Update
Ok, I went to this meeting with another surgeon my primary care physician in the VA had recommended - for the reconstruction of my chest after the VA's botched job doing my total double mastectomy a few years ago...
I went with no real hopes of ever being able to get the needed operations done - but she examined me, and declared she could repair it - and at the same time, work on my lower half - abdomen, thighs - to make me slimmer and more masculine in appearance. She has TWO complete operating rooms in her office - and two complete OR teams, including the anesthesiologists and RNs, on her staff.
That means, her pricing is the TOTAL charge for the procedures she does! NO hospitalization. No hidden costs, the only fees are financing fees if you can't pay the whole thing in one lump sum. Very little "down time" post-op.
She went over the procedures, showed me the entire OR and how the equipment is cleaned and sterilized on site, etc., ... It was wonderful, I was really ready to say "Set the operating date, let's do this."; but I held back... waiting for the cost.
She gives military - including Veterans - a discount, and she also permitted me to use a coupon that took another $5,100.00 off everything.
Even with that, the total cost ran $15,750.00, all due before surgery.
I can't pull together that much money for ANYTHING, let alone this. My credit isn't good enough to get a loan, not without me having to pay the bulk of it up front and then pay far more than I can afford every month for the next two years. Hell, I don't even GET that much money a YEAR!! TOTAL!!!
This isn't the kind of opportunity you just walk away from though. I have reported back to my VA primary care physician, and am waiting to hear back what - if anything - can be done about the VA paying for it somehow; since it WAS one of THEIR surgeons who botched the original job.
The abdominal work needs to be done, to free up skin and fat tissue to be used in the reconstruction - too much skin and fat was removed before from my chest, so for it to look right, some fat and more skin from somewhere has to be grafted back in on my chest.
I have seen photos of the surgeon's work - she does a wonderful job.
I just wish two things: one, it wasn't so expensive, and two, she wasn't in Charlotte NC. I HATE trying to find ANYPLACE within Charlotte!!
I'm going Monday to see if I can get my bank to refinance my truck - almost paid off - to get the money for my surgery and have it tacked onto the auto loan in hopes the payments will be less that way. I really don't think it's going to work out, but it won't hurt to go ask. The worst that happens, the bank says "HELL NO!!", and I'm no worse off.
I went with no real hopes of ever being able to get the needed operations done - but she examined me, and declared she could repair it - and at the same time, work on my lower half - abdomen, thighs - to make me slimmer and more masculine in appearance. She has TWO complete operating rooms in her office - and two complete OR teams, including the anesthesiologists and RNs, on her staff.
That means, her pricing is the TOTAL charge for the procedures she does! NO hospitalization. No hidden costs, the only fees are financing fees if you can't pay the whole thing in one lump sum. Very little "down time" post-op.
She went over the procedures, showed me the entire OR and how the equipment is cleaned and sterilized on site, etc., ... It was wonderful, I was really ready to say "Set the operating date, let's do this."; but I held back... waiting for the cost.
She gives military - including Veterans - a discount, and she also permitted me to use a coupon that took another $5,100.00 off everything.
Even with that, the total cost ran $15,750.00, all due before surgery.
I can't pull together that much money for ANYTHING, let alone this. My credit isn't good enough to get a loan, not without me having to pay the bulk of it up front and then pay far more than I can afford every month for the next two years. Hell, I don't even GET that much money a YEAR!! TOTAL!!!
This isn't the kind of opportunity you just walk away from though. I have reported back to my VA primary care physician, and am waiting to hear back what - if anything - can be done about the VA paying for it somehow; since it WAS one of THEIR surgeons who botched the original job.
The abdominal work needs to be done, to free up skin and fat tissue to be used in the reconstruction - too much skin and fat was removed before from my chest, so for it to look right, some fat and more skin from somewhere has to be grafted back in on my chest.
I have seen photos of the surgeon's work - she does a wonderful job.
I just wish two things: one, it wasn't so expensive, and two, she wasn't in Charlotte NC. I HATE trying to find ANYPLACE within Charlotte!!
I'm going Monday to see if I can get my bank to refinance my truck - almost paid off - to get the money for my surgery and have it tacked onto the auto loan in hopes the payments will be less that way. I really don't think it's going to work out, but it won't hurt to go ask. The worst that happens, the bank says "HELL NO!!", and I'm no worse off.
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