Already Fit, Body Contouring - Austin, TX

I go in today to get Smart Lipo with Dr. Chike-Obi and I am nervous as [RS bleep]. I'm having work done on my upper and lower abs and inner thighs.

I am currently fit - 5'2", 130lbs and 22% body fat. When I tell people that I'm about to have this done, the first question is inevitably 'why?!'

I'm looking forward to body contouring. I work out regularly (lifting weights and active lifestyle) yet still have thighs that rub. My pooch belly has been a part of my world since third grade. I live in a warm climate and spend half the year in a swimsuit - and I want to look damn good in it! I haven't been able to attain the body I want through traditional means, hoping that this will do the trick.

My concerns: My job requires a high level of physical fitness. My main concern is that recovery will be worse than everyone makes it out to be, and I won't be back on my feet in time. I'm also a little afraid that my proportions won't look right afterward (certainly can't go back!) And then there's a little part that wondered how obvious it will be. Will people be able to tell? Will it affect my dating life?

This website was extremely helpful for me in making the decision to get this work done. I don't know anyone personally that's had cosmetic surgery (at least, not that I know of!) Reading the day-by-day journals and seeing the reviews from people with similar ops has been the best possible insight. My goal is to keep a thorough log, hope this can be just as helpful.

So much has happened! Let's start by saying that even though I was extremely nervous and reluctant on the day of, surgery itself was downright fun. I arrived to the appointment a frantic mess. I had met Dr. Chike-Obi's nurse Lauren the week before during my pre-op and was happy to see that she was the one greeting me for the procedure. She asked "are you excited?!" to which I gave her a blank stare and asked for more meds. Is that the normal response? Are most people excited? I had a gnawing sensation that I was about to make an irreversibly awful mistake, and that my work life and dating habits would be all the worse for them. Another Lidocane, please!

I'd read a lot about how the initial numbing needles and the process of filling you with tumescent fluid is the most painful part. This is true, but it's really not that bad. Yes, you are conscious the entire surgery, but no, you don't see what's happening (thank God!). They take you to the operative room, hook up an IV to your arm (with some sort of blissfully strong med), and give you stickers to put over your eyes (absolutely key). The nurses then come in and begin to work the magic of cosmetic surgery. I think that they first injected something to numb the area, and then began injecting the tumescescent fluid under the skin (left half of the belly, then the right side, then the inside of both thighs). As they were finishing up I asked to use the bathroom - the stickers were removed and I was amazed. My skin was raised almost 2 inches from where it normally sits. My body was very large and very blue (from the marker contour lines). I giggled at my new self as I waddled down the hall to attempt to pee.

For the actual suctioning of body-goo, I have no idea what was physically going on. When Dr. Chike-Obi came in he took a seat and said "Relax, and just enjoy it. This might feel nice." You know what? It did.

I've gotta say that my operative experience was a positive one, and that was largely due to having such a well-renowned doctor and his high-quality staff. For one, I had read Dr. Chike-Obi's reviews and knew that I could trust him with my body. Two, the staff paid attention to a lot of little details that made a big difference. For example, they let me pick the music that we listened to (but so much pressure to choose on the spot!). Lauren, in particular, was incredible. At all steps I felt like she had my back. I arrived to the appointment behind schedule and un-fed - she slipped me a bag of animal crackers and a water before the work began. She checked and double checked my well-being during the procedure, and did everything she could to keep me comfortable. I truly felt like she was an advocate and a friend. I'll be honest- I was a little sad when the work was finally over. It felt a little bit like a party (thanks in part to Flo Rida blaring in the background, woot!) In a nutshell, do your homework and choose wisely. Even if it costs a little more to go somewhere you're excited about - it's worth it.

What I wish I would have known: It is farking COLD in that operative room! You're naked and not moving much. If I was going to do it again, I would wear thick socks, a wool cap, and gloves. Seriously.

A timeline of what the week-after looked like for me:

Day Of:
My plan was to go home and crash - this did not happen. I had 5 hours of adrenaline built-up from my rave-esqe surgery experience and the last thing I wanted was to sleep. I spent the afternoon relaxing with friends and letting the surgery meds wear off. Couldn't eat much, and that was okay.

First night:
Woke up abruptly to run to the sink and vomit. Threw up a couple times during the night (probably due to surgery medications). Otherwise slept well

First day:
Still nauseous, couldn't get any meds down. Couldn't drive myself to the next-day follow up, so the staff cancelled that appointment. They called in a new prescription for an anti-nausea medication that dissolves under the tongue. Was able to take my other meds and mostly spent the day lying around the house. I was surprised to learn that my body didn't physically hurt (the operation actually left my surgery areas numb, I expected it to be much more painful). Low energy and a little stir crazy though.
Note that you have to leave the surgery bandages on for the first 24hrs. For me, this meant spending an entire day resembling a marshmallow. Don't make plans to go anywhere or do anything. Do let your good friends know that you would like their support and company on this day. One particularly dear soul brought me some quality home-cooked food. God bless her!

Second night:
No vomit. Slept okay

Second day:
***I WISH I WOULD HAVE STOPPED TAKING MEDICATIONS IMMEDIATELY. THE PAIN PILLS ARE NOT NECESSARY*** I was taking the prescribed Hydrocodone and dissolvable nausea tablet - these fucked my world up. I started the morning feeling sub par, and it just got worse and worse. By 5pm a friend convinced me to go to an IV bar downtown to get rehydrated with a saline drip (seriously, in major cities, this is now a service you can purchase for funsies. The saline comes loaded with vitamins and includes a deluxe massage chair and consultation with a nurse. At first I thought the concept was absurd, but it absolutely changed my day 110%) . The nurse reviewed my current condition and medications, then consulted "You have to get off the narcotics. Those are not helping. And you have to get out and move."
Narcotics? Narcotics! I didn't realize I was taking anything so strong. I left the IV bar hydrated and with a resolve to clean up my act. Both of these were extremely positive.

Day Three:
Feeling much more like myself, was able to get out and do things. Took 2 extra-strength Tylenol during the day, but didn't really need them. Surprised by how low my energy was - could do interesting things, but at a snails pace. Was pretty much always ready to stop and take a nap.

Day four:
Got my appetite back! Expanding on my doing-stuff repertoire, but always ready to boomerang back to that couch. Learned that I can fold up the bottom flap of my waist binder to make it fit my short torso (duuuuuh....)

Day five:
Eating good food yesterday meant good energy today! Went for a road bike ride and it felt great. My body is starting to de-swell and I can see some of the benefits of surgery. (Up until now it's been a trust game, that I will SOMEday look better.)

Overall I can do a lot, my muscles weren't damaged or impinged in any way during the surgery. But the surgery areas are tender and the waist binder makes it really uncomfortable to bend down. (The first two days it was uncomfortable to even sit in that thing, but that's gotten better). Most notable is the low energy levels - I just need to remember that my to-do list is a fraction of normal.

In two days I can graduate from full compression wear, to something more manageable (Spanx). I think I'll be comfortable returning to regular life activities with the clothing change (my job is active, I've taken the first 10 days off work). Tomorrow morning I'm going to try a light trail run. Next day I'll try a short weights routine. Will keep you posted.