32 Years Old, Lost over 80 Lbs, and the Road to Removing Extra Skin and Stubborn Fat. Schaumburg, IL

My story--I have a large extended family and we are all close to each other. We had been very lucky in that no one had any major health issues. Then in December 2009 my aunt Mary, who was also my godmother, was diagnosed with lung cancer. In November 2010 my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. In early 2011 my aunt Lynn was also diagnosed with breast cancer. The three of them are sisters and the only girls among nine siblings. They’ve always been around me growing up. The three of them together were always my rock holding me together. And then they all were diagnosed with cancer within a year of each other. This whole thing shook up my entire family. For me it meant I needed to get healthy. I’ve been overweight since I was a young child. I would go back and forth between one diet after another always ultimately gaining more weight after I was done trying to stick with it. I was unhealthy. It took the three most important women in my life getting cancer to finally kick me into gear. I changed my eating habits ultimately finding a Paleo lifestyle worked best for me. I joined a gym, and hired a trainer in January 2011. It was my aunt Mary that first noticed a change in me. Weight started dropping off of me quickly to a point where I needed smaller clothes every few weeks. I jokingly told my aunt Mary that I might need to slow down because this is getting expensive. She looked me straight in the eyes and said “Don’t you dare stop. Don’t you dare slow down.” In April 2011 my aunt Mary passed away. I promised her that I would keep losing weight. I promised her I would get healthy. Around the same time my aunt Lynn and Mom both had surgeries and are currently cancer free. That year was the hardest year of my life and I came out the other end physically stronger, healthier, and with over 80 pounds of weight lost and more muscle than I knew I had. That was in 2011. In 2012 my Aunt Kristen convinced me to try running. I ran the Toledo, OH half marathon, the Chicago full marathon, and a 5k race put on by my gym. The extra bulges would not go away. In 2013 I hired another trainer and built a lot of muscle. But the bulges remained. In 2014 I loved my new healthy lifestyle so much that I obtained a personal training certificate. Yet I still had the bulges that plagued me. Then I saw an add for a free consult with a plastic surgeon. My case manager, Angela, only needed seconds of looking at me to tell me it was skin and pockets of stubborn fat that would only maybe go away if I were to be starving myself. I was able to see Dr. Paresi who agreed that healthy diet and exercise would no longer be enough to remove my bulges the worst being around my belly, outer thighs, and butt. Angela was terrific in answering all of my questions and assuring me I would have great results. I looked online and saw other people's stories on this site and it was instrumental in my decision to go through with this. For me it came down to rashes, chafing, and back aches the rest of my life or surgery. Once I discovered I could make reasonable payments I chose surgery.

So here's what has happened so far. The day of my procedure I went in with some anxiety because I didn't know what to expect. Felicia, another girl I had been speaking to quite a bit in the final couple days before surgery, was there and reassured me. I also had my Mom there for support. My procedure I was told took about 5.5 hours. I was also told it took me a long time to wake up. I hadn't been able to sleep all that well in the final couple days just trying to make sure I would be as comfortable as possible afterwards. In addition by the time I was done I had also as it turns out been fasting for 24 hrs by that point. Can anyone blame me for wanting to stay asleep? Haha. The car ride home was a little rough. I had to brace myself during every hard turn but fortunately there wasn't much traffic left and it took about half an hour to get home. Unfortunately I threw up about half way home. So I had to change before I could settle in on the couch. That first night the 3 steps to get in the house was really hard. Walking at all was really hard. Think baby steps and slow!! Very slow. I had to almost have a death grip on my Dad's arms to take the 20 some normal sized steps to get to the couch. You will need someone to help you walk at first until you gain some strength back. I would also suggest you wear short sleeves but have a nice warm blanket with you. That first night after I settled into cocoon of pillows I remember going back and forth between shivering and being really hot.

My first full day back at home I spent the day sleeping for a few hours and then waking up for a couple hours. I began the day drinking this plant based protein juice I found at Whole Foods called Botan to begin getting some strength back while also starting to rehydrate myself. As the day progressed I think I was able to get up and get to the bathroom every 3-4 hours. I even walked around the kitchen a few times. My legs and butt were aching to move. By the end of the day I was able to keep down some berries and mashed broccoli/cauliflower. The more I was able to eat and drink the stronger I felt and was finally able to walk a little on my own. I was really excited about that!!
My second night home I found myself able to sleep pretty well. I still woke up every few hours, needed help getting to the bathroom and back but then fell back to sleep not long afterwards. I do remember though in the middle of the night it had been a little too long since I had taken any pain pills and I was really stiff so it hurt and I was back to moving pretty slow.
I am thrilled to report that I was able to get myself to the bathroom this morning!! I just needed help getting my feet propped back up. But my strength is starting to return!!

Last night I had a terrible time getting comfortable. My butt was so sore all night!! I finally managed to shift a little to my side and that felt AMAZING but it was a struggle to figure it out. And today I'm trying to get up and walk even more than yesterday. The only reason I want to grab pain meds is for my sore butt! I guess that's what is going to keep me moving.
I just had a sponge type of bath and got my hair cleaned today. Oh wow I feel refreshed.
Unfortunately I discovered I started my period sooner than I thought. Thank you so much Aunt Flo, as always your timing is impeccable.
Trying to keep my spirits up.
I'll try to get more photos up soon.