Kris loves to read, go for long walks with her family and dog and enjoys swimming and going to the gym when time allows. She doesn’t get a whole lot of downtime as her job is demanding, even when off duty.

After the birth of Kris’s daughter, she suffered from depression that was made doubly hard by family bereavement. She put on a lot of weight – in fact, six stone – and before she knew it hated looking at herself in the mirror. To top things off, she also suffered from fibromyalgia which affected her joints.

Here’s what Kris had to say…

“I felt awful about myself. I wouldn’t let people take photos and couldn’t get on the floor to play with my young daughter. My mental health took a downturn when my daughter was six months old and following medication and several years of counselling, on and off, I knew it was time to make a change.

“I started to look into tummy tucks and I then found out that it was not a quick fix. It would require me to lose the weight first and to mentally prepare myself for the surgery. It took a couple of years before I looked into it again but I knew I had prepared myself both physically and mentally.

“After two years I had lost four stone and I was finally happy with my weight but I still hated how I looked.

“Whilst my husband and daughter loved taking photos of all their new experiences, I still hid from cameras and, for the most part, refused to have photos taken. I was not comfortable in my own skin.

“On our return from holiday, I knew it was time to take action, as I didn’t want to feel insecure anymore. I just wanted to be happy in my own skin, to look in the mirror and not feel anxious or depressed by what was reflected back. I met Anthony MacQuillan shortly after we returned from the holiday.

“I did my homework and researched surgeons and hospitals, looked at reviews for each and settled on meeting three surgeons; Anthony was the first on my list.

“From the minute he introduced himself to me, I felt at ease. We discussed why I wanted surgery, what my expectations were and he was very clear. He explained that abdominoplasty is major surgery and that it would not result in me walking away with a six-pack. He ensured my expectations were realistic and that I was doing this for me, not to please anyone else.

“I did meet with the two other surgeons on my list, but they never gave me the same feeling of ease and confidence. I felt both were trying to sell their services rather than making sure I was doing the right thing for me.

“I knew from day one that I had made the right choice, both in having surgery and choosing Anthony. He had prepared me for what to expect and although I had a couple of unavoidable complications I could not have faulted his professionalism and care.

“I knew from day one that I had made the right choice, both in having surgery and choosing Anthony. He had prepared me for what to expect and although I had a couple of unavoidable complications I could not have faulted his professionalism and care.

“He answered my concerns, saw me when I felt I needed to be seen and never once made me feel like it was an inconvenience or burden. He is always smiling and able to set you at ease.

“Since having my surgery my life has changed for the better, partly as a direct result of the surgery, partly not. I am much more confident than I have been for years.

“I am wearing fitted clothes again and I am happy to be in photos, always smiling. I started a new job in December and haven’t looked back.

“If anyone had told me a year ago that I would be where I am today, happy and confident in my own skin with a positive outlook, I would have laughed at them.”