In the ring with Sugar Ray

If they ever figure out how to acquire stem cells without doing liposuction stem cell therapy will be a simple and an almost pain free process. I feel and look like I just went eight rounds with Sugar Ray Leonard where he delivered nothing but body blows. Perhaps it is because I was so thin that in order to collect the 500ml of fat tissue they needed they had to suction a wide range of my midsection.  I have a single entry incision along my bikini line but I have bruising from just below my breast down across my pubic bone and the bruising seems to be migrating down along my left thigh. The bout with the plastic surgeon began early Tuesday morning with a 6:15 pick up.  We hopped in the van and drove about three blocks from the hotel to the surgeon's clinic.  Had to wait a few minutes for the staff to arrive and unlock the doors.  I made the comment that we could have walked to this appointment but I would soon learn that walking back from the appointment would not have been possible. I filled out some paperwork and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Javier Jelensky, came out and talked to us. The Dr. was very nice, originally from Cuba, who had an interesting sense of humor. He asked me about past surgeries and told us how simple the process was going to be. I related to him that I didn't like needles and wasn't thrilled about being knocked out and he went on to tell us about the drug being used and how mild it was then in the same sentence told us that it was the same drug Michael Jackson had been given just prior to his death. He clarified that Michael had been on other medications and was converting from one sleeping agent to another and that ended up compounding complications that lead to his demise. He said this would be the best sleep I've ever had and that when I woke up it would seem that only five minutes had passed.

An assitant, Lily, took me and and prepped me for surgery, which was mainly having me disrobe and put on a hospital garmet that would not even be appropriate for the beach. She also stuck a needle in the back of my hand for Dr. Javier to use for his anesthesia. They let John come in and be by my side one final time before surgery. Dr. Luis Crespo came in and told us what to expect and I asked him if he would be able to find enough fat in my stomach area or if he would need to go elsewhere.  He pinched around my stomach and said that he should be able to get enough with one puncture wound. He went over what we should watch for after the surgery and told us about the girdle that I would be wearing for three weeks and he said he didn't expect any complications. After all, this was just a mini-lipo. All I can say is that I would hate to have a full-on lipo and can't believe anyone would do this type of thing electively. Now having said that John explained elective surgery from a different perspective and I guess I do understand it, but given my phobia of needles and doctors in general it would have to be dire circimstances before I would ever have it done.

They kicked John out and wheeled me into the operating room.  Metal arms swung out from the table and they strapped my arms down to them.  I'm so weak I was helpless to fight back. Dr. Javier connected something to the needle in my hand and Dr. Crespo asked me where I was from and that was all I can remember until I woke up five minutes later. Lily set me up and dressed me and I lay back down feeling very warm and comfortable and as if I had just had the best sleep of my life. I see why Michael was addicted to the drug that helped him sleep. John came in the recovery room and talked to me and laughed at me. I guess I seemed a bit intoxicated and that is something I've never been before. Lily brought in a wheel chair and they eased me into it, then she put on my shoes. They wheeled me off into the van and toward my own devises for heeling. A minute later we at the hotel and the pain began to creep in. Sugar Ray Crespo had done a number on my stomach. I discovered that with almost every movement except perhaps the movement of a hand, requires the use of core muscles and every time a core muscle worked there was and additional pain on top of the dull pain that is with me all the time. The pain killers they gave me helped a lot but I would not have been able to manage anything without John there to help. He may be putting on my shoes for me for a week.

The pictures below are 24 hours after surgery. Dr. Hernandez examined me a couple of hours later and said that I looked really good but that more bruising would show up in the coming day or two.

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The suction wand Dr. Crespo used was about 12 inches long and he had the whole length of it inserted into the puncture wound that's visible in the picture on the left. My five minute nap actually lasted about two hours and I was being lipoed for about 45 minutes. The girdle is a wide elastic band that wraps my midsection and velcros to itself. The girdle is laying underneath me in the pictures. I can only hope they took enough fat so I do not have to go through this again.