38 Years Old, Attempting to Get Tummy-Tucked! - Duluth, MN

I am beginning this journey at 38 years-old, try to get a tummy tuck (the fancy word actually being getting a "panniculectomy.") I can no longer stand the apron of a stomach I have in front of me. I lost half my body weight over ten years ago, I had a daughter four years ago, and this hanging skin has been in my life for too long. It's time to say farewell to it.

Well, yesterday I had my wonderful photo shoot at my plastic surgeon's office where they have you flash your pannis and get it memorialized on digital camera to be sent to the dreaded insurance company to see whether or not they will pay for your surgical procedure or not. (I used to work for an insurance company for many years so I know the ins and outs of HMO insurance providers and how insurance works like a professional; I never thought I'd know so much about them).
Anyway, I have always been self-conscious about this part of my body and have loathed it all my life. The nurse was trying to be so sweet while she was snapping away stating: "Don't worry; we are not getting your face in any of these photos. We never get anyone's face in these photos." I know that's suppose to make me feel better but still. I know many of you out there reading this will be nodding when you read: I know that, but it doesn't make any difference. YOU ARE STILL TAKING PICTURES OF MY MOST EMBARRASSING BODY PART!!! And then you're e-mailing them to another person, who sees them, and then another person, who will forward them to another person, then to another, and the staff who will decide on medical necessity, and then another person will attach the photos to my medical file where they will sit under my name there forever. They won't even be destroyed. Ugh.
Even though I know more likely than not there is not going to be someone who is desperate to see my medical photos (why would there be? Just check the Internet; you can find anything you want on there!), I still know they exist. I think you can tell I'm not someone who is going to wind up with a torrid video online someday! (LOL) Ahh.... anyway, where was I? Yes, the actual pre-op photos.
As I am too shy to actually put MY body parts up to this blog, I am an artist, and I have DRAWN my own pre-op photos. I will have them posted shortly. Some plug-in, app, link-thing dealing with the all-in-one-printer is currently not working, so my wonderful husband is going to fix that for me so I can scan it in. I have already drawn it. Just need to post it.
LOL, thinking about the experience, although I've never had it done myself, I liken having it done to being booked at a police station. You know, standing up against the wall with the height marks behind you? The nurse tells you to stand straight, turn to your right (but it's at a 3/4 turn, not full on side), then turn left (again, 3/4 turn), and instead of holding the chalkboard with your name and convict number, you have to lift your pannis up so you show the skin underneath the apron and if it's red, rashy, split, etc. Oh, man, what a day.
I'm thinking I should have gone and had my photos taken after I went to a park with my husband. We hiked around for about a half an hour and after that I was all broken out and split under my pannis. The day I went for the consult I was nice and smoothed skinned because I took it easy, took a shower and wanted to look all pretty. I think that may harm me instead of helping me...
Anyway, photo/drawings to follow.
My plastic surgeon's office sounds like a 'As Seen on TV' commercial. I should hear something about my surgical procedure's approval or denial anywhere between "4 to 6 weeks." That's very frustrating for me because I am an impatient soul. I am not very good at waiting for things. Especially since when I worked in insurance and know the usual turnaround time for approval/denial (at least for the company I worked for) was no longer than five working days. Usual time for routine approval/denial requests was three days or else management would get all over us like a bad rash. Like a bad pannis rash. :-)) More soon!

Here are my Photo/Drawings as promised in my previous blog. Looking confused? Read what I wrote and you'll be completely up to speed, I assure you! :-D