I’m so excited & happy & feel so blessed! ~ Please Help.

A While back, I picked up a little shopping magazine called GET IT, that is often displayed without charge in certain shops.  I was surprised to see inside, an advertisement put out by a plastic surgeon with her contact details added.   I sat with it for a while, thinking how much I would love to have help with all my ugly loose skin after losing so much weight.  Being August, and National Women’s Month, I started to think that maybe, I should write to the doctor and ask if there is any possibility… I was kind of hoping against hope, because I cannot afford plastic surgery…   
 
On Monday 20th August, I plucked up the courage to write: (minor changes … to fit with my blog)
 
Dear Dr J,
 
Please excuse my impertinence, but I’ve learned that I will never know if I don’t ask. 
 
I am an adult survivor of severe child abuse who lived a broken life filled with other disappointments, losses and abuses.  I lived in the victim role for 50 years and no therapy ever helped me until I met a certain therapist and started studying Logotherapy in my 50’s which has totally changed my life around.  I am now 61 years, happier and more productive than I can ever remember being.  
 
Since 2012, due to healthier eating habits and much emotional healing, I have lost 52kg’s and am healthier than I can ever remember being before but left with so much ugly loose skin.  I am currently on the medical aid plan which will not cover plastic surgery.  Of course, I’d love to have all the loose skin sorted out but will never be able to afford it.
 
Would you consider helping me to have at least the horrible kangaroo pouch removed.  It is so awful to me and represents a terrible flashback from my past.  I would love to have it off.  It is terribly embarrassing also, because if I bend over to pick something up, even if I’m in a sitting position, it makes a nasty sound! I can just die when that happens in public and I must explain to them that it’s due to the loose skin on my abdomen.
 
I have come so far in my personal growth, even to the point that I can now say that I am the Victor of my own life and doing as much as I can to help others find their healing also.  I am finishing the writing of my biographical book at this time and keep a blog www.pattyskeys.co.za where I totally expose my struggles as an adult survivor of severe child abuse, and how I work tirelessly to face my struggles in search of my healing, in the hopes that what I share that other abuse sufferers might identify with, will be healing to them too.  (it is a kind of research work on myself for the sake of not only myself but others... which I strongly believe is my life's purpose).  Being Woman's month, I felt to dare to ask... 
 
Thank you for your time,
Yours sincerely,
Panayiota
 
I was really surprised on the same day, when the Dr e-mailed me back:
Dear Panayiota,
 
Thank you so much for your email.  I am so sorry for the hardships you suffered!
 
I have closed my practice as I am going overseas.  You could consider … Hospital and ask for Dr B. Phone receptionist A at (number).
 
Kind regards
 
Dr J
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
 
Feeling very grateful, I did respond to Dr J, but felt too shy to phone Dr B.  It was easier for me to e-mail and hope for the best… but if I called, I’d need to be braver… so I left it a few days while I plucked up more courage which I finally did on the 29th August when I called Dr B’s receptionist (A) and asked if she had an e-mail address for the Dr.  She was so sweet on the phone that I immediately felt safe talking to her.  She very kindly gave me her own e-mail address and I sent the following email for her to pass onto Dr B.
 
Dear Dr B
 
I recently wrote a letter to Dr J and she responded so kindly, referring me to you.  Please if you have time, could I ask you to read and consider my plea below.  
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Panayiota…
(phone number)
 
That same night, Dr B phoned me.  I could not believe it!  She spoke to me for ages and it felt as though I was chatting with a close friend.  She answered all my questions and was so kind.  I was shocked that she was telling me that it was all possible and that she was happy to help me.  It felt so surreal that I could not take it all in… it was too much kindness for me to absorb or accept all in one go… I even said to her, that it was very unusual for a receptionist and Dr to be so friendly and kind like that, or a Dr, in their off-duty time, to actually phone a prospective client and chat away merrily like that… I asked her how it could be… she responded that they were Christian and loved to help women where they could.  I was so overwhelmed by it all, that after I put the phone down, I became extremely detached… the doubting and non-trusting part of myself even started saying… it was too good to be true… maybe it really was too good to be true… and then it even started to feel as though I’d dreamed it all… so weird…… so far away!
 
The next morning, 30th August, I wrote to the receptionist (A) again:
Dear A,
 
I spoke to Dr B last night and I cannot believe how kind you all are.  I still can't get over how long she spoke to me on the phone.  It felt like I was talking to a best friend and had to keep reminding myself that she was a doctor whose time I was taking up, but she made me feel so special and welcomed on the phone.  I was in shock and on another planet afterwards and forgot the lady's name who she asked me to call re: assistance for a fee.  The Dr. sent me the lady's number, but because I was so far away on another planet by the time I saw the number, I thought that it belonged to someone inquiring about our Logotherapy courses... I'm sure I made a total fool of myself and completely baffled the poor lady (R) when I called her.  
 
Too get that ugly skin off my stomach is a dream come true... unbelievable!  I just cannot believe it's suddenly a possibility!
 
I need to make an appointment with Dr B but must first work out some logistics in my head of how I'm going to make this happen from my side.  I would also need to raise donations, just for the petrol and for the lady R's help, and other unforeseen expenses that might possibly come up.
​

•     My work at home, job responsibilities and life in general is very demanding of my      energies and time... so one question I'd need to ask you, is that if I had the skin        removed from my stomach, approximately how long would I be in hospital away        from home and my work?  
•     (I shared my quietest months that an operation would be possible for me.) and
•     My biggest fear is how I will be able to keep to my diet while I'm in hospital.  I          control type 2 diabetes, gout and all the other health problems that I used to have by diet        alone and have worked it out perfectly for my needs and have never been healthier as a          result.  With my modified Banting lifestyle eating plan, I don't eat any carbohydrates, seed      oils or sugars (including fruits) and certain other foods.  Who would I be able to organise to      help me by bringing the foods I'd need... which of course I'd pay for myself and would            even prepare in advance, etc. but I'd need a fridge/freezer to store the food in and a way        to warm my food up, etc.  (I've WhatsApped a friend who used to live in Brits to see if she      is still there...  maybe she could help).  [She has not responded, so I don’t know if she still       has the number I called, left the country or what]

 
​It's so far away from my family and other helpers... so many thoughts buzzing through my head... I cannot believe that plastic surgery is a REAL possibility...  my mind is in a total whirl with over-excitement at the possibility and at the same time... anxiety of how I'm going to get it all right so that it can happen.
 
If you have any answers for the above, especially, how long I should be in hospital for the tummy skin removal, I'd be very grateful... 
 
Thank you for your time, I hope your day will be a wonderful one and please send my greetings to Dr B and R if you see them today.
 
I will get back to you for an appointment as soon as I can work out in my own head how this all can be made possible from my side... 
 
God bless you all,
 
Gratefully,
Panayiota.
 
As I had not received a response yet by the evening and was feeling very anxious, I WhatsApped the Dr to ask if she could just tell me please how long the hospital stay would be, and I finished off my note with: “I will phone tomorrow to make an appointment.  I have to start somewhere and if our God has brought me to it, He will surely see me through it.  Thank you so much.”
 
Once again, Dr B wrote such a lovely response… how amazing is this:
“Hi Mrs. Ryall!  Glad to hear from you!  When you come for a consultation I will take your history, do a thorough examination, talk about which procedure will fit you best, complications, etc. If I find with the examination that you require a standard abdominoplasty, you can look at your hospital stay to be around 1-2 days, depending on how you feel you cope.  Most people stay two days.  Because we are a government hospital we have limited theatre space, so between the consultation and surgery there might be a couple of months.  I suggest, come see me, then we can chat about all these things, and one the payment is sorted, we can look at theatre lists.  It is best to make an appointment sooner rather than later, because there is a waiting list with regards to theatre.  I hope this helps 😊 😊”
 
Yesterday, 31st August, I tried to call to make an appointment, but no answer at the time I called, so sent receptionist (A) an e-mail requesting an appointment date.  I will phone again on Monday. (3rd September) 
 
I’m so excited about this… I genuinely feel that it is yet another wonderful Miracle in my life.  I believe in Miracles… every day Miracles and can’t believe that this HUGE one has been granted to me.
 
I did not tell the Dr that I’d recently put on weight… it is something I could discuss with her when I see her, and she will more than likely request that I lose it before the operation… I’m okay with that, because since I spoke to her first on the 29th August, I have my eating control and motivation back again!  (not nibbling in-between meals)
 
On the 29th August, I weighed in at 29.3 kg’s on my old scale, (30th – 78.9kg’s), (31st – 77.4kg’s), (1st September – 77.9kg’s) … it’s not going to happen overnight, but I’m back on track… watch this space!
 
On the night of the 30th, I had the most terrible sleepless night due to too much excitement!  So bad that at 3am, I took 1/8th sleeping tablet and finally fell asleep, waking around 8am! 
 
The Dr also mentioned that depending on how well I do after the first operation, they might see to the other areas of need for plastic surgery that I might require … like all the loose skin on my arms.  So, this might be ongoing for a little while… I will keep you all updated and might even consider posting before and after pictures.  For now, the tummy pouch is my greatest need for removal… it’s horrible! 
 
I’m so happy to have this dream coming true, and I’m asking my friends and family out there to please come together to help me make it happen through donations.
 
I would need:

• The hospital is about 1 hour 20 minutes away, so I’d need petrol money for my son to drive me there and pick me up again when I’m discharged.
• I will need to organize my food and drinks that I can take with to make sure that I won’t be too far off my diet while I’m there.
• I will need new underclothes, because I can’t be seen dead in the tattered, oversized underclothes that I am wearing now.  I use safety pins to make them small enough to fit me.  (I’m always using my money for my son and unforeseen expenses, but hardly ever for myself.  I could really do with new underclothes… just for me!  I also only have one old bra that fits decently without pinching… and one that is not 100% comfortable and does pinch.
• I’d need to make sure I can stay in contact via my cell-phone.
• There is a lady at the hospital who becomes like a companion to a patient who is willing to pay for her services.  She will organize all the paperwork to avoid queues.  She guides the patient through the whole process and I would love for that kind of help.  As a first timer in a new area and with my negative past experiences of government hospitals, I’d be so appreciative of her assistance.  She charges R2000.

 
Most importantly, before even considering all of these expenses, I would still need to cover the R3000 petrol expenses to get to and from the students’ examination workshops in Pretoria in November (because petrol prices have gone up so high now). 
 
So, for right now, I’m asking to raise up to R5000 to make sure that all the hospital needs are covered, and hopefully with some left over towards the petrol for November, so that I won’t need to ask as much by then.
 
If you can help, I’d be so grateful. 
 
Thank you for your time and consideration,
 
~ Panayiota