Allie lost 130 lbs (skin surgery)

Hello, my name is Allie. I am 22. I am probably no different than anyone looking for skin removal surgery, and my story is most likely the same. I grew up with certain toxic environments that lead to childhood food addiction that followed me and worsened with age. By the time I was 17, I was 250 lbs, and with toxic relationships being plentiful during the younger years of my life, into my teens, it was difficult to see any reason to break the unhealthy habit of overeating. My grandparents and uncle came to me, and we made a pact to get healthy together. I went vegan, and was attending the gym 4-5 days a week for months and months. After some unfortunate events unfolded due to 3 consecutive car accidents, it was difficult to be as active, but by the time summer of 2019 came, I had lost 100 lbs, and then another 10 afterwards. 

then, plot twist, I reach 140 lbs and BOOM! I'm pregnant. I did my best keeping a healthy weight during pregnancy, and didn't actually gain more than 15 lbs until my 7th month, where I gained another 45 by the time the baby was due. it was not an easy pregnancy, and I've had 2 prior miscarriages, so I was very wary the whole time about what I ate, and how I had to make sure my baby was gaining weight properly, since she was in a low percentile. After my daughter came into the world, I was about 195 lbs, and that was mid October. 

now, it is almost March and I am back down to 143 lbs, and am just looking to rid myself of this awful, smelly, itchy, burny, heavy skin on my arms and lower abdomen. I've considered looking into a panniculectomy, but insurance likes to deny anything not deemed medically necessary, and I fear I will receive that energy when I try to look into it. I also want my results to be at least pretty nice looking, meaning my belly button and scarring to be decent looking and accurate. I'm not trying to liposuction or get plastic surgery happy. I just want my workouts to be easier, and my back pain, hip pain, smelly rashes, and dry skin to be done with. Anyone who works hard to change their life should be able to get their 2nd chance. Any help or support to reach my goal is appreciated more than anything! thank you!

I didn't wanna post nasty pics of rashes and stuff so I hope my photos show my progress!

****** UPDATE *******

Tue, March 9th, 2021

so I think it's time I start posting the issues I'm having. it's been difficult to talk myself into, but I am dealing with a lot because of my skin. it's taking away from who I am. My femininity, my ability to look at myself with confidence, carry myself with confidence, and just feel overall comfortable in my own body has diminished so much as I've gotten used to my lack of progress since I've reached a weight I can maintain now, and the body dysmorphia is real. I can't help but take extra time in the bathroom making sure everything with my skin is appropriate to achieve decent comfortability. since having my daughter, my body has been extra all over the place, including switching from sweating hot, to freezing cold very quickly during the day/ night. so I feel like this skin is a double edged sword. I wake in the morning and feel slimy, the worst under my stomach, especially if I slept with a warm blanket because I was cold before I fell asleep. by the time I've cleaned and dried off under there, IF I have the time and don't just deal with it because my day is all about my daughter, if it's dry, which it gets very easily, it will crack and cause pain in the larger stretch marks under the skin and it smells like vinegar. I used to get it worse, before I lost weight, but it's still extremely distracting to the point where I have to obsess over it, or else I'll regret it and have some sort of extra discomfort. another huge inconvenience because my baby needs me to be on my toes, and when I'm taking care of my skin, I feel guilt for not being there for her. My skin has become like a baby I have to take care of, in a way. I've stopped being as active as I was prior to me having covid for a brief time. doing floor work is getting difficult, as the more I lose, the more skin hangs, the more difficult it is to do anything. and the sweat is just not worth the pain the comes from it. I don't feel like an almost 22 year old girl. I don't even feel like a girl. anyway. these photos are from throughout the past few months of losing my pregnancy weight. 

current weight: 140.4 lbs

These are just some of the photos I have of the rashes. also, my pants are all stretched out too much and I hate that none of my clothes fit well. I feel like my phone has a beauty filter on it, because the rashes look more irritated in person. I get the rashes under my breasts, and even my belly button gets really infected for no reason. I have always been a very hygienic person, and I care for myself to the next level when it comes to my skin especially. I just hate how this skin is the reward for all my hard work.
all of my underwear that aren't high waisted fit like this, and it's so uncomfortable to have my mons area hanging out of them. if I pull the panties lower on my hips, they roll under my belly fold. I've tried everything. times are really hard. I can't wear thongs, period. I probably won't feel comfortable going to the beach still. I just wish that I looked better and didn't feel so repulsive. If we didn't have to put so much into our car, I probably would have been close to having the funds at this point. its just frustrating. I'd like to be able to start my normal life. 

update: may 19th, 2021

this is the most full coverage thong I could find in the mall in my size. I still do not fit into my underwear. they are not comfortable to wear, and I am not fully covered in the front at all. I get wedgies frequently with all cuts of underwear, every day. But I dared to wear a thong today, and it was not a great experience. plus size thongs cover so much more, I feel like. but if your measurements are a certain size, that means you fit the body standard to wear the garment right? no! ugh. just struggling mentally.

                     ***TRIGGER WARNING: nipples***

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UPDATE** June 23rd, 2021

I've been maintaining 121-123 lbs. I workout and have been training with light weights. lifting anything more than like 10-15 lbs is difficult on my knees and back. I'm still chafing, even in my sleep it seems, no matter how much I shower and powder, and I even have been using a bit of the nystatin that my daughter gets for her rashes in her thigh area and arm pits. I stopped using my waist trimmer that helps you sweat during exercise because the extra sweat has been making the irritation under my fold burn a lot. my daughter is 25 lbs, and I can't walk around with her for long periods of time, because it makes my back spasm. I also think I may have muscle separation, so that makes this a little different. I don't know what to do.

TMI** 

I've been having the same consistent issues with peeing a little if I am not fast enough to get to the rest room, and when I sit down. but another reason I feel I may have pelvic floor dysfunction, is when I lay on my back, or open up my pelvis at all, my vaginal cavity will sometimes trap big air pockets, and then they exit me like a whoopee cushion. during situps, especially this happens. i also am still having a lot of trouble making BMs. I think everything need a good tightening, because this woman I watched said once she got internal muscle repair, she had immediate relief in her back pain. 

my armpits fart with my extra skin, my asymmetry in my buttox makes shorts and underwear impossible, and for even more TMI**, I keep getting tears in my labia from wearing my jean shorts! (forget about having sex!) I'm just getting tired of it. my quality of life is riding on this surgery. misery is hard to avoid when you are stuck like this.