Lipodissolve Nightmare

Posted March 17th, 2009 by MomGrind

woman-looking-in-mirror2Lipodissolve has ruined my life.

I am embarrassed to say, I have fallen victim to media images of the perfect body.

Last year I made the fatal decision to have a cosmetic procedure done to my body.

I opted for the Lipo dissolve procedure. This is a series of injections to your unsightly parts. I picked my stomach and love handles. I was skinny my entire life, but after I had my kids, my middle needed a little help. The rest of me was fine.

On my first visit, I had only my stomach injected. It was 10 needles loaded with a special ingredient. I looked 7 months pregnant for about 2 weeks. I was told the swelling would subside in 2-5 days. A month later, when I went for the second set of Lipodissolve injections, they injected my stomach and my love handles. Because I was still swollen from the first set of injections, I asked the attendant if they thought it would be a good idea to continue with the injections. They saw no problem in going ahead and injecting me.

My life has been a complete nightmare ever since that day. I have had emergency surgery to remove my gal bladder. I spent at least 6 months of the last year and a half throwing up. I was diagnosed with advanced degenerate disk disease in my back. Since the second set of Lipo dissolve injections, I have been in a daily turmoil of pain and discomfort.

A year and a half after the first procedure, the “special ingredient” they loaded into my body is still in my body! I have nodules in both my sides. For a period of time, it was uncomfortable to wear pants around my waist. I always know when my menstrual cycle is about to begin. I can feel it in my hips. The nodules will begin to hurt to the touch.

I just never know what the fat eating “special ingredient” will eat next. It appears to be partial to everything in my body, expect the FAT!

It is hard to believe that a smart woman like myself has allowed the beauty industry to get into her head. I never did anything over the top when it came to trying to make myself more beautiful. I pluck my own eyebrows, I do my own nails. The one thing I did do, didn’t work out so well. I will forever be swollen.

Yes, a year and a half after the first set of injections, I am still swollen.”


This sad account of a Lipo dissolve procedure gone wrong was originally posted as a comment to my article on Women And Body Image.

Comment of the day: “Oh boy, I have been down this road. I wrote about it here: Why You Shouldn’t Get Liposuction.” Hayden Tompkins of Through The Illusion.

Photo credit: dawninmanswedding




54 Responses to: “Lipodissolve Nightmare”

  1. Mike Goad responds:
    Posted: March 17th, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    When I first started reading this, I was afraid that it was something that had happened to you. Then I noticed the quotation mark at the very beginning and realized that it probably wasn’t so.

    Whew!

    Despite my relief, it is dismaying how many people risk their health in the quest of looking better — or, in the case of tattoos and piercings, looking different. Most of the time, it’s okay. However, that means little to the small percentage that end up with serious health issues like the lady who wrote this.

  2. Ribbon responds:
    Posted: March 17th, 2009 at 10:44 pm

    Only in America?!

    Best wishes Ribbon

  3. Nurit responds:
    Posted: March 17th, 2009 at 11:04 pm

    Scary stuff.

  4. Daphne responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 1:16 am

    Like Mike, I thought this was a personal confession until I noticed no close quotation mark after the first paragraph. I’ve heard many similar stories. It’s a wonder the cosmetic surgery industry still exist at all, with all the people they’ve maimed.

  5. Lovelyn responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 2:50 am

    What a terrible story! Even more frightening is the fact that there are so many stories like this out there.

  6. Jelveh responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 3:32 am

    oh my gosh that is such a sad & scary story…I hope she finds a way to feel better out of all of this…I am not sure what can be done or said to make women and some men realize that life is not about looking this way or that…This is hard for me to see as I am over weight and many a times women in own family from have talked about this kind of thing….but I made a pledge years ago, when I was a kid, that I will never hurt myself to conform to another’s idea of what I am to look like or be…
    thinking good things for her…

  7. Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 4:40 am

    Oh wow, what a horrible experience. I can relate to wanting to change one’s image…but surgery can so often go wrong. My heart goes out to the person suffering.

  8. Betsy Wuebker responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 5:49 am

    Heartbreaking! “I’d always been skinny…” yet driven to inject an unknown substance. We grant these messages such power over us. This story is proof of how necessary it is to guard against them.

  9. Evelyn Lim responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 6:11 am

    OMG…let this be a warning to all women! Those who cannot resist the temptation are playing with chance. You’d never know if things can go seriously wrong! By then, it will be too late!!! Vered, it’s great that you are highlighting this story to build awareness on your blog. Thanks!

  10. Lori responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 7:41 am

    How awful! Poor woman.

    She writes, “I asked the attendant if they thought it would be a good idea to continue with the injections.” Intuitively, it looks like she knew the answer. Sometimes we tend to dismiss our feelings because we have extended our trust to the untrustworthy who make the facts, the science, or the statistics sound good. We may not have all had this kind of thing happen to us, but perhaps we’ve been betrayed in other ways. It proves the need to keep our awareness up when putting our health or trust in the hands of others.

  11. Michael responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 8:00 am

    This story really scares me – not just this woman’s experience, but the fact that this “treatment” is legal.

  12. Jannie Funster responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 8:01 am

    Gosh, I too thought I was was you at first. Glad it was not, but horrible for anyone to go through.

    A friendly aquaintance of mine had tummy injections last year, it it my understanding they are actually little microbes of some sort that eat away the fat. Yuck. I lost touch with her so do not know how it ended up but initially she had none of the swelling or other symptoms this lady endured. It cost her about 10% of what liposuction would. Thus the lure, understandably.

    I hope this article will deter many people from this procedure. Well done, Vered.

    When I get “rich” I will TOTALLY never get those injections. But I would love to try Botox. Vanity, vanity.

  13. Hayden Tompkins responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 8:22 am

    Oh boy, I have been down this road. I wrote about it here: Why You Shouldn’t Get Liposuction. Kudos to you for getting the word out. Every little bit helps.

  14. Beth Partin responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 8:39 am

    It’s important to be careful about what you put into your body. In general, the cosmetic industry seems to be going toward less and less invasive procedures–”laser face lifts” instead of going under the knife, etc. But with injections, you never know what effect the ingredients may have on your body, and the FDA doesn’t require companies to disclose every ingredient.

    For more information on cosmetics, see the website for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

  15. Squawkfox responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am

    @Hayden I love your story. You are awesome for sharing such a personal journey on your blog.

    @Vered This story is chilling. I’ve read it several times and just can’t shake that feeling of, WHY do this to ourselves? Wow.

  16. Carla responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 9:00 am

    This is such a heartbreaking story and I appreciate her willingness to share it with us.

    Though I never thought I would do any elective surgery since I’ve had several operations just to preserve my health in my young life (and a difficult time recovering), I am not stranger to feeling dissatisfied with my appearance, specifically my body. I was never the effortless “naturally skinny” type, so it’s always been a constant daily effort to stay thin. Blissfully eating without consideration of my waist line is a no-no.

    It is a shame that many of us feel the way I and this woman do.

  17. Dr. J responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 9:24 am

    As a facial surgeon, I’ve never supported this procedure. I’m sorry she had to go through this.

  18. Dr. J responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 9:25 am

    As a facial surgeon, I’ve never supported this procedure. I’m very sorry she had to go through this.

  19. RC Rambling... responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 9:31 am

    Terrifying, and it is the nightmare cases like these that have kept me from moving ahead with most elective procedures (yes, even though I have said I would stay away from plastic surgery, I will admit that I have considered small procedures in my effort to “maintain” myself).

    Another example is that for as much as I would love to be rid of my contacts and glasses, I would hate to be one of the small percentage of people where LASIK makes things worse instead of better.

  20. Bamboo Forest - PunIntended responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 9:33 am

    This is a good message to read. Health is so precious and it should not be put at risk for something aesthetic such as this in my opinion.

    What a tragic outcome this woman has had to endure. And why would the doctors continue the injections when they saw things weren’t on track?

    “I asked the attendant if they thought it would be a good idea to continue with the injections. They saw no problem in going ahead and injecting me.”

    Is the above a demonstration for putting the attainment of money in a higher plane than the personal well being of a human? Really disturbing.

  21. Kim Woodbridge responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 11:21 am

    I don’t even know what to say. I feel so bad for her and so disturbed about what happened.

  22. nottryingforaboy responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 11:42 am

    wow, what a horrible story. My sister should read this.

  23. Marelisa responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    Hi Vered: What a nightmare. It takes longer to lose weight through exercise and improving your eating habits but you develop the discipline necessary to change your lifestyle and make it healthier. Plus you don’t run the risk of going through what this woman went through. I’m at the gym Monday to Friday and I increase the intensity of my workout every week.

  24. Patricia responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Vered,
    I am so glad I saw the quote marks because I did not think you would have done this to yourself. This is such a awful story, but I have heard many more when I was counseling at the hospital.

    I had to have plastic surgery after a botched hysterectomy. I am better for the surgery in many ways, it still significantly changed my body and I now grow fat in very odd places and may have pulled this muscle in my abdomen because I was left with no feeling there – now 17 years later. I can not tell if my slacks are falling down.

    I do get upset at all these women having breast implants and so many procedures done. I guess the surgeons still need a lot of guinea pigs to test on – and if they can make loads of money too Why Not?

  25. Friar responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Marelisa makes a good point. Eating less and exercising more takes a lot of discipline and hard work. People aren’t willing to do that..they’re looking for the “quick fix”. That’s why there’s a huge market for these questionable procedures.

    Obviously, whoever supervised this poor woman’s treatment was totally irresponsible. But (at the risk of sounding harsh), she’s also partly to blame.

    The swellilng apparently did NOT subside as she was told. She admits to being still swollen a month later. At that point, maybe it would have been time to see the family doctor and find out what’s going on.

    Instead, she opted to go continue the cosmetic treatments, injecting questionable foreign substances into her body. Because she had asked the “attendant” whether she should continue.

    (Excuse me…WHAT were you THINKING?)

    There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If something sounds too good to be true (like dissolving body fat), then it probably is. People need realize that.

  26. Sara at On Simplicity responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    If there’s a small bright side to this, it’s that it only takes one horror story like this to combat 100 commercials and images. That doesn’t quite balance things it, but it goes a long way.

  27. Cath Lawson responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    Hi Vered – I guessed as soon as I read the first line that this wasn’t you. It’s not just that you’re so thin anyway but I knew you wouldn’t resort to anything like this.

    Poor woman though – I can’t have read her original comment, or I would have remembered this. What an awful experience to go through. Can she get the nodules removed?

    I have had two caesareans and your lower abdomen will never be the same after childbirth, no matter how much exercise you do. After my first child I had a six pack and my lower abs still stuck out just above the stitches. After the second time, I figured it wasn’t worth doing all those crunchies to get the ridiculous six pack anyway. Looking back – it was gross.

    If she could somehow reverse this horrific procedure, she could still get in reasonable shape just through exercise though. After kids, I think we’ve got to remember that we can’t be teenagers anymore but there’s a whole heap of benefits to growing older too.

  28. The Lawyer Mom responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 5:40 pm

    No judgment on women who opt for plastic surgery/injections. And I’ve learned never to say never. But some girlfriends and I met an oncologist on the beach a few years ago. We asked him what he thought of botox, etc. and he said he would never recommend injecting a foreign substance into your body. This advice sounds pretty intuitive, pretty wise. So for now, at least, I’m sticking with my Frownies and non-magnified mirrors.

  29. Laurie | Express Yourself to Success responds:
    Posted: March 18th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    All I can say is ‘thank you,’ Vered, for posting this. It’s a real eye-opener.

  30. Lance responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 2:53 am

    Sad, sad story – and yet – the illusion of hope it provides draws people in – this message you share here today is not a message we see enough. The truth is – just like a “get rich quick” scheme, a “get thin quick” scheme is also often a play on our desires, and not on reality. And in this case, it’s dangerous, as well. Vered, thank you for getting this story out to more and more people – if this helps just one person (and I’m sure it will help immeasurably more) it has been more than worth it

  31. Michelle @ What Does Your Body Good? responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 7:56 am

    Wow, I agree that’s something we should all read. It is tempting to have procedures like this. Similar to the temptation of all the pharma meds America is on. The side effects can be worse than the original problem.

  32. Heaven Sent responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    I just wanted to say that lipodissolve does not work for everyone and is not for weight lost. I had 2 treatments so far with excellent results. I also have 3 friends who did it with no major side effects. My procedure was done by a board certified doctor. Many people are having this procedure done by nurses, etc. Also some places mix different ingredients. The main ingredients are compounded phosphatidylcholine/deoxycholate (PCDC) and that is what my doctore used. If you have a allergic reaction then I understand the side effects, but not everyone have those side effects. Also, if you have certain medical condition beforehand, you are not suppose to do this. I had normal side effects which included swelling for 2 days, itching, burning sensation for about 2 hours. The pain is totally bearable.

    I’m sorry this happened to you, but I will continue with my treatments and so will my friends. Everybody is different. Good luck.

  33. Robin responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

    Hi Vered – it’s fantastic that you are highlighting these sorts of problems! This woman’s story is so sad. I hope she discovers some of the alternative healing methods that are around these days – from my point of view, even the conditions she has can be healed.

  34. Mia responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

    I can’t imagine the pain and discomfort you’ve been going through. AND then to have it physically eating away at other things within your body (except for the fat of course) is SO frightening. What did the company every say about all of this? Can anyone do anything for you?

  35. giovanna garcia responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    We need to learn how to be comfortable in our own skin. We are not meant to be look all one way. Each one of us look the way we should, the only thing to do is to take good care of our body.
    Great post.
    Giovanna Garcia
    Imperfect Action is better than No Action

  36. Recommended Reading — General Hysteria responds:
    Posted: March 19th, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    [...] Issues of Femininity Lipo Dissolve Nightmare: A Cosmetic Procedure Gone Wrong [...]

  37. MizFit responds:
    Posted: March 20th, 2009 at 3:42 am

    Ive so rambled it before but am gonna say again. my one goal with my daughter is to help her to become comfortable in her own skin.

    once that is achieved, IMO, ALL ELSE falls into place.

  38. Suzie responds:
    Posted: March 20th, 2009 at 8:09 am

    That is so horrible and a good reminder of not getting any of that stuff done. What an awful story

  39. Stacey / Create a Balance responds:
    Posted: March 20th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

    I knew this could not have happened to you. I’ll keep my belly pouch and my love handles any day over having painful “ingredients” in my body. Women Unite and Let’s Keep Our Bodies Safe!

  40. Andrew responds:
    Posted: March 21st, 2009 at 6:17 am

    Momgrind,

    Thank you for sharing your experience with respect to this matter.

    I am very sorry to hear that the procedure did not work out for you, and of the extent of pain and discomfort to which you have been subjected as a result of this debacle.

    I despise many elements of the fashion industry, particularly how they play on people’s vulnerabilities with respect to issues relating to appearance and social acceptance, and your experience demonstrates the need for those considering these types of surgery to first consult their doctor so as to obtain an unbiased, informed opinion about any potential health risks involved.

  41. Dot responds:
    Posted: March 21st, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    My heart goes out to her. I think all women living in the U.S. (or maybe the world) have to come to terms with these choices and decide, sometimes once, sometimes repeatedly, where they want to draw the line. I don’t think we should judge any of us for the choice we make. We all have to decide how far to go in pursuit of beauty.

    Just reading your words “my imperfections,” Vered, is an example of what we’re all told to do — compare ourselves to impossible ideals and then take steps to sand down the bumps and spackle in the dents — the imperfections.
    I was watching As Time Goes By, a British sitcom starring Judi Dench (and others), and I noticed that she had the same weird neck thing that I now have — the aging neck is a sad thing to look at. Did I feel comforted that someone else had it too? Did I feel it couldn’t be so bad, because a star had it and she displayed it on TV? No. I felt sad for her AND me. Why do we have to be measured by impossible ideals of appearance?

  42. Don Mills Diva responds:
    Posted: March 21st, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    WOW. That poor woman. It just goes to show that there is no such thing as risk-free cosmetic surgery.

  43. Natural responds:
    Posted: March 22nd, 2009 at 11:54 am

    vered you had me scared here for a minute. i’m like what? no? you? i’ve seen photos of you and what belly. oh be glad you don’t have the belly fat. i do, but only two people see me in my bday suit and not outside this house. i can hide it well, but it’s still there. trying to get rid of it in the gym. seriously though, i’m not trying to live up to anyone’s image of what i should look like. i want to slim my belly for myself – for the vain reason of fitting back in to my clothes.

    i’m afraid to get lipo. afraid of dying on the table. i’d like to have some boobs, but i’m afraid of dying on the table as well. i will leave with what i have and work on my belly, naturally.

  44. Kelly@SHE-POWER responds:
    Posted: March 22nd, 2009 at 5:05 pm

    This is a horrific story and even more so because it’s one from a normal woman, who by the sounds of it has suffered terribly because she believed the media bullshit that a woman’s body can go back to what it was pre-kids. There’s this sense out there that if you don’t have a toned, trim body then it’s all your fault regardless of age, body type, motherhood or circumstance. Cosmetic surgery has been selling us for years on this notion they can fix us, but we don’t need to be fixed in this way, or maybe at all!

    The woman who wrote this sounds like she simply needed to adjust her attitude to her body now and learn to accept it’s post bay changes. She says she’s always been thin, but didn’t like her mommy middle. Many women feel this way, and a lot of it is due to completely unrealistic expectations. Want to know what real women look like post motherhood? Check out this site:

    The Shape Of A Mother

    No air brushing in sight.

    Thanks for showcasing this Vered. It’s really important women start to see through the lies and manipulations being leveled at us about how we should look.

    Kelly@SHE-POWER

  45. Cosmedicistanbul responds:
    Posted: March 25th, 2009 at 12:59 am

    Lipodissolve is not classical procedures. So it is also risk to get this procedures.

  46. Elliott - 21st Century Dad responds:
    Posted: April 27th, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    @Vered – Wow. You really are great about responding to comments!

    The images we see being trumpeted as “beauty” are unrealistic ideals. A woman who is confident and comfortable with herself is much more attractive than someone who is aspiring to an unrealistic ideal. Two of the sexiest women I’ve ever known wore a size 20 and a size 0.

    Men are just as guilty too. I remember in college, one of the guys in my fraternity was made fun of because his girlfriend carried a few extra pounds (IMHO, in all the right places).

  47. urolojix md responds:
    Posted: June 21st, 2009 at 3:38 am

    Maybe you will be nervous, but I think some aesthetic operations are done unnecessarily, we should always check the pschyatric conditions of the patients

  48. International Women’s Day 2010 | Blogger For Hire responds:
    Posted: March 8th, 2010 at 12:32 am

    [...] have taught me that media images did in fact influence their decision to undergo plastic surgery or liposuction; because many women still die every year trying to “improve” themselves with plastic [...]


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