So today was the big day--I had my tummy tuck consult this morning. I was anticipating and dreading it (out of nerves). I don't know why I was so nervous, because it was JUST a consult, after all. I woke up at 5:15 (!!!) and couldn't go back to sleep because of my nerves, so I just got out of bed and ran 4 miles on the dreadmill instead of waiting to run outside when it was light out. I did my strength training after that, then showered and dressed for my appointment. Jerry got home from work at 6:30, so he just stayed awake and went to my appointment with me. The kids were at my mom's.
Jerry missed the exit in Detroit, so we ended up going about 10 minutes out of the way, but we left early enough that it didn't matter. Dropped the car off for valet, and then headed up to the Plastic Surgery floor. I paid my co-pay ($134) and since I was the second appointment of the day, we didn't have to wait long. The nurse who took me to the room was super nice. She took my blood pressure and asked me a bunch of medical questions. She gave me a gown to put on, and said I could leave my bra on. The doctor, her surgical assistant, and the nurse were all in the room while I was talking to the doctor.
First, she asked me some questions about why I wanted a tummy tuck and questions about the medical issues it was causing me. She asked about my insurance, and said that the insurance I have is very likely to cover the cost because I met the requirements: 1) Had to have lost 100+ pounds; 2) Had to have kept it off for at least 6 months; and 3) Had to have problems with skin rashes from the excess skin.
The doctor was VERY confident that it will be covered, which kind of surprised me. I guess I was expecting her to tell me that it's rare and I shouldn't count on it; then I could just put the whole issue to rest because there is no way I can afford to pay for this out of pocket.
The doctor checked out my belly and she suggested that I would be much happier with a lower body lift instead of just the tummy tuck. With a tummy tuck, your incision goes from hip to hip. With the lower body life, the incision goes completely around, like a belt. I'm terrified of the thought of the lower body lift, and I told her I don't think I'm interested. She wanted to give me all my options, though, to be thorough.
Yes, my hips, thighs, and butt would look much better with the lower body lift--but it's purely cosmetic, so I would have to pay extra for that, which she quoted at $2900. I'm going to think about it and research the lower body lift some more before I make a decision.
I asked her about recovery time, and she said I can't do heavy lifting for 6 weeks, but other than that, I can listen to my body as far as exercise goes. Obviously, I'm not going to be running my way home from the hospital, but I can do light, easy running when I feel up to it, and if it feels too hard, then I should back off. With the lower body lift, I won't be able to SIT for a week or so--I'll have to either stand or lie down, because she doesn't want me to put pressure on the incision on my back. I can't imagine not being able to sit!
So as of right now, I need to wait to hear back from the insurance company. They told me it usually takes 4-6 weeks to get approved, and the doctor would like to schedule the surgery within a month of that. So I'm thinking the end of October for surgery, if all goes as planned. I still don't want to get my hopes up, but it sounds so promising. You all will be the first to know when I hear anything about the insurance.
Jerry missed the exit in Detroit, so we ended up going about 10 minutes out of the way, but we left early enough that it didn't matter. Dropped the car off for valet, and then headed up to the Plastic Surgery floor. I paid my co-pay ($134) and since I was the second appointment of the day, we didn't have to wait long. The nurse who took me to the room was super nice. She took my blood pressure and asked me a bunch of medical questions. She gave me a gown to put on, and said I could leave my bra on. The doctor, her surgical assistant, and the nurse were all in the room while I was talking to the doctor.
The doctor was VERY confident that it will be covered, which kind of surprised me. I guess I was expecting her to tell me that it's rare and I shouldn't count on it; then I could just put the whole issue to rest because there is no way I can afford to pay for this out of pocket.
The doctor checked out my belly and she suggested that I would be much happier with a lower body lift instead of just the tummy tuck. With a tummy tuck, your incision goes from hip to hip. With the lower body life, the incision goes completely around, like a belt. I'm terrified of the thought of the lower body lift, and I told her I don't think I'm interested. She wanted to give me all my options, though, to be thorough.
Yes, my hips, thighs, and butt would look much better with the lower body lift--but it's purely cosmetic, so I would have to pay extra for that, which she quoted at $2900. I'm going to think about it and research the lower body lift some more before I make a decision.
I asked her about recovery time, and she said I can't do heavy lifting for 6 weeks, but other than that, I can listen to my body as far as exercise goes. Obviously, I'm not going to be running my way home from the hospital, but I can do light, easy running when I feel up to it, and if it feels too hard, then I should back off. With the lower body lift, I won't be able to SIT for a week or so--I'll have to either stand or lie down, because she doesn't want me to put pressure on the incision on my back. I can't imagine not being able to sit!
