7 months post Apronectomy

[Spiky Bugger]

Roo, you need to see this picture. If I ever trip over a bunch of money I would just go there and stay till I was brand new. https://www.plasticsurgeonnewportbe...otos/orange-county-total-body-lift/patient-1/

I have looked at a lot of panniculectomy pics and some of them look as good as a full abdominoplasty. And others just served to create a new but still critically disfigured look. I keep on checking this out because I have a hernia that needs to be fixed and my panni does meet medicare guidelines to be lopped off. I keep hoping I will be able to find a doc who will do the work and not just leave me looking more disfigured.

I drove PAST his office and went elsewhere in OC. If you read reviews from various sites, he does not have a universally, or near-universally, satisfied clientele. His advertising is convincing, though.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

wow @Munchkin I need to show Dr. K and ask can he hook me up like that?

I have a question about CA reconstruction policy. is there a way to qualify for that requirement because you temporary live there. like if I move there for 3 months during my recovery could I qualify? if I move in with my uncle? I'm sure Dr. K knows how to write up request to get the approved but just wondering?

YMMV...but the "insurance has to cover reconstructive surgery" bit is, I'm pretty sure, based on a CA law (Knox Keene) and applies to insurance sold to CA peeps. You may have something similar, but as an AZ resident your insurance probably has to obey AZ laws.

Now, if you retire (have you done that yet?) and "move" to CA and your retirement package includes insurance here, THEN you'd be (as your Grandma probably said) "cookin' with gas."


Quasi-political comment...one recent "push" is to allow folks to cross state lines to buy insurance. Usually, it would be a CA resident who wants cheaper insurance and looks for and finds it, let's say in NV, because (in this hypothetical) NV doesn't have a law that forces insurance companies to pay for reconstructive surgery, so insurance there is cheaper. And then a million or two CA residents buy NV insurance and, eventually, the cost in CA goes up even more because fewer people are in the pool.

You are thinking about the opposite, though, an insurance that covers more. But CA can only regulate insurance sold in CA, so I would guess that you don't actually have to live here, but your insurance has to be subject to being regulated by the state of CA.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

yeah so Im over a year out now....woundzilla is a distant memory, but yes, I do look deformed or disfigured or whatever. I did before as well, just in a different way. I have pics but they aren't exactly decent lol. Someday, when I win the lottery and can afford proper plastics/reconstruction rather than medically necessitated amputation of skin, I will be allllllllll up in the surgery, but for now, I'm slowly making peace with things as they are

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

ok I censored the pic and they don't have my face LOL. The after pic was taken a month ago, during summer holidays (weight gain!) so these pics are only 15lbs apart! Im back down now, but its interesting to see just how much space in my clothes that skin was taking!

Spoiler: Pics! NSFW!

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

So yes, Im disfigured! haha. But I was before and the benefits have been amazing! I might feel more depressed about my body if I wasn't married to the most supportive person on the planet but I am

 

[Larra]

@DuodenalSwitchaRoo you may not look perfect - who among us does - but you look SO much better now! They must have removed a huge amount of skin. More comfortable, too, I would think.
I hope one of these days you are able to get the plastics you would like, but even if that never happens you are ahead of the game.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

I DO feel a million times better! After all I went through with woundzilla I had kinda forgotten just how BAD the extra skin was...until my surgeon showed me pics and I was OH YEAH!!!! I used to have heavy, sweaty skin down to my knees! Once I saw the pre op pics and remembered how hard that existence was, it all became worth it

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

And Im so far from looking perfect that I give up. I give up and surrender that what is, IS....and I am ok Being beautiful has become SO IMPORTANT to the world, but I made it this far being me, so until I have that lotto win, I accept me as I am, flying squirrel arms, buck teeth and all