Plastic surgery for skin removal

I'm almost 18 months out and nearing my goal weight.  I'm almost 1/2 the weight I was when I started this journey and I thank God for it every day.  Last week I had a free consultation with a plastic surgeon.  They are going to try to submit for insurance approval, but basically said it was very unlikely.  I turn 30 this summer and have never had a body without things that hang and jiggle and flop.  I really want the surgery, but I feel it's selfish to take out loans or try to pay out of our savings for something like this.  Should I try for a reality tv show?  Does anyone have any advice on this?

An additional note, my husband and family are totally supportive of whatever I decide. 

Hi Bobie,

I don't consider spending savings or getting a loan to cover this necessarily selfish. If you can afford to take a hit on your savings and/or repay the loan without having to sacrifice the rest of your household's quality of life, what's the big deal? Girl, you have to live in that body!! I say GO FOR IT!

Liz

 Start saving. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Start calling every doctor you see - gyny, PCP, anybody orthopedic, and whining! Seriously, my surgeon said insurance would not cover me, but they did after I got letters of documentation about gait problems from the ortho and PT, torn/chronically pulled chest wall muscle from the gyny, and the standard rashes and infections.

Bobie, I had the same starting weight as you so I'm curious about your stats. How tall are you? and did you loose steadily for the whole 18 months? I still have 18 lbs to go and it is going very slow..... like 1 lb every 3 weeks slow.. I was just wondering what your pace was like.

My loss stalled quite a bit earlier this year, and then I joined weigh****chers.  Even though I was still losing, it was very slow and I wasn't paying much attention to the quality of foods I was eating because I wasn't gaining weight.  I knew I still wanted to lose, though.  Before my WLS, one of the things I was excited about was not having to be on WW anymore, but now I enjoy the fellowship of it.  Plus, I'm getting closer to my goal and once I hit lifetime, I won't have to pay as long as I stay within a few pounds of goal. 

Document any and all bodily problems via tour GP/PCP- rashes,ulcers and their treatment; knee and back aches.
Look carefully at your insurance policy and know the right wording to apply and get what you deserve!
It is not cosmetics but more reconstructive to het your body to a normative state.
Consult with 2-3 PS for opinions on what should be done abd prices as well as how comfortable you feel with each.
Of course you deserve it.
Mikimi in Israel

 You should not feel selfish at all! I borrowed against my savings to pay for my RnY because I considered it an investment in myself. I know there will be skin problems down the line as well, and I plan to borrow if needed. Never, ever feel selfish for improving yourself!

All my insurance paid for was my panniculectomy... I had to pay for the tummy tuck, mons lift, and arm lift myself (>$12K... I am still paying off the tummy tuck, actually), and although it is painful to make the payment every month, the difference in the way I feel about myself after losing 185 pounds and having HUGE amounts of extra skin, made it completely worth it! 

Having said that, though, it meant NOT being able to fix EVERYTHING (my thighs are hideous looking, and I have to wear shorts even over a swimsuit) and having to really evaluate what I could and could not live with, and what I would get the most "bang for the buck" out of.

Lora