It's been a long road, losing weight and reclaiming my life. I started this journey in the summer of 2016, when my primary care physician referred me to Ohio State's bariatric seminar, as I had reached a point in my life where I needed help to lose all the weight. I could no longer do it on my own and my health, mobility, and life hung in the balance. 

After attempting to pass the gatekeeper for the bariatric clinic, also known as the psychiatrist, for six months I was able to start my journey towards having gastric bypass. It took me 9 months from the first time I met with the nurse practitioner to scheduling my surgery. I had an RNY (roux en y) gastric bypass on January 30, 2018. From seminar to surgery, was 18 months.

At my heaviest, I once weighed 388 lbs and at the time of surgery, I weighed 367. I lost most of my weight within the first year, I was around 225 lbs by January of 2019 and I slowly lost another 40 or so pounds since then. I was left with a lot of loose skin! At my heaviest, my waist was 82 inches around... Yes, I was as big around as a 6'8 person. 

In the fall of 2019, I was finally able to meet with plastics to discuss skin removal. I didn't realize that the journey to removing the skin, the scars of who I once was, would take another 22 months. 

First, I had to be cleared by hematology, because I had acquired thrombophilia after a pulmonary embolism in 2016. That was originally scheduled for the early spring of 2020. Then COVID happened and everything got pushed out. In the late summer of 2020, I was finally able to get cleared by hematology. I have no greater risk of clots than anyone else, as long as I take blood thinners post-op. Now, I had to wait to meet with plastics, again. 

I was finally able to meet with plastics again in the spring of 2021 and they submitted everything to my insurance company. Thankfully, it only took a few days and my insurance approved an FDL (fleur de lis) Abdominoplasty, Brachioplasty (arm lift), and breast reconstruction. Because of the extensive time, the surgeries take I could have two at one time, so we went with my abdomen and arms for the first round. 

I was scheduled for June 30th but as that date got closer, they rescheduled me due to scheduling conflicts the surgeon had. So, I was rescheduled for August 11th. 

Thankfully, that is tomorrow. In less than 27 hours I will finally be free of the remnants of the old me... no longer will I wear the jumpsuit from the prison I once ate myself into and that other people tried to keep me locked away in. 

I hope to update everyone on my surgery! My kids, fiance, and family are all anxious for me and excited at the same time. 

I've worked so hard to get to this point in my life! I hope to share this journey with you and update you, once I'm on the thin side.