My Journey....so far!!

I am five months out from a lbl, breast lift, flankplasty & an arm lift. I am four weeks out from an inner thigh lift...

I started this journey at 325 @ 5'2. I lost, and have maintained a 200 pound weight loss! I started out wearing a 30/32 and I now wear a size 6 (even writing that is so weird to me!) My measurements now are 35-28-37. When I look back at my before picture, I don't even recognize that girl anymore and looking at how enormous my body was, I wonder how I even managed to get around and take care of my family. I truly had one foot in the grave...

When I went to meet with my plastic surgeon, Dr. Capella, and stood up, naked, in front of a wall of mirrors, my body looked almost deformed, like a birthday balloon that had hung around to long. I new he would remove the excess skin and tighten up my muscles, but I also knew that I had to be realistic in my expectations. I knew that with the way I had damaged my body, I would never be "normal" again...

Fast forward five months...All of my plastics are done, my scars from my first surgery are already fading and I'm slowly but surely recovering from the inner thigh lift. I'm not going to lie, it was a difficult process in pain & patience, but I made it through. Although I thought I would forever look disfigured, I don't at all! When I walk past the mirror I'm still startled and amazed that it's me!!! I bought my first bikini the other day and nervously stood in front of the mirror prepared to see my flaws and tell myself that it would be reserved for use in my own backyard, but when I opened my eyes I literally cried...my body looks amazing, as good as when I was in high school! My thoughts of only wearing it privately quickly went to I cannot wait to wear it in public! When I weighed 325 pounds I would wear a tshirt over my bathing suit and it was heavy, hot and uncomfortable, wearing a bikini, looking good and feeling confident is so incredibly freeing!!!

I know this journey continues and I will forever have to watch what I eat, but I have truly been given a second chance at life!!

I feel so incredibly blessed and I am so thankful to my DS surgeon, Dr. Alexander Onopchenko and my plastic surgeon, Dr. Joseph Capella and his assistant, Scott and even more thankful to this site and the veterans of this site who "keep it real" and provide the guidance that is needed to make it through this process.

To everyone who has successfully gone through this journey...congratulations and for everyone just starting this journey, know that with hard work and dedication to yourself, your dream can become your reality!

Great story. Congratulations on your loss and being able to have plastics! How far out from from WLS are you? And how long after surgery did you wait to start plastics?

Thank you!! I am 2 1/2 years out and I started the plastics at 2 years out.

Wow those are some amazing accomplisments in just 2.5 years!!! You should be proud of yourself. Congratulations on everything!

Thank you so much!!

Good for you. Many people will sacrifice to have a beautiful home and cars, but not be willing to spend the money and work to have their dream body.

Rich people are not usually born with perfect bodies but have the money to get things fixed.

Everyone cannot afford to do what you had done. It is your life and your dream and I am glad you were able to achieve it.

Thank you. You are so right. I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to truly complete this journey and trust me any time I found myself complaining about the pain, I quickly reminded myself that it was a privilege to have this done.

Take care...

Wow, you have done an amazing job! 200 pound weight loss in 2.5 years, plus plastics!!! Congratulations!!!

Thank you!!

Thanks for sharing this. I am terrified of that phase of the transformation. I have always been "large" as in large boned with quite a bit of muscle, so never wore a bikini in my life. Had ONE moment when I was 17 where I actually looked somewhat shapely and sexy. Didn't last long. I sometimes let myself wonder how much PS I will be able to undergo. At my age, it's not really important to walk around in a bathing suit (would be nice!), but I don't want my skin to drag the ground. We are going to Vegas in a couple of weeks. I will be somewhat more confident to be at the pool this summer than I was to be in a suit in Mexico last summer. Reading shares like yours help me focus and stay calm about the process. It is a way down the road for me, but soon enough. Stories like yours help me work on the mental preparation. CONGRATULATIONS!