Fat is Fat!...Time and Continued Exercise and Diet Will Tell - San Antonio, TX

So I finally decided to do it!  I truly had been thinking over doing this procedure for 10 + years.  I have always been in a healthy weight range, but always had those problem areas that I just could not get to go away!

I am 30 years old, 153.2 lbs, never had kids, and the highest weight that I have ever been, I do blame the weight on currently being in graduate school, but if all goes as planned I should be out this year..so I am hoping to consider this a gift to myself.  ..and besides I am sitting on my ass studying anyways..might as well get something out of it.
Initial measurements:
At belly button: 34 ¾ in.
At hip bone: 36 ½ in
Right upper thigh: 23 ½ in
Left upper thigh: 23 ½ in

I went to like 6 different plastic surgeons checking into them and feeling them all out.  Needless to say I have never been so exposed over a 2 month period in my life!  After all my research I really was going by how I felt with the Drs, if they were board certified, and the pictures of the work that they did.  I am not totally hung up on titles so I even went to a dermatologist who I did like alot....but as with most of the places in San Antonio, I didn’t like the post op photos.  I guess it is just the area???...I mean SA is the one of the fattest cities in the USA!..But most all the pictures I saw were of what I consider the average overweight middle age woman that just wanted to deflate her mid section.  (not quite me)  And another thing..SERIOUSLY...was it just me or was it impossible to find nice follow up pictures??  So with that being sad I went with Dr. Decherd of the San Antonio Plastic Surgery Institute. ..but the thought did cross my mind if I should go to like California to see the picture results that I wanted to see.  Sononbello did have some decent ones, but then again you don’t meet with the Dr until you already pay..and then their picture book I think is of picture from all over the nation..not really results of the particular surgeon that I would of gotten, necessarily.

Also, I as I was reading around I thought that I really wanted the Smart Lipo, aka the ultrasound version, and to go under local anesthesia.  Though, I was surprised to learn that all the Board Certified Surgeons, wanted to put me under general anesthesia....So that started as a deal breaker (as in I was not going to do it)..but then I just gave in and decided to do..thus allowing me to make it worth my while (hopefully) and get all the areas done at once that I wanted. 

So I decided to have my abdomen, submental (double chin), waist, and upper innner thigh.

My surgery was Jan 5, 2012 @10:30 @ Christa Santa Rosa Amublatory Hospital in Alamo Heights!  I was super scared, but since my husband was already quietly freaking himself out, I really had to contain my worries, which wasn’t easy since I am talker..and prefer to just talk through all my fears in a situation like that!  I was doing fairly well until I had to wait all gowned up until it was my turn.  Though finally Dr. Decherd arrived, which at that point a considered a friendly face , to mark me up.  I was truly saddened though that he didn’t have me stand up to mark me!!  Seriously every show I watch they have them standing to do the mark up..I was really afraid the true fat I wanted gone couldn’t be seen lying down…..but I was so anxious and nervous that I didn’t say anything..   ?  He still commented to me that he really wasn’t going to get much from my inner thigh area, which I told him that was fine I just wanted a little a removed anyways..not that I think it looks bad..but because I am so tired of the rubbing and sweating if I ever try to wear a dress or even worse…swim suit…but that was my own thought..(and then after surgery the Dr told my husband that I did have a lot more fat there than he originally thought)

I had read every where that they usually give you some meds to help calm you down before..and I was so ready for that because even another 30mins and I might have freaked myself out into going home!  ..So luckily the nurse came and gave me the drugs and then they wheeled me into the surgery suite!  I only remember then asking me to move tables and then they applied the gas and I watched as they started strapping my arms done…and funny enough, the drug they gave me prior must be pretty good because I am claustrophobic and that didn’t phase me at all!

Walking up.  So far the worse part of it all.  I woke up in pain and shivering.  The pain was like when you’re working out and you really feel that amazing burn on the last rep of your last circuit!  So I told the nurse and they asked my pain level, really? How can I tell you on a scale of 1-10..when I don’t know ..and I am barely coming to….so somehow I threw out a few numbers and they gave my morphine!  YUMMIE!  I had no idea how amazing that stuff was!  But once they got the shaking undercontrol  the pain was really nothing that couldn’t be handled.  I would give thumbs down though to the post op female nurse!  She was really bitchy, rush everything with me, was really rough, and told me all the wrong post op instructions, and didn’t even know how to apply my head wrap garment!  She was horrible!  I really started wondering if it was like closing time because she was trying to throw me out so fast and carelessly!

I was starving on the way home…so my husband grab me a sandwich from a convenient store…seriously..I am probably the only one that eats after surgery!  I did have my husband follow me everywhere I walked the first day to ensure I didn’t pass out and fall down..but I really never felt dizzy.  The next day I stayed alone and tried not to move at all, but mainly for safety reasons.  I did learn the hydrocodene made me nauseous because I ended up puking most of Friday…but the greatest experience... so I then switched over the 800mg Ibuprophen.

1/7/2012
I decided to take measurements and wash my wrap and take pictures.  The weirdest part is I really couldn’t even tell where I had the liposuction done ate beside I could feel it in my chin and abdomen, but not sure where everything else was done at!  I was about ½ in more swollen all over..with some bruising..but not as bad as I was really expecting, since I like to plan for the worse!

1/10/2012
I went for my follow up.  The Dr. was pleased with my results.  I was a little sad to hear him even throw out the idea of a possible fat transfer to a small area above my belly button that is looking indented.  ?  At this point I am going out and saying that you can probably tell where there is going to be indentations early on..assuming you’re not too swollen.  Because it is pretty apparent there isn’t as much fat there as everywhere else.  ?  He suggested some “VooDoo” as he termed it to use a rolling pin and massage and that might help that area and be good all over.  I myself added one of those sweat ab bands around my waist to try and smooth out the area (apply equal pressure) as well, since I noticed that the top of my garment was falling right into the “hole” with less fat.  I showed it to him and he was totally fine with that.  The main down fall right now is that it adds some layers and isn’t that easily hideable under clothes.  Though, I must be honest in saying that I went into this procedure with the worse case attitude that I might have some indentations..and I truly just hoped that they wouldn’t be that bad…I am fine not being perfect..I just didn’t want to looked botched either.  I think this is like a moment of truth as to if you are in fact genetically programmed to not ever having a flat stomach.  Which is me.  It is my opinion that those people that say they should have just got a trainer or worked out more, that they at one point had a flat stomach, and could have achieved that on their own.  (I even checked the few high school pictures to ensure I wasn’t just being laying and fat..and in fact..I was genetically wired to have excess fat in these areas)  ..but again ..my opinion.

Oh I must add for those preparing to do this…I have to concur with one ladies review that said that the female area is “swollen like something out of National Geographic”!  It is horrible looking and there is so much swelling that it is actually one of the main parts that hurts me.  ..and all the bruising trickled down to that area as well…Yozzers!!...totally will keep that from my husband if I ever want sex again!  It does make sense that this is the most swollen since the compression garment squeezes everything down to the part that is scrotchless..wow…that isn’t sexy either! ;P  Though for me it is probably good that I have some pain because otherwise I would really want to be working out now, and the Dr. said nothing for 2 weeks.  This really sucks, since I am all motivated, in between semesters, just renewed my gym membership, and don’t want this money to go to waist!! 

Though, right now the results aren’t exactly what I was hoping for..but honeslty I believe I was wanting more of a magic wand than anything..fat is still fat…for the result I want I a really need to be back at the weight I was before I started grad school!  ?  ..but I will keep this updated as I heal to let you know my true thoughts on liposuction.
I am having some technical difficulties uploading my pictures..so as soon as I get that figured out I will add them and continue the story for all those looking in to this procedure!