Once Upon a Surgery Premiere: Nicole’s Transformation

Kerry: Hi, welcome to my show. This is Once Upon a Surgery. I’m the host Kerry Berlet, wife of world-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Berlet. I’m here to bring you the life transformations of his patients, their stories, why they did it, the surgery prep, what the surgery was like, the recovery process, and how their life has changed since undergoing these plastic surgery procedures. Every day as his wife, I encounter so many patients and I hear their stories, and it truly is remarkable. This is the premiere episode, and I’m here with Nicole, and we’re going to spill the tea.

Kerry: So we’re here for tea with a D, and Nicole is going to tell her story, and I don’t even know it all. I’m really interested to hear. I know that you’ve had a couple of surgeries, but I don’t know what prompted them. Why did you think you needed plastic surgery?

Nicole: So my story starts with me being 262 lbs.

Kerry: 262 lbs.

Nicole: I’m 5’6″, so really not that tall. I couldn’t breathe. My stomach was in the way. When I had to bend down and tie my shoes, I had to come up for air. And that day I was getting ready, I was going to my dad’s house just to hang out. It’s like when you used to plug the camera into the TV and you could watch all the pictures on TV. So my dad had this on the screen, and we’re sitting down, we’re drinking wine, and we’re just looking at the pictures, reminiscing about family and whatnot. And there’s this picture of me, and I was like, “Who the hell is that?” And he looked at me and he said, “That’s you.” And I said, “That’s not me.” I have that picture. I’ll show it to you. And I said, “There’s no way that that’s me.”

Nicole: And he said, “You know, Nicole, I want to tell you something. I never knew you.”

Kerry: Oh my gosh.

Nicole: So he said, “You know, I just have to talk to you about this. I’ve been meaning to, and I didn’t know how to tell you, but I love you. You’re my little girl. You’re always going to be beautiful to me.” He said, “But I know you.” I carry myself very confidently. Even at 262, you couldn’t tell that I was upset about my weight. Nobody knew. But inside, I was insecure. Very insecure. I didn’t want to wear certain things. I wanted to run along the shoreline, like jog. Can you imagine? I was like, there’s no way that I’m going to do that. So those are the things that I wanted to do that I couldn’t do. Wear certain things, cross my legs and keep them crossed. When you’re overweight, you’re so big. And so it was a goal of mine for more than 10 years to be able to sit with my legs crossed and not have to hold it.

Nicole: So anyway, that day my dad changed my life, to see his concern and the way it made him feel. I already knew I was overweight. I already knew I didn’t want to feel like this. So from that day forward, I changed my eating habits. I worked out every day. Long story short, I lost 110 lbs in just about 10 months.

Kerry: That’s a full person. That was before the injectable diet drugs, right?

Nicole: I started this journey in 2013. That’s when I was that heavy.

Kerry: I can’t believe that you lost 110 lbs.

Nicole: I can’t believe I did either.

Kerry: But I have to imagine that if you go from 260 lbs to 150 lbs, there’s some reason you need surgery. I’m just imagining the skin probably was not…

Nicole: You nailed it. So I met Dr. Berlet. I work in a restaurant in downtown Manhattan, and you and Dr. Berlet are valued guests. I think I met him before I met you. I didn’t know he was a surgeon at first, but eventually I found out. And this was something that had been on my mind, right? I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know who to talk to. I didn’t know who to ask.

Kerry: And had you done plastic surgery?

Nicole: Never. I never even thought that I would need it. So we started talking about it. He said, “Why don’t you come down? We’ll give you a consultation.” I started really thinking about it, and I said, “You know what? I’m going to come in.” Now, I lost all this weight. It was my breasts that I was interested in fixing, because naturally I have a very wide cleavage. So imagine your breasts losing 110 lbs. Basically, they were deflated.

Kerry: Like long, right?

Nicole: Flat, stretched out. I could put on a bra, I could put on a shirt, and nobody knows. But what about when you’re not wearing a bra? When you’re naked? How am I going to find a bathing suit? Now I love my body, but I did all this work to just still look in the mirror and be [inaudible].

Kerry: Yeah. That’s so unfortunate. You lose 110 lbs and then you’re still not happy with your body. So was Dr. Berlet the only doctor that you went to?

Nicole: I saw two doctors first. I purposely made him number three, because I knew I was going to walk out and schedule my appointment. Which is exactly what happened.

Kerry: Right. And so what did the other doctors tell you?

Nicole: The other doctors basically said I need breast implants. That would be my best option.

Kerry: Even though you had these giant, long breasts, they would put in an implant?

Nicole: Yes, that’s what they wanted to do. Dr. Berlet said, “I’m absolutely not putting breast implants in.” He said, “You have more than enough breast.” So he suggested a reduction and a lift. And that’s exactly what I did.

Kerry: Right. And I’ve seen these pictures, and that’s crazy. What was your bra size before? It looks like it was something like a 38 long. Weight loss and gravity just take a toll, right? So what’s your chest now?

Nicole: It went from cucumber before. This literally is my before and after.

Kerry: It’s not inaccurate. It’s amazing. I never heard them referred to as cucumbers.

Nicole: Well, that’s how I felt when I looked at them.

Kerry: When you were leaning forward, that’s really how it looked. Wow.

Nicole: No one knows they’re not fake. Because they’re not. That’s all me. He did exactly what I wanted without me knowing that’s what I wanted. And that’s why Dr. Berlet is the best.

Kerry: Right. And now do you have scars?

Nicole: They’re very light, luckily. I have them underneath and leading up to my nipple, actually. So my areolas were this big, and he made them this size.

Kerry: So it’s still your nipples.

Nicole: It’s still everything mine. So now I have pretty areolas that everybody wants instead of big silver dollars.

Kerry: Silver dollars to what? Quarters?

Nicole: I’m talking about silver dollar pancakes to a real silver dollar.

Kerry: Now, was it painful?

Nicole: It was not painful.

Kerry: Really? But I know you’re under.

Nicole: I was under. I was a little nervous for this surgery, because I didn’t know what to expect, and I’d never had surgery before in my life besides my tonsils.

Kerry: And what did you have to do to prep? Just not drinking?

Nicole: Oh yeah. He was very strict. He was very thorough. With my plan of action, I had no questions. I knew everything I was supposed to do. He explained it exactly. It was not a lot of prep, other than no alcohol, don’t do any drugs, make sure you’ve got a clean body. He even set me up with something I was taking to set the pH in the body, so that the surgery would heal properly. So he even had a pre-healing plan to get my body ready for that.

Kerry: And so you go under with these long breasts, and then you just wake up?

Nicole: I woke up, and I was under anesthesia, I don’t know what I was saying, and it doesn’t matter. They were packed with gauze and cotton and wrapped up and everything, but I could feel it. I could see it. Now, when I say no pain, obviously there’s a little bit. Tolerable pain. And it was well worth it. I had drains too, which made me nervous, but everything was fine.

Kerry: I can’t believe that other doctors thought you would need implants.

Nicole: I couldn’t believe it either.

Kerry: And I saw the picture of you from before, where you’re leaning down. I know we all could have a bad angle, but that was extreme.

Nicole: That was every day for me.

Kerry: That was shocking. So you didn’t feel comfortable naked. I don’t know if you had a boyfriend at the time, but did that change?

Nicole: That was the biggest aha moment with my breast surgery, being naked in front of a man. It was embarrassing for me. I would mainly focus on that instead of the task at hand. I’d be focusing on, what do I look like? It would be like clapping. It was very embarrassing.

Kerry: Like bells.

Nicole: It was. And that’s what really gave me the confidence. Now I’m like, I’m taking my shirt off all the time. Look at me, look at my boobs.

Kerry: That’s awesome. But I know that was your first surgery.

Nicole: That was my first surgery.

Kerry: And then there was a second one. Because the boobs are fixed, but after losing all that weight there are still additional parts of your body that you feel need changing, right?

Nicole: So I went right back to Dr. Berlet. We already knew that was coming, because we talked about it a little bit.

Kerry: Was that part of the plan? Did he say you can’t do it all at once, or did you just not want to do it all at once?

Nicole: He recommended I not do it all at once. I also have other health things. I have a blood clotting disorder. So two surgeries at once would have been maybe too serious.

Kerry: So it’s a two-step process. So you did your breasts and feel great about that. And then how much time passed?

Nicole: I want to say it was a little over a [inaudible]. You know, you pay off your CareCredit, you get it all back, you do the next [inaudible].

Kerry: Right. So you fixed your breasts, but you still had other stuff drooping, right? And now we’re here with all this food. It’s tea time, right? So let’s talk about the tummy tuck, and we’ll have some snacks.

Nicole: Sounds like a plan. So it led me right to my tummy tuck. I went right back into Dr. Berlet’s office.

Kerry: And you didn’t see other doctors about that? You already had a plan?

Nicole: No. That was it. It was the one-two process. Dr. Tony is my forever. He’s my doctor now. I don’t need any more consultations.

Kerry: So the tummy tuck, that’s more of a major surgery, right?

Nicole: And believe it or not, I was less nervous. I actually wasn’t nervous at all. You walk into Dr. Berlet’s office, the staff is amazing. They make you feel comfortable. Dr. Berlet is relatable. He’s just patient. I wasn’t worried. I wasn’t nervous.

Kerry: Wow. Because I feel like that’s one of the bigger-risk ones that people are afraid of. But you felt totally confident, having been through the first experience.

Nicole: Totally confident to be flayed like a [inaudible]. Most people are nervous. They’re scared. They’re getting cut open. It’s a big surgery.

Kerry: Right. And painful, too.

Nicole: And here I am, I’m not worried about it. I was more grateful that there are other human beings on this planet that have the ability to do something like this. I was like, I can’t wait. I wish it was tomorrow. I’m ready. And that’s how I felt from the beginning. I was putting on my scrubs or whatever they give you, and I wasn’t nervous.

Kerry: And so you had stomach rolls?

Nicole: I haven’t had children, so I didn’t have a lot of stretching. But I had this fold, it folded over. It was skin, and when I would sit it would ball up. It would be like a roll. It wasn’t fat, but I still had a skin roll. And it was in the pants, and I couldn’t button the pants. I didn’t wear jeans in like 20 years, because I didn’t want the skin to be in the button. Oh, speaking of buttons. Dr. Berlet made the best belly button.

Kerry: I’m so jealous. The Berlet belly button. The Berlet button.

Nicole: That’s when I was nervous. I said, “What about my belly button?” And he goes, “I got it.”

Kerry: That’s the thing. That’s when you can tell some of these plastic surgeons do not do a good belly button.

Nicole: He does the best belly button. He loves my belly button.

Kerry: And I’m jealous. He won’t do a tummy tuck on me. And I’m like, I want the Berlet button. It’s not fair. My stomach isn’t messed up enough. So just do the button. Why can’t I just have the button? And the scar is low. You can’t see it in a swimsuit, right?

Nicole: Even in a swimsuit.

Kerry: And I know we have to look through your photo shoot too. But so now you’ve had the breasts done and the tummy tuck. What was that recovery process, until you felt fully ready?

Nicole: So you think about what was just done. A whole panel of your skin removed, some muscle tightening that needed to happen. And drains, and I had a catheter, which my cousin had to take out, so she was thrilled about that. She was my caretaker, which was very important also.

Kerry: Because you need a caretaker.

Nicole: You need a caretaker the first couple of days.

Kerry: And you can’t drive for two weeks.

Nicole: Couldn’t drive. I couldn’t cough. I couldn’t fart. Those are the two things that hurt me the most.

Kerry: Why can’t you fart?

Nicole: Because you’re pushing in the abdomen, and the abs were just sore.

Kerry: All right. So you’re just full of gas.

Nicole: Full of gas. So I had a pillow, and I would try to hold in my coughs, but that was the worst thing. Everything else was good. I followed my instructions. I took my meds. With my breasts, I didn’t take my meds. I didn’t have to. That’s when you were asking how bad it hurt. It really didn’t hurt. And with this one he was like, don’t pull that with me. Dr. Berlet goes, “Don’t pull that with me. You’re going to need them. You need to take them.” And he was right, because I tried to not take one, and it was very [inaudible].

Kerry: It’s major surgery. You’ve got to follow instructions for sure. So how long were you taking the meds after?

Nicole: I did it for like two weeks, the minimum. I have a high pain tolerance. So I’d rather take the [inaudible].

Kerry: Right. And I want to get into the photo shoot. Do you wear a bikini now?

Nicole: I do. I really do. I never wore a bikini before in my life. I was always looking for shapewear, one-piece, push-up bra.

Kerry: That’s amazing.

Nicole: I don’t even have to wear a bathing suit now.

Kerry: Full nude, right? Where’s the nude beach?

Nicole: Just kidding. But that’s how good I feel about myself, that I could do that and not even worry about it.

Kerry: So we have cause for celebration. And I know you work in the restaurant industry, so I’m going to let you be the one to pop the champagne. And then tell me about what you brought.

Nicole: So one of the things that I’ve always wanted to do is a sexy boudoir photo shoot. Something that I only imagined in my mind.

Kerry: Nothing you could do at 260 lbs.

Nicole: Well, nothing that I was confident enough to do, anyway, because let me tell you, there are plenty of women that do it and they look amazing, right? So it’s for every woman. I just feel in my heart that every woman should experience this, because it’s very powerful, confidence building. And that’s what Dr. Berlet did for me. So I was able to fulfill one of my dreams. It was a small dream, but it was on my list. It’s on my vision board, and I made it come true.

Kerry: So you went from being embarrassed to be naked to doing a full-blown photo shoot, right?

Nicole: Sexy mama photo shoot. That’s what I did.

Kerry: That’s amazing. That’s huge confidence. Literally, you were afraid to take your clothes off. You had what you call cucumber breasts, right? And now there you are, ready to be a centerfold.

Nicole: Which I am. That’s how I feel. I did bring something to show you.

Kerry: I cannot wait. But really, that’s so empowering, right? To want to go to a nude beach, to photograph yourself in your sexy lingerie. How did you find someone to do it? Did you research online?

Nicole: No, a friend of mine did a photo shoot, and I saw her picture on Instagram, magical Instagram, and I just asked her about it. I’d been searching for a photographer around here, and they’re all in Sweden or Turkey or wherever. So I found this photographer right in Long Island and set it up.

Kerry: I love that.

Nicole: And I brought my album. I want to show you my album.

Kerry: Cheers. Cheers to you and your new body.

Nicole: Thanks to Dr. Berlet.

Kerry: Cheers to Dr. Berlet. And the Berlet button.

Nicole: The Berlet button. Okay. My customized album.

Kerry: Oh my. This is beautiful. Wow. Look at that. Look at that arched back.

Nicole: That’s me. I’m in lingerie.

Kerry: That’s amazing. What a transformation.

Nicole: Never would I have been able to do this. Let me tell you something. When you come into my house, I’m like, “You want to see my album?”

Kerry: Like on the first date, you’re like, “Would you like to see me naked?”

Nicole: Yep. I sure did. My stomach, I have an ab, I have a line.

Kerry: Yeah. The definition is incredible. And your chest looks amazing. It’s amazing what you can go from. You’ve got a whole new body. So you’ve done the surgery. Are you done with plastic surgery?

Nicole: I’m done with the body. I’m going to do a little hoodie action next, I think.

Kerry: I’ve done that. I highly recommend it. So what I love, if you know Dr. Berlet, he is obsessed with the Hallmark Channel. Literally, if another episode comes on, we’ve got to watch the next Hallmark episode. He loves having that predictable happy ending, a little fairy tale story, which I feel like is what it’s like meeting his patients. Everyone has their own little magic transformation. All right, so that’s a wrap. This is my crown. Nicole has hers to celebrate her happy ending. Cheers to you. Cheers to Dr. Berlet. I hope you enjoyed the episode. Push that button to subscribe and see the next Once Upon a Surgery magical fairy tale story.