My Plastic Surgery Journey

An in depth look at how my personal surgery has given me a larger outlook on life.

Plastic surgery has been a topic of discussion for many young adults, and has gained a lot of traction thanks to social media. Within the last couple years I have seen many more people talking about their experiences, and it has started to become more widely accepted. From celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, to people like me, opening up the conversation should be seen as empowering.

Thanks to Instagram, Tik Tok, and even Pinterest, social media has broadened our knowledge of just how easy (and difficult) plastic surgery can be. As someone who recently went under the knife, I want to give some perspective through my own journey.

In early 2019 I began working for a company that works closely with surgeons, plastic surgeons included. Sure, social media had already shown me that plastic surgery can be done, but I had never fully grasped that someone like me could do it too. All over social media we see stories from celebrities about the surgeries they have had, but I felt that plastic surgery is only reserved for the rich and famous. So, after a few months of working with these surgeons I decided to start doing my research.

I found out very quickly that some offices are more helpful than others, and this in turn helped me in gauging where I felt most comfortable. In doing so I was “shopping around” and it felt very much like car shopping. Just like with talking to different dealerships, I was talking to different surgery liaisons to find the best fit both financially and procedurally. I decided I was going to finance about half of my procedure, and pay out of pocket for the other half. This was an important decision because this meant I had to find an office with affordable financing plans.

After more deliberating I decided it was time to make my decision. In January I booked my appointment, and then COVID-19 happened.

I was set for an early May date, but had to have it pushed back a couple weeks due to the pandemic. Getting blood work done, getting the right prescriptions, and even just getting necessary antibacterial / disinfectants for my house was hard. However, this gave me more time to prepare and exhaust all my resources. I was able to talk more with the liaisons, my primary doctor, and my therapist about what my diet should be, what precautions to take, and what herbal medicines were allowed. Finally the day came and I was very, very nervous. I arrived early and went into my appointment decked out in my favorite gloves and face mask. Getting surgery during a pandemic was difficult, but I am so proud of myself for doing this.

You don’t realize how challenging surgery can be until you have gone through it. Not being self sufficient is something I struggled with, and having to rely on others for the very basics was hard for me. Throughout this process I grew as a person and realized that I can do anything I put my mind to. It’s not easy, but for me I know it was the best decision I have made in a long time for my future happiness.