I'm on 23 Hour Lockback in this Garment!

In our desire to make ourselves feel more attractive, we can sometimes forget just how risky these procedures are. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!! You are loved and someone wants you to come home. I don't think I'd ever been as afraid as I was laying on the operating table that day because I was no longer in control. I remember beginning to cry as soon as the anesthesiologist put the needle in my arm but it didn't last long because I was out fast. I never really reflected on the fact that I made it to the other side. I came out thinking about taking pics, was it too big, was my stomach flat like I wanted it....but really...how blessed was I to wake up? Some ladies haven't been as lucky. I'm praying for you all---be blessed. XOXOXOXO
http://www.nbcmiami.com/investigations/Another-Death-After-Brazilian-Butt-Lift-in-South-Florida-416467823.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_MIBrand

I didn't measure daily after surgery bc I didn't want to obsess over size but I know you ladies love measurements, so here goes:

Before surgery: 165-167lbs
Waist: 36 1/2 inches
Hips/Butt: 43 inches

Immediately After: not sure but I was 172 when I got home a week later.
Waist: 33 3/4 inches
Hips/Butt: 47 inches

Now: 158 lbs
Waist: 30 1/2 inches
Hips/Butt: 45 inches--my butt has been holding here since around 3-4 weeks post op.

I'm 6 weeks post op! Man! Recovery is a serious commitment. I thank God I'm making it through. I had to take a break from RS because I couldn't cope with my recovery reading about everyone else's. Every time someone mentioned itching, I started itching badly. If they had a keloid, I thought I had one too. I had to detox bc OPP (other people's problems) was driving me nuts!

So first things first..I have to say I didn't follow all the rules to the T..[RS bleep] happens. I've been sitting with pillows and blankets at work since 4 weeks. I did stand and kneel as much as possible but NOT sitting at all was NOT an option for me at work. I believe I lost some volume and I do have slightly dimpled areas because of this so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't HAVE to sit. The areas don't bother me as much right now bc my butt looks really natural. I'm not phased enough to consider a revision at this point but hopefully, they'll look better after fluffing??? Idk...Now my stomach on the other hand....hmmm..I'm definitely considering a second round of something but I'm going to hit the gym with the trainer first to try to get it done the old fashioned way. With that being said, I feel my body looks a hundred times better! Dr. S really shaped me the way I wanted and I am eternally grateful for that. I haven't gotten a lot of attention for it bc I'm still disguising in lots of layers of clothing, garments, foams, corsets and squeems. It's really cold so that part isn't that hard to do. I will say I saw an old "friend" that I hadn't seen since last summer on a day I just happened to wear my vedette, a fitted tee and jeggings. He went bananas! Needless to say he's been blowing up my phone since.

My massage therapist was a little suspect. I had to dump her after my 10th massage because she truly made me feel uncomfortable. No matter how many times I told her not to touch my butt and hips, her hands always found their way there. I thought maybe I was imagining things and being paranoid. Every time she touched it, I corrected her and each time she'd say, "oh, I'm sorry! I forgot." Really? You forgot three times in ONE session?? Yeah, ok. I tried to stick it out with her because she was specially trained in lymphatic massage but I couldn't do it. I had my boo fill in for the last two weeks. I can still feel scar tissue under my skin. Now that I can lay without the boppy, I will pickup weekly deep tissue massages with my regular masseuse for another month or two and see how it goes.

No one ever says anything about knee/elbow pads! I would strongly recommend them because you will definitely put your knees and elbows to work. Maybe I kneeled more than most girls would but you will get tired of laying down ALL THE TIME! By the time I noticed the damage done, my knees were so sore and my elbows were always extra ashy even after lotion. They are getting better but I personally would invest in something to protect them a second time around.

Nomie showed us how to remove the second drain once I was home. My boo pulled it out. The drain starts attaching to your insides so you will feel it ripping out. Somehow a piece of one of my stitches was left inside. The hole would not close up and he noticed something was wrong because the drain in the back didn't heal that way. He went in and pulled the rest of the stitch out about 4 days later. Painful but it closed right up afterwards. Now, I'm hoping the scar it left will go away. I'm using kelocote on it everyday. Girls, it's good to have someone around who will truly care for you and who will notice the things you just can't.

Finding the right garment is definitely tiresome. I don't live in an area with faja stores so I have gotten my mother to alter my second garment each time it got loose. I had to tell her I'm waist training so she'd stop asking questions but it worked. Anyway, I put my foams in and put my squeem or corset on top for tight compression. Overall, this seems to be the best and most cost effective solution for me. It's tight in the waist where I need it to be and supportive around the booty. My only problem with this one is that the butt cutouts make the butt look deformed when wearing it under my clothing. The piece going down the crack bothered the pure hell out of me in the beginning but it got better as the swelling in my butt went down. I also ordered the Vedette 130. I would say this garment only has medium compression. Not enough for the waist training stage. It also hooks in between the legs and I am NOT a fan of that! I also ordered the Forma Tu Cuerpo MRTA115 with the butt in to get away from that thong piece from the butt out garment. The compression was too tight to me in the butt area--no bueno! The Leonisa Boyshort Body Shaper is an excellent choice if you don't have big thighs. The boyshort kept rolling up on me and making a home in my crease. It's made of powernet with the exception of the fabric in the butt area to prevent flattening--very little compression there. I'm going to order a longer leg version of it for daily wear when I get to my final size.

Since surgery, I have dropped to 158lbs. My eating habits have changed drastically. I can't eat more than a kids meal size portion of anything. Some foods I used to eat regularly, give me a BM within an hour so I've stopped eating them. Trust me, pulling all this stuff off to use the bathroom, is not worth the temporary gratification. When you do eat, the compression from the Squeem will force you to put the food down! Eating too much will make you feel sick--almost to the point where you have to vomit. I'm moving down to a small Squeem now and I've ordered the miracle vest version so I can be without my butt out garment sometime. The Squeem makes the waist look snatched for real, hunnies!!!

Sleeping is a [RS bleep]!! Wearing all this stuff to sleep is sooo uncomfortable. I've woken up in the middle of the night a couple times, snatching everything off! I know I looked crazy but I had to get out of it. Now a couple nights a week, I sleep without everything. It is a little painful because the nerves in your back WILL let you know they are craving the support the garments give. I just tough it out until the morning and put everything back on. My body's always like "ahhhhh!" once I have everything back on...it's the strangest feeling in the world.