A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:I'm hoping someone has been through something like this and can help me out.I am a 28 y/o woman who has been severely obese since early teenage years. It wasn't until I was 25 that I had gastric bypass and have lost 250 pounds putting me now at a healthy weight of 140. I have kept it off for over a year. I of course have an extreme (and I really do mean extreme) amount of loose skin all over my body (stomach, thighs, breast, arms). As you can understand, I'm very uncomfortable and unhappy with my body. I feel as if I can't do things that women my age do (wear swimsuits, have an intimate relationship, exercise without having to deal with skin flab and sores). It's like I'm missing out on so much. I was very upset to do tons of research and visit with surgeons only to find out insurance does not help with skin removal surgery after weight loss. I am not someone who can afford 10's of thousands of dollars just to make myself happy with my body. I know this is reality and that I have to accept what has happened to my body, but it has been very difficult. It's upsetting after all this time and weight loss I am still unhappy with my body.Has anyone else on dearcupid gone/going through a situation like this? Advice would be greatly appreciated Reply to this Question
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female
reader, Tisha-1 +, writes (23 September 2015):
 I know this isn't something that would be comfortable for someone who is so unhappy with the current state of her body, but have you considered looking into local media? Start training with a high profile personal trainer, ask him or her for help in how to do attract some media attention and then do a crowd fund drive on a site like gofundme or crowdrise?
You could find yourself as a role model for obese youngsters and save a lot of lives and misery.
I'd approach it as 'if you don't ask, the answer will be no' so be sure to ask!
You've obviously made an amazing transformation and I hope you won't lose ground!
You were brave to go through gastric bypass surgery so now it's time to be brave and ask for help with the rest.
Maybe your life's purpose is to advocate for people in your situation and all you have to do is to step into it.
Ask for help!
Best wishes!
A
female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (23 September 2015):
 I'm not much help. I used family money to pay for the entire procedure (I was on the operating table over 6 hours and the bill was 17k)
we were reimbursed about 5k by my insurance after ONE denial and an appeal because the doctor that submitted it knew exactly what to write.
Thankfully I was lucky to be able to afford this out of pocket.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (23 September 2015): Hi so very confused, do you mind if I ask how you paid for the part of surgery that insurance didn't cover? Did you just have the money saved, did you finance? Do you have any tips or advice on how to pay for such an expensive procedure?
Money is the main concern I have if I would ever consider this. I could only do it if I could really afford it. Thank you for your help
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A
female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (23 September 2015):
Congrats on the surgery. Yesterday was my 6 yr surgiversary I went from 293 pounds highest weight to 135 lowest weight.
I had a full tummy tuck (abdominalplasty) and a breast lift mastopexy about 18 months after surgery.
MY INSURANCE covered the skin removal part of the tummy tuck since it was not cosmetic but reconstructive.
I had rashes from the skin if you have rashes or issues with them document them with the doctors.
is your sex life impeded due to the skin (say yes)
is your bathroom time impeded by the sagging skin (do you have to adjust those saggy butt cheeks to pee/poop (say yes)
You need to find a reconstructive plastic surgeon not a mommy makeover specialist.
Your issues are NOT cosmetic. Document all the issues you are having with skin back pain, rashes, etc.
then see if you can find a doctor that works with WLS patients...
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A
female
reader, Tisha-1 +, writes (22 September 2015):
Hey, congratulations on the weight loss! Sorry to hear that you are struggling with the new condition of your body, that must be very discouraging.
I have no knowledge of this but I did find one link that might have some useful ideas. http://www.upmc.com/Services/life-after-weight-loss/Documents/the-bariatric-patient-guide.pdf
It's a PDF guide for patients. I'm going to copy/paste one section that seems to have some good ideas for you. Hope these help.
Financial issues. Financial issues play a big role in choosing plastic surgery procedures. Your insurance company may provide coverage for some operations if the procedure is performed to relieve documented severe symptoms that do not respond to less invasive treatments. The insurance companies are happy that you have lost weight and improved your health, but they will not pay for operations that are primarily intended to change your appearance (cosmetic procedures). Examples of procedures that may be covered are panniculectomy in a patient who has a large apron of skin and has persistent rash despite using prescription creams given by their primary care doctor, or breast reduction in a patient who has symptoms of upper back pain, bra strap grooving, and severe rash because of large heavy breasts. Breast lift, however, in the setting of rash alone, would not be covered. Breast reduction is a differentiated from breast lift by the symptoms involved and the amount of breast tissue removed during the procedure. The insurance companies have requirements for how much weight must be removed from each breast in order to qualify for coverage. Breast augmentation with implants is another procedure that would not be covered.
If the insurance companies have such strict requirements for covering skin procedures, then how do I make it happen? There are a number of financial strategies that you can use to help pay for plastic surgery after weight loss. Your employer may have a flexible medical spending account. This allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance. There is a limit set by the employer, but it is usually in the range of several thousand dollars. Another strategy is to use a finance company that specializes in cosmetic operations. Just like financing a new car or big screen TV, certain banks will set up a payment plan for your surgical procedure. Many plastic surgeons can provide information about these plans. You can also use credit cards or take a home equity loan. Finally, many people start a “new body” savings fund at the time of their gastric bypass. Over a period of 12-18 months, this fund can grow quite a bit, especially if family and friends make contributions on birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. Regardless of how you pay for your surgery, the expenses may actually be tax deductible. While you can not deduct purely cosmetic procedures on your tax return, procedures that correct symptoms (such as skin rash) related to treatment of obesity may qualify. Your physician will need to provide documentation that you have symptoms (regardless of whether your insurance company covers the procedure). You should always consult with an accountant before claiming this deduction.
A final word about financial issues that relates to revision surgery. It is not uncommon to have “touch ups” after body contouring surgery. Make sure you understand your surgeon’s policy on revision surgery. Often times, surgeons may be able to offer revision surgery without charging for their time, but they may not have any control over anesthesia charges or fees for using an operating room.
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