35 Yrs, 2 C-sections, Getting Rid of the Pouch! - Wellesley, MA

Hello. I've been contemplating liposuction for a few months now and have finally pulled the trigger. I'm 35 yrs old, 2 children born via csection (had tubal ligation so no more for me!), average height (5'5") and average weight (148). I have an inverted pear shaped body with a large chest, medium waist and small hips. I feel unproportional and wanted a leaner more defined waist and my c-section pouch that can't be cured by any amount of exercise or diet smoothed out. At one point I was looking at lipo with fat transfer to buttocks because I would love a little more of an hourglass figure but decided against this due to the aggressiveness of the procedure and fear of not having enough taken from the waist and looking larger in general all over with the increased buttock size. I had a consultation with Dr. LoVerme on 7/27 and was very pleased with the office and his recommendations and positive yet realistic feedback. He was informative and made me feel relaxed so I booked my procedure to have power assisted liposuction to my abdomen, flanks and back (bra roll) the very next day. The surgery cost was a little more than I had hoped but I felt like I was getting quality, a board-certified plastic surgeon and wanted my body in the best hands. Surgery scheduled for 8/11. I'm writing this less than 24 hours post op and plan to update as the days go on.

So day before surgery I filled by pain meds to have them ready and I took one pill of arnica (it was a strong version, not available at stores, that the office sent to me in advance). Day of surgery, I got up early, showered, wiped done with the pre-op wipes provided by the office. They took me back and I met with the nurse first, had to sign the consent forms again and change out of my clothes into a Johnny for the doc to mark me up. Next in was the anesthesiologist who was very sweet. She walked me through what she was going to do and again I signed the consent papers. Last Dr. LoVerme came in and we went through what he was going to do again while he marked me. I was still feeling pretty comfortable and my nerves were holding up. Last stop bathroom and into the in-office operating room I went. Johnny off and standing prep on my back, lie down on operating table for the front prep and anesthesia. This is when the nerves kicked in. I was transported back to the operating room when I had my c-sections and was just a wreck then. I told the staff I was freaking a little bit so they made conversation with me while they worked, I closed my eyes and breathed and before I knew it IV was in (just a pinch) and I was asleep under sedation. Fast forward to me waking up as they are putting on my garment and then I walked into the recovery room. I felt fine, actually better than fine. No pain at all and relaxed. My friend who was waiting for me came in and the nurse fed me crackers and water. Doc popped in and said everything went very well and he took 1200ccs. Hope this is enough for the results I want so badly. I had to urinate so bad so my friend and the nurse helped me up to the bathroom. The crotch less garment is great, no need to unbutton or pull anything down. I waited in recovery for about a half hour and the nurse went through post op instructions, gave me a pain med and off I went home. Once at home I had some soup and payed on the couch with pet pads underneath me. Still no pain, just tightness from the garment and foam they packed me with. Feeling good! Ate a light dinner of baked fish and some pineapple. The drainage has been significant but that was expected and should taper off at 24/48 hours. Honestly it doesn't bother me. I just change my clothes but I cannot take of the garment or foams for 3 days so it's little gross being in a wet suit. I have been diligent about taking my pain pill every 3-4 hours and thus far I'm still feeling good. I can feel some soreness coming on but with the mgmt of pain meds it has been very tolerable. I have been drinking a lot of water and urinating very frequently which is good for drainage. Lastly I'm taking the Arnica that the office gave me at evenly spaced intervals.

I will update as the next few days go on and also will post pics.

Thanks and hope you enjoy my review. Good luck!

I was instructed not to take off the garment and shower until Sunday (sx last Thursday). I admit I was terrified to see what my body looked like. Afraid of massive bruising, large incisions, huge swelling, pain and disappointment. I sucked it up, took a pain med, lied down on the bed and began to unzipper and unhook. Foam and gauze out, stood up and was thrilled with what I saw!! My stomach is flat....FLAT! Unbelievable. Everything else is looking good too. Very minor bruising (and I bruise like a peach), incisions were closed and small, and the pain wasn't too bad at all. Now mind you I am swollen and super tender to the touch and my whole abdomen feels rock hard but I am very happy thus far and really looking forward to seeing how this all shapes up in a couple of weeks. I showered with some dial soap and put the foams back in with another garment while the surgical one is being washed and air dried. I finally went out of the house today for a little shopping and now I plan to take it easy since its 95 degrees out here and the humidity is off the charts. Don't want to swell more. The only things plaguing me at this point are 1) I haven't had a bowel movement yet and have been taking Miralax daily as well as smooth move tea today, and 2) I did notice some unevenness looking down at my abdomen and looking at the flanks in the mirror. Am not going to panic over this yet since I have a ways to go to recover and will speak with the surgeon at my post-op appt. on Tuesday. Another thing on my mind is after sx massages. A lot of people online recommend them but when I asked the surgeon at the consultation, he said he does not recommend them off the bat. He said he would let me know after sx if he felt I needed massages or ultrasound. I just want to make sure that I give myself the best possible outcome from this surgery and if anything will help, I am willing to do it. I don't want to short change this investment. I will also ask him about this again on Tuesday. What have you all done? Any other tips or tricks for improving liposuction results?

Will update again after the post-op appt. Thanks for reading!