awesome reconstruction put me back to normal

Provider Review

• 27 Aug 2017

I have never written a review or a recommendation for any business or anyone for that matter… Personally, I believed they were either made up by the company themselves (fake) or were just some internet trolls bashing various businesses to get free stuff or out of some sick self-seeking pleasure derived from hurting someone’s livelihood. So, when the conversation about a review came up I was hesitant to say the least… Now having said all that… I’m going to share my story and experience with Dr. Zelken and his staff. My issue wasn’t that I wanted a different shaped nose, or anything along those lines… It is far more personal… You see, I had this growth on a very private part of my body. It actually kept me from being intimate with anybody for a very longtime. Having had the term deformed used by someone tends to make you a bit self-conscious. Adding to the fact that I’m no a fan of doctors… I had just resigned to being by myself… it took over 5 years and the growth getting worse before I sought medical help. The first doctor I went to (a doctor who main job is the male private parts) stated he had never seen that before… Repeatedly over and over again and again.... Seriously like over 7 times as if, I wasn’t self-conscious enough he really made me feel like a real freak…. He suggested I seek a dermatologist. So off I went… This doctor asked questions like have you been out of the country? Have you heard of elephantids’? let me take some pictures to show my professor to see if we can agree on what this might be…. It came back that I had lymphatic blockage and needed to see a reconstructive surgeon. It took some searching and various inquiries until I found Dr. Zelken… We exchanged some emails and offered some hope, I set an apt and wasn’t sure what the real face to face would be like; After all my previous experiences left me worse off than before I sought help… Well to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement the staff was not only professional but very friendly… Dr. Z. not only recognized the issue but was familiar with lymphatic blockage; granted not where I had it but nonetheless knew what it was and had treated it before. I left that first apt with a feeling of hope that I wasn’t a freak and the he could bring me back to a normal looking state. It would take two procedures one to remove the damaged tissue and a second one to bring me back to a more normal state. I have just had my second procedure and am still healing from it… however let me state I’ve been to Dr. Z’s office several times each and every time it has been a friendly, professional, and welcoming experience. Christiana has been not only truly nice and friendly but incredibly helpful. Raquel has been very professional and has help process everything for a novice like me. I have to mention at no time did I ever feel like the freak that needs help. As for Dr. Zelken himself he has been very personable and friendly, going out of his way to work to accommodate me and make me feel comfortable explaining each step along the way what he could do, would do, and what to expect… As for his work I really can’t express what he has done for me… something so personal on an area that I was so self-conscious about that the thought of revealing myself to another human being was completely out of the question… To now even though I am still healing my confidence level has returned… It really more than that trying to use words to explain how for years this gnawing voice in your head telling you that you’re deformed, not right, not normal… TO HAVE ALL THAT NOT ONLY SILENCED BUT REPLACED WITH A HEALTHY SELF IMAGE… I REALLY HAVE NO WORDS…