the Price of Cosmetic Surgery

My mother-in-law has lupus which has led to horrible arthritis in various areas of her body, including her toes. Her toes were permanently "crunched" up, similar to being curled, but more painful looking. Her one wish was to be able to wear nice shoes again, as her deformed toes meant that she couldn't wear many styles, either for physical reasons or because she hated how noticable her toes were. As she had lupus, she had a difficult time finding a surgeon who would perform the surgery necessary to straighten her toes out, but she finally found a plastic surgeon who agreed to it after many consultations with his former medical school advisor. The $1500 price was after insurance had paid their part.

My mother-in-law went in for surgery on a Tuesday and was back home that afternoon. She had both feet heavily bandaged and was in extreme pain. Different family members would go in and stay with her for hours at a time to assist her in day to day activities. After a week her bandages came off. Her toes were purple and black from the bruising, but they were finally straight. Pins had been implanted into her toes to keep them straight.

After a month my mother-in-law was finally able to wear "cute" flip flops, something she hadn't done in over 30 years due to her toe deformity. Although it was a painful recovery, it was worth it for her self esteem.

If you're determined to get something done, don't take "no" for an answer, keep searching. If you have a chronic disease that makes doctors more leery of performing an operation, find a specialist that can either perform it or can recommend someone that can.