Melanated Mermaid, working on the best version of ME, Lipo + TT - Dominican Republic, DO

I'm a Southern Belle living the Cali Life, always been the "Cute but Chubby" friend with the gorgeous face but mediocre physique, BUT ALL of that is about to change. I need my inner beautiful to be reflected on the outside as well. I'm currently working out and living a lo-carb lifestyle to get to a healthy and safe weight before my planned surgery date in possibly January or February 2017

Although I am still in love with Dra. Duran's sculpting techniques and her results, I am just not very comfortable with how busy her clinic is and how hard it is to be able to reach someone to discuss things (scheduling, quotes, dates, etc). I know for sure that they are BUSY BUSY BUSY, but my concern is that if I were to go and have my procedure, have a peaceful recovery at my RH, then return home and have some type of complications, I would have the HARDEST time getting in touch with someone to ask questions or voice my concerns.

This caused me to research some more and I came across Dra. Fatima Almonte. She doesn't seem as popular as many of the other go-to BBL surgeons, but her work is still BEAUTIFUL. I’ve had the most effortless access to her Assistant, Lesley. I sent a Whatsapp text expressing my interest at 12:34 AM on a Friday. And she responded by 7:04 AM that same morning requesting that I email the information with my front, back, and side images via email. I emailed her on that same afternoon and had a quote by 5:30 AM PST Monday morning. We have corresponded several times since then and each time it takes less than 24 hours to get at the very least, an acknowledgment that they are working on my inquiry. I will post some information from my quote letter here as it may be helpful to some future dolls. I will however be removing any account information to protect her privacy as much as possible.

Thank you for your images. Dr. Almonte has reviewed your request and suggests the following procedures:

Tummy Tuck + Liposculpture full back full abdomen flanks waist + BBL

** You will need to lose at least 35-40 lbs before surgery, BMI limit is 35 **

It is very important that you check prior to planning your surgery the following: Hemoglobin levels and BMI.

The BMI limit is 35, it is very important that every patient is physically ready to have these procedures. The hemoglobin level must be minimum 12 to have any procedure performed and 13 and above to have full liposculpture.

The minimum stay required is 10 days after SX day.

Below I have detailed the costs for these procedures. When are you planning to come?

US$ 5,450.00 includes:

?10 days in Recovery house, meals, 24 hour nursing monitoring

(Recovery House available: My Home Patient care RH, The new life, Armonia, Tropical.
Due to the high season the RH will be assigned depending on the availability of each one)

(US$55.00 extra per day if you bring companion)

(US$25.00 additional per day if the patient wish to have a private room for herself

Transportation from airport/clinic/consultations

Preoperative Cardiovascular evaluation and blood tests, EKG, X-Ray

Post operation medications:

*Levo antibiotics 750mg. Every24h am

*Azitrom antibiotics1g. Every4h pm

*Artricom Relax pain medication Every12h

*Tasec Omeprazol 40mg Every24h

*Falcifor Ferro Every8hr

(Heparin shots is not included = US$ 40.00 additional for a box with 4 injections)

1 Post op garment

1 night at the clinic

Free of charge consultation post op



Without the Recovery House

US$ 4,600.00 includes:

Preoperative Cardiovascular evaluation and blood tests, EKG, X-Ray

Post operation medications:

*Levo antibiotics 750mg. Every24h am

*Azitrom antibiotics1g. Every4h pm

*Artricom Relax pain medication Every12h

*Tasec Omeprazol 40mg Every24h

*Falcifor Ferro Every8hr

(Heparin shots is not included = US$ 40.00 additional for a box with 4 injections)

1 Post op garment

1 night at the clinic

Free of charge consultation post op



Important: Patients with the following conditions will not be able to have sx:

- Low hemoglobin level below 12

- Recent abortion or surgeries procedures performed

- Patients with cancer history must have a Doctor clearance and must also have an evaluation by an Hematologist whom would give the authorization for the surgery to be perform.

- Patients with high blood pressure, diabetic, Thyroid must also be evaluated by a specialist in the field.

Medication that must be stopped before surgery:

- Aspirin

- Weight loss pills or any pill that contains Phendramine must be stopped at least 6 weeks prior to surgery.

- Diabetic patients must suspend Metformin a week prior to surgery and must consult your head Doctor to substitute with any other medication that does not contain this component.


Prior to your arrival we must prepare your body by taking Folic Acid, Iron and Vitamin C, it is very
important we assure you are not anemic since that will enable us to proceed. It is best if you can have a CBC test to check on your Hemoglobin levels, it must be above 12 to have any procedure. The ideal level is 13 and above.



There is a security deposit of US$500.00 required to save your date can be placed through:

Banco Popular

Sharemoney.com You can use sharemoney.com to make this transfer or you can transfer from your own bank account, please check with your bank the charges.

Credit card payments of remaining balance at the clinic must be Visa or Master card, there is a 5% transaction fee of the total amount to be paid.

This deposit must be done in dollars and is NON REFUNDABLE OR TRANSFERABLE, although it is good for a year in case you need to change your surgery date and your quote is valid for 6 month. The remaining balance is to be paid in US$ cash ONLY.

Once your surgery scheduled, you can ONLY change your date 2 times in case you need to.

Surgery days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Dr. Almonte has a very strict rule of only 3 patients per day, and therefore it is very important that you save your date on time. I will need for you to arrive the day prior to prep for surgery. It is preferred that you arrive before 6:00 pm to have all of the evaluations and blood tests performed.

You must contact me 48 hours prior to your surgery to confirm flight arrival.

Please advise me of any medical conditions or special medication taking at the moment. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or doubts.

I look forward to having you here, have a blessed day!

I will include a screenshot of her current contact information from her Instagram page, just in case there is someone in need of this information.

Sorry Dolls, I'm going to try this AGAIN! RS needs to make this photo upload process a bit more seamless.

Hey Dolls HEY! So the time is finally near for my Glow Up! I fly out this weekend headed to DR. Not too sure if we've made the best selection in recovery house, but we're gonna ride this thing out. My Soror (Sorority sister) and I are having surgery on the same day. I've been hearing that time is not a factor in the Dominican world so Im trying to prepare myself for all the waiting I'm about to have to do once we arrive. My bag has been packed and repacked about 8 times, Im not trying to take too much, especially since all the IG Vets swear we will never use half of the things we pack. I will try to make a list of "What's in my DR surgery bag?" and share it with you soon...

If you want to see my journey first hand, follow me on Instagram at @MelanatedMermaidSxPage

I haven't yet gotten the courage to share my "Before" photos...but I am trying to get comfortable with that idea so I can give future dolls a more accurate idea of what Dra. Almonte's results look like.

Hello Lovelies!!! So I had my tummy tuck with muscle repair and a bit of fat transfer to my hips on 6/14/2017. The Cardiologist had some concerns that I would have issues that could compromise my airway since I have a short neck. People with shorter necks tend to have issues with the intubation (airtube they put down your throat to promote oxygenation) and anesthesia that can cause heart failure. It was very disappointing but I believe Dra. Almonte did her best to give me a nice silhouette from the front. I am at that emotional state of "Why did I do this to myself " because I still look a hot mess from the swelling and of course I still have Lil Debbie snacks, no cake ????.

Some of the swelling has subsided after my first 3 massages...but I stay in this garment so much to try and combat the swell hell that I haven't taken any updated photos.

I can honestly say that my recovery has gone much better than expected. I haven't been in pain per say, just a lot of discomfort, the swelling, its hard to find a comfortable sleeping position, and my drain hasn't been functioning accurately at times. The swelling SUCKS dirty balls!!!! Massages are a bit painful during but you will LOVE the way you feel later, so much better once that fluid is gone. I attribute the smooth recovery to the "Make Me Heal" vitamin kit. They have a pre-op set that you take for 14 days before surgery, than there is a post-op kit which you take 2 xs a day for 30 days. It's worth the investment. I've attached pictures so you can see what the kit looks like

I was moved to my Stage 2 Faja 5 days post-op. It makes you feel so much better, you stand more erect and you have less back pain for my tummy tuck dolls. It also compresses so much better. I have NEVER worn a large as an adult...I'm very happy about at the least that part

I traveled from California so my flight was significantly more than what most people will pay. My boyfriend bought my flights for around $650 round trip, but that's purchasing 10 months in advance. Its hard to give you an accurate RH cost because they run specials. And it really depends on what you want to pay for ( aesthetics vs basic care). I would say, see what RHs are offered in your surgeon's quote because more than likely, your surgeon has a good working relationship with that establishment. The RH staff there will probably be better able to contact them if you need things or have questions post-op. For the most part, you don't wanna leave your room much so all that beautiful stuff they offer you will never see (pretty living rooms, pools, lush landscaping, etc) and it ends up being a waste of pay for all that unless you're bringing a relative/loved one that's going to use the amenities. Also, my surgeon's coordinator suggested bringing $600 extra. It was the perfect amount of extra $. I think I only spent $40 of it because I have not gone anywhere besides the RH. My surgery buddy did not bring an extra dime and she ended up needing a blood transfusion...please DO NOT make that mistake, you never know what you will need and they don't just give it to you and let you pay later. I ended up having to pay for it for her. My best advice is to start a surgery Instagram account, follow as many dolls as you can find that are going to the surgeons you are looking at to see what their journey was like and how their results turned out. It really does give you a better perspective of what you can expect for your body time and there will be more people/resources to answer many of the questions you have along the way. I definitely learned more from the ladies on IG than I did on RS because the information is more abundant and easily organized for me to search. I hope this was somewhat helpful

So I know Dra. Almonte is known as "The Fat Girl's or Plus Size Girl's surgeon" but that's not the most accurate assessment. She works with all sizes and she can give a good starting foundation for a Plus Size doll, but you will NOT get the drastic change you would see with many other surgeons (ie. Manon/Cabral/Disla/Marte). I love Dra. Almonte, and I know she did the best she could working with my starting point. I was very out of shape and knew I would need multiple rounds. However I didn't expect that there would be any issues with flipping me because I have no medical history of any kind of medical conditions or concerns (no blood pressure/lung/heart/other chronic issues) yet she is VERY VERY cautious and will not do anything if she is fearful you will have a risk or complication. So be prepared that if you select her, she will only do 1 procedure at a time if you're on the higher end of the BMI requirement (I was 35.60), if you carry all of your weigh in your tummy like me, and if you have a low hemo (my hemo was 13.6 but she still only did 1 procedure due to the CECIP Cardiologist's recommendations of potential concerns...see previous post for details on that).

So I guess I'll share a progress photo so you can see the change that the tummy tuck as made, even though its not drastic like some others, it's better than where I started.

So my stage 2 is a large, I'm so stuffed in here but I want this swelling to be GONE!!!!