Help Towards Excess Skin Removal
Donation protected
For the majority of my child and adult life I was morbidly obese. I went through junior school, high school, college, and most of university like this, struggling to lose weight. Between 2010 and 2014, through diet changes, exercise and, most importantly, determination, I managed to bring my weight down from 28st 10lbs to 15st 10lbs, losing a grand total of 13st. Whilst incredibly happy with this feat, I feel my aim of feeling comfortable in my body is still almost as out of reach as it was at the start of my journey.
Having lost so much weight has left me with a lot of excess skin. After having gone through such a massive change it's a very dampening feeling to still be unhappy with yourself. It hasn't been easy. I've had many difficulties along the way, with my weight loss regime having take its toll on me; I developed a binge eating disorder, and found myself having to grapple with that during the midst of my weight loss. I reached my goal in the end however - and now I need help which requires more than I can manage alone.
Despite having reached my weight loss goal, I was, and still am, very self-conscious about my body. I've applied to have excess skin removal surgery funded by the NHS on two occasions, and after having been declined and then going months without any progress on a potential appeal, it's seeming increasingly unlikely I'll receive help with this. I was told my issue was not "functional" enough, despite its effects on me both mentally and physically.
This surgery is something I really want. I've had a consultation, during which I was given a quote of upwards of £20,000 (and this was excluding the cost to also do my back). I was told my stomach area alone, due to the amount of excess skin, would cost close to £9,000. While I have some savings, using this entirely wouldn't cover all of the costs, and would also leave me completely without any money to do any of the things I want to with my life. I hope to travel, and would like to buy a good camera to work on my photography skills in the hopes of pursuing it more extensively in the future.
Having this extra bit of money would be a significant step in helping to live my life happily, without constantly being shadowed by my former self through left over pouches of skin, and also without having to put off my life plans and ambitions. I've spent two years waiting to be told my surgery can't be funded, and having to wait even longer without a definitive answer is a disheartening thought.
Anything you can spare would be hugely appreciated. And if you can't or would rather not spare any, just sharing this page with others would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you.
Side note: I've also started blogging about my personal struggles with the eating disorder I developed and am still struggling with. You can read about it and other related topics on my personal blog: www.manpreetsmusings.wordpress.com
Having lost so much weight has left me with a lot of excess skin. After having gone through such a massive change it's a very dampening feeling to still be unhappy with yourself. It hasn't been easy. I've had many difficulties along the way, with my weight loss regime having take its toll on me; I developed a binge eating disorder, and found myself having to grapple with that during the midst of my weight loss. I reached my goal in the end however - and now I need help which requires more than I can manage alone.
Despite having reached my weight loss goal, I was, and still am, very self-conscious about my body. I've applied to have excess skin removal surgery funded by the NHS on two occasions, and after having been declined and then going months without any progress on a potential appeal, it's seeming increasingly unlikely I'll receive help with this. I was told my issue was not "functional" enough, despite its effects on me both mentally and physically.
This surgery is something I really want. I've had a consultation, during which I was given a quote of upwards of £20,000 (and this was excluding the cost to also do my back). I was told my stomach area alone, due to the amount of excess skin, would cost close to £9,000. While I have some savings, using this entirely wouldn't cover all of the costs, and would also leave me completely without any money to do any of the things I want to with my life. I hope to travel, and would like to buy a good camera to work on my photography skills in the hopes of pursuing it more extensively in the future.
Having this extra bit of money would be a significant step in helping to live my life happily, without constantly being shadowed by my former self through left over pouches of skin, and also without having to put off my life plans and ambitions. I've spent two years waiting to be told my surgery can't be funded, and having to wait even longer without a definitive answer is a disheartening thought.
Anything you can spare would be hugely appreciated. And if you can't or would rather not spare any, just sharing this page with others would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you.
Side note: I've also started blogging about my personal struggles with the eating disorder I developed and am still struggling with. You can read about it and other related topics on my personal blog: www.manpreetsmusings.wordpress.com
Organizer
Manpreet Singh
Organizer
