Since I look like a Jack the Ripper victim after my surgeries, I asked my doc if she could refer me to a plastic surgeon. Well, I went to see him today....and I'm having lipo and scar revision on January 29th! Yippeee! Not only is he confident he can make me look a lot better and get rid of the huge lumps and bumps, but it's so ugly and mauled that I qualify for getting it covered by the state health system. So I only pay a teeny fee. Double yippee!
I am so happy! I can't wait to be able to wear a bikini without getting horrified stares from other people. Also I get to go home a couple of hours after surgery, so that's really great. I am soooo happy that I didn't have to beg the surgeon to get this covered by the state; I was ready with all the reasons why this is important to my self-confidence etc., and he just took one look and said "Yep, that's covered, no question about it." Phew!!

Hurray!
I was much happier regarding my stomach appearance after my scar revision. I still have a few bumps and I am thin but I think aging plays a role.
It was easy, an hour outpatient and I did go home for 5 days with a jp drain.
I am happy for you.

That's great news Soph!

I must admit, I wish I were as brave as you because I would love to get my nice flat stomach back. Instead I'm stuck with a belly that looks like a cross between a patchwork quilt and a landslide!

However, there is NO WAY I will put myself through more surgery unless it's absolutely necessary. I have had far too many complications to even contemplate putting myself through another operation uless it's a life/sight/hearing saving op!

Good for you and good luck!

Luv & hugs

Shell

Boy, I'd love for ALL Americans to read your post about the plastic surgery on your tummy in January.

Those of us who fear any kind of "socialized" medicine (not me) claim that it takes 6 months to a year for even life-saving surgery in European countries much less cosmetic surgery. I know you pay higher taxes to pay for your care, but you may not have as many fellow citizens dying for lack of care as we do.

I read here often of the care our Canadian neighbors receive, and it seems pretty good.

I know that I'd have to pay for surgery to make my belly look better, and at my age it isn't worth the experience or the expense.

Anyway, I wish you good luck with the surgery and happy days in a swimsuit. Just watch out for the sun....scars tend to develop skin cancer faster than regular skin and I've had many skin cancers removed because I'm very blond and LOVE the sun!

Lynessa, Capitalism vs. Socialism (or more to the point "socialized" medicine), I could write a ten page post on why I disagree with Socialism but this is not the place to do it. I will simply say that I disagree with "Boy, I'd love for ALL Americans to read your post about the plastic surgery on your tummy in January". I feel that it is off topic here and I will leave it at that. Good Luck Soph with your surgery and please don't think this post is in any way to take away from what you need and deserve. Scott Mc

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mrpickles,

Insurance issues aside. The most important thing is that you advocated for yourself. You have a right to feel and look as beautiful inside as you do outside. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

Soph I am so happy for you
I had a plastic surgeon assist with closure of the incision and he did do agood job but I still have a small bump and not sure how the iloeostomy scar will turn out. So he said,,when its all over, few months down the line if you r not happy come back to see me and i will do some small selsective liposuction and redo some scars if it s necessary. In the meantime i am religiously applying mepiform plasters (silicone ) onto new scars to minimise them. From what i can see it works!..
All the best

Thanks for all your support I started out swearing I'd never go through surgery again unless it was to save my life. But my belly has flopped more and more and has affected me more than I thought it would. I don't feel ready to ditch my vanity. Never been a beauty queen, but I never felt disfigured before, either. I have had the same moral dilemma as you mention here. But I have decided that I deserve this. I'm having this done at a private clinic so I don't feel like I booted anyone out of a queue, and yes, I do pay tax through the nose, so I don't feel bad about that either. I suppose thinking about all those years I was in full-time work despite having to run to the loo every hour and spurt blood, I kind of feel like I've paid my dues. (Yes, Anastacia, really! ) But yes, if I look at the bigger picture - people in developing countries who have NOTHING - I do feel humbled. And people die in organ transplant queues here too, which is hideous and we have no excuse for letting that happen, if you ask me. But I'm not in the same queue for the same surgeon. And I didn't bribe anyone or cheat or lie to get the surgery. I'm not going to occupy a hospital bed as I get to go home and look after myself straight afterwards. The fact that being disfigured after life-saving surgery allows me to get corrective surgery later is also one of the reasons why I have never complained about all the tax I have to pay. I just feel very, very happy to be given this chance. Thanks Holly - I'm slightly nervous despite it all, so hearing your experience helps. Ewa, the plastic surgeon said that further improvement (if necessary) is included in the package. I'm not expecting perfection at all, but just less mutilation than I have today. Lynnesa - thank you - I will follow your advice on the sun protection.

Congrats Soph! Very exciting news! I just had a tummy tuck late August as an alternative to scar revision and lipo(recommendation of my plastic surgeon for better end results) because I also had some nasty looking stretch marks from steroid as well which gave me the option. Since going through everything we've gone through, my opinions of plastic surgery have changed drastically and my vote is to do what makes you feel good! You deserve it and then some! Supposedly the tummy tuck is the "most painful and slowest healing" of the "elective" surgeries and I went home 2 hours post-op and was only using pain rx's for 2 days post-op. The only downside to it was the drains which just made sleeping uncomfortable but in the grand scheme of things, it's nothing. Good luck with everything!!!

Thanks so much for the positive post; I think maybe this is a tummy tuck - it's going to involve sucking out fat and stretching the skin down to flatten it out again and make it look less like a carton of eggs! I have't been warned of any drains, but they've told me I'll only be on prescription paracetamol (high strength) so no Oxycontin or anything like that. I'm expecting it to be easier than my step 1. The surgeon said it'll be more "uncomfortable" than "painful" considering the setp one taught me what real pain is.

Good on you Soph! And good luck.

Good for you, Soph. And it's great that you won't have to pay a huge fee. Guess you'll be baring that new tummy on your next holiday in Greece!

Excellent. I had a lot of reconstructive surgery and if you are interested in seeing a picture of my stomach let me know. Good luck!

Yes, Gia, I'd be interested in your picture(s) - thanks! My brother-in-law is still struggling after he had plastic surgery on his belly to get rid of loose skin after he lost loads of weight, so that freaks me out (it won't heal), but then I hope it's because he KEEPS SMOKING! and that by not smoking and keeping the incision clean I should be okay...
Michelle, yep, the "ooo, yuck!" stares on the beach this summer are one of the reasons why I really want this done. Looking forward to looking a bit better next year!

I would love to have my tummy flattened, the excess skin, the sags, the lumps removed. . . and not so much for how I look, although that would be a bonus. . . but in case I would some day need to return to an ostomy. . . because I can not imagine where they could put a stoma that it would lay flat, the barriers stay on, and not cause huge issues.

And I can almost guarantee Medicare would not pay for it!