Plastics...

So, I had kind of stopped updating this blog since I record most things on Instagram, but, I kind of want to document my plastics journey on here as well. So, let's get talking.

Since I last posted, I've gotten to my lowest weight of 202#, and then come back up a bit, which I'm told is normal. Since around November/December of 2018, my weight has been holding steady between 220-230#. I'm not horribly upset by this weight, since I'm active, I'm able to hike (Clingman's Dome, and Laurel Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park), I'm able to run around and keep up with my 3 year old, and my health is good. So, life is good.

Well, I had my annual mammogram, and I have made a decision to switch most of my physician care to the health system that I work with, which included my OB/GYN and my breast surgeon. So, I saw my breast surgeon for my annual follow-up of my lumpectomy, and she said all looks good, but asked if I had ever considered plastics. Well, I have a LARGE area (about the size of a golf ball), that has been removed from my breast. So, it looks like an ice cream scoop was taken out of it. I told her that I had indeed considered plastics, but that I didn't think, since my tumor was benign that I could get it covered. Well, she looked at me like I was crazy. She informed me that regardless of it being benign, I had a tumor removed, and have a very obvious, visible deformity, and that she thinks that insurance should absolutely cover this procedure, and she wanted to refer me to a plastic surgeon.

Luckily, she works really well with one of the plastic surgeons that I work for, and is the surgeon that I already knew I wanted to do my surgery when the time came. So, she sent a referral over, and told me that if the insurance company gave the surgeon too much trouble that she would intercede on my behalf as well. So, I went to my consult. Talking to my surgeon was fun, and she made me feel totally at ease. I also brought up, at that appointment, the idea of my panniculectomy. I'm having irritation below my "lower" belly (I have true pre-plastics loose skin pics up on my Instagram if you're interested), and she said that with my weight loss (163# as of right now, total), she shouldn't see any reason that they would not cover my surgery. That they might fight her a bit on it, but that she'd fight them right back.

Well, after talking to my husband about it, and finding out about payment options, we decided to have them submit the paperwork to insurance. I have a tentative surgery date of November 4, IF both surgeries get approved. I got word today that the surgery scheduler/pre-cert lady at the surgeon's office submitted my paperwork today. So, now it's a waiting game.

What was my initial consult like? Since I was looking at my panni and a breast lift, I had to get naked to my underwear. When the doctor came in, she took a history, including asking about future family planning, weight loss goals, how long has my weight been stable, ect. Then she had me sit up, so she could palpitate my breasts, and take a good look to see what she'd need to do to make them not asymmetrical (I had asymmetry to my breasts before I had my lumpectomy... if she fixes the one breast, it's going to get worse), and palpitate my stomach, and move the skin around to see what can be done there.

I told her that I'm interested in having children in the future. After this exam, she sat back down, and we talked a bit. They usually won't want to do anything to the belly area if you're interested in having kids in the future, but with how my skin is sitting/sagging, she said that she would almost prefer I do the surgery before hand, because she could see it causing some problems while I'm pregnant, because my uterus isn't going to fill out the skin, and all of that skin would just be sitting there, on top of having a baby belly.

So, after I decided to continue on, she had me stand up so that she could take some measurements of my breasts, and take pictures of my breasts, and belly. I have very large breasts, even after losing my weight. I was a 40DDD when I was heavier. Now I'm a 34DD. I asked if my cup size would go down (the biggest reason I want these surgeries is not for cosmetic reasons but for back pain... all that skin is just hanging on my front, and causing back pain), and she said that if it doesn't physically, it will definitely feel like it does. She's going to make my boobs perky. :)

Have any of you had plastics? What was your experience? Did you get it approved through insurance? If any of my readers is considering plastics, and has any questions, feel free to hit me up here, or on IG. :)

~♥~
Lady D