An obese woman who underwent $108,000 (£80,000) of surgery to make her slim has admitted she hates her new body.
Jessica Valoy, 30, weighed a staggering 312lbs (22st 3lbs) and struggled to squeeze into a dress size 22 (US size 26).
After consulting with her doctor for over a year, medics told her to have a $46,650 (£34,400) gastric sleeve fitted.
Despite the surgery initially being a success, Jessica, from Seattle, suffered complications due to acid reflux and then underwent a gastric bypass costing $59,940 (£44,200) in 2016.
Jessica has since lost 120lbs (8st 6lbs), and has dropped nine dress sizes – but she says the folds of saggy skin she has been left with make her miserable. She is now crowdfunding $54,000-$81,000 (£40,000-60,000) for the skin removal surgery.
Jessica Valoy, 30, weighed a staggering 312lbs (22st 3lbs) and struggled to squeeze into a dress size 22 (US size 26), left. She underwent $108,000 (£80,000) of surgery to make her slim, right, but admits she hates her new body because she’s been left with rolls of excess skin
Jessica, pictured before her weightloss, was told by medics to have a $46,650 (£34,400) gastric sleeve fitted
Jessica, an administrative assistant, said: ‘Even though I’ve got a £80,000 body, I still hate the way I look and weight loss surgery has left me with rolls of saggy skin.
‘I tell my husband I look like a Shar-Pei dog, especially when we are lying in bed of an evening, the skin on my stomach pools around me in layers.
‘I have started to sag everywhere, my arms and legs are awful and my stomach hangs lower than my pubic area.
‘I have lost all volume in my breasts and I have to tuck the rolls of excess skin into my clothes.
‘I feel uncomfortable even in my own house and I believe my body is even uglier now than when I weighed 22 stone.’
Jessica admits that she had always been over weight and from a young age was constantly dieting.
Jessica, pictured before, said: ‘Our family revolved around food, and so we were always eating’
Despite showing off a much trimmer figure, Jessica said: ‘Even though I’ve got a $100,000 body, I still hate the way I look and weight loss surgery has left me with rolls of saggy skin’
Jessica has lost 120lbs (8st 6lbs), and has dropped nine dress sizes but says the folds of saggy skin she has been left with make her miserable
Discussing her insecurities, she said: ‘I have started to sag everywhere, my arms and legs are awful and my stomach hangs lower than my pubic area’
The obese woman underwent surgery to make her slim has admitted she hates her new body
She added: ‘Our family revolved around food, and so we were always eating.
‘I remember when I was around 10 years old my dad would drive me to the gym, he told me he would buy me a new laptop if I lost some weight.
‘I went to friends’ houses with packed food for the weekend as I was always trying different diets, but it never worked.
‘Over the years my weight stopped me from doing everything, I once got stuck on a rollercoaster at a theme park, they tried to force down the harness but it wouldn’t fit.
‘On the way home from work I would stop at a fast food place, and get a pre-meal because I was so hungry.
‘I would eat it in the car and get rid of the evidence before I got home.’
Eventually it was decided that Jessica’s best option was surgery, and so she had a gastric sleeve fitted in 2014.
Jessica said: ‘At first my family were almost sad that I wouldn’t be able to go out and eat with them for special occasions, or join in with celebrations, but I reassured them that wouldn’t be the case.
‘The surgery worked great at first, but I started to get acid reflux and was referred back to the hospital.
‘Three weeks after my wedding in July 2016, I underwent a gastric bypass to correct the complications caused by my first operation.’
Speaking about how she felt at her biggest, she said: ‘Over the years my weight stopped me from doing everything, I once got stuck on a rollercoaster at a theme park, they tried to force down the harness but it wouldn’t fit’
Jessica, with her husband before her weight loss surgery, said: ‘My husband, Francisco, is very supportive and insists he loves me just the way I am, he would have been happy if I hadn’t of had the surgeries’
Jessica, showing off her spare skin since her weight loss, is now crowdfunding to raise money for surgery
Jessica was thrilled at the results and lost an impressive 120lbs (8st 6lbs), which she has managed to maintain over the past nine months.
However, due to the extreme weight loss, she has been left with excess skin on her stomach, arms and legs, something that Jessica is extremely embarrassed about.
She added: ‘At the moment I don’t feel like there is an end in sight.
‘I go to the gym regularly but I can’t see the muscles that I’m building, my rolls hide everything, it’s very frustrating.
‘I’ve worked out that it would cost around $54,000-$81,000 (£40,000-60,000) for the skin removal surgery, and I’m unable to get it on my insurance.
‘My husband, Francisco, is very supportive and insists he loves me just the way I am, he would have been happy if I hadn’t of had the surgeries.
‘We work really hard and I didn’t want to ask for help, but Francisco encouraged me to start a GoFundMe page, it’s been really hard but people have been very encouraging.
‘I hope that by sharing my journey it will help others who are just starting out, I want people to understand and see the whole process, including the complications and struggles.
‘You don’t always get the results you hope for.’
To donate please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/unfcxh-skin-surgery-after-weight-loss
Discussing the reason she’s seeking funds, she said: ‘We work really hard and I didn’t want to ask for help, but Francisco encouraged me to start a GoFundMe page, it’s been really hard but people have been very encouraging’