25y/o BBL Dr. Salama. Aventura, FL

day 2 was my post op appointment, really all I did was go to the surgery center, saw a nurse, she gave me foams and sent me on my way. I felt better on day two, but my body hurt like crazy, and those stupid drains drove me nuts until the day I got them out. Day 3 I felt terrible again, worse than day 2. I remember being disappointed because I thought it was suppose to get better day by day, but it didn't... the first whole week really sucks. It was hard to sleep at night, and I stayed taking my percocets. My first massage I took two percocets, the pain was AWFUL. What people say is true, the massages truly hurt more than anything. Not only is your skin super sensitive to pain after liposuction (it feels like someone took sandpaper and scrubbed my skin until it was raw) but then the massage is this merciless deep strokes, but it burns especially on the stomach massage. The sensation is hard to describe, like I said, to me my skin alone felt like someone scrubbed my skin with sandpaper until its raw, and then the massage feels like some one started grabbing that raw skin while pouring rubbing alcohol on it. lol that's truly the best way to describe how it felt. And that raw skin feeling lasts btw for a long time, its almost 3 months and although its MUCHH better, I still have that numb raw skin feeling when touched on some of my lipo areas. The stomach and obliques were the worst for me. The pain is tolerable, but take 2 pain killers every time... the second massage I thought I would be brave and just take one (Because after my first massage I threw up again when I got to the house and I didn't know if that was why), but the second massage was wayyy worse just because I didn't take enough pain killer. Never again did I make that mistake lol.
My vomiting lasted pretty much a week on and off. Im not sure why. I slept a lot and the pain killers helped me sleep as well. Everytime I took a shower for the first week I had a limited amount of time before I would catch a faint spell again. One day Grace came to help out at the house, and she didn't know that I couldn't be left alone in the shower because of how I randomly would start to faint, and she stepped out to help someone else with something... I kept the water cool with hopes that I can finish this shower on my own, but sure enough within a few minutes I felt it coming... I tried to get out that shower as quickly as possible but it was too late. I made it as far as the bathroom sink and called for Lourdes, she came running to my rescue lol. I was leaning over the bathroom sink trying to shake myself into full consciousness but It was getting darker and darker... I started sweating and was kind of slumped on the counter, Grace tried to put some rubbing alcohol under my nose and Lourdes said "No! She doesn't like that!" haha, I appreciated that moment so much cause she remembered how that made it worse for me, I really felt helpless, I didn't know how to stop myself from collapsing other than staying slumped on the bathroom counter and hoping for the best... Lourdes saw how I was sweating again and started lightly blowing on my forehead which for some reason seemed to be working. It snapped me out of it and within a few minutes I was able to gain the strength to walk back to my bed with assistance. Im tellin you, she really went the extra mile, she was attentive and knew exactly what I needed at all the right moments.
So yea, showers were one of my many challenges with this recovery lol.
Another challenge was using the bathroom. When I first started peeing using the funnel it took me a while to be able to push it out... I think its cause my body was conditioned to sitting while urinating, I had to really concentrate for the first couple of days, but after a while it got much easier. THE FUNNEL IS A MUST! seriously, its a life saver, I attached a picture in previous posts, its cheap and definitely not something ull want to skip, especially if youre staying at the recovery house.
Going number two was a challenge for all of us lol. Not only do u feel like someone filled ur ass cheeks with cement during the first stages of recovery, but constipation is real too... I was the first one to start going number 2 because I started taking 2 of the stool softeners a day, it really helped. Even still going number 2 is difficult post bbl because of the positioning as well, but probably the most irritating part is taking that damn garment on n off when your body is at its most sensitive point. they really should have a flap that opens up so we can go number two without taking it off lol, it would be so helpful.

I had barely any bleeding during my recovery which was nice. I was fortunate in that aspect.

My massage therapist was very good and nice. She even came to the house on her day off so that some of us could get an extra massage before we left the recovery house. I made sure to give her a bigger tip for that.
I got my back drain removed after my 3rd massage the day before I left Florida. Nomie did it. It was out very quickly. The back drain was short. I was draining too much in the front and had to keep it in... It was actually a little after two weeks before it was ready to be taken out (which my boyfriend did for me).

The day of my final post op appointment, I noticed that I had developed flat spots on the bottom of both cheeks, but more so on the left. During my massage, she tried to massage it lightly, and the Dr. came in during my massage. It was then I was able to bring it to his attention and he told me to just keep taking pictures and keep in touch over time and we will see what happens with it. I will post pics at a later date

Also, if you are staying at the recovery house, GET GROCERIES AND THINGS U MIGHT NEED BEFORE YOUR SURGERY! Justin is very busy and didn't have time to run us all to the store. He made the offer when we first get there (but at that point we don't even know what we really will want and need during our stay)... make sure u get yourself some personal Gatorades or whatever drinks you prefer. They have drinks there, but trust me youre going to want your own stuff. Maybe even some snacks of your choice, but I highly recommend stocking up on your own Gatorade and Ginger ale. You most likely will not be feeling up for go to the store on the days that you need it most. A lot of us learned the hard way lol.

The day Before I left another girl and I wobbled down the street to cvs. Its about a straight shot less than half a mile down the street. It was a nice little walk. We got Lourdes a thank you card and we all signed it. I made sure to personally tip Lourdes $100, she really deserved it, If I had it like tht I would have given her more. When we gave her the card she cried, it really meant a lot to her... she had gone through a lot with us in the house, I might touch on that topic some more at a later date.

All in all, your experience is what you make of it... if you look for the negative, you will certainly have a negative experience with this procedure and the recovery... I personally don't live that way, I look for the good in everything and I feel blessed that I am fortunate enough to even do something like this for myself. I understand that this whole thing is a lot of money, but if that remains to be your focus then maybe you aren't ready to make that financial commitment yet... but once u have, forget about it! Youre going to be going through a lot with the recovery, don't make it worse on yourself with negative thoughts. I find it kind of annoying when people complain about the price and if it was worth it or not... the doctor did the best that he could, remember its his reputation as a surgeon on the line as well, our bodies will take things differently... my body isn't PERFECT but I didn't go into this expecting perfect... theres some things I would like to fix, but im not gonna have a negative attitude about what I did get. Money comes and goes, this chunk of money is gone, accept it! lol We all know the risks we are taking before we lay our flat asses on that table haha, some of it will stay and some of it wont, it is what it is... but try to have a good attitude, we all do this so we can feel better about ourselves, so don't ruin it for yourself with a crappy attitude. Feel blessed we were even able to scramble 10k on our ass :x
If you coulda spent it more wisely elsewhere, then u prob should, but once u do this forget about that $ n just enjoy the experience... one way or another u look better than u did before! Allow yourself to feel as beautiful as u look! ;)

As far as the Recovery House, same concept... if you go in there with the attitude that you spent a lot of money to be there, youre going to make the stay miserable for not only yourself but for the other girls who are there. In my opinion, I have no regrets staying there what so ever. I personally preferred to not stress about arrangements, that alone was worth the cost for convenience. I felt at peace, well taken care of, and enjoyed getting to know staff and other girls in the house that could relate and understand what I was experiencing. I really enjoyed my time there, I had privacy when I wanted it and company to share meals with and conversation. But if you can save yourself some money and ensure a stress free environment for yourself, then do it... If not, suck it up and pay. The staff are friendly and experienced to your needs, and the house is clean. You will have all of your essentials, safety, comfort, and reassurance from other girls who are going through the same thing you are. Those are the pros and cons. Whatever decision u make, live with it... but don't create a negative experience for yourself over the money u spent to stay there. Once u pay it, forget about it. Best advice I can give about this whole process.

Its taken me forever to update! This recovery process is truly a challenge but I'm doing soo much better now! The phases are crazy, it started with pain as if I had been hit by a truck 5 times over, but by the 2nd week the pain was a lot more tolerable, it was more discomfort and tenderness than anything. Then the tenderness to the touch phase on the lipoed areas, and then the Itching, DEAR LORD THE ITCHING!! It literally wakes me out of my sleep sometimes even until this day, and nothing remedies it. Sometimes I need to take the garment off and let my body breath, but I put it right back on as soon as I can handle it again. It took a full month and a half before I really started feeling human again lol. Ive been following the recovery instructions, but I still don't sit on my bottom fully. Its still a little tender and I don't want to risk it. Ive been taking in my garment on the sides myself as needed, its really easy to do. Ive found that I prefer to wear the garment with the waist cincher on top rather than wearing the waist cincher by itself, its just much more comfortable on my body that way. I feel really happy over all with my results, I mean my body is completely transformed. I do have some issues though that I will get to later, but all in all my body is a million times better, everyone around me notices, I get compliments from strangers all the time, and let me tell you... people are very gullable! lolol now I see how these fitness models/trainers make money, people will believe anything you tell them! I have my entire job fully convinced that Ive been working out at the gym and waist training, and as a result I have about 90% of my female coworkers wearing waist cinchers lolol...My body is a daily topic of conversation, Ive even started believing my own lies :x I should get paid for advertising at this point haha... a couple of my closest coworkers know the truth, but even they are wearing the waist cinchers which honestly does benefit them, I can see the difference the waist trainers make on them as well, but of course they wont get the same results as me, but it'll just get attributed to their lack of commitment (most of them cant stand to wear it all day and night like I do). Whats funny is that no working out or waist cincher in the world could have created the hips that salama gave me, but hey I guess I'm just that convincing lol. Im pretty sure my male coworkers know that somethings up, but none of them would dare say anything, they just grin n try their hardest not to get caught sneaking a peak lol. The best part of it all is the way clothes fit now... I can go to the mall and find an outfit right away cause almost everything looks great on me. My confidence is soo much better, I gained a whole new excitement about life... im excited to make plans and do things that I would have been hesitant about before because I didn't want to shop and didn't know what I was going to wear without feeling insecure about my body and clothing sagging on my a$$... Salama gave me the perfect hips, at first I thought it was wayyy too much and I gained a whole new insecurity. I thought my new hips made me look fat and fake, I was really worried that it wasn't going to look right but I knew not to let myself obsess over it because I knew my body was going to change a lot. My volume has gone down a lot, but salama knew exactly what he was doing and I didn't even show him a single wish pic. Before the surgery I had all these plans as to what I was going to say to him, but once I was in the office I kind of decided to let all that go, I was afraid to tell him something that I may later regret and figured hes the expert so he will know what will look best for me. Right away he told me that I have a very short butt, so getting a heart shape butt would be hard to do, my response was "aww mannn, but those are the prettiest ones!" (sad face) lol, he told me not to worry and he will do the best he can. He also told me I may have too much fat! That's my one regret, I wish I didn't let myself continue to gain weight out of the fear of not having enough fat. He said he hears that all the time and already knew that I got that idea from people on real self lol.. he said he hates when people take it upon themselves to listen to others on real self about not having enough fat, everyones body is different, so ladies, the best thing to do is to communicate with the office about whether or not to gain wait, and take their advice. Anyway he said its not a HUGE deal, but that he would do the best he could, however, I ended up having to tell him which parts of my body were most important to me to get lipoed because he was sure he wouldn't be able to take out all of it without exceeding the 4L limit. My main concern was my lower abdomen and my upper back bra rolls, other than that he could do what he thought was best. A few naked pics and about 20minutes later I was on the operating table. My biggest fear was the anesthesia, although I didn't say anything I was really trying to keep myself calm from letting any anxiety build about being put under. When I felt the anesthesia hit me I felt a really warm sensation in my chest and then which scared the sh*t out of me, but next thing I knew I started feeling uncontrollably tired and I remember saying "Oh wow, this is Real!" and then I was knocked lol... Oh I forgot to mention that OF COURSEEE my monthly came the moment I got to the office, which to me was so embarrassing, but hey what can you do.
Anyway, however long later, I woke up face down in a different room, I think they might have snapped an ammonia capsule because I woke up abruptly and the anesthesiologist was standing over me n I think either he or the nurse said "there she is", I looked around and said "Im done?" I barely was aware enough to hear the nurse reply yes and then I knocked back out.. Next thing I remember is waking up again to the pain of the nurse removing a folley catheter, she reassured me that it was out n next I remember I started trembling cold, she covered me with a blanket and I knocked back out. I don't know how long this whole process was, but she finally told me she has to get me in the wheelchair because Justin the driver was downstairs. I tried my best to comply but boy was I out of it, she sat me in the wheelchair with a boppy pillow and immediately I told her "Im gonna throw up", she grabbed me a basin and sure enough the vomiting began lol. She rolled me to the elevator and I caught a glimpse of my face n I immediately gasped and said "Oh my god!" (sooo just as a warning ladies if u get your chin done, expect your face to look like u got EFFED UPP by Tyson!) The swelling to your face is real! lol, I didn't expect that at all, although it makes sense.. but just be prepared.
Anyway, when I got to the car, another bbl patient was getting dropped off (who just so happened to be my future roommate at the recovery house lol), somehow we just knew right away who eachother were lol, she looked so pretty I felt so embarrassed for some reason meeting her at that moment for the first time looking like a monster hahaa.. Anyway, justin had the back of his car all set up with a big pillow (kind of like a doggie bed) laid out in the trunk of his suv with the back seats down. He had a step stool to help me step up into the car, because trust me movement is stiff painful and limited.
Being in healthcare, im used to taking care of people who are sick, injured, disabled etc.. so I'm the type that I hate being a burden to anyone, I hate being helpless, If I can do something myself I'll do it even if it makes things harder for me, but I quickly learned that I was going to have to let that part of me go lol... As soon as we got to the recovery house, me being the person I am told mentally told myself "alright you got this", so I hobbled my way out the car and attempted the ten feet to the front door before I caught a glimpse of my reflection through the window literally collapsing. All I know is my legs gave out and everything around me turned black, thank God for Justin and Lourdes who saw it coming and caught me. I felt so bad, and kept apologizing... Lourdes grabbed some rubbing alcohol on a cloth and put it under my nose, but for some reason the smell made me even more nauseas at that moment so I kept turning my head from it because I was unable to communicate to her for some reason that it was making me feel worse, and next thing I know, everything went dark and I collapsed again. Justin caught me again, at this point I surrendered lol, I put my arms around his shoulders and guided me to my room. Lol what a sight I must have been haha, I think the anesthesia really smacked the crap outta me, Ive never been so weak. As soon as I hit my bed, I was vomiting for the next 12 hours or so.
Lourdes was sooo amazing, she was there for me every step of the way. She knew what I needed before I even had to ask. Everytime I started throwing up, she would come running and sit with my right next to my bed. One minute I would start sweating she would be right there with a cool wash cloth for my head, the next minute I would start trembling uncontrollably n she would cover me right up with extra blankets. She would even rub my head from time to time, she didn't push me with too many questions she knew when to talk and when to just be there. She put a bendy straw in my Gatorade and would hold it up to my mouth for me to keep me hydrated. I never had to ask for a single thing, its like she just knew what I needed. I can go on and on, she was extremely nurturing and comforting and far exceeded my expectations for post-op care. Lourdes was such an angel, it was the closest thing to having my mom there (who didn't know I was having surgery btw), but without the stress because my mom would have been worried to death seeing me like that which would have stressed me out, and that's the last thing I needed. That's why I say the recovery house was totally worth it, because they know what is normal and whats not normal for recovery specific to this procedure and salamas patients, and if theres a big concern they have personal contacts to the doctors office and don't hesitate to make that phone call. At some point later that evening Nomie stopped by and came to my room to check on me. Im not sure why exactly she was there, but it was nice. She told me my symptoms were from the anesthesia and everyone reacts differently. 3 of us in the house had gotten bbl's that day, but for some reason I seemed to have the strongest reaction which kind of surprised me, but it does make sense considering I have adverse reactions to many antibiotics, so maybe I have a low tolerance for certain things and my body just rejects these foreign chemicals more than the average person.

I attempted to walk around because dr salama had said he believes patients that get burns are really experiencing death of skin in certain areas due to lack of circulation. I saw that everyone else was getting up and walking around, so I thought id give it a shot during one of my breaks from throwing up lol. But of course, for me that was a mistake. I got as far as the kitchen counter, and again the room started getting black and I felt a collapse coming on. I had to lean against the counter as long as I could while my guardian angel Lourdes hurried and grabbed a chair because she knew I was about to go down again. I leaned on the chair with my knees on the seat and my arms on the back, and she literally pushed me all the way back to my bed lol. Poor thing, I dealing with me must have gave her a run for her money. Im amazed at how she managed to attend to all us so well, like I said 3 of us had bbls that day, and the next day were two more new cases plus the girls who were already recovering and she was there by herself to care for us all, but she did it well.

I finally ate some lentil soup around midnight, by then I was starving since I had been throwing up all day plus I was NPO before the surgery. The lentil soup at the recovery house is delicious. Anyone staying there should at least try it, even if your a picky eater.
My appetite following surgery was very small... I couldn't each much at one time, and It took me a few weeks to get my appetite back.

I meant to attach the pics with previous post