Hello all!
I am Margaret's oldest daughter Beverly and I helped my mom get together a letter to send to the insurance company. As you all know by now, she was approved today for her next adventure of undergoing plastic surgery.
We are very proud of her and I have been in negotiations with my middle sister on who's going to take care of the drainage tube. Apparently ALL fingers are pointing towards me. LOL
Who knew that along with going to school to become an Elementary school teacher that I would have to be a part-time nurse as a side profession!! :)
This is the letter we submitted to the insurance company to help give her case a little boost. Maybe you could use it and re-arrange it to fit the procedure you are wanting to have done.
Good luck to any of you awaiting for surgery!
WE LOVE YOU MOM!!!
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Margaret Odom and I am 47 years-old. Through surgery, I had Gastric Bypass back in January 2006. I started out at 397 pounds and had a BMI of 67. Now I have a BMI of 30 and weigh 177 pounds. I am 5'4" and I have lost a total of 220 pounds. I have maintained this weight for six to seven months now without gaining or losing. This is the size and weight that I am meant to maintain for the rest of my life. I am healthier but suffer as a result of the excess skin I have acquired due to the weight loss. Painful and troublesome excess skin hangs now from my body. I am not requesting these surgeries for cosmetic reasons but for mere reconstruction purposes following the massive weight loss. I was considered “super morbid obese” and am grateful for my weight loss. However, many problems that have been associated with my obesity still persist.
I have recurring rashes and infections in my abdominal, groin, vaginal/mons, and breast areas. These rashes will at times bleed, have puss swollen pockets, and are always a source of pain and itchiness. I have also had rashes in the navel area with a very unhealthy, unhygienic, and foul odor. I cannot stand too long because of the hanging of the excess skin will cause back and shoulder pain. My breasts have lost a majority of their volume and now hang at my waist. Therefore, more back and shoulder pains are added. This also causes the sores to open causing blood or puss to happen in the folds of the excess skin. This has just begun and needs to be remedied prior to causing permanent damage. In addition, the summer months produce painful rashes in the thigh and groin areas because of my excess skin rubbing together in the heat.
Not to mention, the foul odor that occurs within the folds of the excess skin, causes a pain in itself. My Primary Care Physician has prescribed medications at different times for the treatment of rashes/skin irritations, but to no avail since 2006. She has prescribed for me items such as: Diflucan, Nystatin, and Triamcinolone Acetonide cream. These items only work for a limited time and then the rashes re-occur. I am a much healthier person for, which I am tremendously grateful, but many of my problems are associated with my weight loss. My skin has been destroyed with years of suffering from obesity and now I have been left with at least 10-20 pounds of mass skin hanging from right hip bone to left hip bone vice versa.The reason I am requesting the abdominoplasty and breast lift procedures is to be able to move without constant pain. The skin infections are painful and unhygienic. I have tried all over the counter medications such as: Lotrimin, Tinactin, Gold Bond powders, antibacterial soaps, as well as many other home and over-the-counter remedies. Nothing that I have used has been able to alleviate the problem.
I wear soft socks under the areas to help with the rubbing, friction, and irritation, but this is not very effective under the pannus area. Nor is it productive or effective to use this in your navel/belly button or breast areas. I have tried using a blow dryer to dry the areas and even use anti-perspirants, but still have come up with no relief. These infections have severely limited my desire to be close and have some sort of personal contact with my husband of 30 years. When I use the restroom, my excess skin of the vagina/mons area always hangs down in the toilet at all times leaving that in a huge risk of an unsanitary infection. It is a huge discomfort when it comes to staying clean and dry also. My infections burn and constantly keep a foul odor and have managed to wreck havoc on my self esteem. I cannot maintain the healthy lifestyle I am meant to lead since I have very limited exercise movements that I can stand.
If I manage to move too much or in a certain direction, I am faced with the trauma of having a sore open with blood or puss, or run the risk of leaving a foul odor upon whomever is next to me. I have ceased all memberships at my local gym for risk of getting an infection or embarrassment of what I have on my body. No one should have to live their life like this. This should not be the rewards I get for losing weight from having gastric bypass. I hope you look into my case as a sense of urgency as the problem that I have is a direct result of my obesity from all these years. I just want to now live a normal and healthier life. Thank you so very much for your time!
Sincerely,
Margaret Odom
250lbs gone! 410/160... Life's sweet! 
