Cursed with Cellulite Since I Was a Pre-teen...

My story is like so many others I have read on this site. It's nice to know I'm not alone in this. I remember the first glimpses of cellulite at the age of 12. I do recall the fateful day that I say these bumps and bulges all over the outsides of my thighs. I remember comparing myself to my step sister who was one year older than I was, and significantly overweight. Yet she did not have this cellulite. This has been proven to me over the years that cellulite attacks who it attacks, and your weight has nothing to do with it. So anyway, I went through my adolescence and teen years avoiding any setting that involved swimming. I never wore shorts. When I did swim, I would always wear a T-shirt to cover up. At one point I remember my mom saying to me, "You're too young to have cellulite." And that really hurt. As I grew up, I'm in my 30's now, I learned to cover up in different ways: wearing skirted bikinis, board shorts, anything to cover my thighs. I really just felt deformed and ugly.
Fast forward to 2009…
I started researching cellulite treatments. I found Lipodissolve. This was a costly waste of time. I spent something like $1800 on a series of 6 treatments that left me swollen and in pain. The results were nil! I had at that point resigned to live with cellulite. I thought there was no way that I would get rid of it. Doomed.
Fast forward to 2013…
I heard about the procedure Cellulaze. I researched it and for the first time I had some hope that this was FINALLY the answer for me. The science and the principles behind it made sense. There was an explanation for these dimples, there were bands holding them down. And if the bands were cut, the skin would lay smooth. Plus I was very encouraged by the before and after photos. The only problem is the procedure wasn't performed by any doctors in the Memphis area. In the back of my mind, I knew... not IF, but WHEN Cellulaze came to Memphis, I would be signing up!
Fast forward to 2014...
I saw an advertisement for Cellulaze in Memphis. I went to see the doctor at the Laser Aesthetics Body and Wellness Center in the Memphis area. The doctor, Dr. Campfield, was very nice. He has a nice practice. He specializes in SmartLipo and other cosmetic procedures. But after talking with him, it turns out he has performed ZERO Cellulaze procedures; and I was not about to be his guinea pig. Plus, he was not on the Cynosure list of certified Cellulaze doctors. (I highly recommend people look at their website and check). I was overall unimpressed or convinced he could perform the procedure with confidence and expertise. He offered a combo of SmartLipo and Cellulaze for the same intro price of $2900. I researched that evening and found that Cellulaze and SmartLipo CANNOT be performed in the same area at the same time. So that was another red flag to me. So I walked away. I am glad I did my research. And I implore you all to do the same.
Later that day, I went home feeling depressed. I got my hopes up for this procedure and now my hopes were dashed. I went about looking for doctors close to me. I found a certified doctor, Dr. Bacon, in the Nashville area. He was highly reputed, and I even saw him on a news program talking about Cellulaze while I was Googling. So I called up their office. I spoke with Claire Bacon on the phone, who was so helpful, so kind, and accommodating. She informed me that people come to Nashville from all around to get Cellulaze. In lieu of a consultation, I sent 8-10 photos in different lighting, from different angles via email to their office. Dr. Bacon reviewed the photos the same day and returned a quote to me. This doctor is one who charges by the size of the area to be treated, which cuts down on the overall cost. I only needed a small area on each outer thigh, so the quote was $2400.
I have scheduled the procedure for Monday, June 2. The doctor will call in a prescription for antibiotics, and a pain killer that Friday before the procedure. He suggested I get a good compression garment. From what I have read on RealSelf, people talk about the open crotch compression garments. They said I could use Spanx, but I have heard they are not the best to use for cosmetic procedures. So, I found a good surgical grade one: Taylor & Taylor brand Stage 2 Shaper Compression Garment with Open-Crotch. It retails for close to $100 and I found a new one on eBay for $60, and free shipping. This is a slip-on one, as opposed to a zippered one (that sounds awful to have to zip it up). I will travel to Gallatin, TN near Nashville and have the procedure done in their office soon. I will keep you all posted. I’ve uploaded my before photos for you to see.

Here are my before photos

I had Cellulaze yesterday. I took my antibiotics starting the night before as I was asked. I also took a Vicodin before the procedure as a preemptive measure :) However, It was not at all as painful as I expected. The only part that hurt was the numbing of the area where the incisions were made. He injected Lidocaine in 4 areas, 2 on each leg, where the cannula/laser entered. Then he pumped my legs full of numbing solution, after that I felt nothing, The whole experience lasted about an hour. Afterward the nurse pushed out all the remaining numbing fluid in my legs, which was gross. Then she bandaged me up really well at the incision points. I was told to wait to put the compression garment on until I got home and had a shower. This was a good suggestion because as I sat down in the car to leave, my legs gushed fluid. I went home and showered. I was told no bath or pool for a week. I got my husband to bandage me up after the shower. It made me feel very nauseous to see the fluid and blood trickle out. It continued to trickle out the rest of the night, although the bandages helped keep it off the bed sheets. I slept on one of those absorbent pads just in case. Overall, soreness. Not really painful. Hard to walk and sit down. If I was still, it felt tolerable.
Day after:
Today the pain is much better. Still sore but less than yesterday. Bruising is starting to form. Idon't see any results yet. I know some people saw improvement right away but I am reserving judgements until 6 weeks, that's when my doc said I could start to see results. I will continue to update.