It is done.....

OK--so THE EVENT has happened.  On Wednesday afternoon............. I had SmartLipo. 

I did my upper and lower abs and flanks.  I am 4 days post op and I can tell you that the results are already AMAZING!  I am still very swollen, but I can already tell a huge difference in my shape.

I have been researching it and thinking about it since last Spring--and a conversation with a friend who had her chin done and some other work done by the same surgeon made me just decide to go for it.

I was as nervous as all get out--especially since I had to wean off the Zoloft--I was a train wreck by the time the surgery was to begin. 

It took about 2 hours and I was totally awake for it--it was not painfull at all--just VERY weird feeling.  The only part that really stung was the inital movement of the Lidocaine thru the area.  The nurse, dr and I were talking, laughing and joking throughout the procedure--I had to put in my IPOD for the "sucking out" part because that sound was pretty disgusting.  I had over 3500cc's of stuff removed.  It was disgusting!  Really turned me off eating for ever! 

I think the worst part of the whole thing was the night and day after--so much drainage of the tumescent fluid and icky stuff--I went thru tons of pads and clothes.  People kept asking what it was like--and seriously, I had to stand in a tub to change my dressings because the fluid just literally shot out of me--I had to massage it out as well and that was so gross--it literally was like breast milk shooting out.  GROSS!!!

I stopped "spurting" yesterday--and only had to massage the fluid  out in the morning.  I am down to just having gauze pads over the 5 holes (which are TEENY).  I think I will just put bandiads over them tomorrow as I am not bleeding or anything any more. 

I have to wear an abdominal binder for 2 weeks--which makes it hard to breathe and move--but I want the BEST results, so I am going to play by the rules (Dr. said I could switch to SPANX if I wanted to after a week--but we'll see).  I have taken nothing more than Tylenol or Advil for discomfort--it has just felt like I had a seriously awesome ab workout and am really just muscle sore.  I would not call it "pain" at all.

I worked at home on Thursday--just put my laptop on my belly and did my thing--and was back in the office on Friday.  I could not believe how easy this went--I expected so much worse.

I am seeing dramatic results from under the boobs to the bottom of my belly button--the lower abs and flanks are still pretty swollen--but with minimal brusing.  I'm still kind of numb from the belly button down--I have "feeling", but it's like when you get a cavity filled--again, just weird.

Hubby is also REALLY surprised at how good it looks already.  They say in all the literature that final results can take up to 6 months to see everything (thus, why I did it in Jan--so I am "summer ready"), but if the way I look 4 days later is an indication of how I will look a few months from now, I will be VERY happy.

I will keep you posted.....I have been taking daily pics and maybe I will have the "guts" to post them sometime--but right now, they are just for my personal journey.

If you have any questions, or want to ask me about it--feel free.....

OK--so that is the major thing I planned for myself this year so far....what could be next???