Petite Female - Boston, MA

Current stats:
Weight training 2X per week
4 months P.O.
130lbs
Waist: 25
Hips: 41.25

Still swollen & slightly painful in abdomen but smoothing out nicely & getting tighter overall.

- Very early on I asked Dr. D "What do I need to buy?".
- Dr. D made it VERY clear, my best investment was selecting a good surgeon & that everything else was optional.
- I got 1 free faja post surgical & left surgery with a foam triangle glued to my back that I kept on until after week 1.
- With that being said, I did not buy most of the things I saw on everyone else's list. I spent the most money on massages & fajas, and that's it. I didn't buy much else beside my pillows & scar sheets. Here is my list. If I remember more stuff I'll add it to my comment section.

Bought:
10 lymphatic massages
3 Fajas (M, S, XS)
2 Waist Cinchers (Nude/Black XS)
2 Waist Cincher Alteration
1 Faja Alteration (XS)
1 Booty Pillow
1 Neck Pillow
1 Box of Scar Sheets
Prescriptions

Did Not Buy:
Pineapple anything
Arnica anything
Iron anything
Bromelain
BioCorneum
Foams
Ab Boards
Massager
Female Urinal
Bed Liners (Did Not Have Drains)

- I maintained my clean eating & vitamin regimen from prior to surgery to after surgery. My hemo was at 14 from the beginning.
- I made a point to just care for myself as best a possible as it related to my eating, bathing, sleeping, etc. before & after surgery.
- I wore clothing already in my wardrobe.
- I've always used Dial soap.
- I had surgery close to home so I could have the convenience of having all of my items near me.
- I tried to spend the least amount as possible on extras, aside from my surgeon.
- I used my HSA to pay for my massages (lol), my prescriptions & any other "medical" stuff.
- I'm mainly writing this to show all of those lists aren't necessarily necessary. If you are traveling abroad, you obviously will have to travel with more items than if you recover at home.
- Many of the items on the lists are to make you heal faster but I don't feel like they help you heal faster overall. Your body still needs 3, 6, 12 months to heal regardless of how much arnica you take. Psychologically it may help you but don't fool yourself into thinking your healing is done because your bruises are gone. Accept it takes time to heal and be patient with yourself.
- Some people (including surgeons) are looking to make money off of you. Don't let them make you buy stuff you don't need.

- Recently got a massage & the masseuse confirmed what I already knew, I'm still swollen.
- She said there was still fluid in my obliques & I needed to go back into my faja.
- I told her my faja & waist cincher were both too loose & they were the smallest you can buy.
- She said for me to have it altered, & wear for at least 8 hours a day for the next 2 weeks.
- That was a week ago & im currently already on the 2nd row of hooks.
- Not sure how I feel. Im happy my waist is getting better compression & hoping this will help my waist to go down more.
- The garment is REALLY hard to put on, takes like 10 minutes.
- Not sure what I'm going to do after the 2 weeks are up or if this gets too big also.
- Other than that, my body is still changing overall. My booty definitely looks different now. I'm happy it's still taking shape.
- Not working out yet. Hope to start this week to get my waist down more, get booty lifted & rounded, and add full body muscle definition.