Rachel Matheson is hoping to feel "at home" in her own body after she was left with excess skin following weight-loss surgery two years ago.
The 29-year-old, who grew up on P.E.I. but now lives in Toronto, says she felt "fat and weird" growing up and was bullied for it. While diverse body types are a "little more hip now," she says that wasn't the case in the early 2000s.
But that's all in the past now.
"Honestly, at this point in my life, I am doing it for myself."
Matheson had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in December 2017. According to the Mayo Clinic, the weight loss surgery is one of the most common types of bariatric surgery, and is performed when diet and exercise haven't worked. Matheson's surgery was covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
She says the surgery was recommended by a Toronto weight-loss clinic she visited in 2016 after suffering from years of mobility issues and undergoing a hip replacement in 2009.
"They suggested weight-loss surgery. I was always kind of happy with my weight, but I wasn't feeling that great physically, so I became open to it."
Matheson has since lost around 165 pounds. While some may view surgery as the easy way out, shedoesn't see it that way.
"I don't know in what universe cutting yourself open is an easy option," she said. "It's not, like, a super easy option by any means."
And she urges anyone considering weight-loss surgery to consider all their options first.
"For me nothing else had really worked," she said. "I tried dieting and all the unhealthy stuff you can do to your body and for me, this has been the healthiest approach to weight loss I have done in my life. It has kind of helped me learn moderation."
But her journey isn't over. She now has to live with the excess skin left behind after the substantial weight loss.
"I still have similar insecurities as I did when I was bigger," she said."With the excess skin on me, it's hard to see how much work I have put into my body with 20 extra pounds of excess skin."
She calls it "awkward all around" and physically uncomfortable.
"Fitting into clothes is awkward. Parts of my body will fit into a certain size then I'll have basically like 20 pounds of skin I have to roll up," she said.
"I tuck it in. I get a sturdy pair of granny panties and high-waisted jeans, keep it secure."
Matheson says she's spoken with others who have undergone the skin removal surgery, and is hopeful it will help her overcome some of her own body image issues.
"Anyone I know who has gotten the surgery has said it has changed their life so much for the better, so I'm just excited to see how that feels."
Dr. Stefan Hofer, the head of the plastic surgery division at Toronto's University Health Network, said there are many areas on the body where people can have excess skin, and each one requires a different type of procedure.
But most often people requiring surgery have excess skin around their abdomen like Matheson, which requires an abdominoplasty.
"An abdominoplasty actually contours the entire ... lower part of the abdomen. It is a very extensive procedure," he said.
"Usually with all the weight loss, the muscles have separated ... so you kind of bring the muscles back to the midline so people have normal core strength and can exercise."
Hofer said patients who lose a large amount of weight have to keep their weight down for six months before they're eligible for skin removal surgery.
Matheson's skin removal surgery is partially covered by OHIP, but she says it's going to cost her about $4,000 to $5,000 out of pocket. Her surgery is currently scheduled for March 13.
Hofer said some skin removal surgeries aren't covered because they're considered cosmetic, as in Matheson's case, but he believes the complications that can arise from having excess skin like the sores that can be caused by chafing make it a real health concern.
The recovery time from the surgery is estimated to take about six weeks.
Matheson, a full-time student studying media relations, is worried about missing class during that recovery period. She was accepted to her program after the surgery was already booked.
"From what I hear the first couple weeks are pretty brutal," she said. "I'm probably going to have to take a week or two off mid-semester,which should be interesting."
Matheson is also a comedian, and says talking about the journey on stage has helped her wrestle with some of those fears.
"I'm pretty scared to get this surgery, but being able to talk about it on stage definitely is like a weirdly therapeutic outlet for me."
She hopes that being so open about her own journey might be helpful to others.
"That's the best type of laugh you can get, someone who actually relates to what you are saying."
Matheson said her friends and family are supportive and excited for what her future holds.
"They have kind of been there through a lot of my ups and downs with my body and ups and downs with my health," she said. "They're just excited I am kind of on an upward momentum."
Matheson is hosting a comedy fundraiser in Toronto in addition to an online fundraiser in an effort to help cover the cost of her surgery.
See the original post:
Island woman to have 'awkward' excess skin removed after weight-loss surgery - CBC.ca
