I DID MY FACE WORK. Now I have been transformed head to toe in 2013!

Congrats on your surgeries and outcome!  $41k is a lot... but worth it.  Insurance did cover my TT.. I do hope you can get them to reimburse you after-the fact.  I upgraded to an extended and paid an extra $1k for it.  Paid for the "girls" myself... and stopped there.  I'd love lipo on my thighs but it's not in the picture at this time.  

I'm getting my eyes done within the next few weeks... but that's not weight loss related.  I had a 2nd consult on my eyes on Saturday for the lower eyelid.  As of now I don't need anymore work, but I do see something in about 5 years... (I'm going to be 55 soon).  

Thank you! I do hope to get some reimbursement because I need the money to complete my surgery. It is unfortunate that the surgical coordinator told me that the surgeon did not participate with insurance. Because I wanted him, and only him to perform my body work, I paid out of pocket -- only to find out from other patients that he does participate in insurance. I think with the way that my body looked that I could have gotten coverage. Now doing it after the fact is very difficult. I am going to call them today to see where it stands.

In hindsight I should have asked the surgeon to do a breast reduction rather than a breast lift. Then that may have been covered by insurance, too. Well, I am going to submit that bill anyway. I might as well try. Who knows, I may get surprised and they cover a few things. Fingers crossed!

The eyes make such a difference in a youthful appearance. You are very fortunate that at nearly 55 and after MWL that you do not have a saggy face. I am 49 and my face had considerable joweling and marionette lines that were very ugly to me. I am still healing (only one month out) but really liking my results. Good luck with your eyelid surgery!!!

I read your link to your plastics and interview with Dr. Capella.  Very informative - thanks for sharing! You indicated the tummy tuck and mons lift was $7K - was that cost just the fee for Dr. Capella or did it include any of the hospital charges?  I will need to be self-pay for plastics and trying to get a clear idea of total costs.  Thanks for any help you can provide.

Mary Ellen

Thank you for the very nice compliment, and I am glad that the article was helpful to you. Dr. Capella does surgery very affordably. The $7k covered everything - his fee, OR, anesthesia, ambulance transport, and one night at the care center. There has been a small price increase since I had my surgery almost a year ago, so I guess the TT is upwards of $8k now. I would recommend that you consider the body lift, which is only $11k (and that is the price he charges today, not from last year when I had my TT). I ended up converting my tummy tuck to a body lift in my second surgery. 

Good luck to you. I am so very happy that I did this!!!

I'm consulting with a surgeon on Monday about a whole body lift. I am scared to death. How bad was your pain? I can't take anything that is related to morphine so I'm worried about the pain factor. I'm also wondering how long I am going to be out of commission. I tried to view your before and after photos, but couldn't see them. It sounds like you've had wonderful results. I would love any advice you have to give.  Thanks!

Hi, Good luck with the plastic surgery consult. Please please please choose your surgeon well!!! I did have such beautiful results and that is in large part due to my surgeon's skills -- Dr. Capella did all of my body work and Dr. Winslow did my face. My tummy tuck was very painful but only for a few days. My last surgery, which converted the TT to a body lift, plus inner thigh lift, and upper body lift, was almost pain-free aside from the first two nights in the care center (no pain during the day, only from about midnight to 5 am). I refused pain killers because they made me ill.

If you go to my profile, you will find links to a few articles. One is all about my tummy tuck experience. Another is about my body lift surgery. And there is an interview that I did with Dr. Capella regarding the criteria to look for with respect to body contouring plastic surgery after weight loss. This is a fabulous thing to do for yourself.

There seems to be a few bugs with the photo albums. Here are a before and after pix.

OK, I am finally online via my computer versus my iPad (I have been travelling for a week). I oculd not copy and paste photos with the iPad on ObesityHelp, and my photo album seems to have some bugs that are preventing people from acessing it. So... here are a few before and after photos of my facelift. Dr. Winslow did an amazing job! I swear that I feel like I hit the jackpot with my plastic surgery -- both body and face. I feel like this is the sort of thing that happens to some other lucky person, not me. I am so $@#!*(!! happy!

Before pic is my corporate portrait taken in 2012, and my After pic was taken a few days ago, about 2-mos post op. 

This is one of the before pics I took for a ocnsult with a facial plastic surgeon in NJ, and the after pic was taken a few days ago, about 2-mos post op.

OMG!!!! AMAZING. Did you get some filler too?

Thank you!!! Yes, I got filler in the marionette lines (Juvaderm). If you look closely at the right side of my face, you can see where some of the filler was absorbed by my body. I knew this risk going in. Next month they will fill it when I go for my 3-mos post op. 

You look so great - and way younger!!  OMG - so excited for you!!!  
Congratulations!!   i am still on my journey to finish losing my weight, but then I want to explore plastic surgery for myself once i am done, and of course, once i save up my pennies.  :)