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How the week went with Lipo in Dominican Republic

Ok so here it is as I promised. I just went back and looked at my first post just after the sx and I’m lol at my typos. Guess I was a bit out of it.
My Week in the DR. - I met Baez on Monday to do my blood / ekg and what not paperwork. We met in her office which is upstair in the hospital. She asked me all the typical medical questions and laughed at me cause I do nothing. Drink, smoke, drugs, nothing. I guess thats odd to some people. Her waiting room is tiny but hey who needs to pay for a huge room when you only see a few patients a day. Connected is her office which is even smaller, about the size of the walk in closet in the RH I stayed in. Then attached to that is her exam room which is only as wide as about 2 hospital beds if placed side by side. And then a small bathroom half the size of that lol. But again, who needs more for bragging rights when your work is so rocking it speaks for itself. No real estate bragging rights needed. She looked me over asked what I wanted and off to the clinic downstairs to get the bloodwork done. I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the clinic. There was a few splatters of blood on the arm of the chair where they were drawing mine. I was immediately disturbed by this. Then when I went to pee they gave me a cup to pee in that had the label ripped off. I would have asked for another had I not already read of another reviewer complaining of the same issue, so I figure must be standard there. However, I happen to have my period at that time and had to pull out a very messy tampon (sorry if that’s TMI you might want to stop reading cause that's what these forums are about) that got blood on my hands. Guess what, no soap!! really? Now I’m really wishing I had kept the antibacterial wipes in my purse. The power went out while I was there. Again common and only for 1 min. The ekg guy didn’t want to come out so he met me the next morning before sx. At this point I’m feeling very relaxed for some reason. I get back to the resort, which by the way I would not stay at again, Don Juan in Boca Chica. While the staff was very polite, and the beach was one of the best I have seen. The food was the same crap every meal. Nothing changed. Just nasty. So make sure your willing to leave to go out to eat every meal. But that totally defeated the reason for me paying so much for an all inclusive resort.
Wake up for sx Tuesday morning at 4:30. Still pretty chill. Get to the clinic and you check in at the Emergency Room. I pass the ekg. change into clothes and get my pretty blue pill, which 20 min after taking I’m thinking this would figure I’m still feeling normal. Oh wait… lol, the night I was suppose to be resting for the sx happens to be an annual party day called San Juan day. It’s when the entire friggin county parties from 8 p.m. till 8 a.m. the next morning. Yes, they partied blaring radios and getting [RS bleep] faced on the beach all night. There was no sleep had at all the night before sx, that’s why I was certain I got a crappy blue pill. Anyway, It’s 20 min after the pill and they are wheeling my tired butt to the sx room. I sat up on the bed and leaned forward so they could insert the epidural in my back. And as I did I said to the Anesthesiologist to please be aware I have scoliosis and as I went to repeat it in spanish I passed out from the pill. Yes, just like that, in the matter of time it took to say 1 word. Lol. I woke up for a millisecond as they were laying me on my stomach to start the lipo. I woke up again a few min later as they were working on me i think but I felt nothing. They were trying to give me oxygen thru the tube that goes in front of your nostrils. But Everytime I lay down my nose completely blocks and there is no chance of me breathing thru it. Id die. So I wake a bit and I'm drugged trying to say to them my nose is stuffed and blocked I can't breathe the oxygen in thru my nose. I say it twice, the guy says shhh and I'm sure stuffs me with more drugs as is to say shut up lady. I wake again a bit later for a min saying owww owwww i can feel you jabbing me in my shoulder blade. Yes it hurt a bit. And again, I’m out cold.
When all was said & done I woke up in my room with garment on. See my friends face and a woman acting like she knows me. I guess she was my nurse I hired but I hadnt met her until that moment. I fall back to sleep immediately. Apparently I had a fight with my friend that was there but I don't remember it. He also says I ripped my gown off and showed him my boobs when the Dr came in to check the garment. But I don't remember any of that. I don’t come out of anesthesia very well, I already knew that. My friend told me the next day all of that lol. I wake up feeling just uncomfy and stiff later and I can’t sleep much tho I try. I end up getting sick and throwing up just once. Let me tell you. I would rather push out a full sized baby than to throw up right after lipo for 1 min. It was like someone was burning the inside of my stomach with fire. OH MY GOD. I hadn't taken any pain meds but I jumped on them at that moment. Whoa. I will never forget that pain. I just laid there all night on my back in and out. I’d sleep for a 20 min nap then stay up forever. And repeat. I believe my Hemo was at 12.5 when I went in and 11 when I came out the next day. Getting up and moving is crazy. You want to move but your body says, no no. stay there. Then the dizzy and nausea come back. My Dr was to discharge me in the a.m. but didn't get there till 2pm. I was thankful cause it took me that long to finally stand without getting sick. Ladies, if the nurse comes in to take out the catheter, tell them no not till you know you can walk. I forgot about this and it was not cool.
The hospital recovery room was very clean. While i was there the next morning the cleaning lady came in and swept the floors, empty the trash, and proceeded to wash the floors and walls, not once, but 3 times. I liked that :) considering no one there seems to be concerned about other peoples blood. She even cleaned underneath the toilet and sink.
Ok, so Im a tough [RS bleep]. I know I am. And I took no pain meds at that point. They say its cause of the anesthesia still being in there but now that I went thru it all, I know I held true to being so tough. When telling my best friend that they said that he said “they clearly dont know the chick I know, she’s a fukn power house.” :) lol that made me smile to hear someone say that. He is the reason I now realize how much pain I can handle. Both mentally and physically. Oh ya, the mental part… this tested me there as well towards the end of the week.
So, I have a dark cloud that rains on me pretty consistently. It followed me to DR. I happen to be one of the few who have drain problems. A drain goes in one side of your hip and tru around your back, around your other hip and ends just to the opposite side of your stomach almost where it goes in. I had a few spots on the back that felt like fire. Just like when I threw up. Even if it was barely touched. I was almost in tears. I had to fight them off. The fact that The Dr put me in a faja that has the but cut out (ask that you not have one of these, there really is no need it only made swelling worse in the butt and I didn't even have a bbl its just the way your body works after. Everything swells. Well, the seam of that part that is cut out was digging right on the drain. I begged the Dr to take it out but she refused. It made my life miserable. Fast forward on that subject 3 days later… I’m in bed crying my eyes out ALLLLL night. All I did was cry and message my Dr BEGGING her to take it out. I had a new faja on and it still wasn't helping, it was only getting worse, now it was hurting to breathe. The more I cried the more it hurt, the more I cried. Im not happy about this. And to be honest, I would never ever do it or anything again due to this simple thing of her not taking it out. I'm very pissed to be honest and will not recommend this procedure to anyone just because of that. I mean I begged!!!!!!!!!!! I had the drain removed the following morning and it was horrible. I was told it was just going to be a lot of pressure coming out. I'm like hey ummm ya, I already have a problem that is getting worse, since day one and its not going to hurt ya ok. It was horrible, I screamed and swore. I never do that. Lets not forget I managed to get thru all of this with no pain meds because I can handle it, with the exception of that drain problem. Im [RS bleep] becuase I now can feel where the drain came out all around my body its a hard lump all the way around me. And now the site where the drain went in is infected. the very next day I had puss. I’m not happy about this. You have no idea.
Anyway, enough about the bad. So I was looking great the first 2 days I checked my results. But now I am looking like i have a belly again. I’m sure it’s just due to things changing from such an invasive sx. I got on the scale this morning and it said I weighed 3 pounds more than the day I had the sx. I had to laugh at that. We all know that’s not possible. But I’m curious where it comes from since I’m not full of fluid. Oh, I was wearing compression socks (rated at 20-30) for the first week. I had no swelling at all. Today I noticed my ankles and legs are very blown up. It doesnt hurt. And I'm not even sure if it’s a big deal. I suppose if it bothers me then I’ll ask Baez if its a problem I should address.
All in all tho the sx is something I def could handle. Even with no pain meds. With the exception of the drain issue.
Mentally, I said I’d get back to that…. So after not sleeping but 2 hours a night, and a split up 2 hours during the day for days and days. When you add in something like that pain I had from the drain all in my back. It affects you. I was a mental mess and just stayed in my room that night, no food, no fluids, nothing, cause I was def not feeling myself. All my issues I am having back home came down on me mentally, and hard. I have a lot I am dealing with at home with a separation, custody, house, and what not that all came about after I had already booked this sx. I went to the DR vowing to clear my head of it all so I wouldn’t stress myself out or hamper my recovery. I did really well with the exception of one thing that kept sticking in my head. But I delt with it. Obviously until alllll that crazy pain hit. I sat in my room lights off, in pain crying, and once that finally subsided, I spent the rest crying from the mental stress. Not something I would do at any other time in my life. SO, if you are an emotional person. Be prepared, it may be trying on you.
I’ll write a review on the recovery house I stayed at - Serenity - maybe tomorrow. It’s hard to focus on this and I really dont want to leave anything out for you ladies.

Your Weight After Lipo

Just a quick note.... Do not get on the scale after lipo. It's useless. Just go by before and after pics. I am weighing in heavier than I was the day of surgery. And as you can see from the pic is the post above this one at 5 days out... there is a significant difference and improvement. Even if I do have fluid still to absorb and get out of my system there's no way it's enough to make me bigger than I was.

5 days Post-Op Photo

Ok I know, all no review. But I'm getting requests for before and after pics. I am extremely pleased so far. I'm just too uncomfortable to go thru the review still. But I am back at work it's been 7 days since and I am very tired. Was almost sick this morning just from trying to get myself and son ready too quickly. I mean I'm ok to do most things I need to, minus laundry and sleeping apparently at all isn't on the list even with sleeping pills. Omg, that's the worst, being exhausted on pills and still not sleeping I get about 2 hours sleep, then I'm up a while then another 2 hours. Tops.

Provider Review

Plastic Surgeon
Bolívar Avenue 208, Gazcue, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional

So far all interactions have been more than pleasant. I am so far feeling very confident in my decision with Dra Baez. I will update more each step of the way.