Goodbye Back Rolls and Linebacker Arms!

It's been about 18 days post op, and I had my post op appointment and complimentary treatments 3 days ago. Luckily my friend was willing to go with me, and we drove to ATL and back to ensure I could get my treatments. When Dr. Ball came in to check on my post op results, he said that I was still swollen quite a bit. He shared that swelling peaks at around day 10, and slowly subsides afterwards. Dr. Ball gave me recommendations to reduces the swelling more quickly over time. He told me to start wearing sweat wraps for my arms and lipo foams, as well as a compression garment with the breasts cut out for more compression to my back rolls.

With Atlanta Specialty Lipo Clinic, two complimentary treatments are provided. I got a electric shock treatment on my arms so she could stimulate my nerves and reduce the numbness and tenderness. I also got a hot vibrating plate massage on my back. Both were mildly uncomfortable but ultimately soothing.

I am seeing results though! I am excited about that because I can tell my arms have slimmed down quite a bit. They are actually looking quite small and my shirts are loose in the arms. I've switched to the smallest size compression garment I have (M/L), and it still has space in it in both the arms and waist. I can tell my waist is snatching in, but the only concern I have is that although my waist has been snatched in, but I want the rolls smoothed. Hopefully wearing the lipo foams will help quite a bit.

I'll put up some before and after pictures at one month when I'm closer to my final results and more of the swelling has subsided.

I find that it helps me to look back later if I get another surgery how my recovery was. The day of surgery was hell. I slept most of the time and I drained so much. I put puppy pads on the bed, an old comforter, and some towels. I still leaked through all of those items and through the sheets. I could not lift my arms and I barely fit in to my compression garment due to the swelling and fullness from the fluids inside of me.
By day 2, I wasn't draining nearly as much. I felt disgusting, so I had to take a shower by the end of the day and wash my compression garment. It was painful to move and I couldn't lift my arms up. It also was painful to get water on my back because the incisions were still open. I moved around and fixed myself easy meals, but I still slept a lot due to still being on pain meds. Day 3 and up, the pain, swelling and tenderness got better with time. No more pain meds were taken after day 3. I returned to work by day 7.
Today is day 12 of being post op. I'm still wearing the compression garment 24 hours a day aside from when I'm taking a shower. The swelling is still unreal, and I'm ready for it to all go down so I can see the results. I know the swelling is bad because some of the shirts I could fit before in the arms no longer fit. Hopefully when swelling goes down, they'll be loose. My skin is still very tender as well, and I feel like under my arms there is hardness where I was lipo'd. My compression garment is uncomfortable as hell, but it's much looser now than it was when I first put it on after surgery.
I'm a bit disappointed as of right now because I'm not seeing the results that I was hoping for. I wanted the back rolls gone, but they are still there for the most part. Also, I can't tell at this point that my arms are that much slimmer. I'm hoping when all the swelling subsides, there is a more dramatic improvement. I have started back on tracking my calories and when my work schedule allows, I'm going to incorporate working out back in to my schedule. Lightly, of course, to begin with.

On the day of surgery, I was scheduled to arrive by 7 a.m. I was told that at Atlanta Liposuction, the doctor's only see one patient per day, which I like that. I appreciate the individual attention and care. When I got there, the office was very nicely decorated and clean. The lady who works at the front desk was very sweet, as well.

I'd was given meds for blood pressure and anti nausea. My pictures were taken and Dr. Ball came in to answer and last minute questions I had and to mark me up. After that I entered the room and got on the table. The nurse hooked up to an IV, and put on some music of my choice. Dr. Ball came in and put a shot in each of my thighs. One shot for pain and one shot for sedation. The shots had a little sting, but shortly after I started to fall asleep. Dr. Ball started to work on my back and on my arms, and I'm not going to lie, it hurt at times. I was laying in the most uncomfortable position on my arms for an hour per arm, which completely cut off the circulation in my arms. Dr. Ball scolded me every time I shifted, but I was so painfully uncomfortable, there was nothing else I could do. There was also three times during the surgery that I told Dr. Ball I was in severe pain (and I have high pain tolerance), but I feel like my request was ignored. By the time the procedure was coming to an end, the pain was unbearable. I was laying on the table, crying quiet tears, and it was only then that I feel like Dr. Ball put more numbing injections in to my back. The nurse, Lauren, was the absolute best. She would gently tap me and reassure me and remind me that it was almost over. I feel like she was actually empathetic and if it weren't for her being in the room, I wouldn't have made it through. When Dr. Ball was finished, he didn't say another word to me. He just left the room. Lauren helped me to the restroom and also helped me to get in to my compression garment. She walked me out to my car and gave my bf some instructions for after care.

Dr. Ball called me a few days later, and his personality was a better. Sometimes his personality is fine, but during surgery his bedside manner is not very warm or friendly. His scolding of me to lay still and ignoring my request for more numbing made my discomfort and pain worse.