From the encouragement of friends - I'm starting this campaign to help raise money for plastic surgery. 

See...I used to weigh a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Over 400lbs a lot. 

And then, I lost a bunch of weight - it's taken 2 years, lots of doctors visits, surgeries, mental anguish, hours on treadmills and bikes, weight machines, crazy portion control, re-education about nutrition, and therapy - lots and lots of therapy. But, I've done it. And now, I'm under 200lbs, and only 20lbs away from my final goal weight. 

Problem is, this has left my body like a birthday party balloon forgotten behind the sofa for a few months...deflated, puckered, sagging, and at times, downright uncomfortable. 

In order to complete this process, I need to have skin removal surgery. And, of course, because the insurance market in the U.S. doesn't think this is an important factor in a person's journey to health, none of this surgery is covered.

So, I'm sat here with the prospect of a $25,000 investment to begin completing the final stage of all this work I've put into my body. I don't know about anyone else, but, I don't have that kind of money just lying around. I do have a large chunk of it, after saving and saving, knowing that these surgeries would be inevitable were I to be successful in my efforts - but I don't have all of it.

Friends have said I'm not crazy to ask for help. I'm a helper - I donate to every cause I can that my friends support because I love them and their passions and causes. So, why not try to help myself, and make myself my own cause, my own passion, and my own purpose? 

Here we are. I need to raise another $5,000. 

If you can help financially, awesome. If you can't, awesome. If you can give me words of encouragement, that's more than enough. If you can help financially, I'll paint you something, or, make you something, or, hug the shit out of you, or, whatever I can do to show gratitude - your choice. Even if you can't support financially, I'll paint something or make something for you, and or hug the shit out of you. Hell, I'm just glad you've taken a minute to read my ramblings. 

I'll put this money towards the 2 most impactful surgeries I can do at the moment, and hope that I in some way can show my thanks to anyone that commits to helping me reach this goal. 

Thanks for listening.