POSTED UNDER Liposuction REVIEWS
Liposuction-tummy and Flanks-I Can't Wait! - Wauwatosa, WI
ORIGINAL POST
Over winter break, I got a breast augmentation...
doublee73March 30, 2016
$6,500
Over winter break, I got a breast augmentation surgery by Dr. Kramer in Wauwatosa. She and I thought that I would have to have a breast lift, but she did so well with the breast augmentation that I didn't have too! Hey, anyone that can save me $5k is awesome!!!!!!
So, since I was already planning financially to pay for another surgery, I decided to use that money to get liposuction.
I've never really had a waist. My sides go straight down, not in. And my stomach goes out starting under my breasts. In addition, after having had 2 kids (one natural birth and one C-section), I have a pouch of skin and fat around my belly button area.
I am a healthy person, I exercise regularly and eat well. I run 5ks and love obstacles! I've ran the Tough Mudder, Battle Frog, Spartan, Dirty Girl, and on. Trainers have told me that I could exercise my tummy down, but I could never get it to what I liked.
Since my breast augmentation surgery went better than I could have ever anticipated, I brought up the idea of doing liposuction on my stomach. Dr. Kramer said that there are some fat areas on my body that wouldn't go away no matter how much diet and exercise I did.
I have had a hard time considering doing liposuction, because I feel as a culture we think it's "cheating," but I considered a woman with wide saddle-bags that were from her DNA and not from her lack of healthy eating/exercising. I thought, if a friend had saddle bags and wanted to fix it through lipo, would I think that she was cheating? No, way!!!!
The weirdest thing I learned from Dr. Kramer is that lipo is not about weight loss, but about shaping. She explained that in the areas she would address, the fat would be removed and would thus NEVER return unless I gained tons of weight/ got pregnant (no risk there).
So, since I was already planning financially to pay for another surgery, I decided to use that money to get liposuction.
I've never really had a waist. My sides go straight down, not in. And my stomach goes out starting under my breasts. In addition, after having had 2 kids (one natural birth and one C-section), I have a pouch of skin and fat around my belly button area.
I am a healthy person, I exercise regularly and eat well. I run 5ks and love obstacles! I've ran the Tough Mudder, Battle Frog, Spartan, Dirty Girl, and on. Trainers have told me that I could exercise my tummy down, but I could never get it to what I liked.
Since my breast augmentation surgery went better than I could have ever anticipated, I brought up the idea of doing liposuction on my stomach. Dr. Kramer said that there are some fat areas on my body that wouldn't go away no matter how much diet and exercise I did.
I have had a hard time considering doing liposuction, because I feel as a culture we think it's "cheating," but I considered a woman with wide saddle-bags that were from her DNA and not from her lack of healthy eating/exercising. I thought, if a friend had saddle bags and wanted to fix it through lipo, would I think that she was cheating? No, way!!!!
The weirdest thing I learned from Dr. Kramer is that lipo is not about weight loss, but about shaping. She explained that in the areas she would address, the fat would be removed and would thus NEVER return unless I gained tons of weight/ got pregnant (no risk there).
Replies (2)
UPDATED FROM doublee73
Day of treatment
The night after having surgery
doublee73March 31, 2016
I'm feeling ok. The recovery is significantly easier than the breast augmentation.
I know that some people that share on realself do multiple surgeries at the same time. Dr. Kramer advised me to split them up and I am happy for it. I think one area to recover at a time is more manageable.
I know that some people that share on realself do multiple surgeries at the same time. Dr. Kramer advised me to split them up and I am happy for it. I think one area to recover at a time is more manageable.
Replies (1)
March 31, 2016
Hi..happy to hear that ur doing well..please keep us posted on ur recovery..
UPDATED FROM doublee73
4 days post
4 days post op
doublee73April 3, 2016
So I was feeling a little itchy from the sponge-like compression between the girdle and myself that I unstuck them and tightened the girdle back up.
I got to see the incisions and where the stitches remain. It's true, like she said, I have hardly any bruising in the areas she
Lipo-ed.
I'm uploading pics from today, but don't worry I did not get lipo done on my lower abs, I will take care of the fat there when I do the tummy tuck.
When feeling my upper abs and flanks, when unsticking the sponge pads I could feel there was no fat there!!!!
Feeling happy and excited for the toned down me that I never could achieve through exercise.
I see Dr. Kramer this Wednesday and she's going to fully take the girdle off for us to check things off before putting it back on. Trust her implicitly. She's the bomb!
Btw, I read on someone else's blog that lymphatic massages helped w swelling. I spoke to my friend who is a great masseuse and said it would do nothing to improve swelling and would be a waste of my time and money. Gotta love people who'd rather tell you the truth, than make a buck. By the way, if you live in the Milwaukee area, her name is Shahnaz and she is in Brookfield.
I got to see the incisions and where the stitches remain. It's true, like she said, I have hardly any bruising in the areas she
Lipo-ed.
I'm uploading pics from today, but don't worry I did not get lipo done on my lower abs, I will take care of the fat there when I do the tummy tuck.
When feeling my upper abs and flanks, when unsticking the sponge pads I could feel there was no fat there!!!!
Feeling happy and excited for the toned down me that I never could achieve through exercise.
I see Dr. Kramer this Wednesday and she's going to fully take the girdle off for us to check things off before putting it back on. Trust her implicitly. She's the bomb!
Btw, I read on someone else's blog that lymphatic massages helped w swelling. I spoke to my friend who is a great masseuse and said it would do nothing to improve swelling and would be a waste of my time and money. Gotta love people who'd rather tell you the truth, than make a buck. By the way, if you live in the Milwaukee area, her name is Shahnaz and she is in Brookfield.
Replies (15)
April 3, 2016
Btw: I don't think Dr Kramer would be happy w me unsticking the sponge things, but I needed a break.
Also, I'm going back to work tomorrow. Not excited about that, but I will do my best to take it slow and make things happen. I would recommend giving yourself more than 5 days recovery from lipo. If there are other people who are cool to go in quick, yeah for them, but I would prefer not going back tomorrow. I did stop my last pain med the morning of the 4th day and napped on and off nearly the whole day. Today although in some pain when I move, and moving at a turtle pace, I'm feeling more myself
Also, I'm going back to work tomorrow. Not excited about that, but I will do my best to take it slow and make things happen. I would recommend giving yourself more than 5 days recovery from lipo. If there are other people who are cool to go in quick, yeah for them, but I would prefer not going back tomorrow. I did stop my last pain med the morning of the 4th day and napped on and off nearly the whole day. Today although in some pain when I move, and moving at a turtle pace, I'm feeling more myself
April 4, 2016
I can't wait to see your results in a few weeks I have similar body type and am afraid of tt. I want Lipo but dr thinks tt would be best. I would consider tt later not now.
April 7, 2016
How good do you feel about your doctor? Have you met more than one to get another opinion? Did you ask your doctor why he says to skip the lipo and do a TT? At first I feared asking all of my true questions for fear of looking stupid or worrying that I'd tick off the doctor or make her feel like I was wasting her time asking silly questions. I'm glad I did ask and got all the info I needed.
I actually wanted to do the opposite of you. I wanted to skip the lipo and just do a TT, but Dr Kramer said that if I did that my lower abs would be smooth and flat and my upper would protrude-which would look downright oogly
I actually wanted to do the opposite of you. I wanted to skip the lipo and just do a TT, but Dr Kramer said that if I did that my lower abs would be smooth and flat and my upper would protrude-which would look downright oogly
April 7, 2016
Well I have to admit I went blindly and mostly to remove my saline implants and get smaller silicone and asked quick about tt. Then I called back and mentioned lipo and the answer I got was no the Dr doesn't feel like that would be good for you. Ugh I'm probably going to just do BA. Try to loose more weight but I mostly want shaping and I don't care about a lil loose skin
April 7, 2016
I'm sorry you had to get your ba redone. This process is challenging emotionally and physically, well worth it, but to have to undo and redo stuff, what a pain. Follow your heart for what you need. And heck, it all doesn't have to be done "now."
And finding love and acceptance for ourselves, no matter what we look like.
And finding love and acceptance for ourselves, no matter what we look like.
May 7, 2016
Well I decided to do BA and Dr thinks I now have more breast tissue than before so maybe I'll be implant free we'll see and I'm getting lipo to flanks and bra strap for now I'll wait in TT for now thanks for your help
May 7, 2016
Dr said I didn't have to do lymphatic massages I forgot to ask about a compression garment or something like that what do you think I need to be prepared with ??
May 7, 2016
Yes, my doctor said the lymphatic massages were useless too. She told me to take warm baths (after the first 4 days or so) and massage it myself.
As far as compression garments, she had me wear a white surgical binder abdominal support that covered my upper and lower abs. She also had me get a back back support (both items can be bought at Walgreens or CVS), and a girdle from Walmart. The girdle has snaps in the bikini area and in the front, belly button level and above. The ab and back supports were about $30 each. The Walmart girdle was $15.
As far as compression garments, she had me wear a white surgical binder abdominal support that covered my upper and lower abs. She also had me get a back back support (both items can be bought at Walgreens or CVS), and a girdle from Walmart. The girdle has snaps in the bikini area and in the front, belly button level and above. The ab and back supports were about $30 each. The Walmart girdle was $15.
April 4, 2016
You had lipo on your upper stomach and flanks only? How long do you have to wait to have the rest done?
April 7, 2016
12 weeks, but I will have to wait until July b/c I have some vacation time then. Getting it done right for me is well worth the wait
April 7, 2016
Oh, I see. It will definitely be worth the wait. This process is an emotional roller coaster and I've had my ups and downs with healing, but I have absolutely no regrets so far. I had a tt and lipo. My upper stomach was lipoed too and I find that I swell there more than my lower abdomen now. The swelling has pretty much subsided on my lower stomach, but my upper looks puffy at the end of the day.
April 7, 2016
How long ago did you have your procedure? And how long did the doctor suggest that you wear your girdle or stomach wrap?
I surprisingly have not had much swelling. I'm very bruised on my legs and my butt, the area is lower than where she worked. I have a little bit swelling in my lower abdomen, but that's it so far.
I surprisingly have not had much swelling. I'm very bruised on my legs and my butt, the area is lower than where she worked. I have a little bit swelling in my lower abdomen, but that's it so far.
April 8, 2016
I had my original procedure in November. I got a seroma that my doctor surgical drained and cleaned at 5 weeks po, so I basically started all over at 5 weeks. So it's been 16 weeks since my second surgery and honestly, I still wear my CG sometimes. Just here in the last few days have I completely ditched the CG and I wear a really tight waist shaper. I've worn it waaaaaaayyyy over what my doctor told me I had to though. At first it was because I was so scared of getting another seroma, that I decided I was not going to stop wearing the CG until after the time they say the flap completely adheres to the muscle and there are not pockets for a seroma to develope. After that, and even now, I still swell so much that I kept wearing it. My surgeons lipo is very aggressive, so I'm sure that's why I swell so much and since I don't work outside of the home, I've just gotten used to wearing it most of the day. That's really just overkill though. I'm just trying to make sure I'm extra ready for summer. Lol
April 8, 2016
I have to say you look great I wonder if she did the lower half you might not need tt
April 9, 2016
I know I would, I have a lot of extra skin down there and it hasn't gone down more than this since my pregnancies. I was very blessed that my breasts' elasticity was mainly great. I still have a little extra skin on my R breast, but not so much that it's a problem.
My upper and and flanks only had a little bit of fat compared to my leftover pregnancy pouch
My upper and and flanks only had a little bit of fat compared to my leftover pregnancy pouch
Today is only day 2 and I'm bound up in a girdle. Seeing the doctor tomorrow, plan on posting pics then