A mother has been left with an ‘old lady body’ with drooping folds of skin on her stomach, chest, arms and legs after being inspired to shed 11st because her children were being bullied over her weight.
Carolyn Docherty, a stay-at-home parent and carer, said she still wears the same loose, baggy clothes as when she was a size 24 and even feels less confident than before she lost the weight.
The 35-year-old, from Woolton, Liverpool, had an NHS-funded gastric bypass to lose the weight and is now crowd funding for surgery to remove the excess skin as this procedure is only available on the NHS for medical reasons.
Carolyn, from Woolton, Liverpool, had an NHS-funded gastric bypass to lose the weight and slimmed down to a size 10, above. However now she is now crowd funding for surgery to remove the excess skin this has caused
A mother has been left with an ‘old lady body’ with drooping folds of skin on her stomach, chest, arms and legs after being inspired to shed 11st because her children were being bullied over her weight, above
Carolyn said: ‘Being 20st I hated the way I looked and always felt embarrassed. I would never wear fitted t-shirts, shorts or anything which revealed any skin.
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‘But I never looked in the mirror, so I couldn’t see myself and didn’t realise how big I’d become.
‘But when the kids came home saying children at school were teasing them because their mum was fat, that was when I knew I needed to do something.
‘Before I had gastric bypass surgery, I thought getting the weight off was going to be much better than living with a little bit of excess skin.
35-year-old stay-at-home mum and carer, Carolyn Docherty, said she still wears the same loose, baggy clothes as when she was a size 24, above before surgery, and even feels less confident than before
‘I was warned by doctors but wasn’t worried, as anything would have been better than being overweight. But now I understand the skin is just as bad.
‘I absolutely hate it and I still never look in the mirror because I feel disgusting.
‘I don’t feel like a size 10, I still feel fat. My body looks like it belongs to an old lady.’
Carolyn had always been overweight but after having daughters Keeley, 13, Courtney, 12, and Abigail, nine, and 11-year-old son Joshua her weight rocketed.
The surgery Carolyn desperately wants to remove the excess skin is not available on the NHS unless for medical reasons. She says she is disgusted by her body now, above, and that it looks like an old lady’s
Carolyn, above before her gastric band with husband Danny, 39, had always been overweight but after having daughters Keeley, 13, Courtney, 12, and Abigail, nine, and 11-year-old son Joshua her weight rocketed.
By the time she married former taxi driver husband Danny Docherty, 39, in 2012 she hated the way she looked and the following year, aged 32, she reached her heaviest weight of 20st.
As well as feeling depressed, Carolyn suffered from bone and ligament problems due to her weight putting stress on her joints and covering up her body which meant she was deficient in Vitamin D.
She broke bones in her foot, arm and fingers twice and damaged her ligaments hundreds of times in minor trips and falls.
Couch potato Carolyn didn’t exercise and would gorge on takeaway fried chicken, crisps and bread while avoiding all vegetables apart from carrots and peas.
In autumn 2012 Carolyn, who had a BMI of 52, went to her doctor about gastric bypass surgery. After a year of slimming, in which time she lost a stone, she underwent the procedure in October 2013. Above, after surgery
But in autumn 2012 Carolyn, who at this point had a BMI of 52, went to her doctor about gastric bypass surgery.
After a year of slimming, in which time she lost a stone, she underwent the procedure in October 2013 and afterwards began walking and working out at home to shed the pounds.
After eight months Carolyn, who is now training to be a personal trainer and works out five times a week, plucked up the courage to go to the gym and discovered a passion for exercise.
After eight months Carolyn, above showing her weightloss with old shorts, who is training to be a personal trainer and works out five times a week, plucked up the courage to go to the gym
However, as the weight dropped off Carolyn’s skin did not spring back to how it had been before and she was left with saggy folds all over her body
Carolyn said: ‘At 32 I knew something had to change. My bones and ligaments were constantly healing and I felt really low.
‘There were times I would not even get dressed or go out of the front door.
‘My kids were not overweight at all, I do not allow it, but it was one rule for them and another for me. The gastric bypass is a tool – if it is used right, it will work.
‘Afterwards, when I began working out, that was when I really started to see some changes.
The mum has to wear high-waisted pants when she exercises to keep the skin tucked in, and said it stops her from playing with her children.
‘People were saying I looked great and that felt amazing because I had never had those types of compliments before. I had always been so ashamed, but now I felt like a new woman.’
But as the weight dropped off Carolyn’s skin did not spring back to how it had been before and she was left with saggy folds all over her body.
The mum has to wear high-waisted pants when she exercises to keep the skin tucked in, and said it stops her from playing with her children.
Carolyn hopes to have an operation to remove the skin at cosmetic clinic Spire Liverpool and believes the multiple procedures could cost in the region of £6,000
Currently, cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin is only available on the NHS if the folds are causing severe medical issues.
Carolyn hopes to have an operation to remove the skin at cosmetic clinic Spire Liverpool and believes the multiple procedures could cost in the region of £6,000.
Carolyn said: ‘I never had much self-confidence before, but now I have none. I’m very self-conscious and always wear the same big baggy things I wore before I lost the weight and big knickers which hold the skin in.
‘I never wear tight clothes because you can see all the lumps and bumps. I can’t even see my belly button. I feel horrendous and just want something to change.’
To make a donation to Carolyn’s fund go to https://www.gofundme.com/22a4tjxp
CAROLYN’S DAILY DIET: BEFORE
Breakfast: Two rounds of cheese on toast
Lunch: Nine chicken nuggets and a large fries from McDonald’s, or a meat sandwich with chips
Dinner: Fried takeaway chicken, a pie or a pizza with chips and peas or carrots
Snacks: Crisps, biscuits, fruit jellies and Haribo sweets
Drinks: Tea and fizzy drinks
CAROLYN’S DAILY DIET: NOW
Breakfast: Half a chopped banana, two strawberries and 25g of walnuts
Lunch: Two slices of ham, 30g of feta cheese, two cherry tomatoes and some chopped onion
Dinner: 100g of chicken cooked in the oven, 50g of sweet potato and vegetables on the side
Snack: A yoghurt once a week
Drinks: Water and tea without sugar