Skin Reduction controversy

Hi All.
I'm sure you're all aware of what is going on over the last week or so in the news in regards to the skin reduction surgery.
It completely makes me furious to know that the government is refusing to help these people who have accomplished so much on their own.
And Miss Dunderdale herself... well I'm sure if she needed skin reduction surgery after her recent weight loss that there would be no denial from MCP to have her surgery covered.
It's completely disgraceful that this province is so unwilling to help those in need due to weight.
It took Dr. Pace 10 years to get this surgery approved for this province. 
What the government is saying to its overweight population is that they don't care about you and don't want to help you because you are overweight. They will treat and deal with your OTHER medical problems that are caused by your weight, but won't treat the root problem and give you a normal life.
Why is it that whoever is in charge of approving skin reduction surgeries doesn't understand that having excess skin can be just as embarrassing as being overweight? You can't show off and be proud of your new body like you should be able to if you have pounds and pounds of skin hanging off your body.

When I spoke with Dr. Pace early this past week he told me that I shouldn't hold my breath for this surgery to be approved for us to get. That I should work hard at the gym and do everything in my power to tighten up the skin as much as possible because he highly doubted that we would get covered under MCP.
I hope Dr. Pace is wrong and this surgery gets approved for those in need.

I totally agree with you. Dunderdale said on the news on Friday that she will be looking into it again this week. What infuriates me is that if I abused my body with booze, and killed my kidney they take care of my medical needs, If I smoked and got lung cancer they take care of my medical needs, and if I jumped in a tanning bed three times a week and ended up with skin cancer they take care of my medical needs. But because this is the after effect of having excessive weight on, then I dont count! This is just discrimination against overweight people again!!!! this is worse than those who point and stare. To me this surgery is on par with breast reconstruction, or skin grafts, The fact being that the overlapping skin causes ulcerated sores, and can cause the body to become septic, and it's a danger to the patient. The cosmetic aspect of it is not even part of my consideration, and they have done it before so why all of a sudden is it taboo to take care of us? And did you notice that this is only coming into effect since the start of the Bariatric program? Do they anticipate the numbers having the surgery to grow and are cutting it off before hordes of people can come forward needing it? Either way it needs to be addressed. It is a medical procedure, and we need it!

I'm confussed....is this new? I know of 4 friends of mine who had tummy tucks done here in newfoundland as recent as a few months ago. They lost over 100 pounds and had to keep it off for so long and mcp covered it. All of a sudden now they aren't covering it anymore? So we are trying to better our way of life by losing weight and trying to become healthy and now were going to have another bunch of health issues from the extra loose skin? Well that hardly seems fair :( well then.....after surgey I'm going to work my butt off at the gym to tighten up what I can....I won't let this discourage me...

Hi all - from reading all the boards for many years - I know of people who have gotten skin reduction surgery due to medical reasons, in Newfoundland and in other parts of the Maritimes. By medical reasons - i mean where the excess skin folds and flaps are causing rashes, infections, pain etc. People in this province have been having breast reduction surgery for years - because of back/shoulder/neck pain and other issues. I guess the fine line is what "medical condition" really means. In my mind - skin folds and flaps that cause you psychological distress and interfere with normal activities of daily living - should qualify. As I mentioned before - infections, rashes, etc - those types of situations should be no brainers. I hope and think you will find a gradual change in the way of thinking and hopefully people needing this important intervention will get the help they need.

Hi Everyone: I mentioned this in here a couple weeks ago after I saw that guy
on the news the 1st. time. Now there is also a woman that needs the surgery.
I asked Jenn what her response was because she has an appointment in May
with the Plastic surgeon, Dr. Joy Cluett. I don't know if it's right but from what
I heard that is going to be an extention to our surgery and included in our
post-op care. I put this in Jenn's message about her seeing a plastic surgeon
but I got no response from anyone about it.

Hey everyone - Tracy has actually already seen Dr. Cluett - Tracy said that Dr. Cluett said that she THINKS a change will be coming to cover our surgeries - the earliest they will look at it, though, is 1 year post VSG, so we won't know more until the spring. I believe that Tracy has her follow-up with Dr. C in April and I have my first appointment in May - which will be my one-year surgaversary. :)

Speaking of surgaversaries, Tracy and I are coming up on our 6-month mark...woot!