Is excess skin removal surgery selfish?

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  • JupeJones
    JupeJones Posts: 107 Member
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    You get a loan to buy a new car

    Not everyone does.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
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    You get a loan to buy a new car

    Not everyone does.

    No, not everyone, but many people do and a lot of cars are more than $10k
  • 2dare2dream
    2dare2dream Posts: 104 Member
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    congrats on your success and you need to do whats right for you sweety. Good luck whatever you decide:smile:
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    Selfishness is being concerned, sometimes excessively or exclusively, 
with concern for oneself or one's own advantage, pleasure, or welfare, 
regardless of others.
    Okay, so it's selfish. But so is buying flowers because you like it, buying a dress because you like the color, or buying a house because you like the garden. There's nothing wrong with some appropriate selfishness.

    I would be interested in investigating a little medical tourism. US prices are too high.
  • Adubmarie87
    Adubmarie87 Posts: 41 Member
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    Miss I say do it! Be sure to talk with your family and friends. And I totally agree that you should get it done outside the USA 10,000 dollars is too much (I think). (London Trip?) Also let your family know that you will need their support in regards to your healing. An old coworker of mine had to have surgery from her loose skin--- side story: Her skin was long enough to pull, she said she felt like she was a monster regardless of her weight loss that everyone applauded her for. She did it for her, and so should you. You are doing well to have loss the weight regardless! Congrats to you!! :drinker:
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    My parents both had skin removal done after losing a ton of weight (gastric bypass in their cases) and it was covered by insurance due to risk of infections. I'd make sure you talk to the doctor about that risk before doing anything in case at least a portion of it can be taken care of that way.
    I've heard both versions of this -- insurance sometimes covers and insurance doesn't cover.
  • Timelordlady85
    Timelordlady85 Posts: 797 Member
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    I lost 100 pounds and have been maintaining my weight loss for 3 years. Unfortunately, due to all the excess skin I have, I still feel fat. I know I will never be able to move on and be happy with my body until I have surgery to remove the skin. I had a consultation with a plastic surgeon, who confirmed what I was never sure about, that it really is just skin and not fat. This initially made me feel better, knowing the "fat" that I see in the mirror isn't really fat, and it isn't my fault. There is really no amount of dieting or exercise I can do to get rid of it. This was freeing for about a day and a half, then it skin started bothering me even more. I know I will never be happy until it is gone. I want to have the surgery, but it is so much money. Just to get my arms done, which is the area that bothers me the most, is $10,000. I want to take out a loan to pay for it, but I wonder, is that selfish? It is a lot of money, and I feel guilty spending that much money on myself. I also worry, as with any surgery there is always a risk, what would happen to my family if something bad happened to me during surgery. Is my happiness worth all that money and risk? I don't feel like I can live the life I am supposed to live in my body the way it is, but is it worth it?


    Have you looked into care credit. its a credit card for health operation such as dental, eyes, you can use it for your pets medical care also. I had used mine for lasik. it is still a credit card but its designed for medical use.
  • Miss_1999
    Miss_1999 Posts: 747 Member
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    You get a loan to buy a new car

    Not everyone does.

    No, not everyone, but many people do and a lot of cars are more than $10k

    Exactly. Not *everyone* does, but most people who are buying a brand new car, are spending at the *very* least about 18 to 20K on a car, and the majority don't just have that in savings or lying around the house.

    When I have my surgery done, we're borrowing against my husband's 401K. That way, we're "borrowing against ourselves". The loan we pay back, we pay back to ourselves. It's automatically deducted from his paycheck, and we don't miss it (the payment that is.) I've already found the surgeon I want to do mine. I'm absolutely excited about it, and yeah, I honestly don't care what anyone says about me- selfish, vain, *****, ect, I can't wait. My back hurts horribly, and after losing all this weight, I'm going to spend, I hope another 40 or so years in this body, I'd like for it to look the way I've always wanted. I'm having a lower body lift, armlift, and breast lift (in hopes that will stop the upper back/shoulder pain as well.). Some is strictly cosmetic (my arms), and other is cosmetic and pain/health related- stomach/breasts. For me, it's going to be worth it. I know there's going to be pain. Which is one reason I'm *hoping* they'll do it all at once, but I have no idea if that's even possible. I went through 18 1/2 hours of HORRIBLE hard labor and natural child birth (to which I am NOT bragging, as this was NOT what I wanted or my choice) and then withstood two surgeries after that to repair damage to my body from a birth injury. So, it's not my first rodeo with pain. Granted, I know this is going to be a WHOLE new ballpark, but at least, I'll KNOW this going in. Therein, lies the difference.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    I don't think it is selfish, but if you have not, I would try lifting heavy weights first, 100 lbs. is not that much to have that much skin, you might be surprised what more muscle will do.

    The average is 10 lbs left over skin for each 100 lbs lost

    My Dr. has told me that there ISN'T going to be anyway to fix the permanent damage that morbid obesity did to my skin. It doesn't have enough elasticity at my age to get firm again.

    I'd suspect it's the same with the OP
  • ShinyFuture
    ShinyFuture Posts: 314 Member
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    You're going to spend that money anyways. Is it selfish to spend it on yourself? Well, my guess is that most of it will be spent on yourself in any event. Unless you were going to actually, literally spend it to save the starving children you aren't shortchanging them. Spending money you weren't going to send them isn't wrong.
  • Screwedntattooed
    Screwedntattooed Posts: 238 Member
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    It's not selfish and it's soooooo worth it
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Some burn centers offer skin removal for free if you donate it. You could actually be helping a lot of other people...nothing selfish about that.

    No burn center in the USA does this.

    [edit - I shoulda kept reading, someone already debunked it in thread]
  • _funrungirl
    _funrungirl Posts: 145 Member
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    No it is not selfish, but I wouldn't take a loan to pay for it. Save your money and pay for it with cash. If you were able to lose weight by diet and exercise by living with a "food budget" then you have the discipline to save $10k in cash by living with a "money budget".
  • Pohudet
    Pohudet Posts: 179 Member
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    Just do it!
  • beckyjeanleemaddox
    beckyjeanleemaddox Posts: 154 Member
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    totally not selfish!!!! you deserve it.
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    I used to be a happy and likeable person with a delightful personality. I'm so straight up depressed over the mess that's been left of my skin that I don't ever foresee being that way again if I don't somehow come up with the funds to take care of it. if I HAD the money to fix it I'd probably be more selfish NOT to do it, considering how much better it would be for OTHER people if I felt human again.
  • LabAgility
    LabAgility Posts: 120 Member
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    If you have thought it all through and it is worth it to you then it is perfectly fine to go forth.

    I would in a heartbeat if I reached your place and did not have kids. Unfortunately my friend lost her mom from a blood clot post tummy tuck. I know it was a freak thing..... But it is a risk you take when you sign up.
  • Christyleeroberts
    Christyleeroberts Posts: 2 Member
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    Unfortunately that is false. Our skin is far too damaged to use for burn victims and much less costly to use cadavers. My step father almost died in a fire, was burned over 90% of his body with a 10% chance to live. He survived and it was a very long year in the hospital with many skin grafts that don't always take. Our skin just won't work. :(
  • kr15t3n98
    kr15t3n98 Posts: 18 Member
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    you deserve happiness, it is absolutely not selfish!!!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Yes, it's selfish. Most of what we spend our money on is selfish.

    We could sell our homes and cars, quit taking vacations and seeing movies, junk our hobbies and give that money to people who need food and medical care.

    How we all spend our money is our business.

    I would think twice before going into debt to pay for cosmetic surgery. But if you've thought about it and are cool with it, yay for you! :)

    $10,000 seems like a lot of money to cut some skin off and sew it up. Nice work if you can get it!

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