Melly vs. Stomach

Sometimes magic DOES happen to me...

Just the other day, I was goofing around on the Internet and watching an old episode of Extreme Makeover on the Fashion Channel. The phone rang, and I saw on the caller ID that it was the plastic surgeon who I saw a month or so ago about having a tummy tuck. They had taken pictures and along with a letter from my regular doctor, submitted it to my insurance company. There is NO WAY I can afford to do this without my insurance paying for it, so I thought it was worth a shot.

I was watching the plastic surgeon on TV make over the woman who had had a number of surgeries, a tummy tuck being one of them. I glared enviously at her smooth stomach and narrow waist before answering the phone. I would just get this all over with right now.

"Hello, Melanie, this is Dr. Surgi Surgeon's office," the nurse said. "You came in a few weeks ago for an abdominoplasty consultaation."

"Yes," I replied, absent mindedly playing with my stomach folds and preparing a "I can't afford the surgery at this" speech.

"We did hear back from your insurance company the other day, and they did approve your surgery."

"WHAT?!?!" I screeched. "They WILL cover it?"

"Yes, they said it will be covered."

"Oh gee," I started babbling joyously. "You know, I was actually just watching a rerun of Extreme Makeover, and this woman had a tummy tuck, and I thought well, I will never have one of those!"

"So you want to..."

"I have never had a flat stomach, EVER!"

"So you want to go ahead with the surgery?"

My answer of course, was a resounding yes, and we scheduled my next visit with the surgeon. We had to schedule the surgery when I was there last, so the insurance would reply faster, and the surgery date is January 18th.

Here is a picture of my stomach. I am in bad need of this surgery. The prospect of having a relatively flat and smooth stomach is one I HAVE NEVER KNOWN. I was probably very young when I didn't have bulges and can't remember it, anyway.

So, plan for this winter is now to write a book and do it while recovering from this surgery. Somehow everything all works out in the end, and its time like this when I know God has never forgotten me.

posted by Melanie @ 12:05 PM