slowly and will pick up the pace in a few days once my swelling has stayed low for a little bit longer.
Still very happy I did it! Can't wait to see the final results.
The worst is over!! I have to admit, it was tough for a few days. The most frustrating part for me was that I had to wear these 1/4" thick foam sheets (the size of a piece of paper ... 2 of them) covering my stomach because this was a revision. Dr. Connors said it was to prevent the lumpy-bumpiness, so I was more than happy to wear them! Unfortunately, they were SO hot and irritated my skin, so I wore a shirt underneath the foam. So my layers went tank top, foam, garment, normal clothes - I was one hot girl for a few days.
But that's over, and I am glad to be out of it. I had my post-op appointment at the 7th day mark. On the 6th and 7th days I was extremely swollen, to the point of it being hard to breath in my garment. I began icing often, putting arnica gel on my stomach and sides 2x a day, and taking an epsom salt bath 2x a day. What a difference! My garment now fits comfortably and I am noticeably less swollen.
I have noticed that when I walk quickly that I swell up really bad. So, now I walk extremely slowly and will pick up the pace in a few days once my swelling has stayed low for a little bit longer.
Still very happy I did it! Can't wait to see the final results.
Replies (3)
April 18, 2013
Dear Betty 312, I Love your before & after shots. They remind me of my body type and the results that I would like to have. You weren't a "Fat" person imo but it looked like you had some trouble parts that I am pretty sure noone noticed besides you when you were dressed possibly?? .....Well, I can't speak for you, but that is how I feel . My Dr said that people within 10 lbs of their ideal body weight do best from this procedure. Anyway...I am scheduled for mine on May 14th ( a week later than earlier scheduled) I am wondering 2 things. #1 - now that you have that stunning FLAT tummy did the "bloat" feeling also go away? I feel bloated ALL the time. !!! I am not sure if that feeling is due to having that HARD MENOPAUSE SOLID FAT on my gut or.....it's due to other lovely stuff like digestion issues??. #2 Would you say you felt like you could go to work within 4 days of your surgery? I am scheduled for Lipo on a TUES and have a job on a SAT! I am a professional singer. I will have to be on my feet for several hours singing...am I being unrealistic??...or shall say...is my DR. being unrealistic? Thank you for your thoughts. YOU LOOK GREAT!
April 22, 2013
Hey Puglover!
Thanks so much for your kind words. I wanted to post lots of before and afters. It's so nice to know what to expect!
I was never a fat person, and was within 10 lbs of my ideal weight. I've actually lost about 8 lbs total since the surgery because I've been really watching what I eat. I also had no appetite from being so lethargic during my recover. You are totally right about looking good in clothes, and not so much without them. In clothes, no one would have EVER known that I had that stomach underneath them. Ever. I was also very careful to not let my boyfriend see me without clothes if I wasn't sucking in or at a flattering angle. That's such a miserable way to be. He couldn't understand why I was getting lipo. I actually asked him tonight if he could notice a difference (it was the first time he'd seen me without the bodysuit on). He said "actually, your stomach and sides are smaller." Duh!! That's what I paid the big bucks and went through all that pain for! Haha.
To answer your questions:
1. I have never felt bloated (probably due to how I eat - mostly Paleo, super gut-friendly). So maybe yours is due to digestion issues?? I noticed that the SECOND I cut out flour, grains, and dairy, my stomach pains went away completely. However, I feel pregnant right now, totally due to my body taking a beating during surgery. My belly is firm, but huge. It is pretty flat in the mornings (when i take the pics), but is probably a good 3 inches further out at the end of the day from swelling. I notice that when I lay down without my bodysuit on, my stomach is SO flat and nice looking without sucking in. I can't imagine how great the final product will be!
2. I definitely did not make it back to work in 4 days. I had my surgery on a Thursday at 1pm, and I didn't make it back to work until the following Tuesday and I did half-days. And once I felt like I could do more, I would, and then would get uncomfortably swollen. My job requires a lot of walking around (event management), so sitting at an office would be different. However, I noticed that sitting was the ultimate uncomfortable position.
I honestly don't think you'll want to do your job on Saturday. When I stood up, all of the blood would rush to the area of my incisions and felt like a brick was weighing on it. That happened for about a week and got progressively better each day. If your recovery goes like mine did, then having to stand up for a long period of time will be uncomfortable, you'll probably get lightheaded (especially if you're using all that wind to sing!), and you'll get exhausted way more quickly than usual. I think it's unrealistic :( My doctor told me I'd be back to normal and able to go to work by Monday. I maybe could have, but it would've been pushing it. You'll want to take it easy, lay down, elevate your feet a lot, and relax. Also, make sure you have someone to take care of you the night of your surgery. I'm a tough cookie and didn't think I'd need someone. My boyfriend insisted, and I'm so glad he was there. I honestly couldn't have taken care of myself.
I hope your surgery goes great!!!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm an open book and am happy to share my experience, however un-glamorous it may be!
July 9, 2016
Do you have recent pics? Thinking about going with him for lipo but would love to see recent results!
Thanks :)
Thanks :)
Hi there, welcome and thanks for sharing your experience with us!
Good luck for your surgery, I hope everything goes well for you! Please do come back and let us know how you are, once you're able to!