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How far would you go for plastic surgery? Would you sell your house and use the profits for plastic surgery? Um. I'd totally Vanna White a sign, wearing bodyshapers, holding my skin in? LOL.
Think about it for a minute. Have you already had your weight loss surgery — and been living in your excess skin a while? A long while? Part of the reason I started writing about my journey in the dark ages, was in a meager attempt to earn money towards plastic surgery. Honest.
In 2005 I visited a plastic surgeon, and was given an "estimate" for the whole enchilada. For breast, arms, full lower body…
$50,000.
I knew that there was no way I would get insurance coverage for parts or all of the procedures. Fast forward a little while, a bariatric/general surgeon offered to do a basic panniculectomy for me, for a Cash Price of $3000 if I could go ahead and get it scheduled, couldyougoaheadandgetitscheduledplease?
No. I didn't want that, nor did I have the cash set aside to do such a thing. I knew that I'd be financing my ass. Literally. I sort of gave up on the idea for a while, and when I was ready again to start the process, my body said "No." I actually GOT insurance coverage for a panniculectomy, and was visiting my plastic surgeon pre-operatively in January 2008 and ironically had a grand mal seizure in his office. I woke up in his hospital's Neurology Unit looking for my tummy tuck and "new boobs." It didn't exactly get done.
Since then, plastics have been out of the equation, since my brain has been more important. I do wonder if I will follow through with the procedures someday. But still, it's the price-tag.
$50,000 give or take. Even if I break it down into several operations (necessity) I can't afford to finance my ass. I am basically credit-free. I live cash-only, and the only credit I have it what goes into my Paypal account, so it's pre-paid money.
Would I sell MY house for plastics? Um. Heck, if there were enough equity IN the house to squeeze out an extra $50,000 for lifting, tightening and squeezing the skin I've been in for seven years? Yes, but the hell if I didn't feel guilt, and I would probably back out, and consider that money better used in fifty other ways.
It's not an option right now, but I would give it thought. But, if it meant putting my family of six into a mobile home (like in the below article) no. My skin can wait. We have bigger things to deal with right now (And having felt what it's like squishing six of us into this apartment, uh, no…) my skin is not THAT big of a deal. I have lived seven and a half years since weight loss surgery in this body, I'll live. I'm not that big. There are thousands of women who have much bigger skin issues to deal with, and I am grateful that I only lost 170 pounds, if that makes sense.
From HuffPo – Via DailyMail.co.uk. –
Probably not as far as Jayne Fenney. The Daily Mail reports today that a UK woman, dissatisfied with her figure, sold her home to pay for her $47,700 surgery.
Ironically, the procedures were not weight loss procedures — in fact, Fenney had already lost about 150 pounds on her own. But the dramatic drop left her with excess skin and a sagging upper body in need of a serious lift.
A $47,700 lift, it turns out. Fenney signed herself up for a a "full body lift," an armlift, a breast lift and a thigh lift, which added up to nearly $50K.
So Fenney sold her three-bedroom house plus her TV, her dryer and her bed to fund the surgery extravaganza.
She now lives in a mobile home, but told the Daily Mail, "Feeling great is worth ten houses." And her body does look drastically different, as you can see in photos published by the Mail.
Ignore the code at the beginning of the post — it’s to validate my blog for Empire Avenue.com.
Where’d my comment go???
Dang. Reposting:
Once in a while, I wonder. But most days: not very far.
I look naked in the mirror EVERY DAY after I wake up. EVERY DAY, I work on accepting all the crinkly, hanging stuff. The deflated, droppy boobies. The shar-pei ass. Every day. I work on it. And I affirm it.
Cause, really, I think about that trip to Tuscany I dream of, and I’d rather spend 20K really doing up Florence and countryside than healing from surgery so I look better in clothes (and nekkid). I dream about visiting England. I dream about cheering on USA and Japan at some World Cup (Brazil?)
I also worry about retirement. Maybe I’d rather stick in there so I’m not starving and homeless when Im 70.
I’ve never traveled. And hanging skin vs travel. Mmmm…
Travel seems to be winning. I can always wear shapewear. 😀
But I totally understand wanting the skin to fricken FIT the bones. Sigh.
Nod.
I see $50K and think – four kids. College. Interest-earned.
Oh yes, it makes sense. We have 6 kids so I know exactly what you are saying.
I am 11 months out, have lost 130 pounds and I am hoping the new Slimpressions I just ordered will help all my jiggly bits. I had a mastectomy a while back and would love to have reconstruction done and am hoping that some of the excess tissue/skin could be used to reconstruct my missing breast. Fingers crossed. But…if I don’t have it done I will be ok with it. It’s worth it to feel so much better and be off all the medications I was on prior to surgery.
MM- PS is cheaper in CA. You could get a lot done here for only 20k and an airline ticket & hotel room. Also, people do get their surgeries for free and I bet you could convince someone to do that for you.
I’ve decided I’m doing it as soon as my car is paid off. So another 3-4 years.
I do reserve the right to change my mind when the time comes, though.
That’s part of my next post, the rash of freebies.
Right! Plastic surgery can be postponed if the budget is an issue. It’s alright to go for a sexier & younger image, but we must prioritize our budget above all.