42 Y.o. and Have Been Needing This for a Long Time

I am 42, 5'2" and currently 140 lbs. I am a 32 HH. I have met with an ANP and she took my measurements and has submitted all of the paperwork and photos to my insurance. I have CIGNA, and I have heard that they are difficult to get approval from. Of course, she said that we could appeal if I get denied, so I am already planning for that. I suffer from chronic shoulder, neck, and back pain. I have been going to a chiropractor for about two months now, it gives some relief, but it is only temporary. I am still waiting to hear back from her. She did say that it could take a couple of months before she hears anything back from them. I saw her Feb. 24. I really hope that I get approved for this. I am so sick and tired of being in pain all of the time.

I have tried calling the ANP that I saw and I still have not heard anything back yet. I guess she has not heard anything from the insurance company. It has been six weeks since I saw her, so I guess I will give her a couple more weeks before I try again. I am getting really edgy waiting to hear something back from her. My regular practitioner wrote a letter of recommendation, and I think that maybe she did too. She did tell me that she thought that I was an excellent candidate for the surgery since I didn't have any other serious health problems and the weight of my breasts were causing poor posture and that they were too big for my frame, not to mention the pain that I'm in constantly. I'm really hoping that I don't have to jump through any hoops for the insurance company, but I will do what I have to do to get them to pay for it.

I still have not heard anything back yet. This is really starting to get aggravating. I'm going to call my insurance company myself and see what is going on. I plan on doing that tomorrow during my lunch break. There is a rumor going around that we may be switching insurance companies in July. We might be going to BC/BS. I wonder if they will be any better to deal with. I won't get an appointment with a PS until insurance approves it.

Well, I called my insurance company and what they told me did not make me happy. They told me that they never received anything from the Dr.'s office! I was SO upset. But I'm trying to look at it like a blessing in disguise. When I went for my initial consult I had just started going to my chiropractor. I talked to a really nice lady that handles all of the precertification work and she told me to get all of my records and x-rays from my chiropractor. She said that as soon as she gets it she will submit it to my insurance. Now I have been going to the chiropractor for about 2 1/2 months now. I have an appointment tomorrow so I will pick everything up then and get it faxed/mailed. I read that CIGNA requires you to have physical therapy - does anyone know if going to a chiropractor could count towards that?

I received a message today from Angel, the lady that handles the certification paperwork for the insurance companies. She received everything in the mail and sent everything off to CIGNA. She said that it shouldn't take too long to hear back from them. I'm going to be waiting on pins and needles! But from what I've heard about them, it wouldn't surprise me if I got denied the first time. It's okay though, I'll fight them until I get it. I will not give up. Watch out CIGNA!!!

I am finally approved for my BR surgery! I am so excited. I'm already thinking of all of the things that I need to do to prepare the house, and myself, before surgery. There is so much to do! Right now I have a tentative date of September 23. I am supposed to hear back from the hospital today to confirm the date and to also give me a time for the surgery. I was initially denied, then I wrote a letter to my insurance company. I received my approval letter yesterday.

My doctor's office called and gave me the date and time of my pre op appointment. It is on September 10. That is just around the corner! After that it will be only two weeks before surgery. I am SO excited. This is going to be a late birthday present for me since my b-day is the 7th.

I had to go and meet with the HR person for my FMLA leave. I have to give my PS a paper to fill out when I go to my pre-op appointment on the 10th. I had to chuckle to myself when I noticed the HR lady glancing down at my chest and trying not to be noticed. Thank goodness I have a long weekend ahead of me. We will be closed Monday for the holiday so I'm hoping that I can finish up the things that I need to do around the house. When I return to work on Tuesday, it will be exactly three weeks before the big day! I can hardly wait!!!

Wow, I can't believe it. Only 6 more days! The nerves have started setting in of course, lol. I still have a little bit to do around the house. Luckily I will have a lot of help post-op. I just worry about my fiancee because he is disabled and he is going to have a lot put on him. His dad is having hip replacement surgery the day before I have my surgery. His mom will be there to help too, but she can only do so much. I'm more worried about him than myself. My back has been reminding me lately why I've wanted this for so long. It hurts SO bad! I was going to skip my last chiropractor's appointment, but I may have to keep it.

It has been exactly one month since my surgery. Everything has went well, no complications. I did have an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that were given to me, but I expected that. The recovery period is still a little rough. I still get tired very easily and I am a little sore and tender on the sides. Righty is hyper-sensitive while lefty still has no feeling. My surgeon told me that it could take up to six months before I get any sensation, if I get any at all, lol. I'm not worried about it because before surgery I didn't have any at all. I tell people that I have one high beam and one low beam. They crack up when I say that. I would do it all over again if I had too. I absolutely LOVE my results! They are full, firm, and perky! I can say that it is totally WORTH IT!!

I just wanted to tell how the day of my surgery went. Of course, I did not sleep too much that night, too excited, lol. My surgery was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. so I had to be at the hospital by 6:10. I was up by 2:00 and took my shower and made sure that I had everything that I needed for my overnight stay. I had to feed our dog and give her her insulin, after that we were ready to go at 5:15. It only took 45 minutes to get to the hospital - normally takes about an hour. I get checked in and was taken back at 6:35. A nurse came in and took an extensive history. She numbed me before putting the IV in, which was nice because I'm a big baby when it comes to needles. Then the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me. At about 7:30 Dr. Damitz came in and done her markings and took some more pictures. I was also introduced to everyone that would be in the operating room with her - her assistants, the nurses, etc. Everyone was super nice and made me feel very comfortable. Next thing I know, the anesthesiologist assistant came in and gave me my "happy juice". She told me that it would make me a "little" sleepy. It hit me like a ton of bricks and the next thing I know I was in recovery! I was really hoping to be able to talk and joke in the operating room before being put under. The first thing I said when I woke up was, "I feel flat-chested." I remembering smiling to myself when I said that because that was something that I knew that I couldn't say before. My fiancee was there when I woke up and we talked for a few minutes before he had to leave to make sure our little dog got her second dose of insulin on time. I was still pretty groggy from the anesthesia anyway. I dozed off again and then was being woke up to be put in my bed in the short stay unit where I had my surgery. I was treated like a queen! They elevated the head of my bed and placed a pillow under each arm, being very careful of my drains. The only thing I didn't like was having the compression cuffs on my legs. They made me hot and made it harder for me to sleep, but I knew they had to keep them on there to prevent blood clots. My throat was a little sore from the intubation, but it wasn't too bad. I was given ginger ale and some saltine and honey graham crackers to munch on. A little later the nurse came in and asked if I was hungry, I told her that I was a little. She then asked if I would like some chicken noodle soup and I said yes. Even though my throat wasn't that sore, it was still a little difficult to get food down. I was checked on every few hours - temperature and blood pressure taken and if my drains needed emptying that was done also. I was given a very nice supper, but could barely eat it. I wanted to get up and walk around, but they told me that I had to wait until morning, had to wait until more of the anesthesia had worn off and that I was fully awake. That morning they came in and took the cuffs off so that I could walk around, which felt really great. I wasn't in any real pain, just felt some discomfort which the pain meds took care of. I was given a really good breakfast too, most of which I could not eat because of my throat. I then watched a little TV then the next thing I know my doctors assistant came in to look at me and they put me in a surgical bra - until then I was in an ace bandage with a lot of gauze. They showed me how to empty my drains and gave me my discharge instructions. My fiancee had arrived and I was ready to go. The trip home wasn't bad, I had a pillow to put between my chest and seatbelt. By the time we got there, I was exhausted and immediately went to sleep on the couch. I had to go back the next day to have my drains removed, which didn't hurt, and my steri strips were changed. All I can say is that I am so thankful that I could have this surgery. This is the best thing that could have happened to me!

I went for another post op appointment yesterday. My surgeon is really happy with the way everything is healing. There were some stitches that had started coming through so they were trimmed. I go back again next month. She said as long as everything is still looking good then I won't have to come back for three months. I'm not sure yet, but I may have to get a small revision done. My breast are close together, which causes a rash where it stays warm and moist. I am having to keep a piece of gauze between my breasts to absorb moisture. I still get a rash occasionally even with the gauze there. I know that I still have a long way to go with my healing. I hope that they will eventually space out some, but if they don't I know that she is willing to fix it.

This surgery has been so life-changing for me. I can now exercise without ending up in excruciating pain, my boobs no longer touch the counter tops in my house when I take my bra off, and going braless is FANTASTIC!! The swelling is now totally gone and they have softened and settled nicely, although I know that they have not really taken their final shape yet. My scars are doing wonderful. I do get some places that get tender where the stitches have dissolved and are trying to come through, but nothing that really bothers me. I saw my surgeon the 17th of December and she was so happy and impressed with how everything was looking that I don't have to go back until June! I will probably find out then if I will have to get a small revision done to get some separation between my breasts so I don't get rashes anymore. I look at myself in the mirror sometimes and still can't believe that the boobs I now have actually belong to me! It's an amazing change for me, and I have absolutely no regrets. I feel like a totally different person now that I don't have constant pain that I'm dealing with every day. I love the new me!!