4 WEEKS POST OP - NEW PICS

Ladies!!! I have been lurking for months, decided to come out of lurk mode. A little about me, I'm 5'1'' 182 lbs, largest I have ever been in my life. Normally, I average about 160 lbs, a recent death threw me into a depression, I tried to eat all the candy, chips and sodas that I could eat. So 20lbs later, here I am.

I became interested in this procedure from this website. Prior to this website, I attended an event where a certain Dr was the speaker and he was educating African American women about plastic surgery. His thing was Smart Lipo. I was intrigued about the local anesthesia, so I consulted with this Dr and was underwhelmed with his work. In doing research, I came across this website and not so great reviews about the Smart Lipo procedure. Then I learned that some of the doctors are actually not plastic surgeons. The Dr I consulted with was an Ear Nose & Throat Dr. Huh? No thank you.

Soooo, now that I am a little more educated, I haved decided that I am willing to have general anesthesia (still scared), if I am going to have the procedure I want the "real thing", and I definitely want a board certified plastic surgeon.

My only dilemna now is I'm unsure if I want the fat grafting. I am positive about the lipo, I love the sculpturing. I do have curves, my stomach being the largest one (lol), but without the belly, I think I may be okay. But the pricing is so similar, you kinda feel like you should get the biggest bang for your buck. I'm not sold on the whole no sitting down thing...yet. Since stalking this site I have some seen some wonderful transformations and I am hoping to be next. The big belly is not cool. I will update with a picture of my butt and I solicit advice on whether you ladies think I need to inject some fat.

Dr Perry and Norma were really cool. Dr Perry is my 3rd consult and made me feel the most comfortable. I felt he was honest and straight forward. He presented the pros and cons of having lipo. I also consulted about a breast reduction/lift, that's a future procedure. I have decided against the bbl as I am convinced that once the fat is carved from around my middle, my butt will look twice it's size. The Dr agrees, however he has suggested inner thigh, inner knee, and under arm (bat wing area) with abdomen, flanks, and bra roll. Dr P is adamant about having as many massages directly after surgery as possible, 2 are included in his fee. The massages scare the hell out of me. I am attempting to have this procedure done before the end of the year. The office has several dates available. My dilemma, do I deplete my savings and pay all cash, or finance a portion of it. I hate debt, it makes me very uneasy. I am self employed and there is no security like an emergency fund.

Although I have decided against the bbl, I would still like to be a step sister to the bbl sisterhood. The comraderie amongst you ladies is unmatched.

I have decided against the fat graft and will be receiving lipo only on my back, abdomen, arms and inner thighs. I didn't loose any weight, hopefully I will loose after the surgery.

What I want out of this surgery:
1. To be able to buy a variety of shirts, not just the ones that camouflage the gut.
2. To build confidence in how my body looks.
3. A life change in how I take care of my body with food and exercise.
4. A nice silhouette

I am most fearful about:
1. The massages.
2. The anesthesia.
3. Days 1-5 post op.

I didn't do a lot of shopping. I bought only what I deemed necessary. I don't want to invest in garments and have to buy new ones every week. I will go with what the doctor provides at this point. I live about an hour from where I will be having my procedure. I decided to book a hotel for 5 days for a peaceful recovery. The doctor is confident that he can make my waist thin and that is my expectation. I have no wish pictures, I just want to be an improved me. Dr. Perry's philosophy is that he lipo's a little on every part of your body, so that when/if you gain weight, it will distribute evenly (hope I explained that correctly). He doesn't charge per area. I liked that. I have seen a few people that have had work done by him and I was most impressed by how natural they look. I don't comment or update much, I have the most fun lurking, the drama is hilarious.

So if there is anyone that is having any procedure on 12/14 or around that time, I would love to hear from you. I hope that we can encourage one another. I will post again soon. I'll close imagining myself thin in the waist!

Oh, my measurements:
Breast 36
Abdomen 38
Hips 46 (hence the reason I opted out of the fat graft)