It's been five months since my surgery, and I'm down from a size 24 pant to a 16. I know I have more work to do, and as my body continues to heal I'm looking forward to being more active. My incision was completely closed at two months, and now the tummy tuck scar is soft and smooth. It's lightened up a lot, but it's so low on my body that the only person who will ever see it is my husband.

The total cost of the surgery was about $12,000. The procedure was entirely out-of-pocket and not covered by insurance, but after spending so many years thinking about it, I felt it was worth the cost. Prescriptions were about $50, and they were covered by insurance. I spent between $100-200 for recovery items, like the walker, various scar creams and vitamins.

This surgery has been incredibly life changing. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, "Wow, I'm still so big," but I have these before and after pictures to remind me of how far I've come. I never set out to be a swimsuit model, and I'm thrilled with my results. I feel happy in the skin I'm in, which I haven't felt in a really long time. I look people in the eye now instead of looking around for a chair to stand behind. I seek people out when I have something to say, rather than trying to hide. There were times during my recovery when I wondered, 'Am I doing the right thing?' The medications made me hazy and the pain was intense. But each time I asked that question, looking at my before pictures was enough motivation for me to answer, 'Yes, you ARE doing the right thing,' every time.

Interview and photos courtesy of RealSelf.