6 Days Post-op: the Process Step-by-step for Those Who Have Never Done This!

I'll start out by saying I've never had any kind of cosmetic surgery before, nor do I know anyone who has, at least to my knowledge. But my whole life I've had a "hip dip", a dent that extended from my front into my buttocks, making my ass look straight up concave. It's been a nightmare. I could only wear things that were loose from the waist down, so a lot of big dresses and high-waisted skirts, to cover the dents. I don't need to be perfect, I don't need a perfect big round ass, I just want... a normal one. I just want to wear a bodycon dress, or pants without having to hide my hips with a long t-shirt. I just want to be able to love this part of my body as much as the rest of me. I didn't learn until recently that this procedure even existed, or was accessible to someone like me. If it had cost 12k like a lot of NYC surgeons it would have wiped the entirety of my bank account. I couldn't have done it. But total, with Dr Taranow, it was $6150, and while I still need to wait a few weeks to see the final results, I'm already teary-eyed over how much better I look.
Right now the area he transferred the fat to - my upper buttocks - is a bit raised, making my ass look square-ish, but I know they overcompensate for what doesn't stick (about 20%-30% of the fat dies), not to mention swelling, so I'm not too worried. I'll update again after I go in for my post op.
Here's my experience thus far, for those who are thinking about it:
- went in for a free consultation with Dr.Taranow that went about half an hour, got into a hospital gown to show him my problem areas and he told me how he would go about redistributing my fat and what was doable. said he only does a few cases a day unlike bigger places that do hundreds a day and are more likely to botch it.
- after I decided on it I scheduled my pre-op and was given paperwork that told me how I had to prepare for the operation (no drinking or smoking a week beforehand, don't eat after midnight the night before, get all your prescriptions ahead of time) and what I would need to do after
- pre-op, monday 12/18/17: I filled in paperwork about my medical history and had my before photos taken, Dr.Taranow went over everything again and answered any questions I had
- the next day they sent prescriptions to my pharmacy which I picked up: one dose of ondansetron (anti-nausea) to take one hour before the surgery, cephalexin 500mg (anti-biotic) to prevent bacterial infections post-op, percocet (which is 5mg oxycodone & 325mg tylenol) for pain, and valium 10mg for sleeping and muscle relaxation
- surgery, thursday 12/21/17: woke up and showered thoroughly. was told to wear a loose shirt, sweatpants and warm socks. arrived and waited as they prepared the room for surgery. both the nurse and anesthesiologist by law had to ask me the same questions: what's your name, what are you here for, do you consent to this, etc, just to be safe. it's required by law that someone pick me up after anesthesia, so I told them that friend's name and phone number. then I was taken to the back, got out of my clothes and dr. taranow wiped down the areas he was operating on with what I think was just anti-bacterial soap.
- I lied on the operating room table and the anestheselogist put an IV into my left arm. I didn't watch because needles freak me out but it didn't hurt too bad. the nurse stood on my other side and rubbed my other arm to comfort my nerves. the anestheseologist said he was going to administer the anesthesia, then asked if I could feel it. I said "not yet.. oh wait, wow, yeah" and then, just like that, I woke up hours later, and it was done. god, I love anesthesia. it's over before you know it.
- I woke up half-in my compression suit which the nurse zipped up for me as I was totally loopy from anesthesia. she gave me some coca-cola to help my sugar levels, and turned on the news so I had something to stare at. in my daze I apparently kept asking "what the republicans had done now" and repeating "paul ryan is such an [RS bleep]" lol. so, expect to be pretty fucked up after, but in a like, fun way.
- they texted my friend that I was ready and he came to get me. we took an uber and by the time I got home forty minutes later I was much more coherent. my body was still numb so I just napped, and when the anesthesia wore off a few hours later and I started feeling some pain I took a percocet and it mostly went away.
The first time I took percocet it made me a bit nauseous which is to be expected with oxy. After that it just feels nice. I have yet to take the valium because you're not really supposed to take opioids and benzos together. The nurse said it would be ok to take valium at night but I don't want to risk it and the percocet's been enough for pain management.
My first week post-op has been alright. I can walk around just fine, go grocery shopping, clean, etc. But if I miss a dose of percocet, it definitely hurts enough to like, wake me up in the middle of the night to stumble over to the medicine cabinet. I skipped it my fourth night so I could drink on Christmas, but I regretted it because trying to sleep after sucked, and drinking made me feel like [RS bleep] the next day.
Because the fat was transferred to my upper buttocks/hips/lateral thighs, it doesn't get squished when I sit, so I've actually been able to sit down normally. I just can't lie down on my back or my sides, which is definitely annoying because you want to just relax and watch a movie but it's kind of hard to face down. The first few days I was stiff as hell, but now I move around more normally. I still get nauseous on the percocet sometimes, but I'll ask at my post-op if dramamine or something would help.
Will update again as my recovery continues!

Sorry, forgot to update! Here are photos from immediately before and after surgery. The bruises healed within the month. So happy I did this.