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Things moving along great but noticed recently upper ab muscles appear to swell more at night
More pics
5 weeks Update
Here is my update. A lot has changed. I quit taking my vitamins and bromelaine and arnica ( ran out of everything but arnica and I didn't think it was as effective as bromelaine for swelling and bruising is gone). I haven't been eating well this week but will get back in that train now that I'm not traveling. Im slowly starting to walk again and hope I can job within the next few weeks. That's taking me a while because after half a block I get swollen and the part that makes that hard is I hunch over as a result without meaning to. On a day to day basis-A lot of the swelling that I was experiencing has gone down which is nice. I know it will get bad in a few weeks but most of my swelling was in the first and second week. Now I seem to have a little more towards the end of the day or after I walk around too much. I've quit wearing my binder and it kind of feels like wearing a dress without panties. I know I need it because I want it but I don't really "need" it.
I really miss the binder but every day is better and I won't lie-not wearing it makes you enjoy your results more. I like my results a ton. I wish my boobs were a little less mushed together but I've always had that type of chest and it was to be expected that I would have a lot of cleavage now too. I think it just makes my chest looks fat but I love otherwise how natural they feel and look and the size is exactly what I wanted. My stomach is great. I'm happier than I've ever been with my body because of it. I did have to have an area above my belly button repaired, so now that my belly button is new and the old belly button scar is way down near pubic area I have a scar that serves as a reminder of " hey, this is kind of where your old belly button was pulled down to and cut off!" Ha! In time I would like to get that revised but not now. I'm enjoying less pain for the time being.
Provider Review
I can only attempt to clearly describe how grateful I am to everyone at The Refine Institute for their superior service across the board. I've read a few stupid reviews on here about Dr.Pratt and I honestly think they are fake. My experience was honestly exceptional. I made three different appointments for only liposuction. I had a feeling the dr would tell me I needed a tummy tuck but I had a fear of my belly button getting messed up so I was against it. Dr.Pratt was my first appointment and when I went in and met with him and Erin, I felt like I had already made my decision. They were so kind and humorous and down to earth. Loved their personalities and Dr.Pratt talked to me in a way that I understood. I felt confident in him but before I made my choice I had to go back to work and look up his before and after photos and compare to the two other VERY well known and high rated South Charlotte PS I had appointments with. Dr.Pratts results were better and his belly buttons blew the other two out of the water. I paid for my down payment that day and canceled my other two appointments. Now onto the staff: I had a billion questions, irrational fears from junk I saw on Botched and expectations that weren't easy to explain let alone for someone else to understand. Not once did this team make me feel like my silly questions were anything but totally reasonable and a top priority. Erin, Dr.Pratt, Marta, Kathryn and Jan all made this pretty major decision and surgery one of my best decisions I've made and a fond memory. I think Dr.Pratt scouts the globe for only the very best staff to assist him because I have never met such a phenomenal bunch of people anywhere! Oh my gosh, and not only did I actually get the results ( maybe better?!?!) that I was trying so desperately to explain (thanks to Dr.Pratt's detailed work) but I wasn't a nervous wreck the day of surgery. I'm obsessed with belly buttons and mine is already cuter now than it was when I was 16! I have seen so many that look like little coin slits or are too high up or too far down or too far to the right or left. Mine is right where it was. Erin is like your cheerleader from day one until your post op appointments. She remembers detAils and has answers to your questions pronto. From payment types to pep talks; she's got your back. Jan was so patient with me it's ridiculous. Yes, the imagining machine wasn't working and I wanted to "see" what my results may look like in a shirt. I came in for pre-op and she grabbed a few boxes of different sizes and bras and we stood in front of a mirror and tried them all on until I finally decided to let Dr.Pratt choose. (this is after I called Erin and before I even could tell her what I was calling for she said " you're wanting to add Breast Augmentation aren't you". She said she could tell from our initial meeting and my questions that I might. Lol) Day of surgery Marta was my nurse and she is outstanding. We laughed and laughed and honestly I remember laughing down to the second when the anesthesiologist sent me to lalaland. When I woke up I had a nurse named Danielle for after hours care and honestly I don't think she works with them full time so I cannot rate Refine Institute any less for this but she lacked in the personality department at first and I did have to remind her to do things a lot at first ( she made a comment s out "forgetting the small things as she tried to focus on more important matters) but she came around after a few hours. I think she was a little green and probably felt nervous.