There are many motivations for considering cosmetic surgery. For Audrey, it was recovering after the loss of her husband. She also moved to San Diego to be closer to her son.

As Audrey dealt with her husband’s death and her relocation, her appearance changed. Looking in the mirror, she noticed her eyes were “so tired and wrinkled”. She decided she wanted her former confidence back.

Audrey called LJCSC asking to see Dr. Johan Brahme about an eyelid lift and a tummy tuck, too, “From there, I made what I truly believe was the best choice I’ve ever made”. Audrey felt confident and “excited” when she left the Centre. She knew she’d selected a great surgeon who really listened to her.

Although Taunya leads a very busy life, she always tries to find a little time each day to exercise. Her three children, two boys and one girl ranging in ages from 2½ to 7 years old, all have one thing in common—they were very large babies. “My first two children were 9.5 and 10 lbs. My third child had to be delivered by caesarean two weeks early because of how big my babies grew, and he was already 8 lbs.” The children brighten Taunya’s life in so many ways, but carrying such large babies wreaked havoc on her fit body. “The skin just kept stretching with each pregnancy, and no matter how much I worked out, it never bounced back.”

Heidi began gaining weight when she was 10 years old. Twenty years and two toddlers later, she decided to do something about it. “Something began to change for me after my daughter was born. Here I was, the mother of two beautiful children, and too heavy and out of shape to keep up with them. Even worse was the fear of not knowing if I would be around to watch them grow up. I decided enough was enough and in December of 2007, I began using walking videos and exercising.”

Christy knows what a struggle it is to lose weight. In 8th grade, just when life is beginning to throw so many challenges at you, she weighed 225 pounds and wore a size 22. “I’m a southern girl from Alabama and grew up loving food. When I was a teenager, I moved in with my grandparents and started to become aware of how unhealthy my weight was. My grandmother sent me to nutrition classes and I lost some weight.”

When it comes to plastic surgery, almost every patient has a different story and motivation for deciding when the time is right. For Carla, a mother of five, ranging in ages from 14 to 26 years, she had many reasons. “I think having plastic surgery was always in the back of my mind, but being able to justify spending that money on myself was difficult.” Never one to really lack self-confidence, Carla says two life-changing moments made her change the way she felt about her body. “About 20 years ago I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The way they performed the surgery left me with this big fold of skin on my stomach that never went away.” Years later, a lumpectomy was performed on one of her breasts, leaving her feeling lopsided. “Luckily the lesion was benign but because they took so much breast tissue, I could never get clothes to fit right.” A recommendation from a friend led her to Dr. Lori Saltz, a board certified plastic surgeon and Medical Director at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre.

When Allyn decided it was time to get in shape, she didn’t take it lightly. “I worked out all the time and was loving it but there were areas of my body that just didn’t change.” That’s when she decided to get a helping hand through cosmetic surgery. As a forensic crime scene scientist, Allyn does meticulous research, and approached finding the right plastic surgeon in the same manner. “I had already seen two other plastic surgeons and Dr. Brahme was my third consultation… and the third time was the charm.” Dr. Johan E. Brahme, a board certified plastic surgeon, was exactly who Allyn had been hoping to find. “He was so knowledgeable and confident, yet so personable. He validated what I was feeling and showed me how he could help me accomplish my goals.” In addition to Dr. Brahme, Allyn recalls that the LJCSC staff was warm and welcoming. Since many team members have personally undergone procedures, they shared their experiences with Allyn, which she said made such a difference. Allyn had her first surgery, a tummy tuck, with Dr. Brahme in the summer of 2008 and was thrilled with the results.