Liposuction is a personal choice! I had some rough times at the beginning of the year. First, Pinky (dog) had emergency surgery. Then I learned some horrific info that I’m not ready to address publicly. Then Mr. Woofers (dog) passed away. I was struggling emotionally with things I cannot fix so I decided to fix things I could fix. Sure! It was a way of avoiding some really heavy things but it also bought me time to process them and, in the meantime, made me feel better about myself.
The morning of my surgery I told my surgeon that I read the max he could take in one session is 5 liters so he should try to get 4.999 liters. I was surprised to learn he got 4 full liters. Holy crap! Was I THAT big? Sure! I had gained some weight but dang! I truly wasn’t expecting he’d really get THAT MUCH! Whoa! Look Doctor! At this point I am expecting to really have a “snatched waist” – as the young girls say! OK! Fine – maybe not all that but definitely have a noticeable waistline, ok?
Why did I do it?
I sort of already explained this but the truth is that I had been considering it for a while. On December 1, 2016 I had a hysterectomy, as I had had multiple procedures over the years to address fibroid tumors. The fibroids had come back with a vengeance; growing bigger than ever before in an incredibly short time. I was over it. I had a tubal ligation right after my 2nd son was born so what was the point of this uterus that kept filling with tumors and reducing my quality of life due to ridiculously heavy menstrual cycles and constant anemia (low iron). Hey! Maybe God recycles and this uterus can be a blessing for someone else but for me it wasn’t working out too well. After the hysterectomy I gained weight and it was bothering me. Prior to the hysterectomy it seemed easy to lose weight but not any more. Whether it was age or hormonal or I wasn’t trying hard enough (probably the most honest contributing factor), I was over carrying extra weight in my mid-section. This wasn’t my first time having liposuction but, in the past, my focus was on my legs and hips. The challenge with liposuction is that when you gain weight after liposuction you gain it in other areas; not where you had liposuction before. I gained in my mid-section and I was ready to address it.
The devastating family info that came across my plate might have sent some people over the edge. For me, I decided to focus on how I could feel better. Emotionally, I found myself at a low over something I didn’t cause and couldn’t fix. I realized the way out of being down was up and up for me was self-improvement. It is important that I say, and you truly hear, that fixing the outside definitely does not fix the inside! NOT A CHANCE! I was already dealing with my emotions – I reached out to therapists and I was very clear that the news that came my way was not my burden to carry despite how significantly it impacted me. I didn’t have expectations that liposuction would make me more loveable or wanted and it certainly couldn’t fix the family trauma brought my way! WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR ABOUT THIS! I understood I was reducing my waist size and my clothes would fit better and that would increase my self-confidence SOLELY surrounding my appearance; nothing more!
Post-Liposuction Aftercare / Liposuction Recovery
For anyone considering liposuction, it is important to understand that it isn’t something you do on Tuesday and it is over on Wednesday and you are all skinny and cute and life goes on. NOPE! Not at all! First of all, I will be in post-surgical compression garments for 3-6 months and I wear a board on my tummy. I started wearing the board about 10 days after my procedure and expect to wear it at least 6 weeks (we’ll see what happens at my next doctor’s appointment). That’s the easy part!
The good news is I am shrinking! The bad news is the post-surgical garments cost about $100 each and I have already gone through 4 sizes. I buy two of each size since I have to wash them. Yep! Do the math… Another $800 in compression garments already! NOT DONE YET! I had a significant amount of fat removed. That means soreness, swelling, hard knots (not sure what they are called) and so I address that with massage. I am so lucky to have stumbled upon a great post-surgical lymphatic drainage masseuse who recently relocated to Santa Clarita, California from Brazil. She speaks fluid Portuguese and I certainly DO NOT! We communicate using Google Translate. I am currently getting massages 3 times per week. I buy packages of 6 for $480. Buying the packages reduces the per-massage cost to $80 per massage. I expect to buy three packages minimum (about $1500). YEP! It is an expense but helps make sure I get the best results in the end. I am considering adding ultrasound technology to help as well – another expense and time commitment. YEP! ALL THESE APPOINTMENTS TAKE TIME TOO!
I do believe the more fat that is taken, the more aftercare that is required. Also, there are so many different types of liposuction. I had tumescent liposuction because I felt it was the best option for me due to having more fat that needed to be removed. Also, I was able to have it done under local anesthesia. I prefer to avoid being put to sleep if I can avoid it. I’m not sure I would do that again because I had scar tissue from previous surgeries (tubal ligation, hysterectomy and prior liposuction all were laparoscopically performed through my abdomen) so it was more painful than it would be for someone who doesn’t have scar tissue. If you don’t have much fat to remove then look into Vaser liposuction, as you can get a 6-pack carved into your abdomen with this procedure (don’t think for a second all your favorite celebs really work out THAT MUCH and live on kale and water)!
Liposuction – Bottom Line!
First, do your research but always do you! Just DO YOU based on your research; make informed decisions. No! That does not mean doing whatever your friend does because she looks good and swooped up some hot guy who drives a nice car. Especially here in Los Angeles where men seem to convince girls of the wildest things – that’s an entirely different topic but if he says he is in “the industry” in any way then you must check him out! Is the car registered in his name? Does he get mail at that house/apartment? Does he live with a wife/girlfriend who pays all the bills? What does IMDB say? These LA men are something else! By now the girls have probably caught up with the men! Oooh! That’s a blog post in the making!
Learn Photoshop! Not so you can edit your photos like everyone else but so that you can recognize edited photos. In this social media world it is a true blessing for not comparing yourself with photos on Instagram and not having unrealistic expectations of yourself based on other people’s lies (photoshopped posts). Don’t you want to be recognizable when you remove your clothes and makeup? I would not want to live my life worrying if that guy will still be interested in me without makeup, hair extensions/wigs, and clothes on – in real life!
Liposuction Recommendation
Instead of Photoshop, work out, eat healthy and, if it is right for you, have a little liposuction (or a lot)!
Thinking about liposuction? Have a question? Send me a message!