If money was no object, and I wasn’t terrified of the pain, I would be interested in a tummy tuck and a boob job (they’ve disappeared). But I just couldn’t put myself through any more surgery. I’m not bothered by my arms, I just wear sleeves! And also, I’m 55 in October and I’ve been married for 31 years, my husband thinks I look great and just wants me to be healthy. I haven’t been able to do much exercise yet, I keep being ill, but I wonder if that will help? Not with the boobs of course, they’re beyond help! LolHi Miss, I have been diligently researching massive-weight loss body contouring for months now. Unfortunately, the only surgery that I've heard of sometimes being covered by insurance is a panniculectomy (removal of the "apron" of skin hanging from the lower belly). That said, I hear that getting this approved by insurance takes a lot of effort. You must prove medical necessity, such as documenting rashes that won't heal. Keeping notes on all the different medications you've tried, dates of treatment, doctors you've seen, pictures of the area in different stages of inflamation, etc.
It is extremely unfortunate that insurance companies do not recognize these types of procedures as "reconstructive". They are still considered "cosmetic" which isn't at all the case when you've lost the kind of weight bariatric patients do. Unfair but that's another whole post in itself.
I'm about 35 pounds away from my new goal (original goal was to loose 100 pounds, I've lost 105 so far). I plan to schedule consultations with the top 5 plastic surgeons on my list at the end of this year. I hope to have my surgery(ies) in February/March.
Once I have pricing, I'll need to decide which areas of my body to prioritize. There's no way I'll be able to do everything I want so I'll have to take a hard look at what is a need (bat wings) and what is a want (butt lift). For financing, I'm taking a 5 year loan against my 401K. It will be like a very expensive 2nd car payment each month. I will have to make many sacrifices to juggle finances but I'm 100% willing and so excited.
TMI for sure but I've been researching so much about it that I can't help to go on and on about it.
Well thanks for the info, I enjoy reading about it, i still have a ways to go, I'm only 2 months out from surgery and so far i lost 140 pounds since i started my weight loss journey back in October 2018 had my surgery 26th june 2019 and next month would be a year now, it's been a long hard road to get to where I am at now but it's been worth every step, I'm still trying to get used to this whole thing especially the barely eating thing lol but I'll get the hang of it, I been trying to find healthy vegetarian or vegan meal to eat because I still can not hold meats down very wellHi Miss, I have been diligently researching massive-weight loss body contouring for months now. Unfortunately, the only surgery that I've heard of sometimes being covered by insurance is a panniculectomy (removal of the "apron" of skin hanging from the lower belly). That said, I hear that getting this approved by insurance takes a lot of effort. You must prove medical necessity, such as documenting rashes that won't heal. Keeping notes on all the different medications you've tried, dates of treatment, doctors you've seen, pictures of the area in different stages of inflamation, etc.
It is extremely unfortunate that insurance companies do not recognize these types of procedures as "reconstructive". They are still considered "cosmetic" which isn't at all the case when you've lost the kind of weight bariatric patients do. Unfair but that's another whole post in itself.
I'm about 35 pounds away from my new goal (original goal was to loose 100 pounds, I've lost 105 so far). I plan to schedule consultations with the top 5 plastic surgeons on my list at the end of this year. I hope to have my surgery(ies) in February/March.
Once I have pricing, I'll need to decide which areas of my body to prioritize. There's no way I'll be able to do everything I want so I'll have to take a hard look at what is a need (bat wings) and what is a want (butt lift). For financing, I'm taking a 5 year loan against my 401K. It will be like a very expensive 2nd car payment each month. I will have to make many sacrifices to juggle finances but I'm 100% willing and so excited.
TMI for sure but I've been researching so much about it that I can't help to go on and on about it.
Hi Brenda, how is your research going? And what are you thinking of getting done first? I took a selfie at the beach yesterday and was horrified by how bony my shoulders and chest looked. I’ve started wondering about a boob job myself, my boobs have disappeared!Congratulations on your 140 pound loss!!! That's awesome!
I'm enjoying the research a lot too. I've become quite fascinated with RealSelf: RealSelf - Login User. There are so many reviews, stories & pics, you can get lost for hours online. I love that I was able to find many reviews from post-weight loss surgery patients. Most of the time these folks will actually reply to your questions regarding their surgery(ies) as well. Getting the real scoop from others who have been where I am is very important to me when making this decision.
Sorry you're having difficulty with meats. Can you hold down eggs? I'm not a fan but they've always gone down fairly easily. You can get a lot of protein if you add cheese. Good luck and once again, congratulations!
Beautiful pic Julie! Wow, you're definitely thin girlie. I know that it wasn't your goal but your color is great and you'd never know that you've been ill.
My eyes actually filled up.
That would be great if you could get it covered! My insurance decided that this is "cosmetic" in my case so I'm on my own.
That sounds incredible Brenda! Good for you. I’m just not that brave, and the only part of my body that truly bothers me is my lack of boobs, I just don’t feel feminine any more. But I would want a really minimally invasive procedure and a totally natural look, I’m seriously thinking about it. What is the recovery time for all that work you’re having done?Beautiful pic Julie! Wow, you're definitely thin girlie. I know that it wasn't your goal but your color is great and you'd never know that you've been ill.
I totally get you on the boobs! I've had virtual consultations with the 5 surgeons that I would consider the top post weight-loss plastic surgeons in the US & Mexico. Two surgeons stood out as favorites. One is in Mexico & the other in NJ. I'd done hours of research on each of them, even spoke with some of their past patients. I'm confident that either would do a fantastic job. The Mexican surgeon's quote was much lower but I decided that I wanted to make an in person appointment with the NJ surgeon before making a final decision. I made the 2 hour drive Thursday.
I'm so glad I did, he is incredible! Halfway through the appointment, I knew that despite the higher cost, he was going to be my surgeon. We're doing an arm lift, breast lift and lower body lift. Because I'm healthy & relatively young, he's willing to do everything in a single surgery. The lower body lift is an incision at the hip, all the way around my body. This is a 3-in-1 procedure that includes a tummy tuck, butt lift & thigh lift. He and his assistant tugged & pulled on my body to show me what each area would look like, it was amazing! I never imagined that my results could be so good. Best I'd ever hoped for is "better", never imagined I could be pretty damn hot.
Oh & a fun fact, he estimates that he'll be removing at least 10 pounds of skin/tissue. So I'm a lot closer to my goal weight than I realized. He actually told me that he doesn't think I need to lose any more weight. I think that's the first time I've ever heard that from a doctor, hehehe... But in all seriousness, I do want to have this done at a weight that I can realistically maintain. I have 4+ months to figure out where that is.
So yeah, sorry about the long story but I'm scheduled for Thursday, February 6th!!! I'm so thrilled I can barely think.
Thanks Julie, I want it so badly that I'm forcing myself to be brave! As it gets closer, I'm sure I'll be scared as hell.
Gonna look like Frankenstein, eeek!
I’m really excited for you Brenda, you deserve it! And I can’t wait to see your before and after pics. I will sign up for an account as you suggested, but I’m sure my hubby thinks I’ve gone mad lolThanks Julie, I want it so badly that I'm forcing myself to be brave! As it gets closer, I'm sure I'll be scared as hell.
I'll be in the hospital 1 night and then brought to a nursing facility until I feel like I can shower on my own. I guess that's what people have the hardest time with at first. Since I live alone, I'm willing to stay there as long as he thinks I should. He said up to a few days.
I'll be in pretty severe pain for the first week or so then sore for a month or 2. I'll have 5 drains in until 2 weeks post-op, that will be uncomfortable. There is also major swelling. He said I will likely weigh 10-15 more post surgery because of it. That lasts 2-6 months depending on the person. Fortunately, I'm usually in the best case scenario group when it comes to recovery so fingers crossed. I should feel well enough and incisions should be healed enough to return to work after 8 weeks.
I totally understand about the boobies. I was thinking I would need implants but he thinks I have enough breast tissue that the lift alone should do enough. If not, I'm sure I'll look into an enhancement as soon as I can afford them. From what I've read, it's a fairly easy surgery to recover from. I did a lot of my research on realself.com. If you want to get the scoop from people who have had them, you may want to sign up for an account. You'll be able to read reviews for surgeons in your area and even ask their past patients questions. You're in Florida, right? There are a ton of highly rated plastic surgeons in Miami that specialize in boobs and butts. Let me know if you start researching, I really enjoy talking about this stuff, it fascinates me.
Hahahaha... It's great that your husband loves you and sees past any of your perceived "flaws". If I were in a I was in a relationship like that, I'd try to see myself through his eyes too. Since I'm single, the decision was mine alone. That said, I have a ton of support from my sis, she's my best friend and really understands the toll my weight has had on my self esteem. She's never been overweight but has felt my pain about it since childhood.
I know some people will think it's shallow but I feel like I need this next step in order to feel like this weight loss journey is complete.
I can’t believe that’s you Brenda! Looking at your beautiful smiling profile pic, you look like you’ve never been overweight! You have done amazingly well xxHahahaha... It's great that your husband loves you and sees past any of your perceived "flaws". If I were in a I was in a relationship like that, I'd try to see myself through his eyes too. Since I'm single, the decision was mine alone. That said, I have a ton of support from my sis, she's my best friend and really understands the toll my weight has had on my self esteem. She's never been overweight but has felt my pain about it since childhood.
Thanks for your support too! It means a lot that you're happy for me.
I really have to make myself take pics, I'm a bit camera shy. Trying to find a "before" pic for this site was tough because I had always avoided the camera at all costs. Was only able to find one that I had allowed myself to be in because it was a family vacation with my brother, mom & sister. This was on October 4th of last year, almost exactly a year ago. You may have seen it already.
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Aww, thanks a lot Julie! When I look at that pic today, I can't believe it was only a year ago.
