26 Years Old, 116 Lbs, 5'3", Lipo for More Defined Waistline - Miami, FL

1/5 - Day of Operation, 3:00 AM
Some basic facts about me: I am 26 years old, I m 5'3" and 117 lbs. I have been plagued by a thick waistline despite having skinny arms and legs, and I wish I could wear bodycon dresses without showing off my flank fat or my abdomen pooch. I work out, practice portion control and am generally quite fit, but a few lumps and bumps continue to elude me. This is my first ever plastic surgery procedure!

I am based in NYC, but have chosen to go to Miami's Dr. Mendieta for my lipo. None of the surgeons I've researched in the NYC area seem to work frequently with slim patients looking for a bit more definition or contour. A lot of the before/after pics I've seen involve making an average or heavyset person smaller, but not so much making a slim person with awkward lumps look defined and sculpted. Dr. Mendieta has several before and afters refining already toned and slim figures, which is exactly the kind of result I'm looking for.

My measurements this morning at 3:30 AM (after eating 1200-1300 calories the day before because I was so wired up) is 33-27.5-36. My waistline is usually a little wider at 28 or even 29 inches. Really hoping to get down to a 25 inch waistline, or even better yet, 24 inches.

I've been sleeping very erratically over the last couple of weeks. I've been obsessing over Realself reviews, compulsively Googling any liposuction-related question that comes to my mind in an attempt to calm my anxious mind. But finally, the day is here! It's been a tumultuous journey, made no more easier by the lack of consideration the doctor's office has for its patients.

*The Pre Op Drama*
Dr. Mendieta announced on Snapchat that he was going to get a facelift "in two weeks" in early December - I did the math and it would have been on the 26th of December. My procedure was scheduled to be on the 4th of January. Only 8 days separate his face lift from my liposuction! Naturally, I was concerned about the doctor's ability to operate on me. I sent a quick message on Snapchat, asking if the doctor would be fine on my operation date and I got a flippant "Of course!"

I wasn't satisfied with that answer, so I sent an email to my patient coordinator, Camille. Camille told me that HIS doctor gave him the all-clear to resume working by the time my procedure was scheduled, but I should feel free to reschedule to a later date if I'd like. Having booked travel and caretaker accommodations already, with upcoming work obligations, I was not interested in rescheduling something I had booked 7 months prior in July. Now, on top of compulsively Googling liposuction-related questions, I'm compulsively Googling face lift recovery information. I learned that face lifts are generally very well-tolerated and it tends to look worse than it feels.

I was temporarily reassured, until I got a call from Marisol (another patient coordinator) asking me if I was available on the 7th instead because the recovery from Dr. Mendieta's face lift may take longer than 8 days. I was pissed off. I reiterated that I made my booking in July precisely because I did not want any unpredictability, and I did not want to have to have yet another conversation with my manager about taking time off from work for something I want to keep as discreet as possible.

I asked, "Did Dr. Mendieta book his face lift before or after I booked my procedure with him? He really should not have cut it so close with recovery." Marisol confirmed that Dr. Mendieta made his booking after mine, which is just about what I expected. She then asked me to look into how much it would cost to reschedule all my plans - my flight, my hotel, my caretaker. So yet another assignment for me to do - figure out Delta's cancellation and refund policy, my hotel cancellation policy, my caretaker's availability... Grrr.

The week after Dr. Mendieta got his face lift, Camille stayed in close contact with me, updating me on Dr. Mendieta's recovery, so that was nice. Then another glitch occurs. I arrive in Miami on the 3rd for my pre-op appointment, and apparently Dr. Mendieta's flight from where he had his face lift was delayed. He was flying in the same day I was meeting him for my pre-op. My surgery was then pushed back one day from the 4th to the 5th, and they discounted my surgery rate and gave me an extra garment. Luckily I didn't buy a garment on my own, I guess.

I know [RS bleep] happens with surgery recovery and air travel, but Dr. Mendieta's recovery problems should not be *my* problem. As if I needed one more thing to be anxious about!

I knew from the outset that I wasn't going to be coddled by Dr. Mendieta and his staff. The reviews on RealSelf, the cursory Skype interview I had with him, the intermittent interactions I had with his staff painted a clear picture to me - if I wanted a surgeon that would baby me, this would not be the surgeon to go to. Despite feeling undermined as a patient for whom minimal empathy was shown, I was still very much inspired Dr. Mendieta's before and afters on his website. I regard Dr. Mendieta as an artist - artists can be temperamental and shouldn't be micromanaged to produce their best work!

*Consult with Dr. Mendieta*
When we spoke, he said I didn't have a ton of fat, so it'll be more about sculpting my flank, and giving my abdomen a bit of definition. I was fine with that - I knew a 0.7 ratio might be tough, but I don't mind putting on a bit more weight from my current 116 lbs and knowing that it would go to my boobs and butt.

Stuff I've bought:
- Chlorhexadine (pre-op surgical wash)
- Stool softeners (don't expect to need this since I probably won't be eating very much, but I also hate feeling constipated)
- Adult diapers (I haven't peed myself, but it's nice to have underwear I don't have to worry about staining with tumescent fluids)
- Iron pills (been taking it a month before my operation, and will continue for a couple weeks post-op)
- Abdominal pads (To soak up the nasty post-op fluids)
- Bed pads (don't want to ruin these hotel sheets and get slammed with a charge!)
- Percocet (for pain)
- Valium (for anxiety/muscle spasms)
- Zofran (for nausea)
- Xarelto (I've been taking Lolo Estrin birth control, and Xarelto prevents blood clots)

That's it. The clinic supplied me with two garments (one came with the procedure, another was provided complimentary because of the freakin' kerfuffle I had to go through). The one thing I've seen people buy that I see absolutely no sense in buying is Arnica. I am not about to spend good money on homeopathic treatments, where the active ingredient has been diluted so much that the molecules no longer exist.

*Day of Op, 1/5, 4pm*
I was scheduled to arrive at the operating facility at 5:30 AM in the morning. I was done by around 9 am, after recovering and coming to my senses. Although the ride from the facility to my hotel was just about 10 minutes, I would highly recommend getting a pillow. I had a bladder catheter put in and I wasn't able to sit upright, which made my back a little sore.

The time immediately after I left the facility felt the worst, pain-wise. I would rate it about an 8/10. I've heard people say the pain feels like a really hard workout or a sunburn. Well, I don't mind the feeling of sore abs, but it does feel like a super prickly sunburn deeper in the skin that just abrades with every motion. Walking was agonizing, especially with a catheter up in my urethra. Incidentally, my labia majora is really swollen and tender. I've taken two 325 mg Percocet at 6 hour intervals since I got home. The lipo pain and labial swelling don't feel so tender now, and could even manage a walk to the bathroom.

One thing I've been so grateful for is my caretaker, whom I found via Carelinx (which is like Uber for caretakers). She drove me to the operating facility at 5:30 AM, got my prescription (we had to make three trips to the pharmacy due to out of stock/insurance problems), and generally has just been a great help. I definitely would not have been able to replace my abdominal pads by myself earlier.

Day of Op, 1/5, 9:03 pm
I'm at the tail end of my last Percocet (taken at 4pm) and the burn is real. I bent over the sink for a couple of minutes to brush my teeth and wash my face and now I'm left with a burning sensation where my waist creased. Took a Valium so I can go to sleep woozy.

1/6, Day 2, 10:42am
Swelling is more than it ever was but the pain is not nearly quite as bad. Hurts a little to stand up straight especially in my upper abs but if necessary I can hunker down to do it. I just went to the doctor's office to change into my new garment and get new bandages. I didn't actually see the doctor, just saw his nurse.

1/6, Day 2, 2:03 PM
Percocet gives me an energetic high about 1 hour after I take it, then I gradually fall into a drowsy stupor afterwards. I'm not sure how I feel about it - yes, it does relieve the pain, but then I feel compelled to sleep for about three hours afterwards and I don't love it. I've been taking Percocet every 6 hours, except for just now when I took 500 mg acetaminophen instead. I hate feeling drowsy and incapacitated, and certainly don't want to get addicted to Percocet.

I am most swollen right now, approximately 36 hours after my surgery, especially around my lower abdomen and flanks - exactly where I was liposuctioned. I look like Humpty Dumpty from the side, but from the front I already see a nice dip in the waist! I know it's still too soon to see any results, and I don't know what my skin looks like underneath.

It's 2:02 PM now, approximately 55 hours after my surgery. Let's say I'm on Day 3 now, since I did my surgery at 6:30 AM on 1/5, and now it's afternoon on 1/7. I have had zero problems with appetite (in fact I am madly craving sushi now), and there is barely any pain. I feel more stiff than anything; the sensation is like someone stuck masking tape all over my abdomen and puffing out my chest makes my skin feel a little itchy.

The worst pain I have had all day today is in the morning, when I woke up at 3 AM to pee and my stomach felt a little sore, and I simply moved a little more slowly. I only took a Valium last night so I knew waking up was going to be unpleasant. However, I did sleep on my side, which I prefer to sleeping on my back.

All I have taken today for pain is 500 mg of acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) this morning. I'm not feeling so terrible that I need Percocet, and besides, I'm anxious to get my bowels moving. I took a one hour nap from 11-12 PM (slept on my stomach, which I prefer most), ate and then watched TV. Ah, the life! I measured my waist over my compression garment today. I'm at 27.5 - ok, not bad, considering that I'm still swollen.

In terms of swelling, it's already much better than last night. My flanks and my stomach feel the worst of it. I only have abdominal pads over my belly button and my mons pubis, which I will change out when I shower later this evening. It hasn't soaked through to my garment yet.

It's 2 pm now. I slept ten hours last night and I took yet another 1.5 hour nap at noon. I was feeling the area between my breasts (over my sternum, where the doctor did a touch of sculpting) and I felt and heard some bubbles. Alarmed, I immediately took to Realself to quell my worries and found out that this was a fairly common symptom. I guess my compression garment doesn't really compress the area between my breasts, owning to aforementioned mounds. I've massaged them lightly and periodically.

I have also not had a bowel movement since the morning of my surgery on Thursday (it being Sunday now). I took docusate sodium, a stool softener, yesterday and today, and finally felt the urge to go today. However, after 45 strenuous minutes of straining and groaning on the porcelain throne, I realized what I needed to do - I needed to manually disimpact my stool. Not glamorous at all, but it worked like a charm, and the poo flowed after the initial lump was dislodged. I feel so much better!

I'm now still less swollen than I was yesterday, but I'm noticing a horizontal divot right across my waist. My garment digs in when I'm sitting up, and I try my best to pull it taut. I know that the doctor did more liposuction on my lower abdomen than my upper, and the increased swelling below my belly button probably magnifies the divot above, but I'm going to bring it up when I see him tomorrow and see what he says. No pictures of that for now, because taking off my garment is a process and I'm not ready to do that now.

The one thing that's really been irritating me is trying to keep my garment clean. Despite having a hole at the genitals for the purposes of peeing and pooping, there's really no easy way to prevent my pee from occasionally staining the garment. If only I had a penis, huh.