45 Years Old, 3 Kids and Looking Forward to a Few Curves - Shreveport, LA

I've always been slim, so having curves wasn't something I really thought about, at least not until I had my last child 7 years ago. Since then, it's been difficult to lose my belly fat. I got use to the routine of not tucking in my shirts and wearing loose fitting tops to accommodate my little bulge. As we all know, as you get older, it gets harder and harder to keep the fat off. I exercise routinely and eat fairly well to maintain my figure. I’ve read several reviews about the BBL and decided that I could put my bulge to good use. The hard part was finding the right doctor for me to do it. I really didn't want to travel outside the U.S., even though it is a heck of a lot cheaper to do so, and I've seen and read about great results some ladies have gotten by traveling abroad. That just wasn't something I was interested or comfortable in doing. Luckily, I do have the means to afford some of the in state doctors prices. Now, just because I can afford it, doesn't mean I was going to pay some of these inflated prices these doctors were advertising. High prices don't always represent great work. I bounced between two doctors and decided after the second meeting with Dr. Bridges, that he was the one. Thank God I did because I love my new curves! He listened to exactly what I wanted. I wanted something that fit my small frame and looked really natural. That's what I got. I'm only 3 days post op, but I love what I'm seeing already.
Day 1: The day of my procedure, I arrived at the surgery center around 7:00 am. After completing the standard paperwork, I was brought back to what was to be the recovery room once the procedure was done. I was giving a robe, and pair of non-skid socks to put on. I did bring a pair of compression socks with me to use, but the nurse informed me that it wasn’t necessary because they use a machine that compresses my legs continuously throughout the procedure (that made me feel good about that). I was also given a locker to place all belongings in as well. After I changed, I returned to my recovery bed and waited for the nurse to start my IV. There was one young lady ahead of me for a revision, but I was told that her surgery wouldn’t take long. My IV was started around 45 min after I got there. Dr. Bridges came in shortly after that, joked a little about trying to find some fat on me to take out and started marking me up. He went over what he was going to do, as per what I requested, and that he was going to put in EVERYTHING he took out from my abdomen and flanks back into my hips and butt. The nurse returned 10 minutes after that. She injected a relaxation medication through my IV at that time. The next thing I remember, I was being woke up three hours later. Yep, that’s all I remember. My husband brought me home and I slept for about three hours before I got up and started moving around. I put myself on a routine of resting, staying very hydrated (I drink at least 6 to 8 bottles of water a day and about 32oz’s of Gatorade daily), taking pain meds (Demerol and nausea meds) and walking.
Day 2: This is the day the pain and itching kicked in. Even though I was really good about taking all my medications on time, it doesn’t alleviate all the pain. I was prescribed Percocet to start the day after the procedure and an antibiotic. This is when the itching started. I have taken Percocet in the past, so I thought it was the antibiotic. Well, it turned out that my body doesn’t like Percocet anymore, so I called my doc’s assistant and she phoned in a prescription for Tramadol for me. It’s not as strong but it did alleviate some of the itching. My husband picked it up first thing the next morning because the pharmacy was closed by the time the order was put in. I continued on the same routine of resting, staying hydrated, taking pain meds and walking. I have not had a bowel movement yet, just a lot of gas, but I’ve been urinating like crazy. At least I know my body is staying hydrated.
Day3: I wanted to ripped those freaking foam pads off me, because they felt sticky and itchy, and nothing is worse than trying to scratch an itch you can’t get to. I called my doctor to find out if it was okay to remove my garment and foam pads since I will be seeing him the following day. He said I could, so, I removed them, took a shower and washed my garment. I did buy a stage 2 garment to wear, but is was too small so, I had to reorder one in a size large. I ended up washing the compression garment my doc gave and put that back on once it dried. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the mirror and saw my new figure. All I could do was smile! It felt awesome and solidified that I made the right decision in the PS I chose. I have my follow up tomorrow, and I I will find out how man cc’s he used. Oh yeah, I was already prescribed iron, calcium and vitamin D pills through my PCM, and I stop taking my aspirin 15 days prior to my surgery date. My TSH levels were low, but I was still cleared for surgery.
Day4: I only saw his assistant today. The visit was short b/c I had already removed the bloodied foam padding and bandages. His assistant wrote me a prescription for another pain killer and scheduled for me to have my stitches removed in two days when I see the doc.
Day5: I had a 45 minute massage appointment scheduled for today. It was great. The nurse gave me combo of lymphatic and deep tissue massage. When I got up to get dress, it was so much easier to put my garment back on. I couldn’t believe it.
Day 6: I saw the doc today. He said that he removed a total of 1700cc’s! I can’t believe it. He told me that he had been surprised himself and that it was really good usable fat that he used for my hips and butt. He used ALL of it. I’m very bruised today, but the pain is manageable. I’m scheduled for another massage tomorrow and I can’t wait.