So Far So Good - Austin, TX
2/1/13 - Had my first CoolSculpting treatment...
2/1/13 - Had my first CoolSculpting treatment yesterday. I did a large section for my stomach and plan on returning for my love handles next week.
It's been less than 24 hours and so far, no regrets. I followed the reviews on this site for months and decided that with approximately 70% of fairly positive experiences this would be worth a try.
The process went exactly as described. Photos were taken of me from multiple angles, and I was taken into a small room w/ a bed and the Zeltiq machine. They applied the cool gel strip, which was not as shockingly cold as I had been warned. Then came the actual suction. I'm not a big guy, and the PA was concerned that I might not have enough fat to use a large applicator, but in the end we definitely found the fat :) The surprising part was how powerful the suction that it completely flattened the flesh into a layer inches away from my body as if it had been rolled out like dough.
The first ten minutes were as described; uncomfortable but not painful. The extreme pressure takes your breath away, but I was given an IPad on which to watch Netflix, so I focused my attention on that and my breathing returned to normal quickly. There was some discomfort/pain during the procedure, but it wasn't great. A bit of a struck nerve feeling passed through my stomach 3-4 times but it was bearable.
After the procedure was over, the PA returned to massage the hideous bar-of-butter shape that had amassed. It was solid and definitely looked gross but it re-absorbed fairly quickly. The redness was gone within 20 minutes, and the area remained completely numb for hours, with the occasional streak of nerve pain, or dull itch I couldn't quite scratch. I went straight to the gym and worked out back and biceps for a few hours with no problem whatsoever.
That was yesterday. As of today, the numbness has mostly gone away and left a general soreness. Nothing at all severe, just a dull ache as if the entire area were bruised. I'm writing this from work and so far it hasn't prevented me from going about my normal activities yet. But, if the testimonies are correct, the soonest I'll start having signs of potential neuropathies would be day 3, so I may be in the initial coasting phase.
2/4/13 - So I guess this is day 5, and I have...
I've had a history of kidney stones, so maybe all pain is relative to me now, but this has been extremely manageable. Yes the tenderness and soreness are constant, but I've had worse sunburns. The things I've heard bother people describe as painful -- water hitting them from the shower, the waist of their pants, moving around in their sleep-- have not been a problem. (The worst is when I'm laying on the couch and my cat surprisingly pounces on my stomach to say hello!) But it hasn't prevented me from going about my daily life or even working out multiple times, including my abs.
It seems that the majority of people have the worst of their symptoms in their first week. If my time so far is any indicator, then I've been one of the lucky ones b/c the discomfort is totally tolerable.
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2/6/13 - So the intensity of the discomfort...
So the intensity of the discomfort ramped up enough last night to qualify as pain. Nothing intolerable, but the itching/burning sensation began coming in waves that I couldn't ignore. I've been taking advil, though I can't tell whether it's working or not, but I'm inclined to say no b/c the frequency is increasing to the point that it's almost constant this morning.
I had considered purchasing a compression vest before the procedure but didnt at the recommendation of the PA who performed my procedure b/c they're not cheap. While I wish I had one now, instead I'm wearing a back brace that wraps fully around my abdomen and creates some compression. It's helping slightly, but nothing extraordinary.
The bizarre part is the sensation of deep itch that feels like it's coming from under my epidermis, so scratching the surface doesn't really alleviate it. It feels as if the nerves are finally waking up after the trauma and signalling the damage. It's irritating, but I'm not to the point where I'm considering Neurontin or painkillers yet, b/c I dont need the drowsy effect slowing me down at work or the gym. I've read reviews on here about people experiencing much worse pain, so I still count myself lucky.
I'm scheduled to return for my lovehandles on Friday. If the pain has continued to increase and distract me by then, I'll request some Neurontin.
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