My VASER experience
Six months ago I had never heard of
lipedema. As far as I was concerned, I was an overweight woman, with fat legs,
who in spite of 43 years of trying to lose weight, had never managed to do so.
In addition to being fat, therefore, I carried the burden of my self-perception
as being weak-willed and incapable of exercising control over my body, an
attitude that spilled over and profoundly influenced almost every area of the
rest of my life.
I had come to
the Private Clinic because I wanted a breast reduction having heard about the
miraculous Vaser technique, which seemed almost too good to be true: a short,
minimally invasive procedure under local anaesthetic, which promised minimal
downtime… However during the breast consultation I realized that this might
also work for my fat legs and so it was, when Dr Wolf was assessing me for
treatment, I first heard about lipedema.
It is not an
overstatement to say that day was one of the most significant days of my life.
Internet searches for lipedema yielded results that were simultaneously desperate,
depressing, liberating and yet hopeful. Depressing and desperate because nine
out of ten websites delivered the news that it was a chronic and incurable
condition of unknown cause. Liberating because at a stroke I realized I was the
victim, not the perpetrator, of my affliction (removing guilt at a stroke). And
hopeful because one in ten sources mentioned Vaser, or tumescent liposuction: a
new technique, which was apparently ‘transforming’ the lives of some lipedema sufferers.
It is hard to
know where to begin to describe the experience of the last 4 months in which so
many physical, psychological and emotional changes have taken place. I’ll begin
with the experience of surgery itself: I have had 5 procedures in 4 separate
operations over 4 months. The experience of Vaser itself is, as promised, short,
minimally invasive, minimally uncomfortable and carried out by medical teams
who are quite exceptional in terms of the quality of care, technical expertise
and follow up treatment they provide. Within half an hour, a double chin I had
hated since my teens, was removed. Within a further two hours, the breasts I
had loathed since my early 40s, and which had ballooned since the menopause,
were considerably reduced (the most marked result being that I no longer walk
with a stoop, a life long affliction I had assumed was a spinal deformity). The
tum which had grown since the menopause was radically reduced within 2 hours,
and the same for thighs and calves (in addition to lipedema, the latter were
very disfigured in an RTA I had when I was 17. Selective fat removal has
rendered them almost symmetrical and looking far more like normal legs. Again,
all under local anaesthetic and within the space of less than 2 hours).
At this juncture
it is worth remarking on how, in just one patient, this extraordinary treatment
has alleviated such a wide range of life-long afflictions, resulting from such
various causes as the menopause, an RTA, the condition of lipedema and (in the
case of my double chin) some unfortunate genes!
My recovery from
each of these procedures has been very smooth. I liken the operations to rather
long trips to the dentist (although unlike the dentist, you can chat!) and the
recovery period is comparable with getting over a mild cold or having a period.
I had to wear a compression garment for 2 weeks, take a course of antibiotics
and have some (very enjoyable!) MLD.
Post-operative pain was minimal and alleviated with an occasional
paracetamol.
Visually, I look
very different. I never wanted to be a
catwalk model or an athlete – that’s not what I wanted from my body – but I now
look OK, and looking OK is not something I take for granted! Having spent over
4 decades feeling I was deficient and abnormal, looking OK is a HUGE thing for
me, and precisely what I wanted to achieve.
I used to think I didn’t fit in and my physical problems were in the
foreground of people’s perception of me. Now I look in a mirror and am happy
with what I see, which means I can get on with my life and my relationships
with other. I’m OK!
Looking OK,
means that the psycho-emotional jumble of self-deprecating thoughts and
feelings have been defused. It is
impossible to overstate just how significant this is. It is fair to say that
even if I hadn’t had Vaser, the guilt about my condition would have gone, at a
stroke, with Dr Wolf’s diagnosis. But with Vaser I find I am more psychologically
outgoing. Unconsciously, as the condition took hold and became compounded,
post-menopause, with larger breasts and tum, I had let friendships lapse: I have
now picked up the threads of some treasured old friends and have many social
events planned, which I would otherwise have avoided.
I don’t quite
know where the energy has come from. Yes, I have lost bulk and feel more
psychologically inclined to move and be active, but the resultant energy seems
above and beyond these causes. Whatever
the cause, this has been a fantastic result and find I DO so much more of
everything – gardening, housework and so on. With the increased activity is a
further enhanced sense of wellbeing. At one point I was doing so much that my
son asked if anything was the matter with me, so unaccustomed is he to having
an active mum!
The Vaser results
have given me a huge boost, which I am building on with changes in lifestyle. I
am learning more about lipedema and eating better, plus taking regular
exercise. I recognize that these choices will support my overall health now and
into the future.
Speaking of
which, in 2 days time I will arrive at the milestone of my 60th
birthday with all that that bespeaks. I shudder to think how I would have felt
at this juncture in my life, had I not discovered Vaser. My physical condition
would have been unaltered, and I would have hovered in that horrible hinterland
of guilt, desperation and false hope. I now feel as though my life has just
begun. I have the energy and self-confidence to face the future with
enthusiasm, excitement, curiosity and a sense of physical and mental
well-being. It is true to say that I feel healthier, in every sense, than I
felt at any of my other milestone birthdays.
I cannot
recommend Vaser too highly and while I realize that results doubtless vary with
the individual, dependent on all sorts of factors, not least patient
expectations, I am happy for my results to be used to help others who are in a
similar position to where I found myself 6 months ago.
CM, Shropshire, April 2012.
