I am a writer and obesity health activist known as My Bariatric Life and I am one-year out from my body contouring plastic surgery with Dr. Joseph F. Capella (Capella Plastic Surgery) and approaching one-year out from my facial plastic surgery with Dr. Catherine Winslow (Winslow Facial Plastic Surgery). I am 11-yrs out from my RNY gastric bypass with Dr. Vishal Mehta (Mehta Obesity Center).

My words cannot do justice to the life changing transformation plastic surgery has been for me this past year. The physical changes were outstanding. From the plastic surgery I lost 50 inches and 50 pounds and 6 jeans sizes. I look about 15-years younger. Dr. Winslow gave me back a matured version of the pretty face I had in high school – yes, believe it or not, I was thin and pretty before I became morbidly obese in my adulthood. And Dr. Capella gave me a body better than what I had in high school. Someone told me that they took me from a 1.5 to an 8.5. It is true. Weight loss surgery may have saved my life but it left me with a distorted face and ugly body. You can see the change for yourself in a video montage I put together https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rtWmhfv8plU&list=PLwh-Yteu2O1vFUSpIoVEU6ulkJpyMdVm2 All in all, I lost 11 pants sizes and 135 pounds from the night before my gastric bypass to today. The side by side photos do not even look like the same person.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rtWmhfv8plU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The emotional changes have been magical. It is an amazing thing to experience your body changing so dramatically so quickly. To understand just what that feels like must be experienced for yourself; those whom have gone through it know exactly what I mean. One patient told me that "plastic surgery is so much more about finding the person you were meant to be." Another person told me that weight loss surgery saved her life and plastic surgery saved her soul. At one-year post plastics, I am now focused on finding myself and living life fully. I was never a wall flower but there were things that I let hold me back from doing exactly what it is I want to do. Well, no more. I am breaking through all my barriers and grabbing life with both hands. I’ve got a lot of life to live and I intend to live a life I love.

I am very blessed to have been able to afford plastic surgery. I envy the patients whom get insurance coverage. I sacrificed $40,000 to transform myself from my eye lids to my knees, and that was a big investment in myself, but worth every penny. I am equally blessed to have found TWO plastic surgeons who are at the top of their categories in reconstructing massive weight loss bodies. It is CRITICAL that your plastic surgeon be an expert in post massive weight loss plastic surgery. Even though we post massive weight loss patients are normal weight now, our bodies metabolically are still morbidly obese. We are not getting simple Mommy Makeovers to tighten up a little flab and loose muscle. Our bodies and faces are literally being reconstructed. So be sure to choose your surgeon(s) very very carefully. The most important questions you can ask your doctor for each procedure that you are considering is, “How many of these have you done and how often are you doing them?”

Today I am a size 2 and living larger than ever!
My Bariatric Life

What a great story! I get an error when trying to view the video, it says it's not viewable in my country.

@@*Lexie* thank you, first of all, for the nice comment. YouTube is a bit of a pain in my neck. I am using royalty-free music in the video but some countries won't allow it to be viewed because I do not own the copyright. What country are you viewing from?

Please try viewing it on Vimeo:

Thanks again!

My Bariatric Life

Awesome video. Congrats you look amazing!

@@mona832 thanks so very much!!! I appreciate your support.

My Bariatric Life

I'm from the US. I was able to view the one in your second post. I am speechless. Please take that as a compliment because I can't even think of the words to express how amazed I am. I'm in that early post op phase where I'm frustrated that it's been 3 weeks and I'm not skinny yet. You have given me something to look forward to. Thank you so much for sharing!

That is truly and amazing and inspiring story. Some really good thoughts and tips to those looking into have a skin removal surgery. I will be starting that process in the next six months I think. I still have a little weight to go before I feel like I will be ready to start that next phase in my journey. Have you been doing anything exercise wise other than just standard workouts? Do you think they helped going into the skin removal. I appreciate how open and honest you are about your experiences. Keep up the amazing work. You are an inspiration to us all!

@@*Lexie* wow, the US, me too. I guess I'll have to contact YouTube and find out what to do about the video. Such a pain!

Moving onto nicer things... first of all congrats on your WLS and PS!!! I know how you feel!!! I had a tummy tuck for my first surgery and the results were so amazing that I was thrilled to move forward with my stage 2 surgery, adding lots more scars to my body and costing a ton more money (only $7k for TT versus $18k for 2nd stage surgery). My surgeon converted my Tummy Tuck to an LBL, did a breast lift and extended arm lift, and medial thigh lift. I asked him to take a pic of me on the OR table after he had done the surgery. I expected I would be a tiny thing but when I saw the pic the next morning I was disappointed because my wist was so thick (swelling).

The first few weeks I wondered if I had made a mistake. BUT then the magic happened and I fell in love with my body. Hang in there. The magic will happen for you, too. It took 3-mos for me to see the results of my tummy tuck. My second stage results happened much sooner than that. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

Awww, why thank so much @@Jonathan Blue for such a lovely comment. Dr. Dennis Hurwitcz who I believe invented the total body lift says that you should train like you are training for a marathon for one of his surgeries. While I did not go that far, I did workout leading into my total body lift, versus being a couch potato for my stage 1 surgery, and I will say there was a huge improvement in my recovery. Any cardio that you can push yourself to do given your physical limitations and abilities will be helpful. There also are Vitamins and supplements that you can take to help with recovery and healing. Continued success on your journey, Jonathan!!! This si such a wonderful thing that you are doing for yourself and your life.

Your story is inspiring.

Susan

@@HappygoSusan thank you and a big congrats on your amazing weight loss! YOU are inspiring!