On the very first season of The Oprah Show, 25-year-old Stacey Halprin wrote Oprah a heartbreaking letter about her struggle with weight. At 550 pounds, Stacey's life was both difficult and dangerous—she couldn't even sleep without being propped up on six pillows because she would choke if she lay flat.

For several years, Stacey bravely allowed Oprah Show cameras to follow her struggle and gave the world an eye-opening glimpse into the life of a morbidly obese person. Viewers saw her order enough fast food to feed several people, hide out in her dark bedroom to avoid going out in public and experience cruel comments and jokes from strangers on the street, all while battling extreme sadness, depression and despair.

Look back at Stacey's past appearances on The Oprah Show

"You were brave enough, courageous enough and open enough to let us film you at a time when nobody actually brought this out in the open," Oprah says. "Thank you for that."

After years of hardship and pain, Stacey made the difficult decision to get gastric bypass surgery, once again allowing cameras to follow her journey of reconstruction and recovery.

Today, Stacey returns in her final Oprah Show appearance to update the audience on the recent struggles and triumphs that were sparked by sending in her candid letter nearly 25 years ago.

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