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    Dear Diary: What My Doctor Never Told Me About Liposuction
    Dear Diary: What My Doctor Never Told Me About Liposuction
    Dear Diary: What My Doctor Never Told Me About Liposuction
    Ebook221 pages2 hours

    Dear Diary: What My Doctor Never Told Me About Liposuction

    By Kathyne L. Jackson

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    About this ebook


    Writing this book has been a very essential part of my recovery. Except for my son, doctor, and finally, my Mom, there was no one I had chosen to confide in. Putting my own experiences down on paper gave me a chance to not only relive the experience and face the uncertainties, but to understand my motivation for doing it. Writing this book was an emotional lifeline for me and its been a wonderful outlet.


    Also, where else could I have expressed the joy of going from a size 22 to 16 in two months? Since no one knew I had the surgery, this book was the one place whereI could shout.


    This book was also written with others in mind. There may be those who felt as I did. Theyve secretly dreamed of undergoing the procedure because they were just as unhappy with certain aspects of their bodies as I was. Theyve squirreled away some money in the hopes that one day they might also take the next step. There are also those who have taken that step. I hope my words help someone else whos alone with their thoughts and pain as Ive been, give them a much needed mental hug, and let them know that someone else had undergone what they are considering or are now enduring. At those times, when I was most vulnerable, I kept telling myself that there would be people reading my words and saying to themselves, "This is normal. Kathyne went through this too, so I wont worry."


    Am I am glad I did it?


    Would I do it again?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateJun 20, 2003
    ISBN9781410729811
    Dear Diary: What My Doctor Never Told Me About Liposuction
    Author

    Kathyne L. Jackson

    KATHYNE L. JACKSON is the author of several books including, "Dear Diary: What My Doctor Never Told Me About Liposuction," "Ranger and The Gang Series: The Case of the Twelve Hour Deadline," and "My Way To Love." She lives in Maryland with her two cats, owns an internet business, and loves to travel. You may learn more about her and her books, and correspond with her, by visiting her website, www.kjacksonbooks.com.

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      Book preview

      Dear Diary - Kathyne L. Jackson

      This book is a work of non-fiction. Names and places have been changed to protect the privacy of all individuals. The events and situations are true.

      © 2003 by Kathyne L. Jackson. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

      First published by AuthorHouse 04/25/2006

      ISBN: 978-1-4107-2981-1 (e-book)

      ISBN: 978-1-4107-2983-5 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4107-2982-8 (sc)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2003091874

      Contents

      DEDICATION

      PROLOGUE

      INTRODUCTION

      EPILOGUE

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      DEDICATION 

      This book is dedicated to my parents:

      Reverend Augustus T. Jackson, Jr., who was my strength, supporter, leader of my cheering team, and spiritual guide. Though he passed away 4/9/01, he will always be with me.

      Jennie L. Jackson, who still listens to my joys and sorrows, hugs away the pain, greets me with a smile and kisses, enjoys the theater and traveling as much as I do, and is a great lady to hang out with.

      PROLOGUE 

      I first started researching the liposuction procedure ten years ago. I read every article I could lay my hands on, from newspapers, magazines, periodicals, library books, anything. When a news story about cosmetic surgery came on television, I was there. When I heard someone discussing it on the bus, in the mall, at the grocery store, in the office, I would eavesdrop. I wanted to know the good and the bad, the easy part and the pitfalls. I wanted answers.

      I knew cosmetic surgery was still major surgery. I also knew it had been perfected over the years. There were fewer stories about complications and having the procedure had become commonplace. It was no longer thought of as fearful or taboo. Instead, it was a way to improve one’s own body and personal opinion.

      Still, I couldn’t find the answers I sought. I wanted someone to tell me exactly what happened to them, their body, their attitude, and their lives as a result of the procedure. Sure, there are books that have personal stories from many different people who have undergone the procedure, but not one expressed one person’s daily experiences. When I knew I was definitely going through with the procedure, I decided to write the book that I had searched for.

      This is my story. This is what I went through before, during, and after the procedure. These are my words and my results.

      Am I glad I did it? Would I do it again?

      Read on.

      INTRODUCTION 

      I have always considered myself a fat person. No matter my size, I always felt fat. When I was in high school and wearing size 14, I was bigger than the other girls wearing size eight. When I was in college and wearing size 16, everyone else, including my roommate, was at least three sizes smaller. I ate when I was happy. I ate when I was sad. I ate to celebrate or to mend heartache. I ate because I was fat or because a diet didn’t work or because I could no longer fit into my favorite outfit. Any negatives in my life resulted in further weight gains. The more I gained, the more miserable I felt. More food. More weight. More pain. By the time I was forty, I was more than 250 pounds and squeezing into a size 28.

      I’ve seen cosmetic surgery come and stay. The first time I remember being aware of liposuction was when I was in college. I thought having liposuction was cheating. Deep down I was jealous of those who could afford it. Over the years, I’ve seen dozens of stories on the procedures on television talk shows and news stories. Even seeing actual procedures did not deter me. With the Internet, getting more information became easier. There are several websites where you can view before and after pictures. But, I wasn’t ready. Emotionally. Financially. It wasn’t my time.

      By age 44, I was a divorced mother of two and tired of looking like one. I had tried many diets. High carb. Low carb. Liquid. High fat. Low calories. 3-day. When one stopped working, I would switch to another. Through it all, I walked. Finally, my stamina was up and my weight was coming down. After miles on the treadmill, hundreds of sit-ups and leg lifts, getting below 200 pounds (198), and wearing size 22, there were still pockets of fat I couldn’t get rid of. That’s when I knew.

      It was time.

      I had no idea how to get started. I didn’t want anyone to know what I was going to do, so I couldn’t ask for references. Moreover, I didn’t know anyone who had undergone liposuction, at least no one who had confided in me. My only recourse was to check the yellow pages and websites, and start making calls.

      My two requirements were to find a doctor near either my home or office, and competitive pricing. To have a doctor near my home or office would make it convenient for doctor’s appointments. I lived in Maryland and worked in Washington, D.C. I wanted three areas done (stomach, thighs, and back) and I knew it might cost extra. I needed to know if the price was the same for each area, different prices for each area, or a discount for each area above one or two.

      There was one more important requirement. The doctor had to have an affiliation with a hospital. This was very important because if the doctor had no such affiliation-BEWARE. It could be a myriad of reasons-he was new to the business, he had not met the requirements for the hospital, or he had a number of suits against him. There were other reasons, but these bothered me most.

      There were twenty-three doctors near my office and five near my home. I called each one, which took three days, and requested an information package be sent to me. I also asked if they had a website address. That way I could get their information off the net. After two weeks of gathering information off the website and reviewing snail mail, I had narrowed the list to twelve. I then called each office and asked for the cost of the procedures, mentioning the three areas I was most interested in. Some doctors had a different price for each area. A few had one set price per area, regardless of the location. Those that wouldn’t quote a price over the phone were summarily crossed off. If they weren’t helpful when I was inquiring, how helpful would they be later? Those that did give me an estimate were asked about free consultations. Those that didn’t were eliminated. That brought me down to seven doctors. I didn’t make an appointment at that time, however. I wanted to first get a feel for the area where the offices were located.

      I took the following weekend and drove to all seven doctors’ offices. Because of the area and the way the office looked from the outside, I quickly eliminated two more doctors. That left a total of five-three near my office and two near my home. By the time Monday arrived, I had eliminated the three doctors near my office simply because they were within walking distance of my job. I realized I didn’t want any of my co-workers seeing me coming or going out of a cosmetic surgeon’s office. With only two remaining, I had a more manageable list. It was time to make appointments.

      I visited the first doctor on Wednesday, 4/17. His office was spacious and reeked of money. There were seven patients in the waiting room when I arrived. I tried to be discreet as I eyed each and tried to imagine if they were there before or after the procedure, then quickly stopped when several of them started eyeing me. I spent about fifty minutes in his office, total. That included completing paperwork, having a pre-consultation with his nurse, and then speaking with the doctor. He seemed nice. He was also curt. He wasn’t rude, but twice he looked at his watch, which I thought was very impolite and totally inappropriate. There I was, sitting on the cold exam table with a thin piece of cloth covering my body. He had taken a cursory look at each of the areas I wanted done, and then had sat down, crossed his legs, and looked at his watch before asking if I had any questions.

      I asked about the procedure.

      The procedure would take place in his office. He had three operating rooms and three private recovery rooms. He would perform the Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction method. Because I wanted three areas done, I would have the first area done on Wednesday, and then the other two on Friday of that same week. The first procedure would take approximately two hours, recovery another hour. The second procedure would be three to four hours with recovery about two hours long. I would be semiconscious during the operation-local anesthesia would be used. After the recovery period, I would then be sent home. I asked how it was possible to have the second procedure only two days after the first, since everything I had read stated I would be off my feet for the first forty-eight to seventy-two hours. He laughed and explained that anytime he had multiple areas, he scheduled his operations on two separate days. It was never a problem with his patients. He also stated having it scheduled two days apart would ensure that the patient’s body was not put through too much trauma at one time. He told me not to worry. It sounded logical; after all, he was the doctor. As for the cost, it was the same price for each area. No discount.

      I asked him how long my recovery would be at home and when I could expect to return to work. He asked about my job, and I told him I was a secretary. He said in my case I could go back to work on Monday, three days after the second procedure. I was very surprised by this. I had assumed I would have to take at least a week off work. He said that wasn’t necessary. His nurse, who was in the room with us, stated she had the procedure done and was back at the office within a few days. I took that statement with a grain of salt. She worked for the man. What else could she say? (NOTE: When I called a few days later and asked to speak with her, I was told she no longer worked there. Hmmm.)

      According to the doctor, I would be sore and swollen for a few weeks. I should be able to resume normal work after a week, especially since I was a secretary and I spent most of my days sitting down-his words, not mine. There would be some drainage after the procedure, but only for a day or two. I would then be scheduled to see him exactly one week after the procedure, and then monthly after that.

      There were other questions, but his answers were as expected. From everything I had read, I had a good idea what the answers would be.

      I visited the other doctor on Thursday, 4/25. His office was just as nice and just as busy, and I spent almost ninety minutes there, not because the service was slow, but because the doctor was very attentive.

      After the usual paperwork, I was taken to one of the rooms and asked to strip and put on a gown. Within six minutes, the doctor and nurse arrived. He took some vitals and then asked which areas I had in mind. I told him and he then proceeded to evaluate those areas. There was a large mirror on one wall and, as he checked, he pointed to each area, explained what would be sucked out, and the potential results I could expect.

      The procedure he would

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