The professional skateboarder, 23, recalled the first of seven reconstructive surgeries she underwent after a pitbull bit her in November 2020, ripping off her upper lip and a portion of her nose.
After a devastating dog attack that changed her life, Brooklinn Khoury discusses how difficult her initial surgery was.
The 23-year-old responded in a TikTok video to a follower who inquired about the length of her surgery on Tuesday. Since a pit dog attacked the professional skateboarder in November 2020 and tore off her upper lip and part of her nose, she has undergone seven reconstructive surgery.
She exclaimed, “My first surgery took 20 hours.” They did play a significant role in the procedure. In order for me to feel my lip, they had to take skin from my arm, attach it to it, and funnel a major artery and vein through it.
However, I was comatose for two days, so I was bewildered when I awoke. I was unaware of the day’s date. It was the most trippy thing, according to Khoury.
The caption included, “First thing I asked my doctor when I woke up was what he ate during those 20 hours,” she continued.
When reflecting on beauty standards and how much she has matured to embrace her new looks, Khoury earlier this month acknowledged that she was originally afraid of how she appeared following the incident.
‘What was the first thing that sprang to your mind when you were attacked?’ is a question that many of you have been asking. She wrote accompanying images of herself soon after the incident, “To be honest, I was afraid and anxious about looking so different in a world that strives for perfection.
At the time, Khoury remarked, “But instead of being afraid of how I looked, I started to love it. “I couldn’t go back in time and wish things had turned out differently. Even though I was initially afraid of how I appeared, I just knew I had to learn to embrace myself for who I am.
“I came to the realization that beauty is subjective to me. Everybody experiences life events that shape us,” she said in conclusion. “Whether it’s psychologically, physically, or emotionally. Every one of us has gone through something that has altered us both internally and externally. Everything has beauty, yet it is so difficult to define.
Chloé Lukasiak, a former Dance Moms contestant and Khoury’s girlfriend, tweeted, “My pretty girl,” among other compliments for the model.
Khoury has been chronicling her rehabilitation on social media ever since the dog incident. She completed her seventh reconstructive procedure in February and spoke to PEOPLE about the anticipation she feels as the journey nears its conclusion.
“My surgeon is essentially reconstructing the upper lip during this procedure, adding a Cupid’s bow and center columns. So sort of improving the aesthetics of my lip,” Khoury told PEOPLE, adding that her operations often take an entire day to complete. “My doctor wants to do everything perfectly and is very cautious.”
Khoury says she is eager to put these surgeries in the past and return to the fast-paced lifestyle she had before the incident.
Being forced to sit still and divert my attention away from being active and hiking, riding, surfing, and skating is one of the hardest things, she admitted. But the finish line is close by.
Khoury revealed in April that although her surgeon wants to conduct one more reconstructive operation, she is already “obsessed” with the outcomes.
