A man once dubbed 'the fattest man in the world' is set to travel to the States to have seven stone of excess skin removed.
Paul Mason, 54, from Ipswich, Suffolk, is preparing for the operation in America after failing to get it on the NHS.
Once tipping the scales at 70 stone, Mr Mason managed to shed a mind-boggling 46 stone after gastric bypass surgery five years ago.
He even posed naked in a bid to get the NHS to pay for the skin procedure and also threatened to stage a protest outside NHS Suffolk's headquarters.
But now he said he is finally looking forward to living a more normal life.
He told the BBC : "I'll be glad to take my dog for a walk down the road. I want to start looking for a job, and get on with life.
"I just can't wait to get over the recovery period."
At the time of his public appeals health bosses insisted that Mr Mason would not be eligible for an operation until he maintained a stable weight.
Speaking at the time, the former postman said: "The loose skin is having a horrible effect on my life. I can't make any more progress if they don't do these operations."
Mr Mason's story went worldwide, and was seen by a plastic surgeon from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, Dr Jennifer Capla.
After tracking down Mr Mason at his Suffolk home, Ms Capla presented him with a life-changing proposition: If he could get to the United States, she would perform the skin-removal surgery for free.
Ms Capla said: "I remember seeing an image of him, wheelchair-bound, he couldn't walk.
"To me it was so sad that he had gone through this whole journey and come full circle, and he couldn't even do basic things and no-one would help him."
After a tough few months of waiting for his health visa to be granted, Mr Mason flew to Orange, near Boston in September to live with his fiance, Rebecca Mountain.
The surgery is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, and Ms Capla will be helped by a large team of doctors, including two surgeons from other states.
