Just Had Lipo....already Thrilled! - Palm Beach, FL

Ok. First off, let me start by saying that I wish I had joined this site months BEFORE my surgery. Duh. I had read a few reviews on different doctors but didn't realize this was a sort of blog as well. What an amazing resource...not to mention the great support!!
Next, I will give a bit of background. I am 38, a mom of 4 kids aged 9 to 2, married and live in beachy Florida. As a result we LIVE in our bathing suits! I have always been athletic, with broad shoulders, and have never been small. I have considered lipo for a while because you know the deal - all the working out but there are some stubborn areas!! Some I finally took the plunge.
It has been 5 days since the procedure. I had my abdomen, hip rolls, axilla, and upper back rolls done. Um, can you say OUCH!!??!! Haha. It was done Monday afternoon (try to book mornings as you can't eat!!) and took a couple of hours. I don't live in the town where I got the lipo done so my cousin picked me up and brought me to my hotel room where she hung out with me and our other good friend. Basically, they had a party with PF Chang's takeout while I laid in bed, stoned on Demerol and post op meds! To get up off the bed I would kind of roll my legs over the side and use the nightstand to push myself up. AWFUL so I only got up once or twice that night. By the next morning the pain was kicking in and you really feel sore, tender...I liken it to a few rounds in the ring getting your mid section and back punched repetitively. Nothing broken but definitely teeth clench worthy.
That morning I saw my doc for a follow up. Someone drove me because there was NO way I was driving. I was supposed to check out that day and head home...no can do. Booked another night! Anyway, saw the doc and he removed the garment. Ok, and this is important. When that thing comes off, you feel crazy weird. Taking it off does not hurt, per se, but your skin nd body feel weird...you want to grab your stomach because things feel loose and not attached. I kept thinking my organs were going to fall out. (demerol?? haha) But it really does feel that way. It had been less than 12 hours since the surgery so the swelling had not even kicked in. He showed me a mirror and said, "You won't look like this again for a couple of months because of swelling. But LOOK at the difference!" and man, he was right. I could see so many changes in my shape and it is exciting to know that will be my new body.
My husband had to leave on a business trip so I HAD to drive home Wednesday. I left a few hours short of the 48 hour mark. No demerol by then, only tylenol (and arnica!!), and drove in the slow lane. Very carefully. My motherinlaw helped bring dinner that night, but yeah, I was "on" from then on. Kid stuff. School driving. Real life. 5 days in now, and the bruising was worst on day 3/4, I see tiny improvement today. Also, today was the first minimal pain day. You know, just a touch sore...it is not prohibitive. No working out yet, which I miss.
I had the standing prep done, which if you are shy is weird. However, after 4 kids and a traumatizing experience flashing a basketball team when I was a teenager, I don't get shy. So it didn't bother me. But there was no heads up...it was, "drop your gown" and then cold wet spongy stuff was rubbed ALL over very quickly. It was freezing, I got on the table, and was out. I don't remember anything, but apparently I sang a whole lot of Justin Beiber (so ashamed!!) and demanded to look like Jessica Alba. Hmm.
Any questions? I will answer anything I can and I can not WAIT to see my new body. I will try to find some before pics for reference, but I don't have much....maybe the dr will give me the ones we took and I can post them??

Ok. Quick update. It has been 8 days and the bruising is starting to lessen but the swelling is pretty substantial. I have been taking arnica but no pain meds for 6 days (only did 2 days of pain meds) and have been wearing the garments nonstop, 24/7. Saw my dr. yesterday and he was really pleased...said everything was looking even better than he had anticipated. Just general tenderness...no actual pain. The pain was only acute for 3 days, solid pain for another 2 days, and the rest has been just soreness. Here are a few photos of before...and I will try to get the official "before" pics so I can post those and then give some accurate portrayals of after.

Super quick update. You know how you start to look at what was done and all the swelling and start to wonder?? Well, that was me by last night. Like, "I KNOW it has only been 8 days. I KNOW the swelling will take 3 months. But was all that money worth it??" You know, you lose what looked so good just days before and start to doubt it?? Well, I ahd not seen my hubs since two days before the procedure....

He was out of town on business for 8 days. He got back late last night when I was in bed, and so this morning after dropping the older 3 kids at the bus stop, I came back and wanted to show him. I went into the bathroom and took off the compression stuff and put on the new bikini - you know, the one you buy because it is SO hot and you think that yeah, eventually, it will look SO good??? I walked out and asked how I looked and if he could see a difference. He said, "Absolutely. I can't believe the difference!! And you are saying you are still all swollen? You look incredible!"

So I was all happy, but then I was like, "Well, he is married to me. So he HAS to say that. I mean, if he doesn't say that he won't get any a** forever so contractually our husbands have to say it." So I sort of blew it off and went about my day. BUT - then the motherinlaw texted me and said, "I need to see you in a bikini. Your hubby just called me and said you look like a supermodel!" Yeah, that's what he told his mom. HA!! So now I am back to being happy...gonna take some compression garment and nude pics and post if I get brave enough...