3 weeks post op! Completely FLAT!! - Washington, DC

I am a 5'9" 27 year old female living in Washington, DC. Since I was a kid, I was overweight. As I grew older, so did my girth. I grew out of junior's size clothing at 12 and had to wear women's sizes. By the time I got to high school, I was 200lbs. With my age, my weight increased, until I hit my peak weight in 2009 of 245lbs, wearing a size 22.

I have been struggling with my weight for years- I could never motivate myself to go to the gym or diet properly. I was in a relationship at the time, and had settled into the "I'm just going to be fat forever" mentality. I became increasingly unhappy with my live-in boyfriend, and in August 2010 I moved out and decided I needed to change my life, to stop wallowing in depression and food, and lose the weight that had been dragging me down since I was 9 years old.

In the past year, I have lost 85lbs with diet and exercise and am down to a size 12. I bike to work every day (1.3 miles each way) and take classes at Jordin's Dance Paradise in DC 3 days a week, 1 hour a day. With conscious moderation of my eating and maintaining an active lifestyle, I am now 160 lbs and have maintained my weight without fluxuation / yoyo-ing.

Despite this weight loss, I found that I have a heavy panniculus. Working out at the gym, I hear it slapping my thigh. It is difficult to fit into clothes that I otherwise could without it. After speaking with my family, I got a consulation from Dr. Otero regarding a tummy tuck.

Thanks to the dilligence of Dr. Otero and myself in documenting a terrible yeast infection surrounding my belly button (along the line where the skin touches), my health insurance has approved me for surgery! I cried when the doctor's office called me, because I honestly could not afford the surgery without the help of insurance (it will be closer to $1500 out of pocket than the $8000 it would cost without).

My surgery is scheduled for the 27th of September. I am excited, but nervous! One of the wonderful assistants at Dr. Otero's had recently had this surgery herself, and talking to her regarding her experience, as well as reading the reviews here, have eased my mind and bolstered my confidence in getting this surgery!

I am counting down the days! Next summer, I will wear my first two-piece swimsuit. I haven't been able to wear one for 18 years.