Done.
Today, I lined up a few things that are making my upcoming SmartLipo procedure seem a little more real.
I ordered the necessary compression garments that I have to wear continuously for about 3 weeks after the procedure, and I booked the hotel room boyfriend and I will be holing up in on surgery day. I haggled and saved money in both cases. Win.
SmartLipo comes with a lot of instructions. A. Lot. Of. Instructions.
Let me give you some idea. Here’s a brief recap of my instruction sheet from the surgeon:
- Order compression garments
- Have blood tests (1 week before procedure)
- Fill prescriptions (5 separate ones: an antibiotic, pain killer, anti-anxiety/muscle relaxant, and two for anti-nausea)
- No aspirin or ibuprofen, multivitamins, St. John’s Wort, or Vitamin E for 1 week prior to procedure
- Shower with Hibiclense solution the night before and morning of procedure
- No creams or makeup the day of the procedure
- Wear loose-fitting clothing the day of the procedure
- Eat full breakfast high in protein the morning of the procedure
- Evening before procedure, begin antibiotics
- Morning of procedure, take second dose of antibiotics; take remaining medication one hour before procedure
And that’s just part of the preparation. I also have to line up places to stay, payments on my Care Credit card, make sure I have the correct amount of money in the bank account to pay for the remainder of the procedure. I have to make arrangements for missing three days of class and make sure boyfriend remembers to take the time off work. I have to remember to pack everything I need. And I have to remember to document all of it, because this is a major decision for me and I want to share the journey.
Today I checked two major things off the to-do list. I ordered my compression garments, which took all of ten minutes and involved speaking to a very friendly lady named Lynn on the phone. She took my measurements and discussed a couple of options with me, issued some instructions for washing and caring for the garment, and (of course) took my credit card information. It ended up being not as expensive as I was anticipating – I was prepared for $150, which is what the medical assistant at the surgeon’s office told me, but it only ended up costing about $110, because my short height meant I needed a different garment entirely, but customized for this procedure. Score.
Then I started calling hotels near my surgeon’s office. The surgeon’s website recommended two: a Hampton Hilton, and a Resort/Casino. Online rates were $129 and $199 a night respectively, but I was told these particular hotels had corporate rates for the surgeon’s office, so I called. The Hampton’s corporate “discount” brought the price down to $119, which still seemed ridiculous, so I called the Resort, which is way nicer and offers room service, which I’m guessing I’ll want at 7 the morning of the procedure when I’m in a strange city and needing breakfast. The lady on the phone was very nice and friendly (in contrast to the grumpy-pants who answered the phone at the Hampton) and initially quoted me a rate of $112. Still cheaper than the Hampton, but I decided to haggle (politely, of course) by mentioning that the surgeon’s website said that corporate discounts there started at $89 a night (honestly, that’s what was on the website). I was fully prepared to be told that $112 was it, but to my delight the nice lady on the other end of the phone agreed to give me the $89 rate for an economy room – which at this resort, basically means no Italian furniture and no view of the mountains. Since mountain views are the last thing I will care about at 10 pm when we check in, 6 am when we get up to get ready for surgery, or the afternoon after surgery when I’m sleeping/seeping/trying not to vomit. So basically, I got a sweet deal on the room and will now have room service. WIN.
I’ve decided to organize my SmartLipo journey into its own section on here, so check back for that if you’re interested! I’ll document. With pictures and videos. Promise.
Beyond the Cluttered Life 