41 Yrs Old, 2 Kids, Athletic but Stubborn Fat on Tummy and Thighs-Smart Lipo - Honolulu, HI

I have this pocket of fat on my belly thanks to coolsculpting from 4 years ago.. I got the coolsculpting when I was at my thinnest, and then when I gained any weight it would go right above the area treated and pooch out. It was more noticeable on my right side. It was gross and nasty. My thighs were too big, too. It seems once I turned 40, nothing could get me where i wanted to be. If I dieted down (Beachbody Ultimate Reset.... totally works, but I think it screws up your metabolism), my face got gaunt by the time my body looked good.

OK, so i had heard about SmartLipo and my doctor was the first to do it here in Honolulu. He was very open with me during the consult, and told me he would prefer to only laser the area between my thighs and not suck out the fat. He was very realistic about the discomfort, downtime, etc. I ended up calling back two times with a long list of questions and the office manager was amazing, answering all my questions. Let me just say, thanks to this site I was able to really get a ton of great information, advice, and understanding in addition to what my doctor told me. Thank you REAL SELF! (the only reason I am posting is because I feel this site helped me so much, I need to pay it forward and let yall know about my experience)

Ok, so the procedure: I did my upper and lower abs, my thighs and my flanks (Laser and suck fat out) They just did the inner thighs with a laser, no sucking fat out. Man, the inner thighs hurt the most I think .

Morning of I had my meds (something to calm me down, an anti-nausea agent, pain meds and antibiotics). I took one of everything 45 minutes before I got there - my husband drove me. His car was equipped with the puppy pads, and I had the puppy pads for the bed at home. I was a little loopy when I got there. I went into the room, got the bra and panties on and robe. Dr. came in and talked with me, going over everything again, then marked me up. I got on the bed and it began. I was totally awake during the abs. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't terrible. it was pokey and hurt, and then it felt weird when they got to the fat sucking part. It made me think of a toy I saw - a carved wood frog , that you take a carved stick out of its back and then run the stick over the frog's back that is ridged... and it makes a noise like a frog ribbeting. That is what it felt like inside if that makes any sense.

I had to pee two times during the procedure (I forget to tell you, I was super hydrated as I read that would help with recovery and had been drinking water like a boss for the 3 days before my procedure). Dr. did my stomach, then my flanks, then the thighs. But the time I rolled to my side for flanks, I started dozing in and out. After he did everything, they got me up and he looked at all the areas, marked two more and went back in and sucked a bit more fat our of my tummy and left thigh. That made me happy to know he was very concerned with making it perfect.

The whole thing took about 3 hours. 1600 CCs of gross fat were taken out.

I think it was then that the nurses helped clean the marks off me, and put me in my compression garment. They helped me dress and then took me into a different room and gave me an IV.

My husband arrived after the IV was done and took me home. I was able to interact with my kids a little, and even pack their lunches for school the next day. I had a chicken salad for dinner, some animal crackers, drank a gatorade, took a vicoden and went to bed.

I slept well enough. I was tight, and sore, sort of a cross between a work out and being bruised. It wasn't great, but it was horrible either. the days after childbirth are way worse in my opinion.

Leakage - there was NOTHING on the puppy pads. Now, during the procedure every time i got up, I leaked like a faucet. And I might as well be 9 months pregnant with the amount of peeing I was doing overnight and the first day post-op.

That morning I took some tylenol and drove myself to see my doctor. I felt a little lightheaded when they took the CG off, and they took more pics. I was bruising a bit, but not bad. I scheduled my smoothshapes treatments (1 per week for 4 weeks) for the coming month.

I got home, showered, and went to town with the arnica gel. I just put bandaids on my incisions, because they were not leaking at all. That day I worked some from home. I also watched 2 hours of TV. I try to stand and work, or lay flat and rest. That night I took another vicoden to help with sleep.

Oh yes and because of the vicoden I was taking metamucil 2 x a day. It works girls, use it! No issues in that department. (Pain pills can stop you up)

Day 2 I had a meeting and did work from home. I only took Tylenol. I started to get itchy, and was still sore, but totally fine.

Day 3 is today. I took a tylenol this morning. I walked for 45 minutes this morning and plan to keep walking for 2 weeks. At that check in with Dr. he will let me know if I can do weights, etc. I have some bruising, but it's just yellow.

I was taking Curamed (tumeric) before the procedure and 3 times a day since/ I take Arnica Montana pills (3 at a time) 4 times a day. Yesterday I took my first Bromelain (pineapple extract). Every shower I put the arnica gel all over. I think all of this is helping.

I will try to get my pics from the office so I can post the before and the right after.

See the big bulge of fat on my right side of my tummy? Thanks, coolsculpting.

Pics from day1. Obviously very swollen.