NB.

            WEIGHT CHART: 105 lbs = seven and a half stone.
                                           119 lbs = eight and a half stone.
                                           196 lbs = fourteen stone.

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Cosmetic surgery for me at the age of twenty-six, was not for vanity, but to enable me to live and work.

Circumstances beyond my control caused the loss of both my daughters, and I admit to having some kind of a mental breakdown at the time. It consisted of my being totally reclusive and a crying wreck. The rest of the time I slept. Tranquillisers, in the form of Valium and sleeping tablets, helped greatly, and I was destined to take them for another six years or so.

I gained a great deal of weight while pregnant with my second daughter (as I did with my first). Also, like the first time, I managed to lose the pregnancy weight. Except this second time in 1974, (I was 24 years) I reduced to 105lbs from 196lbs (all due to depression and hardly eating). I achieved this within three months. That is a loss of around 86lbs! My normal weight had previously been around 119lbs.

To lose all this weight, I lived on water and cups of tea made with powdered milk. Sometimes I ate green beans straight from the can. I never went out the door in all that time, and I must confess to being extremely weak.

After the 3 months, I felt as if everything were unreal. I suddenly noticed how slim I had become, although there was some loose skin over my lower tummy this time. I was horrified as I knew that to keep my sanity my quick return to dancing was necessary.

But, back to the cosmetic surgery. This time, my stretched skin would not return to normal, and I had so much loose skin, that I invented a gruesome way to hide the loose skin, inside my bikini pants dancing costumes!

I glued some pretty gold-embroidered stiffened material to my loose skin and pushed it down hard. This way the loose skin was not seen, as it was hidden by the line of the top of my panties and also by the decorative material. It looked like something a belly dancer would wear. And, I was also a belly dancer!

Whilst waiting for the 'tummy tuck' operation, which took a full two years to be performed, I was able to dance professionally. Meanwhile, each time I took a bath, some of the glue would pull my skin away from my body. I could see that it was raw and sometimes bleeding underneath. Yes, it hurt, but what else could I do? I had to work to keep my sanity, although I seemed to live in my own bubble and was far more unsociable than I had ever been.

I constantly touched up the gold-coloured piece of material with fresh glue. I hopped about, as it burnt like hell, but I had no option. There was no way that material was coming off without the skin being cut away. This is what happened, when the tummy tuck operation was performed.

The surgeons told me I could have caused my skin to rot and suffered terrible infections, but, luckily for me, this did not happen. Anyway, I learned then and since, very much about cosmetic surgery. Also, about the many cosmetic surgeons who say they are qualified, when they are not!

I had a good national health surgeon for my operation and all went well, with just a tiny scar around up as far as my hips. It did not take long at all for my recovery and I went back to work, still able to do the ‘crab’ which I was famous for.

At thirty years old, after I put on unexplainable weight, which for my very small frame, was disastrous. Doctors discovered I had an underactive thyroid. I now needed liposuction! Ouch, ouch. ouch! After the weight reduction, I had to maintain a strict discipline of diet. Just fish, vegetables and fruit. Anything else would make me gain weight. What I was not told, was that it was so difficult to stabilise the thyroid, and I was to gain weight again. This became so distressing, as it could wreck my career. I was now working in bands as a lead singer, also modelling and television work. I still accepted the occasional dancing gig.

Surgeons advised me that the fat removal would be permanent, in those areas where the cells were removed. This is totally untrue. Two years after the first liposuction, I underwent another liposuction operation and determined I would never gain weight again. No matter what it took.

Recently, five years ago, in 2000, I had my slightly puffy lower eyelids, liposuctioned and some skin cut off under the eyelashes. The wounds were sewn up with stitches that had to be removed afterward. The left eye is almost exactly the same as it was before the op, due to not enough fat being taken away. Pain for nothing! (Actually, it was not that noticeable, but I like symmetry.) It is possible that I never needed this operation in the first place, but surgeons will take a patient on, even if the surgery is unnecessary.

Since then I have looked at cosmetic surgery operations on television, and it is amazing how many of these women are addicted, and really do not need anything done. In fact, some of them looked slightly worse after their operations!

I have never had any surgery on my breasts, except for the removal of an abscess at age of 20 years. Never had implants and have photos that can prove it. I was always known as being rather large up top, for my slim body. In fact, very out of proportion sometimes, as my breasts became larger each time I put on a little weight!

Through my knowledge as a nurse, a patient and in looking after post-op patients, including stories told me by other people who have been through surgery, I have found out a great deal. I would suggest to anyone that unless it would really mean so much to them, it is best not to risk surgery. The surgeons are only human, and mistakes happen.

On top of that, symmetry is difficult to come by. The risk of nerves being cut accidentally, or becoming lop-sided is very great. I also hear that when face-lifts are performed, they are necessary every few years to keep the skin from re-sagging.

Older women, trying to gain their youth, have parts of themselves improved. This only makes the parts that are left look more obvious. Skin removal seems to be relatively easy, although that may not always be symmetrical. If liposuction is performed on the body it can leave ridges under the skin, and without a great deal of massaging can end up lumpy. Obviously, noses may need to be improved, but I do not understand women undergoing risky breast implantations.

Perhaps it is worth the risk if a woman is flat-chested, but there are gel-filled bras and padded bras for those who do not have enough size. From the results I have seen, they are usually end up lop-sided. They can even change position in the area of the chest, or move higher or lower. Implants have even been known to travel towards the armpits.

If someone is disfigured, cosmetic surgery is well worth any risk. Some improvement will occur. I just think it such a shame young adults, both men and girls, feel the need for improvement. I know that weight training can totally structure the body if the work outs are regular.