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I'm day 3 post-op and have been motivated to get a...
I'm officially 1wk postop!
After my first shower- thanks to my boyfriend I changed into the Rainey suit (m). Both of us doubted the fit but I had ordered it from www.makemeheal.com off of the measurement my PS took. After 10 min of zipper fighting (zippers go on inside and clasps cover Zipper along outside) my boyfriend had the genius idea of using a paper clip untwisted at one end, maintaining a hook at the other to get through the zipper hole and pull up on!!! It was so hard to get a grip on the damn zippers. So needless to say day three felt like I was being juiced... I really could feel seepage. Not so bad that I could see it or that it bled through my pajamas but I definitely felt like I was being squeezed.
Also wanted to mention that the first shower experience was tough. The water against my skin somehow made me incredibly nauseated and uncomfortable. It almost tingled. Had better success with a large cup pouring to wash myself. I definitely got dizzy coming out and had to get down on my knees to get the ringing out of my ears to quit and my heartbeat to settle down. It was a totally weird reaction.
I used arnica gel after my shower before suiting up.
So then day 4 was when my PS gave me permission to remove the surgical tape and cardboard backed bandage that acted to flatten my lower back from my crack up to my mud back. I can't begin to describe the irritation of the poking when I attempted to arch for any reason trying to get comfortable in bed. Funny how all the inconveniences, irritations, and pain are relative. As soon as it got a little easier to get out of bed and walk around, the poking was what seemed to be the problem ;)
So at the end of the day my boyfriend helped me unsuit and debandage. Little did I realize that this seemingly simple process would turn out to be the single most painful experience thus far. Baby oil helps get the tape a little less sticky, but damn my little baby hair. Apparently I'm fuzzier than I ever realized! I felt too light headed after that experience to get in the shower so I rested a bit and rubbed arnica all over again before resuiting into the original PS garment (wanted to wash the Rainey) I was thrilled to find it was baggy! So I used the Velcro waist/back support to cinch myself right for bed.
Day 5 seemed to pass pretty slowly. I was definitely up and about doing housework for about 30-1hr blocks at a time and then would lay back down on my tummy to rest. Showered and switched back into the Rainey. Laying on my sides was too painful with the terrible zippers pinching into my skin.
Also of note- I must have been drinking a ton of water because I averaged using my glorious pee funnel every two hours promptly!
I got mine from REI- it's probably the best purchase I made :)
Day 3
Provider Review
From the get go, I felt very comfortable with the Dr. Although young and charismatic, he's a general surgeon and master of reconstructive surgery. I was impressed by his personable nature, quick responses to difficult questions, multiple recent publications on BBL procedures and the long term effects of fat transfer, and most especially the non aggressive consultation. I felt comfortable within the first ten minutes of talking to go far enough in the consult to undress and discuss options. Dr. Patel mentioned other cases similar to mine and showed pre/post op pics and summed up alternatives to achieve the results I'm looking for. His assistant Barbie (although I'm always skeptical of cute young women with such classically bimbo names) was extremely professional and well organized. She helped me schedule my appointment and impressively sent text reminders to checkin which were quite helpful. I left my consult with the procedure scheduled the following week. I had extenuating circumstances that the Dr. understood and was willing to fit me in on a Saturday. I thought that was pretty unheard of! It was that or waiting in line for months...I chose pronto. That same day as the consult, I visited the nearby lab in Santa Ana to get lab work and my levels verified for the procedure. It was all set- I officially paid in full (because it was such short notice) for lipo of my saddlebags, love handles, abdomen, tiny belly bump, and upper bra flab (sorry my technical terminology is failing me now ;) and minimal fat transfer to round out the curves in my butt. Apparently I have a A-shape with good projection. When I showed up to the office on the big day (small but very conveniently centrally located off Santa Monica Blvd) I was excruciatingly nervous. My amazing boyfriend was there to ease my nerves but honestly it was having Dr Patel come in the pre-op room after finishing up all the legal paperwork that pretty much instantly set me at ease. He has a way of making the procedure sound routine while sincerely making you feel special about your case and the level of care that's taken to ensure your comfort. That was totally necessary for me and not at all overlooked. Next I met the general anesthesiologist. A very soft spoken gentleman who also assured me I was in good hands. Each team member I met (four total who were a part of the procedure) was extremely professional, clean and ready to take my body for an express overhaul. Dr. Patel went over my meds and after care with my boyfriend and I. Vicodin, antibiotics, anti nasea pills, arnica tablets, and Valium just in case...I was told most importantly not to sit at all for two weeks. I was in surgery for 4 hours. I honestly don't remember a thing past a few seconds after my IV was put in and I was asked to lie on my back wearing the paper operating gown. I never believed everything could go from a severe sweaty panic while filling our the paperwork) to complete serenity... I awoke to the sound of my boyfriends voice as the nurse led him to the gurney I was laying on. I was told my throat would be a bit sore from the breathing tube used to assist in safe anesthesia admin. And that a catheter was put in because of the duration of the surgery- but all things considered I felt just fine. I somehow managed to forget where I was. I remember asking the nurse for a little more pain meds to get me through my 1.5 hr ride home which was promptly administered. She dressed me in the pajamas i brought. Then according to my boyfriend I told the nurse I didn't need the wheel chair I could walk to the car (which they wouldn't let me do) but I did manage to crawl in the back without any help where my amazing partner had pillows and towels waiting. The Dr. decided that in my case he would close all the wounds without using a drainage tube. This would mean a bit longer swelling but also a "cleaner" recovery period. I heard from the Dr the following morning in an email assuring me that all went smoothly as planned. So now I've had my first shower and was shocked at how minimal the bruising was. So far I can't tell much in appearance of size as I am still quite swollen but overall I'm impressed with the quality of care and respect through this entire process. Looking forward to posting pictures once I have them to be able to update. I highly recommend Dr. Patel and his team. Although based on the $$$ of procedures I have seen in RealSelf his cost is at a premium as far as I can tell it was well with it. Everything was included- compression garment, meds, and follow ups. Looking forward for the swelling to go down so I can see the fruits of his labor! Also Day three and I'm completely off pain meds. I definitely needed them day one and two but now I've got the push-up strategy down and excited to spend more and more time out of bed! Thank you Dr. Patel!