PS Consult Today (long)

Hey, all, just wanted to share my PS consult experience with you. It went very well, Dr. Randolph is excellent, has lots and lots of experience with WLS patients and is very compassionate. We talked briefly about what areas were of most importance to me (stomach and breasts) and about my general history, weight loss, etc. Then, he had my change into a robe and started examining me. As far as the stomach goes, he says that it would be a standard abdominoplaty with a little, but very little, muscle tightening. He had me lift my feet off the table and said based on that, it appears my abdominal muscles are in very good shape. He would start the incision just at the hip, across my lower abdomin at my pubic bone, back up to the other hip. The second incision would be from hip to hip, above the bellybutton. He said that not only would it remove the skin on my tummy, but also lift the skin around my pubic region and get rid of the folds at my hips. He said my back was great and had very little issue with my outer thighs or butt so a circumfrential (all the way around cut) wasn't necessary. As for the breasts, he felt that an augmentation was definately warranted - I have almost no breast tissue left. Felt like I would probably want to go around 300 - 350 ccs and that I might be able to get away without the breast lift on top of it. I'm going to see another surgeon in his practice about this because I'm going to have them done at the same time by 2 different surgeons. The rest of the time, he explained the procedures in detail, gave me drawings, and answered questions. I didn't have a lot of questions because he did a very thourough job up front. We talked quite a bit about my options as far as when to do them, separately or together, etc. Basically, this is how it will go down. I'll have both procedures at once with two different doctors - he'll do my abdom. and another will do my breasts. This will cut down on anesthesia time by 2-2.5 hours and significantly decrease my costs associated with anesth., OR, etc. Plus, they're giving me a discount on the surgeon's fee for the breast augmentation. Surgery would last about 3.5 hours and would be outpatient, in their facility (it's part of the hospital complex). If necessary, based on the extent of surgery, I can elect to stay for 23 hours but I think I'll be fine. Recovery will take about 2-3 weeks before I can go back to work, full recovery, about 4-6 weeks. The downside of doing them both at once will be the fact that I will basically not be able to do anything, bend, lift, sit for long periods, reach, etc. But, if I decide to this, I only want to do it once and since my insurance isn't going to cover it, I've got to take cost into consideration. They ran a quote for me, and I think it may be do-able. It will run between 10-13K for everything, depending on whether I need the breast lift with the augmentation. That's anesthesiologist, OR, recovery, 1 year of follow-ups, everything. That doesn't include any complications, pain killers, etc. It's a lot of money. More than I paid for my last car, which is the nicest car I've ever owned... We could do it... We've got some money put aside, plus I've still got money in my FSA and there's always my 401K... On one hand, I'm really excited, because now that I have a better idea of what I'm looking at and what it will cost, I know that it's actually a possibility. But, I'm harboring a lot of guilt about even THINKING of spending that kind of money on something like this. I have up to 6 months to lock in the quote, so I'm not going to ru**** I didn't plan on having surgery until the end of the year, anyway, so I've got plenty of time. I want to talk it over with Aaron, of course, and really do some hardcore thinking about whether this is the right thing to do. Can I live the rest of my life with all this extra skin? Physically, it's not hurting me, but mentally... I'm struggling. More than I ever thought possible... Anyway, just wanted to share this with all of you. Have a great weekend!

Congratulations on your consult. Sounds promising. The cost is very reasonable compared to what 2 of my local friends recently paid. Both well over $20,000. I know this is the DC Metro area here and is more pricey. You have plenty of time to ponder your decision. I'm just excited for you. It is a dream we hope comes true for you. It'll be the SF icing on the cake . Mary

Hey Becky, Everything sounds great, and I love those figures. keep us posted on what you decide...but remember...you've come a long way, and you DESERVE this! Aliya

Good luck to you, Becky!! I am blessed in that my insurance will pay for my TT (rashes, etc.) but they will not pay for anything else. They may pay for my legs IF the extra skin hangs down over my knees. It's heading that way and that is where the remainder of my weight is, so I dunno. My arms I may have to pay for myself, but we'll see. Keep us posted on what happens! Michelle

Congrats on the consult, Becky! Go for it, girl! You gotta spend the money because you gotta be happy with yourself and that is the most important investment you can make! It will positively effect not only you but your whole family. Keep us posted!