My visit the plastic surgeon...good news and bad

Ok so I was hoping insurance might pay for my breast lift/reduction, but the last 10 lbs I lost came straight from my boobs and I hardly have any mass left to remove. A good C cup, the surgeon said. It's really mostly skin stuffed into my bra. She said no way will insurance approve and she won't even bother submitting the paperwork. I agree with her. I tried to stop losing so much weight while my insurance switched over but I just kept losing, no matter how much peanut butter I eat. lol

You can't tell from photos because I pose well, but my butt and thighs look melted - like I'm 90 years old. The surgeon agreed that is the worst part on my body and she recommended a lower body lift plus a thigh lift because my thighs are so bad that the LBL will not help them completely. The only problem with the thigh lift is that it leaves a pretty bad scar along the thighs.

One nice thing is that she said she is surprised how good the rest of my body looks, especially my arms and my face. She said most people get the turkey neck (she used nicer words) and I told her that I had it really bad but it completely smoothed back out. I was hoping the rest of my body would do the same. (half kidding)

She also said my goal of losing 11 more lbs is realistic at my height. I'm glad someone finally agreed with me. I get so tired of people pretending like I'm too skinny already when I'm not.

Oh, she also said she would like my weight to be stable for a minimum of 6 months before she does surgery on me. But it's a moot point because I don't have 16K for the boobs and LBL, nor the 8K for the thigh lift.

It's really disappointing and I want to cry. I am just so...disappointed and angry at myself for getting so fat to begin with. No matter how much weight I lose or how much I work out, i will still never be physically normal. I actually am crying typing this. :(

But I guess the good news is that my face turned out well. And that I wear a size 6/8 now and should be in a 4/6 by the time I'm done losing, which I think is pretty good for being 5'8"!

Mandy darling.  i have so much to say to you and it is hard to pull my thoughts together.  i had decided to stop posting on OH and just lurk, but your post touches me deeply.  I am so sorry you are going through this.  I know that you have worked really hard to get to where you are.  Having lost so much weight and exercising can only take you so far.  It is a painful realization that without plastics our bodies often look deflated.  It is so hard to accept that we will never look like we never had the weight on us.  We have changed our bodies permanently and their is no way to completely undo the damage.  Just sitting with that realization is really hard.  It sure was hard for me.  I wished that I could just take all that damage I did to my body away and look like a normal skinny person.  The truth is it will not happen without plastics.  You are right, you are lucky not to need the arms and face done.  So many people do.  I was in the same boat with you, although I too did not need arms and face, I needed to do the breasts and LBL.  I wonder about your thighs though.  I waited to do the arms to see what would happen a year down the road and they improved dramatically to the point where I no longer would even consider doing them.  Maybe the same thing will happen to you. Your doctor is also correct in that insurance will not take care of this for us.  You have two choices as far as I can see, save the money for a local doctor or go to Mexico.  I must admit, that I am not to thrilled with the idea of Mexico after having my own plastics.  I had them locally and had a great deal of follow up after ward.  I can't imagine doing it and going home.  It was much more traumatic than the VSG surgery.  If you want more details, just let me know.  I really feel for what you are going through, and I wish I could give you a great big hug and make it go away.  I understand how much of our self esteem is wrapped up in our image of ourselves and how hard it is to forgive ourselves for what we did to our bodies.  I will be thinking of you today. 

Thank you Elina.

It really does suck. My tummy isn't even all that bad in comparison to my rear and outer thighs. Maybe it will smooth out some, but it's BAD BAD BAD. I have, like hanging skin that hangs below my underwear. Even in pants I'm really self-conscious about it.

I had my VSG in MX but I dont think I would get plastics there. I'm considering it, but I would SO much rather have it done here.

I can't wor****il my son goes to school, and even then, I don't know what I will do. I didn't finish college (got pregnant), I have no real marketable skills. We have sooooo much debt already, I just dont see how I can ever afford plastics. I used our tax refund for the VSG but that seemed more medically necessary, kwim? My husband will NEVER go for paying for plastics. He just doesnt understand how it feels to have this skin.

:(

I am sorry to hear that you aren't able to afford the surgeries.  I totally get the "I just want a normal body" mentality. 

The good news is that we look good in our clothes - naked, not so much.  But, my husband constantly reminds me that he's the only other person who sees it & he loves my new body.  So, I guess I can't complain too much.

But, I can complain a little.  Medical Tourism is working to get more contacts in the United States.  I am considering Breast Augmentation (I think I'm between an A and B Cup since losing all the weight).  Medical Tourism is working with a surgeon in Las Vegas right now to secure some pricing.  Once I learn more about pricing and the surgeon's reputation, I can let you know.

The surgeon said that at this point I only need a lift (lots of skin removal), but if I keep losing chances are I will need implants - especially since the weight that I lose now seems to come straight from the boobs.

Let me know once you get pricing if you remember to. I am interested in all options.

What kills me is that my boobs still look so big, but it's mostly skin stuffed in my bra/bathing suit.

I'm so sorry--you are a beautiful woman, and I know how much it bothers you to have the nasty skin. It might be worth consulting another PS. The first one I saw stated categorically that insurance would never pay for my BR/lift. The 2nd one assured me they would, and they did, with no hassles at all. I did have to pay for the tummy tuck though. Anyway, my heart goes out to you, and I wish I had some solution for you...

Lizanne

Hmm ok. But there really isn't much mass to remove unless I want an A or B cup which would look terrible on my size body. What was the criteria you had to meet if you dont mind me asking? My insurance requires they remove a certain amount of mass from the breast tissue, not the skin.

I don't really know what the criteria was. He did note that I had some darkening of the skin underneath my breasts, indicative of chafing, I guess, and that I had grooves in my shoulders from where the straps had dug in and some chronic neck/shoulder pain, so I think he was pushing that rationale with the insurance, whereas the first guy just said flat out, no, it wouldn't be covered. But I did have more to remove than you --I know there was tissue as well as skin-- and I ended up a C (which is indeed perfect for us 5'8" ers!) so  that probably won't work--sorry!

Lizanne

Hi Mandy
Sorry you are not able to have the plastics you want at this time. Maybe things will change in the future and you will be able to do so. The saggy skin can be upsetting - I have it too and its like my butt has a double chin from being deflated thought I do have to say that it has adjusted a little and isn't so bad as it first was. You are still pretty new from your surgery date and are younger than me and you may find a few things adjust to the positive over time.

While i would like to have a LBL and also some tightening on my 59 year old face that suddenly has wrinkles that showed up when the fat left, (and oh lord the inner thighs are a fright)  its realisticly more money than i want to spend right now and i don't much want to do the surgery. So I guess I will just live with it and at this age I am beyond ever hoping to look good in a bathing suit and am just grateful to look pretty good in some tight jeans.

So while I don't take your disappointment lightly and hope that you can get your plastics someday if thats what you really want, it makes me sad to see you feeling so bad about your body to the point of tears. This is the kind of misery we all suffered when we were obese and one of the great things about having lost the weight we all have is to be liberated from those horrid feelings of hating our bodies and ultimately hating ourselves as a result. Yeah i know i sound like some polyannna and I appologize for it, but I find it very liberating to wake up everyday and remind myself that I AM NOT FAT ANYMORE; not even a teeny bit, and I take joy in that every day and try to not stress too much about the inner thighs that frankly look like Austrian shades with their hangy down folds. I have recently seen a friend a few times whom I had not seen for quite a few months during weight loss phase. She hugged me and said "Diane we all want to be you!" meaning my skinnyness. Now this woman is drop dead gorgeous, is not overweight and is tremendously tallented. I don't think she really wants to be me but it was a nice complement and sure felt good. I get a real kick out of seeing people that I haven't seen in a year and in fact sort of seek them out if I get the chance because I love how they fuss over my weight loss. So the point is to find some positives and enjoy what you have accomplished; particularly your improved health. Who knows, there may be a way to get the plastics in the future and by then you will be in a position to really appreciate them. all the best. diane

Thanks so much Diane.

I just work so hard in the gym and I can't even really show off my work because it's all covered in extra skin. People say I inspire them, but I think that if they saw me with no clothes on, they wouldn't say that. Guys tell me I'm hot blah blah - but that's because they can't see all the skin. They are imagining this hot body under these clothes and nothing could be further from reality. I don't even like my husband to see it. It is so embarrassing. :(