After liposuction: things don't always go according to plan

For a long time you couldn't find any post from me on the blog. I also distanced myself a little from Instagram & Facebook. Why? I would like to tell you that with this blog entry.

In November last year I had an operation and my expectations for the time after the operation were great, very great, too large! I have planned a lot and above all I was expecting a time when I am simply happier and I was hoping for more self-confidence. I was also looking forward to the first summer! Finally going to the lake with friends, no longer being ashamed of your legs and much more ... Unfortunately, the time after the operation turned out a little different.

The beginning

It all started a few weeks after my liposuction. This took place in November and was not a good star from the start. A week before the actual liposuction appointment in October, I had severe otitis media and sinus infections. For me this means 10 days of antibiotics and the liposuction had to be postponed by four weeks. The internal frustration was quite big, because the anticipation of the new legs was also.

Liposuction

The new surgery appointment took place in November 2016. Fortunately, nothing got in the way. However, I wasn't really lucky during the operation either and my anesthesia didn't work as expected. So, unfortunately, the entire liposuction was painful. Nobody knows why that was. The doctors tried very hard and were very patient with me. Still, I hate to think back to it.

Time after the operation

The first week I didn't notice much change and I was really frustrated. The expectations were very high, which resulted from various Instagram accounts. Here you can read 99,9% only positive, sometimes “what a miracle” such a liposuction has caused. That was the first mistake! You study all possible testimonials before liposuction and automatically expect that exactly the same will happen.

The fact that I could not find any major miracles or changes was of course partly due to the severe swelling of the legs, which were covered with blue, purple and green spots.

In the second to fourth week, a lot happened and I was just happy that the surgery and the pain were worth it. As a result, the motivation was huge to exercise daily (walking) and also to pay attention to a healthy diet.

After about two months, however, I started to feel dissatisfied. Why, why, why ... I'm not sure. I doubted myself for a long time and didn't understand why it was just me. Nowhere on the internet could I read about such a low. But something had triggered the operation in me and I just couldn't assign it. I was missing a bit of satisfaction with myself and my legs. In this phase in particular, I no longer had any motivation to move around every day. At this stage I questioned everything. Sometimes I even had the feeling that I wasn't seeing any change at all. That the legs look exactly as they did before the operation - which of course was bullshit.

The way out of low motivation

At some point it was clear to me that I had to find a personal way for myself so that I could overcome such a low and that I would recognize such a low in time in the future. I think there are many women who also go through such a low. However, not many women may dare to talk about it. Why? The fear of being turned away with the reason "Be glad, you have had an operation and are still complaining" is too great.

During this time I was always able to talk to my family, especially my mother, about everything. She has accompanied me all the way and has always given me courage. Enduring my moods and showing me new ways that I could no longer see at that moment. This time showed me how important it is to have people around you who believe in you and who show you the little positive things in life that are really important in difficult times.

I have attached a few tips that can help you if your motivation is low: 

General

  • Don't let Instagram / Facebook influence it too much - maybe refrain from doing so
  • Talk to friends / family about worries and fears
  • If you go to physiotherapy, ask about experiences with other patients here
  • Go out into the fresh air, even if you are "only" going for a walk. This is good for your body and your soul.
  • Small steps are better than no steps at all ... so don't get discouraged!

Sports:

  • Leave watches or scuba divers at home while doing sports (pressure to perform)
  • Change sports or try new ones
  • Take out pressure, such as B. always having to do a certain amount of sport
  • Take friends to exercise

Nutrition:

  • Take your time 1–2 times a week and calmly create a meal plan and hang it on the fridge
  • Brings variety to your diet
  • Tries to avoid unnecessary "interim purchases" (a little candy is often bought here -> Spickers etc.)
  • Do not let yourself be put under pressure by various nutritional programs
  • Pay attention to a balanced diet (for example three meals a day and it can also be a piece of chocolate!)

I hope I could give you some tips. It is important, never forget: Every body is different and should not be compared with others. Find your own way and your own inner satisfaction. Instagram and Facebook may all motivate us, but don't let them put too much pressure on you.

Your


Find out more about our experience with liposuction:

Author: Laura

I'm Laura, 24 years old and live in Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate. Professionally, I work in a bank. I have successfully completed a degree in nutrition and am a Nordic walking trainer. I had seen lipedema fashion and thought it was amazing the energy with which the five women built this site. It gave me courage and I would like to pass this courage on to other people with lipedema. Therefore I am writing about all my new experiences with lipedema.

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  • Hello Laura, these feelings seem familiar to me. On the one hand, there were the after-effects of the anesthesia and that the pressure finally fell. Joy and fear. This mixture depends a lot on me.
    What always amazes me that women write that a lot of fat has been sucked off and already go for a walk in the evening ... .. It took me 3-4 weeks. It wasn't a walk in the park this surgery. But the result is great. Scraped together money and in December the 2nd OP.

  • I had more than half a year to get back on my feet. Although only 1,6 liters were deducted from the OS together. I looked like a hunger peg. My guess is that the anesthesia had your after-pains for so long. My SD attitude was completely out of hand.

  • Hello Laura, it was a few years ago that I had liposuction. My "problem" is more likely to take place in my head, because my legs are just as thick as before and that annoys me. But because I don't want to have the expensive surgery done again, I also have to find a way to make peace with my figure. I keep telling myself, nobody lets me feel that they do NOT like me because of my fat legs. And: I wasn't much happier in the first time after the operation than I am now.
    So: Be yourself, everyone else is already there!

  • Hi Laura,
    Thank you for your great contribution. I haven't had an operation yet, but I also know the deep lipedema very well. I also lost 2 kg 10 years ago, then nothing worked anymore and I gave up from the illness. Then I put myself into professional hands again because I wanted to have children. With a healthy change in diet, plus TCM to get the water out of the body, sport needs to be integrated into the daily plan, relaxation exercises for my soul and with positive thinking now to go against lipedema. That is worth a lot and now 10 kg are down again and the pain is less. I currently feel really good despite lipedema. I wish you continued success. I think that took the way we are that takes most of the time.
    Many greetings
    Julia

  • Also had L.OP 2019 I'm not at all satisfied I see my legs worse than before in the front of the thighs are very unsightly pockets on the knees, too little was sucked off. Everything also depends on the arms although I do sport I am very disappointed

  • Dear All,
    I think it's great to read these realistic comments from time to time. I had my second operation today, even had to do the veins under general anesthesia before the liposuction and will soon have my third operation. It's no walk in the park at all and I wouldn't be able to do it without my caring husband drying tears and giving heparin shots like a pro. The surgeries were really tough. I had let myself be blinded by all these Insta reports, which are all still posting from the OP. Personally, I can't believe all of this because the surgeries were painful and you just lie around helplessly. Good sedation really is the key, please don't try to be pointlessly brave. I'm super stable mentally, but I still had nightmares after the operation. And you really have to put everything by your bed, because every movement hurts for the first few days. I would have liked to have known all this beforehand, it would have saved me a lot. The second operation (today!) was unproblematic because I was prepared. I wish everyone who reads this only the best! You have to be realistic about what you can and do, you have to be kind to yourself - and if you have an operation, get a second opinion, because you need an absolute specialist who knows what he is doing down to the last detail. Kind regards, your Birgit

  • Hallo,
    It's been 4 months since my liposuction. I'm still not really convinced that it did anything. My thighs have each become 1 cm thinner, that's it. The inner thighs are still as thick as before. Now the skin sags a bit; despite compression tights that I have continued to wear until now. My orthopedist said I got the wrong compression pants from the start and now it's too late to change anything. Nevertheless, he recommended new trousers to me, which were measured and made with the utmost precision based on the circumference of my legs. Lymphatic drainage has also not brought the desired success so far, and the operation was really expensive.
    I can't say for sure if I would do it again, at least not at the estimated price. I also had to save up for it for a long time.
    I have another appointment with the doctor next month, let's see what he has to say about it.