Liposuction Part 1: Lipo of Entire Middle - Before and Afters Posted - Miami, FL

01/21
Sorry in advance if all of this is such a jumble. I didn't realize how much I had to say until I finally got around to coming out of my stealth-mode and spilling it all at once.

February 8th CANNOT come soon enough....I'm so excited for this procedure! I've been thinking about it for several years, and as last summer was winding down, I started doing research. Finding this site was amazing, and REALLY, THANK YOU to all the people who are giving detailed reviews, updating, and great before/after pics. It's so motivating, and such a comfort to have insight on what to expect.

I'm 28, 5'5", about 205 lbs. Several years ago I was even heavier, I got up to 285 :P I got to my present weight mostly with low-carb dieting (if any of you want coaching in regards to that, feel free to message me). 5'5"/205 doesn't sound so great, but I'm at a point where I'm at a stable weight, and I'm happy iwth my size and basic shape, I jusdt want some rolls to be smoothes out. I'll post before pics soon, I promise.

Seeing other girls who were a similar size as me going for the lipo and getting great results was my deciding factor, so Thanks again, RealSelf ppl :) I chose my Dr because there were a lot of girls my size who went to him, and had great results, great hourglass shapes.

Soooo I have offiially looked at EVERY SINGLE before and after Dr posted picture of lipo on RealSelf. Obsessed much?! I've even been checking out a bunch of BBL photos 1) because lipo is a part of that procedure and 2) because my Dr has preformed a lot of them, and I wanted to check out ALL of his work, and patient happiness levels.

As this process began, I went to a consult w/ a Manhattan Dr who was willing to do my back and inner knees, but wanted to give me a tummy tuck. I know that most Dr.s would want to do that, because on my lower tummy there is a fold of skin/fat....but I just can't bring myself to do it. I have no kids yet, I don't want that scar, I can't deal with that recovery time, I don't want a fake belly button, and the thought of that whole procedure being done to me jsut makes me cringe. No offense to any who have done it, I just CAN'T, call me a hypocrite. Oh yeah, and I can't afford it! In my opinion, most Dr.'s won't do the lipo on the abs when loose skin is present because they think the results won't be up to their standard. However, I used to be 80 pounds heavier, so the fact that I look the way I do NOW is great, I wouldn't mind a little more loose skin to look awesome in clothing.

Dr.'s in NY are also significantly more expensive than other parts of the country. So I started looking into other options, at which point I found, among others, Dr. Perry in Miami. Like I said, his before afters are awesome, and he doesn't just get out as much fat as he can, he smooths the bulges and the valleys to a nice final shape. I e-mailed (This was in early December) him with a bunch of photos of myself, explaining that I'd like to get my full back, a little of the abs, and maybe inner thighs/arms. He e-mailed me back later that day (!!!), or should I say later that night. He agreed with me on the areas to be lipo'd (which were more areas than the NY Dr.'s, and for a few thousand $$s less) and suggested we have a phone consultation. I hate to sound snotty, but his grammar wasn't great, and also he spelled "waist" wrong. I'm an editor, so it's my field and I notice these things...but I told myself to stop being an a****le, because, hey, I didn't go to med school, I'm not a board certified plastic surgeon. People have different weaknesses and strengths, and I'm not contacting him to give me grammar lessons!

He didn't actually set up an appt. per-se, he just said he'd call me ASAP. So a week later (I did e-mail him a few times to remind him, and he e-mailed me back apologizing for not calling yet. He's very prompt to resond to e-mails, which is AWESOME, and important to me) we talked on the phone, and he seemed very nice and personable, and knowledgeable. We agreed to leave my thighs alone for now, and we would concentrate on my back and flanks especially, and a little bit on my abdomen and arms. My flanks and back are really what bothers me, the back bulges (upper and lower bra), and right above my butt is this fatty area that makes my butt look flat and NOT SEXY, so I was extra happy to hear him voice my own opinion that this would be the most effective area to concentrate on. Also, that my stomach would be given SOME attention, because I would like to slim it down just a touch, but not so much that the skin is completely compromised. Thankfully, it's a pretty flat shape already, so I think concentrating on my abck will make my profile nicer. I wanted to do my arms as well, because I definetely have a "bat wing:" thing going on that I'd like to improve. My legs were not as important to me to have improved, they're actually pretty nice - chubby and a little cellulite, but I still rock a miniskirt and get checked out :) so I'm happy to leave them as-is.

The only thing that makes me nervous about not doing my legs is that I'm not telling anyone at work that I'm getting this done, and I'm a little nervous that it'll be weird if I slim down my entire torso, but my legs stay exactly the same. I'm hoping that the entire silhouette being improved will just distract everybody lol!
Annnnyway, at this point I became a serious RealSelf stalker. I researched all of Dr. Perry's (and many other Dr.'s) "Dr. Answers", looked at ALL of his before/afters, read every review that even mentioned his name. I had a lot of mixed emotions about the whole thing for the entire month of December. I would be incredibly excited, the next day (or hour even!) I'd get nervous and second-guess. What if my skin looks weird, what if it doesn't feel as soft, what if I get the ropes/lumps in my final result, what if my shape is changed in a way I don't like, WHAT IF I DON'T WAKE UP?!?!!, what if what if what if. I was still convinced I was going to do it, but definetely more apprehension began creeping in. And then of course other times I'd be incredibly excited, trying on clothes I own that are a little tight, or don't fit quite the way I want them to, looking at myself in the mirror, covering various places to see what it would look like if they weren't there. As I've read on many reviews, this is very much an emotional roller coaster.

Norma, Dr. Perry's assistant called me about a week after the phone consultation. She gave me the exact address, explained that she would need lab tests from a doc in NY no more than 20 days before the Sx. I would also have to fly in the day before surgery for a pre-op appt. I would have to get several "massages" (These dreadful things that I've read about from oh-so-many Perry reviews...literal HORROR STORIES - this is one of the aspects of recovery I'm most scared of), and have someone with me the first few days. She also gave me available dates (AAAAHHHHH!!!) and I chose Februaty 8th. I was so happy I'd only have to wait a month and a half!

After speaking with her, I e-mailed Dr P to let him know, and that I was happy and excited for February to come. Once again he promptly e-mailed me back saying he was happy for me, and looked forward to meeting me. I REALLY like his quick and courteous answering of e-mails.

The past few weeks - The more I looked at before/aftersand reviews of girls my size, and especially his patients, the more I feel as if I will be happy with the procedure. I'm getting more excited and happy and less anxious each day! I'm taking 12 days off of work (2 of which will be spent flying to and from Florida) so I hope that's enough. As I said, I've been reading reviews like a madwoman, and I began to have a LOT of q's for Dr P to answer.

On Jan 16th, I wrote him an e-mail with a ton of questions about areas being lipo's, amount being lipo'd, a few wish pictures, anesthesiests, garment use, what kind of clothing, follow-up appointments and massages, travelling, a few of my "what-if" questions....He again answered less than 12 hrs later....skirted some questions, but really, considering the essay I wrote him, pretty thorough :)

I have to say that the returning e-mail I got from him really set my mind at ease. So ladies, if you have questions or concerns, VOICE THEM, because I felt sooo much better afterwards, so much more confident in my decision to have the procedure done, and done by him.

Bump in the plans came a week ago though - Feb 4th father is having hernia Sx and my mom is going to have a hard time getting off work, so I think I may be staying with Dr. P's recommended nurse, Miriam. I def. need someone there, and this might be for the best anyway, as that way I don't have to travel for massage the first few days. Also, massage and meals are covered in her fee. I'm a little nervous about it anyway, as I just read a reveiw which mentioned ehr house as being....not an ideal living situation. However, I don't know if I'll have another choice. I'll be staying at a hotel from the 13th and the 18th. I'm undecided as to whether I should rent a car, or just take cabs around during the hotel portion. What do you guys think?
Girls, any advice as to little things I should have on hand for recovery in FL that you don't think of until you need them...arnica gel/tablets? Heating pad? Tampax pads for absorption? I don't know, I think I have BASICS covered, but any input would help.

Sorry if I dumped it all out at once - now I see why girls start theirs as soon as they talk to a Dr. I was going to wait until the day before Sx when I arrived in FL! Glad I finally sat down and did the damn thing TODAY!
Okay, well, I'm spent. I'll update with before pics soon. Again, ANY advice, comments, warnings are welcome!

01/30
I wanted to check out one last doctor in NY last Saturday, jsut because it would save so much effort, rather than going out of state. Based on the before and afters, he seemed comfortable with bigger girls, and the fact that he maintained a really nice curvy hip-to-waist ratio in the before/afters on the website impressed me.. I went to my scheduled consultation, and the office was a little grimey...the other girls waiting were really nice and informative (2 BBL girls! I think dos who do BBLs regularly are 1-very practiced with lipo and 2-understanding that it's not about sucking all the fat out, it's about mainting a nie shape!). They warned me (also read a couple reviews on this site who mentioned it) that his wait times were TERRIBLE. You could have surgery scheduled for 7 pm and he wouldn't see you until the next morning! Some of them ended up sleeping in the wait room! WHAT?!! No, I'm sorry, I don't care what your pictures look like, that level of unrprofessionalism and disregard for my time does NOT bode well with me.
So he lived up to his reputation, my consult was scheduled for 5 PM. 6:40 rolled around and I'm being told he's not even in the damn office yet. YEAH. So I left, and it re-confirmed my decision to go with Dr. Perry. I KNOW he an give me awesome results, and the only reason I even looked at this other guy was location. So I'm decided, SUNNY MIAMI, here I come!

Took my labs today. Norma faxed my do the scripts. When my Doc fouond out what the surgery was for, he was so nice and supportive, I was afraid he would try to talk me out of it, elective surgery and all. But yeah, he was so supportive, told me he would just basically give me a physical so my insurance would cover everything, I only had to cover my co-pay (35$). I love my doc, as I was leaving, he patted my love handles and said "I'll say goodbye since I won't be seeing them again" Haha, he's a trip.

Feeling soo good about tis surgery! The closer it gets the more excited I am, and my anxiety about it is actually decreasing! We'll see if that lasts, I hope so - I don't want to panic the night before or something. Well, over and out ladies! Keep updating, if there's others like me, I read updates every day, even if I don't post! I lvoe to hear how people are recovering! Goodnight

02/06 – Having internet issues, so I’m typing these posts in Microsoft word and will post as soon as I have access. Thank you to those of you who commented and PMed, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to contact you back for a bit.
Having terrible second thoughts, on Monday night (02/04) came down with a terrible cold/fever. I was congested so badly I couldn’t inhale through my nose, which resulted in my throat being really raw and dry. I kind of freaked out…I started thinking that it was a sign, I shouldn’t go through with it. I talked to Norma, who said that all could move forward as long as I didn’t have a fever.
When I told my father how I was feeling, he was really comforting. He said “I know it feels like it, but it’s not a sign, it’s just unfortunate timing. You want to do this, so go ahead as you planned and if you still have a fever and can’t have the surgery, then you can think of what to do moving forward.” Thank goodness for his level-headedness, it was so comforting.
It sucks having this fever though, surgery or no. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since Monday, I wake up sweating, fall asleep for an hour, then wake up with chills, tossing, turning, sweating, clammy, and the sinus pressure is painfully uncomfortable and miserable. This is definitely putting a damper on my excitement.
As Pops said, we’ll see.
02.07 – Plane ride was this AM was okay. Felt slightly more healthy. I woke up (crack of dawn, 5:45 AM for a 8AM plane ride), sat nice to these really nice guys who were ready to hit up South Beach! I wish my visit could be spent on that kind of activity too :/ They were also really nice about me being sneezy and coughy next to them.
At the hotel! Still writing for now on Microsoft Word. Tried to connect to the internet here, can’t seem to, and nobody’s picking up at the front desk. Oh well, it’s kind of a crappy hotel, I figured for one night I can do it. Went to the gas station next door and the cashier was behind bulletproof glass and steel cage door. Am I in freakin’ Washington heights here?!
Already spent more than I thought on cab fare, cab from the Airport to hotel , then from hotel to Dr. Perry’s, then back to the hotel. 150 dollars already. Had no idea how big Miami is. Luckily, only one more cab fare (to surgery) and then Miriam is going to be picking me up and dropping me off to the dr.’s.
My pre-op apt with Dr Perry was a very pleasant experience. At one point he was sewing a garment himself for one of his patients! He said he couldn’t find a garment that did EXACTLY what he wanted, so he edited the ones he had.
In the office we went over what areas he would attack hardest (back and waist) and what all the areas would be. Entire back (armpits down), entire front torso and sides, behind arms and inner thighs and my chin. It’s a lot ? but I’m happy, as I said, I love my shape, I just want it to be smoothed out and accentuated, not just a bunch of fat sucked out of one place, which he gets. He showed me before and afters (which I had studied already on Realself until I could sketch them by heart already :D ) and we took my before pics. He really is a pleasure to talk to, very personable. I have a lot of faith in him.
Still, I was sniffling so badly, and sounding so stuffy (I felt so bad using Norma’s pen and phone, I felt like I was infecting the entire office!) that he gave me a script for antibiotics. He said “start these IMMEDIATELY, take Vitamin C, Zinc, drink tea, anything that could help. As long as you don’t have a fever or productive cough”-meaning coughing up stuff-“we can go forward with the surgery”. I filled out a whole bunch of paperwork.
Good news though, the sickness has prevented me from having any cigarettes, which honestly probably would not be the case if I wasn’t sick.
02.08 –
6AM Morning of! Called the cab, they should be here in a half!.For the first time in 4 or 5 days, I actually got a decent night’s sleep! Still very stuffy, but much better. Due at Dr P.’s at 7:15. EXCITED ?

02.09 One day post op.
Surgery experience – I got to Dr P’s on sched, we had a little chat about his car (I love Nissans, and he’s got an old school 300Z). We went in, and did a quick review of what I wanted. He marked me up – we compared it to a topographical map. His marks are very artistic, it looks like he’s sketching you. Gave me a robe, “shoes”, hair cap, compression tights. I asked him is we could smooth out my “saddlebag” area, just because I feel like that would be in keeping with the shape I have now. I wanted to keep my post=op shape as similar as possible to my original shape, because I’m happy with it, and it’s me, I’ve come to love it, and also I would like to be able to tell people I jst lost a lot of weight. I know, I know, I shouldn’t have to answer to anybody, but I have to see these people everyday. Anyway, I decided not to, I hope I’m happy with the decision. I know I’ll be extra curvy, I just don’t want to be UNNATURALLY so.
Nexr, talked to the nurse, she basically asked me generic questions – medical allergies, areas being lipo’d, blah blah blah.
Talked to the anesthesiologist (he was a strapping young buck lol) basically just formalities, explaining the anesthesia procedure to me.
Dr Perry came back in, and said that because of my congestion, it would be better if we didn’t do the chin. I was very disappointed, it obviously isn’t a key area, but I was really excited about it once it was decided on it. However, I’m glad he considers safety first, so it is what it is.
Went into the surgery room, and laid out on the bed. I felt my nerves acting up big time at right about this point. I They pretty quickly had me out though, because next thing I knew I was in post-op room. I remember I had no clothes on, and there was a mirror next to me. I was covered by a blanket, but I picked up my arm to touch my hair or something and MY ARMS were slim and sexy looking. I grinned when I saw that – I may have tried to say something, I don’t really remember, but I remember I was really happy. I laid around for a while, awake but just feeling worn out. I guess I was talking because I remember Dr Perry saying I was awfully perky for just coming out from general anesthesia. I was with it enough to ask hi how much he took out because I always want to know how much other people had done, and a lot of people forget to ask. He said something along the lines of “we were pushing 5000 CCs”.
Also, they gave me something AMAZING for my sinuses, because as I woke up, I could breathe like nothing was wrong with me!
Eventually I was helped up to put on my garment, and they said I drained a lot in the bed because I didn’t splash too much when the garment was put on. I got on my garment, sweats and tank top. Miriam and her daughter came and got me, I think it was about 1 or 2. They’re both so pretty. Miriam apparently just got lipo done 3 days before me, she’s all bruised up and swollen, wearing a garment as well.
Got back to the house, it’s sooo pretty, they’re like classic Miami town houses, the back door looks out on a little lakeside patio. HUGE TV. HUGE. I have a huge TV, and this thing is twice the size.
I don’t remember too much of the first day, I was put in my little room, given vicodin, water and lentil soup as I was warned about by many Realself people. It was actually really tasty, so I can’t say I had any complaints. The vicodin had me KO’d pretty much for the rest of the day, I just slept and pee’d every couple of hours. Getting in and out of bed was definetly rough, but It was more stiff/sore pain, like I’d heard about. I think I was still feeling the tumescent anesthesia as well.
In the evening, iwatched a Dexter marathon on Showtime for a couple of hours. Miriam’s son watched it with me. He was really really nice. I think maybe some people would chafe at the lack of privacy, but for me it’s kind of nice to have company. I don’t know if I want to be alone with my thoughts, I don’t want to start second-guessing myself at this point during recovery. Again, after I went ot bed, I just peed and slept, peed and slept. Getting out of the bed took careful maneuvering, just because I’m so stiff, and I felt, if not pain, at least the promise of pain. Didn’t hurt too much, but that’s probably because of the meds. I’m trying to be careful not to overdo myself just because I don’t feel the pain immediately.
Today, this AM (02/09 – 1 day post op) Woke up and just kind of dozed. Miriam came in soon with a plate of fresh papaya and more lentil soup, both of which were delicious. Congested again however ? So damn sick of this cold.
I’ve got to say, I’ve heard a few things about experiences at Miriam’s that made me really nervous about staying here, but so far, so good ? I’m glad I have sympathetic people around during recovery. I got my first official massage in the morning!! I think maybe I was still feeling the tumescent anesthesia, and also the 2 vicodins, because the massage was uncomfortable and slightly painful, but it wasn’t the horrific murder scene I expected. I HOPE that it remains that way, but I know that it definitely may not.
MY face, hands and feet were really swollen this morning, my eyes looked like I was having the worst allergy attack. They were swollen, swollen, swollen. They went down, but my hand and feet are still a little puffy. As for my body, I look almost exactly the same, if not a little bigger, than before surgery. I knew this could happen, I’ve heard a lot of people say this happened to them. I kind of figured that it wouldn’t be the case for me because so much was taken out, but it definitely is. I have a lot of swelling in my lower abs and my vag(SUPER SWOLLEN) and my love handles. It’s weird though, even though I feel the swelling in my lower abs, with the garment off it’s the only place I see a difference. Otherwise, looking inb the mirror, I just look like myself wearing a smoothing garment, even slightly bigger right above my butt.
I’m sorry I’m not posting pictures, I want to wait until I have PRE op pictures before posting Post-op. I PROMISE I will.
Om another note, It is definitely a hassel making sure I don’t pee on the garment, even though the hole is pretty generous. I think it’s really the swollen vag that’s making that happen. Next time I take it off, I’ll try to remember to look at what brand it is. This AM, Miriam washed my garment and sweats, I leaked like crazy as I slept. I’m going to get another garment as backup ASAP. I really need one that goes down to my knees, it’s really bothering me having this seam biting into my thighs. I don’t know if Perry’s office has knee length ones, I msy have to buy one at a garment store. Miriam knows of several.
As the day has progressed, I’m starting to feel more pain, especially in my flanks and tummy. My neck is stiff, even though it wasn’t touched in surgery. The pain in my torso is more stiffness than sharp pain, but very uncomfortable, especially getting up and down. It gets more and more painful the longer I go without the pain meds, but the vicodin knocks me out so hard, I want to try only taking it for sleep and massages. Nervous about getting hooked! I have extra strength Tylenol, so I try to take that instead of Vicodin all of the time.
Speaking of addiction, I didn’t have a cigarette all day Thursday and Friday ? it’s been years since I’ve gone a day without one cigarette! Granted, it was probably because of the cold, but still. I admit, I tried to have one today (Sat), but it tasted so bad, like poison, which it is, I guess. I’m a little ashamed I had even one, I didn’t even really crave it. Well good, now I know how crappy it tastes to me.
Miriam couldn’t take me to Dr. Perry today because nobody was around to drive, and she still can’t because she’s on pain meds, but tomorrow I’m going to insist on it. For late lunch she made me steak and a sweet potato. A very pleasant surprise! I’m a little nervous about my eating habits because for years I’ve been eating VERY low carb, and I feel like I swell and gain weight when I eat carbs, so I was definitely nervous about Miriam’s feeding me. However, even if I’ve been eating more carbs, it’s been very high fiber stuff, so hopefully I’ll be okay. Also, Even though I’m not craving cigarettes, in the past, whenever I don’t smoke I tend to eat more. It’s scary not knowing what will happen to your body. I’ve always been used to myself, I know what makes me gain and lose, and controlled it through my own choice of eating habits and exercise.

Okay, I’m signing off. Sorry if this is just a dump of random thoughts, I’m kind of medicated up today. I’ll try to keep it a little more medical and consistent in the future. At least now that I’ll have access to the internet for a few days. Talk to you all soon!

02/11 – Day 3 post op. Today started out okay. Fixin’ to be a little rough :/ Let me get into the gritty specifics of my recovery so far.

GARMENT
I’m wearing the garment that was included in the surgery fee. I’m still not sure what brand it is, but I’m pretty sure I read on another review that it’s by Maidenform. It’s mid-thigh length and braless (which I like for when I return to work, because my boobs need a lot of support, I don’t know if a garment-bra will hold them.) The shoulder straps bothered me a little from day one, but last night they were really rubbing raw spots in my armpit. I put a band-aid over the raw spots and wrapped the straps in tissue, which is helping tremendously, and seem to be staying put pretty well.
This mid-thigh thing is killing me though. Maybe the swelling is just because I got me knees done too, as well as inner thighs. Can’t say for sure, but I’m going to have to get a garment that is at LEAST knee length. My thighs are so swollen, under the garment and beyond, and I know they will feel better once I get a longer garment. Right now, through my pants (they’re those yoga sweatpants), you can absolutely tell where the garment ends. It doesn’t really hurt where it cuts into my thighs (which is weird, because there’s incisions right there, but the tightness of the garment is comforting, and I want it down the rest of my thighs.
Still not able to get in and out of this thing by myself. Out maybe. But whenever I peel it off, when it drags against my skin to come off, there’s this terribly odd sensation of the numbness, but it feels like I’m hurting myself and I can’t quite feel the pain. It’s a TERRIBLE feeling, but it’s technically more uncomfortable than painful. Each time I’ve taken it completely off and put it on, Miriam has been there, so I have her help. She’s also washed it for me every day, which was especially important the first two nights, when I was draining everywhere. Especially my lower abs/pubic area, there was a damp spot there in everything I wore and lay down on for those 2 nights.
Draining/Leaking – As I mentioned above, the first two nights/two and a half days, I was still leaking to the point where my clothes were stained and damp. Miriam washed my clothes probably 4 or 5 times the first few days. It was mostly my lower half, I had a zip hoodie on that didn’t get dirty. Miriam put a medical absorbent pad down on my bed for the first 2 nights where I was draining heavily, and it was stained both mornings. A little bit out of my knees and armpit incisions as well, but this was more like droplets. If I had put a band aid, maybe two over them, it wouldn’t have happened.
In the bed at Miriam’s I stay in, it’s like a medical bed (not uncomfortable) and over the bed she has a shower curtain tucked tightly around. Over that is a medical sheet (like a thicker, softer version of the ones in the dr’s offices) and a pillow case of the same material. I have a blanket that she washes every day The blanket only got dirty when I sat on it, or when it tucked under my belly. My setup is pretty comfortable, and is kept very clean. I would not have been prepared to do this at my home. You definitely need some kind of lining to protect your bedding.
BATHROOM
Peed like a maniac the first night. Every hour or so was up to pee. I was still heavily medicated, so this did not affect my sleep, I was able to go right back. The only hard part was getting in and out of bed. I was able to do it by myself, but it was a process. MY torso is stiff and so sore, To get in and out of bed I have to take a few minutes. My bed has a stool to get to it, which helps. What I do is;
I prop myself up on my arms, like I’m doing a push up. I bend my knees under me one by one. I lower the outward one onto the stool, and then push away from the bed with my arms. I do pretty my exactly the opposite to get back in.
The garment I have is pretty easy to go to the bathroom in. Lots of girls have said they use a cup as a funnel, and that would probably be very very helpful, but I haven’t found it necessary yet. If my vag keeps swelling I might.
The second and third night, still peeing every few hours. Not as often, but I still have to use that method to get in and out of bed.
Pooping – Okay, so no holds barred, right? I personally, consider myself lucky that I have had no problem whatsoever in this department. Maybe it’s all the fiber Miriam’s been feeding me, drinking tons of water, not sure, but no issues with constipation. For the first two days I was taking Vicodins regularly, at least ½ every four hours, and yesterday morning (Sunday, 02/10- day 2/48 hours in) I was actually loose, if anything.
This may be because I usually eat so low carb, and I’ve been getting much more than usual these days, which always loosens me right up. Also, I drink tons of water (I’ve been drinking 100 oz/day for a few years now, and I’ve been keeping it to at least this level).
The most annoying thing about Numba 2 is positioning the garment. I can’t bring myself to take it off unless I have to, because of that horrible feeling, so I keep it on. I basically pull the hole as far back as I can (it stays put pretty well) and just go, and make sure I wipe thoroughly, and use some wet Paper towel to make sure. Thank goodness I haven’t had to strain, because I don’t think I could have used my muscles in the way that that kind of thing requires.
I haven’t had a shower yet. I am so inactive that I’m not getting sweaty or dirty, and Miriam cleans me, sponge-bath-style- after the massages. ? The massages.
MASSAGE
Did I say the first day that it didn’t hurt too much? God I wish that was the case. I definitely still had the tumescent anesthesia in me on Saturday. Yesterday (Sunday, 2/10 – day 2 post op) I didn’t take a Vicodin immediately before. I’m not sure how much it would have helped, but that massage was everything I heard it was. I was crying out, groaning, PAIN PAIN PAIN. I started crying about halfway through, partly because of the pain, and partly because I thought of my Mom, and how she didn’t want me to have this surgery, but she supported me anyway, and she always tells me that she hopes it brings me what I want. I was laid out, naked and writhing in pain, bleeding out holes in my body that I paid a doctor to give me, paying a nurse to knead my flesh in the most painful way, and I thought of my mom, and how much it would hurt her if she saw me like this, and I just cried and cried. I felt like a shell of human being, I was cursing myself, saying how crazy I am for doing this. I had a moment of depression and despair, thinking how much I liked my body before, I just wanted to smooth it out, and now look at me, I’m like a snotty, drowned, cringing little animal, for what? For a few inches off my waist? For a bra roll?
And then she told me to flip over, it was time to do my stomach. Yeah.

So, today (2/11, Sunday – Day 3 post op) I am still not totally regretting my decision, but I have questioned it, especially knowing that I will have to have more periods of such pain in the very near future. Miriam is upstairs napping right now, when she comes down we’re doing the massage again. I took 3 Vicodins for this one, so maybe that will help slightly.
I’m not sure if I feel so much better after them, but maybe it’s because I’m just so glad they’re DONE, that’s all I can process at the time. I feel pretty swollen today, so we’ll see how I feel after the treatment.
SWELLING
I mentioned in an earlier post that immediately after surery I saw my arms and they looked slim and sexy. ? I’ll have to keep that in mind, because since the night of the surgery, they are definetly Pre-op size and basic shape, maybe even a little puffier in the elbow. My body looks almost exactly the same as it did before surgery. Bigger in the pubic mons (which is swollen to triple its size, and a lovely shade of purple), thighs DEFINITELY bigger. I’ve heard that many ladies experience swelling in the vag, mine might be so extreme because I did a little lip there too. I’m pretty much the same size and shape, but everywhere that was lipod is swollen to slightly bigger than pre op.
I know that this will not remain the case, I’m not scared about that. I’m actually…a little please because I hope it means that I will have gotten what I wanted out of the surgery; a “weight loss in just the right places” effect, and not just a huge change in say, my love handles. I may be the only girl on this site, and far beyond, who actually liked my love handles. They gave me a really nice curvy shape. I specifically told Dr. Perry to leave them big.
Back to the topic at hand though, I don’t know how bad the swelling is when/if I took off my garment, because I haven’t really yet, except for massage, but I do know that my arms and knees, which are not being compressed, feel very swollen.
As far as day by day, I’m not used the new sensations in my body yet, so I can’t really differentiate between swollen and stiff and just in pain. I think in a few days I’ll be able to get a better perception of how swollen I am and what not.

REGRET?
I don’t know. I think this was definitely a more long-term commitment than I was really allowing myself to anticipate. I told myself I knew that it would be painful, and it could take a while. But I don’t know if I really UNDERSTOOD. I’m a little nervous that the next few months are going to drive me crazy. I’m scared of obsessing over what I eat or do to make me swell. Is the swelling going to get to how it is now, bigger than before surgery? What about going out with my friends and drinking? Will I have to not do that for MONTHS?
All in all, I can’t tell how I feel about the surgery yet. I’m trying to not react too extremely because I’m so early in the process. I don’t know what my results will be. Maybe they’ll be so awesome that I’ll be glad I did all this. Maybe I’ll still be happy with my body, but not enough to have paid all this money and went through all this pain, and I’ll have gotten off easy because at least I didn’t fuck up the good things I did have. Maybe I’ll regret it forever. Trying not to think about that.
Just concentrating on healing now, and getting through this first hump so I can begin to live normally again. At least I’m recovering in Miami where it is beautiful, and NY/CT just had a blizzard and is under 2 feet of snow!
Post again soon. Again, I really promise I will put pictures up.
P.S. On a side note – a lot of people have noticed that sometimes you’ll have written a long, heartfelt post, and realself reloads the page or something and it gets deleted. I wrote the last few in Word and pasted them onto realself, so if any of you are having constant problems with that, might be something to think about.
Happy healing to everyone, don’t be too hard on yourselves

02/12 (Tuesday, Day 4 Post Op)
So after posting yesterday, I had another massage. This one hurt, but was so much less painful, and the pain was SO MUCH LESS drawn out, than that first traumatic one that I almost laughed with joy when it was over. I’m beginning to feel better after them too, less stiff. Honestly, if they are all the same as that one, I would be thrilled. :) A girl can hope!
So today is looking pretty good. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, because I took like 3 ½ vicodins before the massage (in the evening around 6 or 7 I think), and I felt like my pulse was weak, and I was worried my breathing was shallow (probably I’m just paranoid). I should have asked Miriam or something, I don’t know, but I was like nervous about it, and it kept me up really late until like 1:30 / 2 AM, usually I’ve been going to bed around 11. Oh, and on top of that I GOT MY F*#%^ing PERIOD. Yeah. A little earlier than I hoped. I was supposed to get it much closer to my flight. I was, however, prepared for this. I brought a plethora of pads, liners and tampons with me. It’s kind of a weird period though :/ It’s lighter than usual, and the blood is…different I think (yep, definetly paranoid). I feel cramps, but not very badly. Also, I took a shower this morning, and it didn’t stop. Hmmm. I feel like it’s not a real period, it’s like my body is using my uterus to drain. Miriam’s daughter told me that the surgery can bring on your period, which I’ve heard, as well as the opposite, some girls not getting periods for some months after. I’ll ask Dr. Perry about it, I’m going to see him today.
ANYWAY, depite the period and the Vicodin nervousness, eventually I got to sleep. I didn’t take any more vicodin before bed, so I woke up feeling a little worse than usual, especially my arms. I really just felt the swelling though, not too much pain, so maybe it’s time to wean off the meds.
I’ve been waking up around 8, and Miriam usually comes in around then to get me up. As I mentioned, today she woke me with good news, I can take a shower! She re-applied my bandages and took my upstairs. I haven’t felt too filthy because she’s been sponging me down regularly, and she’s very thorough with the disinfectant and cleanser and stuff. Also, I do so little activity that I don’t feel sweaty or dirty, but still the thought of a shower is lovely :) Honestly though, when I got in, my skin is so irritated from the inside, showering is not even the joy that one would think it would be. It was more mentally soothing. I really do hate this feeling under my skin. It’s numb and hot and prickly and sensitive and painful. Supposedly it can last for months and months. Really, this surgery takes months of dedication.
After the shower Miriam fed me, and then we went to do a little draining. Kinda wish we had done that before the shower, but it is what it is. My vag is still pretty swollen, and I’m holding a lot of swelling there. Miriam pushed at it, and it leaked, so she had me hold my lower tummy skin area up (ouch) as she she squeezed and drained my lower abs and vag. I started getting dizzy, so she had me lie down and rest for about 15 minutes. Then she came back and gave my belly and pubic area a drainage massage. Again, it hurt, but it was not really comparable to the bad one, so to me I was thrilled.
In case you all couldn’t tell, these draining sessions are pretty gross, just to warn everyone. The aim is to get the bloody fluid to come out of holes in your body, so. Not sexy at all.
Scheduled to finally buy another garment today! I can’t wait, I hope the little extra compression helps with my legs and ab swelling. Miriam likes the Faja garments. She said to me “I love Dr Perry, and I think he’s a great surgeon, but I don’t think the garment he gives compress enough.” I think the amount of fluid I still am draining further convinced her.
Also, she's having me push my lower ab skin up hard as I put on my garment. She says this drains better, as fluid doesn't collect in the tissue fold, and I would Imagine it would make your belly heal flatter. I've heard of girls saying this. We'll see, I definitely had excess lower belly skin, Dr Perry even said I would probably need a skin excision to get a flat belly. I honestly don't even feel like I would care too much if I had a little skin pooch. I've got one now, and it doesn't bother me terribly, so if I was slimmer and had one, I can't imagine I'd be horrified about it.
Alright, I’m going to go take a nap, my crappy night of sleep is catching up with me.

02/13 – Wednesday, Day 5 Post Op
Had my follow-up with Dr Perry yesterday! One of Miriam’s daughters flew in to help give her a massage (remember, she just had the surgery 3 or 4 days before me – honestly it hasn’t really affected my care very much. I’ve been massaged/drained, cleaned, fed and minded since my surgery.) She was having issues with swelling and stuff, and getting massage done. I was told I would be taken to Dr. Perry’s for the last few days, so yesterday I insisted I be taken. I kind of felt that I shouldn’t have had to do that, but Dr. Perry didn’t seem alarmed that I hadn’t seen him yet, so I was less so as well. But yeah, last night I needed him to see me, just to confirm that everything was going to be good.
Again, yesterday (day 4, 02/12) I felt so much better in general after shower, less painful massage, even with my period I was feeling better about life in general. So Miriam’s son drove me to the office, and I saw Dr. Perry. Even though I felt better, and felt like I was healing alright, it was SO WONDERFUL to have him confirm that there was no inflammation/fluid pockets/whatever else can go wrong. We took some after pictures (He is going to e-mail me before/afters any moment now, and I will post), discussed aftercare. He seems to feel that the massage during the first week is what really helps the most. I asked about getting massage in NY, and he said that I could get deep tissue or lymph drainage type massages, but it wasn’t necessary. I asked him if he had a knee-length garment, and he did not have one in the office. He offered to order me one, but I said I could just have one ordered to my house in NY, so it could be waiting for me. (still haven’t gotten the damn Faja, going tomorrow when I get the rental car, can’t wait to make independent moves!!!) He suggested a company called “Body by Veronique” that sold garments he approved of. Anyway, after seeing him and having him approve of my healing, I was floating on air! All night I was in a good mood. (Unfortunately, this interfered with my sleep, so I had a little tossing/turning action. Well not tossing and turning, because I pretty much exclusively sleep on my stomach, but I definitely turned my head back and forth. ) Oh! Also, Miriam told me to ask him for a bit of foam to put against my belly to help with smoothing, and he gave me a piece right away, no charge. It’s very thick, it’s not like epi-foam I’ve seen online, and it’s not disposable, but I’m sure it served the same purpose. So if any Perry ladies are interested, he is willing to give them out, just ask. I’ve read girls swear by them making their tummy’s flat and smooth. Probably won’t be a cure-all for me, but any little bit helps.
This AM (Wednesday 02/13 – 5 days post-op) I still wake up really achy and stiff. I ended up taking half a vicodin before bed to try and help me sleep, but I think I just stayed up anyway, and just got less good, clean sleep. Eh. But yes, as far as day-to-day pain and stiffness, numbness, hobbling around – it is still there. It is much more manageable than it was on those first days, maybe I’m just getting used to everything. Don’t get me wrong, the pain is definitely less, but sore! Swollen! STIFF! I still have the numbness and tingly sensation, but it’s getting less, plus I’m getting used to it. Still walking stiffly, but there’s finally a little swing in my hips : ) Kind of like a really pregnant lady walk. I still feel the hot numbness and the little sizzles (I think Dr. Perry’s patient “Thin in the Waist” described them as “zingers”, now I know what she meant!). I’m hoping to look normal at least walking slowly by the time I go back to work (the 18th, 5 and a half days!). It’s still a pain getting up from sitting, or bending over to pick something up.
This morning I asked Miriam if we could do the process in this order: Put the Garment in the laundry while I Drained/massaged, and then showered so the garment would be nice and clean when I was done. The massage this morning was bearable. There was definitely moments of pain, but again, that first bad massage took the cake. I was discussing the pain of the massage with a patient of Miriam’s, and we agreed that it was like burning waves where she was pushing. Sharp and hot pain. Ugh. To compare it to the first one, these are so much more bearable. They hurt, but I could never see myself crying again from them.
Swelling is not as it was in the first days either. My thighs are still HUGE, definitely better than pre-surgery. Knees and calves big as well. Hoping when I finally get this godforsaken knee length garment, this will help. But my hands/feet/face are not swollen anymore (maybe ankles/feet a little). Just to test, I put on a ring today that I wore on Thursday before surgery, and it fit pretty much the same. So it’s pretty much my core and legs.
So, this is my last day with Miriam. When I was planning my stay in FL, I was going to stay with her for 5 days, then I switched to 3 days(so surgery on Friday, hotel Monday), because of the money. On Sunday night I was feeling so beat up, still not used to the feelings in my body, the crap coming out of it, the whole overwhelming experience of the “journey” that I decided to stay 2 more nights. Luckily, my father has been as financially supportive as possible during this whole thing, so when I called and asked if he could give me the extra cash, he was more than happy to. I’m really glad I did. I MAYBE could have made it the last 2 nights on my own, but other than money, the only reason to be at a hotel is to be more independent, and I think I’m so much more ready to go to the hotel tonight than I would have been then. I can get the garment off and on by myself, I’m not as sickened by the fluids coming out of my body, I’m almost done with my prescribed antibiotics, and no infections or inflammation anywhere, plus my cold is almost gone. So it’s time : ) and I still have my 2 free massages to do. On a side note; Miriam is not charging my per 24 hours, she’s charging me for calendar days. I guess this is to be expected, I just don’t want anyone to be caught off guard. Which is why I’m still here, and it’s 6 PM -- I wanted to get my full day’s worth : )
Still deciding on the scheduling of that. Today is the 13th, so I was thinking the 15th and 17th (flying home on the 18th in the AM) so that way I would have an every other day massage thing, but I’m a little worried that if I skip tomorrow my incisions will close and whatever fluid is left in me will be more than it would have been.
Have another post-op with Dr. Perry tomorrow (Thurs, 02/13) in the evening, hopefully getting my stitches out.
FYI as far as insicions – I have one on each side of the following areas:
Outer knee
Inner knee
Mid/Upper thigh
Pubic mound – The leakers!
Belly button
Lower back / hips/love handles
Mid back/bra roll
Rear armpit
The back ones, armpit and outer knee are stitches the rest were left open for draining.
Pre op measurements were:
38DD - 35.5 - 47.5
My love handles were about the same as my hips around my pelvis, maybe even a little bigger. and there was a little indent between them and the lower hips. Before pics will explain better.
Not sure about thighs and arms.

Okay, I’m gonna pack up, eat dinner and then out to the hotel! Wish me luck on my own out there!

02/15/13 – Friday, one week post-op!
Hey all. So apparently, the hotel I was booked at was a really crappy hotel ina dangerous area. When Miriam’s family found out that I was going to stay there, they insisted that I not go. They very kindly let me stay in the house for a night. The next day I asked Miriam if I could stay the remainder of my time at a slightly discounted rate, and she agreed. She and her family have been so awesome to me. Staying here for my recovery was the best decision I could have made. I’ve been fed well, massaged, cleaned, carted around to appointments and garment stores, free cable and internet, and surrounded by awesome people.
As far as recovery, every day really is a little better. I feel much more flexible throughout my mid-section, much more comfortable touching my skin, more awake. When I pull my tummy skin up, it hurts a LOT less than it used to. Thighs/knees/mons still bigger than pre-op. Hope that starts to subside, I’m not crazy about the idea about non-jean pants & huge vag combo at work.
I’m a little concerned is that I’m still leaking/draining (sometimes heavily) out of my pubic mound, especially the incision on the right. It seems to be less today, but last night, and especially the night before last, I had to stand over a wee wee pad and drain myself for like 45 minutes, and fluid kept coming and coming. It’s definitely less today, but I REALLY don’t want to be on the plane, or at work and dealing with this. Miriam says that everybody heals differently, so it’s not necessarily abnormal. My apt with Dr Perry was switched to Sunday at 2PM, and so I’ll ask him about it then I guess. And stitches will be out! They haven’t bothered me, but it’s nice to feel that every day I am taking baby steps towards healing.
P.S. boutght a garment yesterday! It was a “Lipo Express” brand, XL. . It is slightly below knee length, no bra, bathroom hole and thick straps. The closest I can find to how it looks is this one:

http://www.lipoexpress.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_new.tpl&product_id=96&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=56&lang=en
Tight as S#!%....I had to wiggle my legs into it, make sure the were ALL the way up, THEN pull it over my hips, then snap the hooks in. The waist wasn’t as hard to do, but getting it past my hips was a sight to see. However, yesterday, I still had gauze padding on each of my pubic incisions, and this thing is SO DAMN TIGHT there was no room for the padding, so it was squeezing my va jay jay like crazy (not in a compression way, in a seams digging into the lips kind of way, and so I’m not going to wear it until I’m done draining. It’s better this way anyway, I don’t want to leak all over it and have to wash it all the time. The maidenform is easy, you can hand wash it and throw it in the dryer, and it’s the same as when you put it in. Not sure about this bad boy. It was more expensive too (120). Miriam, who was all for me getting the Faja agreed with this move so that made me feel better. Hopefully I can start wearing it tomorrow. It doesn’t really compress my legs very much (even thinking about altering it to be a little tighter, I have panbtyhose that give more leg compression), or my waist more than the maidenform with foam, but the HIPS, omg.
So this AM I had another massage. This one hurt quite a bit. I swear, Miriam becomes a soldier as soon as she starts. I’m sorry to keep re-iterating this, but after the first one, all of the massages are much more bearable. I’m not so tender anymore, plus I know I’m leaving on Monday, so 1) I don’t have many more left –yaaaay! and 2) I better get ‘em in while I can!
So I’m a little timid about going back to work. I did tell people I was going to Miami, but not what it was for. I have barely any tan, and I do NOT feel like I am returning from a vacation! I figure I’ll tell people that I slipped on ice on the way back from the airport, and so I’m all stiff and sore.
Also, starting to see a bit of a difference in my waist, from front on a little bit, but definitely from the side. It looks a little bit like I’m sucking my tummy in slightly : ) All right! When I look at myself in the garment, it still kind of looks like just me in a compression garment, I know, I know, still swollen. Still hard to look at some girls who immediately can tell at least a bit. My arms actually are looking a little leaner! I bought sleeves online, but they were too small (I bought http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081UYONA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AO293CY7PLEN9 in large) I definelty need an xtra large. Dr Perry doesn’t provide them, he says he has a lot of patients with numbness in the hands. I think I may buy them anyway and just wear them at night, as I did have a lot of loose skin on my arms.
Also, period seems to have stopped. Halleluya!

02.17 – Swelling finally going down a little! In the garment my shape is great. Still pretty much the same as what I started with, just a little smaller waist and love handles. I’m feeling pretty good, energy, pubic mound FINALLY stopped leaking yesterday.
Had my final post op with Dr Perry before going back to NY! Stitches out, no pain in that whatsoever. I pointed out a small hard spot/lump that I had found in my belly, and he rubbed the crap out of it, Miriam-style, and it got softer. Didn’t go away completely, but he says I should keep giving the spots frequent and aggressive massage. Several times a day if I can, basically as much as possible. Took a couple more pics. I still can’t see that much difference, I’ll hound him some more for my before and afters.

02.19 – Tuesday – 11 days post op – FINALLY back home. Missed checking in for my flight by THREE MINUTES :/ on Monday morning. I got put on standby, which normally may have worked out, but because of the holiday weekend all flights were booked SOLID, so I had to try to wait around the terminal, bouncing from flight to flight trying to get a spare seat. Schlepped myself around the terminal from gate to gate (and yes, outside a few times to smoke, still trying trying to be good and at least not have too many). By nightfall, I was SWOLLEN AS HELL. My legs, back and belly were back to day 3 or 4 post op swelling size. Pubic mound got a little worse too, but not quite as bad as it was during those days. I felt stiff and sore and my knees were bumping into each other as I walked because of the swelling, which caused more pain. Very briefly jogged to cross the street, and man, did I FEEL THAT, in my back love handle/hip area of all places. It was like that area was jiggling like mad. I felt that burning post-lipo sensation, and I knew I’d pay for that later.
Finally caved and bought a ticket for the next day (today) at 7 AM (couldn’t get a ticket for last night for less than about $600-$800). Still, at this point I had to purchase an entirely new ticket. I had no money for hotel, so I slept at the damn airport. DO NOT MISS YOUR FLIGHT HOME people! This experience would have been MISERABLE, even without the addition surgery complications. I was so swollen and stiff and sore already, trying to fold myself into a sleepable position in those damn chairs, plus Miami BLASTS the AC all night. MISERABLE. I got maybe an hour of sleep and was spent in hours of discomfort, and my body can feel the abuse. Took a couple of Tylenol extra strength, and I’m not in pain, so good on that. Still swollen though – I looked at my ankles as I typed that, and yes, we are definitely talking day 4 post op size.
Also, I’m starting to find A LOT of these little dime-sized lumps on my belly, and some on my waist. The four inches directly surrounding my belly button are full of little lumps. I knew that this could happen, and as Dr. Perry directed me, I am massaging the bejesus out of them. Some of them seem to go away with this, but a couple (those first 2 I found) do not. They become ever so slightly-softer, but they do not go away. The really teensy ones that are still forming seem to go away. Be warned, I’m talking about REALLY AGGRESSIVE massage. As hard as my fingers will go. I sometimes use my knuckles, or put fabric in between my fingertips and my skin so that nails don’t cut me. This has worked on the ones on my waist, I have gotten a couple to disappear completely by just rubbing them out.
Did anyone else experience all these lumps? I know SOME are common. Literally though, if you measured 4 or 5 inches outward in every direction from my belly button, there’s a lot of them, and two larger big patches (the first 2 I found). I’m a little afraid that since those weren’t aggressively massages immediately that they will become permanent. I hope I’m just being my usual paranoid self. Do any 2 or 3 month post-oppers (or anyone, really) have any wise words to tell me about these lumps?
I’m so tired, still haven’t slept since I got back to NY, so I’m going to take a nap.

02.22 - Friday - 2 weeks post op!
Went back to work on Wednesday! I enjoy my job and the people I work with, so I had a pretty good few days. I had to walk a lot, especially on Thursday, so I've been a little swollen the past few days. My pubic mound is still really swollen. I think my back still is as well.
Regarding the lumps - I asked Dr Perry about them and whether or not I should be worried, and he said they are pretty normal during this stage, and that I should just keep massaging them.
I have been doing this, and they DO seem to get better, at least a little, with massage over a few days. Mostly they don’t immediately recede, but after massaging them, over the course of a few days, they are softening up and getting smaller. They also seem to be worse when I’m more swollen, which is actually comforting because I figure it means that they are swelling themselves. Hope so. I still have a lot of lumps, some new, some have faded, some are getting better, some are staying the same…I don’t know. To describe them, I would say they are all small and pretty round, like all kind of different sized coins all over.
I measured my waist the other day, it’s the same as before surgery (36”). I’m a little nervous beause my hips/love handles have shrunk quite a bit, but my waist has not. The problem with this is that the reason my waist looked so “nipped in” before surgery was because I had such generous love handles, and that was one of the things I loved about my body before, and I don’t really have that right now. I’m adding some photos from day 2(Saturday, feb 9th) so you see what I mean. I’m hoping I keep my sharply curved waist, it was one of the reasons I chose Dr. Perry. I keep feeling like maybe I wasn’t specific enough when I told him what I wanted. I know, I’m such a worrier.
I think this whole shape thing may be because the compression garments I’ve found seem to put a tremendous amount of pressure on my hip area, and not as much on the waist, so they’re shrinking much more rapidly. I’m thinking of getting a waist cincher to speed the process up. Anyone have any recommendations for a cincher that allows for crazy hourglass proportions?
I’m really trying not to judge my results or worry too much right now because I’m so early in the process, and there’s very little I can do right now but wait and see how everything turns out before I start stressing over stuff. Easier said than done I guess.
One thing I must say is that the skin pooch at the bottom of my belly is not turning out to be too bad! There is a little area of overhang, but for the most part it really tightened up!
Also, dr. Perry has been really good about answering my concerned e-mails, but I haven’t gotten my before/afters yet, so I think I’ll just start by posting the pics I took at Miriam’s house.
Trying to take this whole thing one day at a time!

P.S. Forgot to mention - I am wearing my compression garment constantly, I have a high compression Faja that I sometimes wear to bed, and during the day I wear a smoother one, XL full body braless with crotch holes from "Body by veronique" that is REALLY tight, it;s harder to get on than the Faja! It's not as stiff as it either, it is very smooth, seams on the outside, no hooks or zippers or anything.

Again, neither garment puts as muh pressure on my waist as it does m hips, even with the thick piece of foam Dr. Perry gave me for extra compression/smoothness on my belly.

P.S. thank you to the ladies that have been encouraging and full of advice, this can be scary! I hope I am in love with my body after this, because I'm jsut realizing now how much I loved certain things about my body beforehand, and I hope I didn't lose those things.

Also, I have to resize my pis before putting them up to keep within the allowable upload limit, so I'll just give you guys some day 2s for now (so you get a good Idea of what I looked like before.

I just want everyone to know that I do have good days during my recovery! I guess I tend to write when I'm having a bad day, and it may give a skewed perspective.

I still am feeling a little unhappy with how much my hips have shrunk. I loved my big womanly hips! :( See pics. That was my favorite part of my figure!

I hope my waist goes in a lot so that they keep that curvy shape. I feel like right now I look more square than I did, and now tht my hips are smaller, it just looks like I am big in the "saddle bag" area, not really a nice curvy shape. I really hope my waist shrinks significantly and my hips don't get any smaller. If my hips/love handles keep getting smaller, I may be TECHNICALLY more curvy (because my waist will be slightly smaller and my "Saddle bags" will still be 46") but I feel like I won't look as curvy because it will be a more gradual curve between smallest point and biggest point. Keep remnding myself; PATIENCE!

I'm already thinking about having revisions, I swear I want more fat put back in my love handles!

Believe me everybody, this is purely speculation, I am fully prepared to wait for my final results berfore I start really thinking about this stuff, just letting everybody know what's been going through my head.

I am starting to notice a change in my knees, looking a little slimmer. Not so much above the knee, but on the inside of the knee. My legs certainly look very nice in the Body by Veronique compression garment. The Faja gives me absolutely ZERO leg compression, it's actually a little loose in the leg area.

Pubic area still VERY swollen. When the heck does THAT start to go down??

I've ordered a waist cincher and arm compression from Amazon, I'll review when I get them.

To continue onto Part 2 of my Liposuction journey, please click here.