Weight loss is a deeply personal journey, often fraught with challenges and triumphs. For Victoria Michaels, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions, hard work, and unexpected setbacks. Her story, like many others, highlights the complexities of weight loss and the importance of perseverance, self-compassion, and seeking support. Understanding these complexities can help anyone on their own weight loss journey or those supporting loved ones through it.
The Growing Concern of Obesity in Women
Numbers like BMI can show an important trend: Women are becoming obese in greater numbers and at a faster rate than men-and public health professionals are concerned. This trend underscores the importance of addressing weight loss from a health perspective.
The Personal Side of Weight Loss: Goals and Challenges
The reasons for pursuing weight loss are as varied as the individuals undertaking the journey. For some, it's about improving their health and longevity. Cyndi Suckow, a mother from Denver, Colorado, realized that she needed to lose weight to be healthy and alive for her son for a long time. "When one has come to a point where they are trying to lose 50-plus pounds, it no longer becomes a matter of 'Oh, I’m trying to squeeze into this pair of jeans' or 'I want to trim down for a special event'," she explains. "For me, it's a matter of I don't want to get diabetes or heart disease."
The challenges faced during weight loss are equally diverse. Rachel Goldman, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist specializing in health and wellness, emphasizes that someone trying to lose half her body weight will have a very different weight-loss experience compared to someone who is trying to drop 15 pounds. These challenges can include:
- Social pressures: Sticking to a weight loss plan can be difficult when surrounded by unhealthy food choices, especially at gatherings and public functions. Cyndi Suckow finds it especially difficult when people push unhealthy foods on her or tease her about being a "stick in the mud" for sticking to her Weight Watchers points plan.
- Emotional hurdles: Weight loss can be intertwined with emotional well-being. Jasmine Snyder, of Victoria, British Columbia, is working to regain control of her life and find fulfillment after five heartbreaking years of trying to have a baby, and losing weight is just one part of that.
- Maintaining motivation: The weight loss journey can be long and exhausting. Brittany Staires, who is confident she can lose 100 pounds because she already has, wishes that others understood what a long, exhausting journey weight loss can be. "I'm constantly trying to find new ways to motivate and inspire myself," she says. "I look in the mirror and see a completely new person. I stay motivated by committing and rededicating myself to my goals every day."
- Life transitions: Major life events, such as pregnancy, can significantly impact weight loss efforts. Kasandra Raux of West Babylon, New York, was surprised to discover how difficult it was to lose the pregnancy weight after having her first baby. She's due to give birth again any second and is already making plans for what to do next. "I know it’ll be hard while adjusting to being a family of four-while being a working mom with a toddler and a newborn," she says. "So I’m not going to rush it."
- Past experiences: Previous weight loss attempts can influence future efforts. Meghan Simecek, who lost 80 pounds in 2012, finds it harder to get started this time. "The thing that has surprised me the most is how hard it is to just get started this time," says the Houston, Texas native. "Six years ago, I was able to work out twice a day, eat super clean, and lose weight. This time, it's all I can do to fit in my workouts and choose cleaner foods."
Victoria's Story: A Deep Dive into Weight Loss Surgery and its Aftermath
Victoria Michaels' story is a powerful example of the complexities and potential pitfalls of weight loss surgery. After losing almost 200 pounds through diet and tireless exercise, Victoria underwent surgery for skin removal, hoping to validate her hard work and achieve the body she had been working so hard for. She sought the expertise of a board-certified surgeon who advised her to add a cosmetic procedure called a “fleur de lis tummy tuck” to the insurance-covered panniculectomy to achieve the results she desired.
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However, the surgery was far from the dream come true she had hoped for. Victoria quickly noticed that her stomach did not look like other people’s surgery results immediately post-op. She addressed her concerns with the surgeon and the surgeon acknowledged it, saying that a revision was likely necessary. Then came an onslaught of complications:
- Post-operative complications: The surgeon removed her wound drain early (acknowledged later by the office), and then sent her home when she was complaining of excruciating pain… hours later she was in an ambulance to the hospital. She followed up with the surgeon’s office due to extreme redness and drainage seeping from her bellybutton. The surgeon’s office acknowledged that she had cellulitis (a potentially serious bacterial infection), but brushed her off and sent her home with antibiotics.
- Sepsis and emergency surgery: A week later Victoria again had to travel by ambulance to the hospital and thank god she did because our sweet, beautiful girl would not be here today without this medical intervention. Within hours of arriving at the hospital, Victoria was rushed to the OR for surgery to place a wound vac over her incision with a plan to remove it within 48 hours. Her infection was BAD, she was septic.
- Surgeon's negligence: At this time, her surgeon acknowledged that prematurely removing the JP drain, as it was still pulling out fluid at the time of removal, was the cause of the infection. The surgeon then took off to California, leaving Victoria botched, nursing two gaping holes alone at home, doing wet to dry gauze changes, with the wound vac sponge producing abnormal amounts of puss.
- Lack of accountability: During Victoria’s next appointment with the surgeon to have the two gaping wounds closed up, she was berated by the surgeon for being “a challenging patient”. The surgeon didn’t believe she could meet her expectations, although she seemed confident when selling the surgery that she could deliver Victoria the results of her dreams. Eventually, at a follow up appointment, the surgeon stated she would not consider a revision until at least one year post-op.
The experience left Victoria with significant physical and emotional scars. She had to take a lot time off of work, and as the owner and only employee of a small business that means there is no income when she is not working. She’s left with a painful scar that wasn’t necessary, one that impedes her doing certain moves at the gym and causes problems for her every day. Victoria filed a 35 page formal grievance with the practice, insisting on a refund as well as compensation for pain and suffering, and the practice merely apologized for the experience while refusing to credit her account or compensate her. They didn’t even offer a revision! She was expecting to have to find a way to fund another procedure as well as future breast and arm skin removal.
Finding Hope and a Second Chance
Despite the devastating experience, Victoria's story took a turn for the better. After sharing her story, she found a new surgeon who was willing to perform a corrective surgery. That means her surgery will be free of a surgeon’s fee, and she will be responsible for the anesthesia, facility, injection fees, and of course the costs associated with missing work and traveling out of state for a 7-10 day period. This is a once in a lifetime gift. Victoria has seen the surgeon for a consult and was approved as a candidate! The surgeon will be performing what is called a “corset trunkplasty” procedure. He was also kind enough to mention that he’d be able to help her with breast surgery in the future, but right now the priority is revising her botched surgery and taking care of her stomach. Victoria felt super comfortable with the surgeon, and said she feels like she is in a dream. The surgeon is located 4.5 hours away out of state, so Victoria will incur several costs associated with this surgery beyond the remaining surgery fees (anesthesia, facility, injection fees) such as: taking off that entire 7-10 day period from work as well as any additional time needed to properly heal, renting an Air BNB for 7-10 days, travel costs, food, etc. As a self-employed business owner, that means during her surgery and downtime she will have no income.
Victoria has moved forward with this highly reputable surgeon - who she absolutely loves - and decided to proceed with the corrective surgery! The original surgery cannot be simply tweaked, it has to be completely redone and then some. The final decision for her procedure is going to a “fluer de lis abdominoplasty”, a “monsplasty”, a new belly button, and liposuction where necessary. The new surgeon explained that due to the current condition of her body, she should not go into the procedure with high expectations. However, improvements ARE possible and he hopes to exceed her expectations. She appreciates his realistic and honest approach to her next procedure. The surgeon also let her know that the initial vertical scar done by the first surgeon was supposed to be carried up into her chest because of how much extra skin she has. It clearly wasn’t, and that’s why she has bulging skin at the top of the incision scar. This is EXTREMELY uncomfortable and at times painful for her. Additionally, the bottom incision was placed too low and now she may always have some sort of “skin shelf” there.
The Importance of Support and Community
Throughout her journey, Victoria has relied on the support of her friends, family, and online community. Her close friend, Heather, organized a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs of the corrective surgery and the associated expenses. Heather emphasized Victoria's unwavering spirit and the challenges she faced: Every day she suffers from the results of the surgery in so many ways - what she has to see in the mirror, the money lost from not working during the infection, losing clients who didn’t want to wait for her to recover, and the actual physical pain and suffering she lives with as a result of the botched surgery. It amazes me that this girl still shows up for herself and everyone in her life 110%. Her determination is a force to be reckoned with. Your support means the world to her and will help her to receive this beautiful gift from the new surgeon without additional financial stressors. As you can imagine, she is psychologically scarred from her last experience, so going into this with one less thing to worry about is huge.
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Victoria's surgery is scheduled for 12/6 - that’s just 4 weeks away! She is so nervous and excited all in the same breath. She is so scarred physically and psychologically from her last surgery that this is just bringing up so many emotions for her. Victoria adores and wholeheartedly trusts her new surgeon, there are no issues there - she is so excited to work with him and thinks they can do great things together! Her fears are what I imagine anyone else would have, and then some. Every once in awhile she will tell me, “I hope I don’t die on the table.” As her best friend it just breaks my heart to see her continuous suffering all because of the original surgeon’s carelessness. On top of those fears, she is getting extremely stressed about the financial burden of stepping away from work for so long. As a small business owner and provider for a family of four, this time away from work means she will have no income and will be pressured to return to work as quickly as possible.
Expert Opinions on Post-Weight Loss Surgery
Dr. Scott Blyer, aka DrBfixin, of CAMEO Surgery in New York, who was not involved with Victoria's case, shared his professional opinion on her story. He explained the difference between a panniculectomy and a tummy tuck: "Both a panniculectomy and a tummy tuck are surgeries that remove loose skin." A panniculectomy generally removes the overhanging skin on a massive weight loss patient and does not address the belly button or stretched abdominal muscles. A panniculectomy is often preferred when trying to get medical insurance to cover such a procedure where a tummy tuck is more of a cosmetic procedure.
Dr. Blyer also commented on the outcome of Victoria's initial surgery: "It would not be fair for me to judge the work of the surgeon without seeing what she looked like before. I would not use the term 'botched,' but if I were the operating surgeon, I would not be happy with these results and would revise her for no fee."
Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
Victoria's story serves as a reminder that weight loss is not always a straightforward path. It requires realistic expectations, a strong support system, and a focus on overall well-being. Despite the challenges and setbacks, Victoria remains determined to reclaim her body and her life. As she prepares for her corrective surgery, she hopes to share more of her journey on social media and inspire others facing similar struggles. "Maybe this could turn into something good, you know?" she said.
Practical Advice for Weight Loss
While Victoria's story focuses on the surgical aspects of weight loss, it's important to remember that lifestyle changes are crucial for long-term success. Here are some practical tips for those embarking on a weight loss journey:
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- Set realistic goals: Aim for gradual weight loss, such as 1-2 pounds per week.
- Focus on healthy eating: Choose whole, unprocessed foods, and limit sugary drinks and processed snacks.
- Incorporate regular exercise: Find activities you enjoy and aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
- Seek support: Join a weight loss group or work with a registered dietitian or certified personal trainer.
- Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself and don't get discouraged by occasional setbacks.
- Consider therapy: Kasandra Raux is currently in therapy, another key tool in her weight-loss plan.
The Secret to Weight Loss: A Matter of Energy Balance
Evelyn Earl, author of "A Matter of Fat: The Common-sense Weight Loss Guide," emphasizes the fundamental principle of weight loss: "One must expend more energy than one takes in! Or, in simple layman's terms: You have to burn more calories than you eat." Her book aims to increase awareness of food choices and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their diet and exercise habits.