Page 210 - She's One Crazy Lady!

knew how determined I was. She did say afterwards (as many did) how she wished she could have a tummy tuck and was willing to donate some of her ‘tummy’ if I hadn’t got enough!
I warmed to Mr Varma immediately when he shook hands and introduced himself – but felt slightly unnerved when he said:
“What can I do for you?”
Uneasy tension suddenly hit me and I sat there like a naughty child who had been called in by the Headteacher. Taking a deep breath, I composed myself and told him I was there in the hope that he would give me a new boob. There! I’d said it. As simple as that.
Like Mr Ward, who I had seen previously at Kettering, Mr Varma asked me a multitude of questions and gave me a thorough examination. (I was breathing in!) Like Mr Ward, he asked me why I wanted a breast reconstruction. I had prepared for this so told him, very briefly, about my situation at work and how keen I was to get back and stand proudly in front of the children to take an assembly, without the fear of my prosthesis falling out should I have to bend over to see to a child! – and that I would dearly love to play tennis again.
The physical examination continued and he asked another question: “Why do you want the ‘belly’ version?” (I loved his terminology!)
I think the ‘bulge’ – my spare tyre – that he had just lifted up, explained
why!!!
Mr Varma and I then sat down and he talked me through the process
and the possible complications that could arise. He thought I would be having a ‘TRAM flap’, i.e. using the Transverse Rectus Abdominal Muscle, the muscle that runs below the ribs to the groin; muscle and fat being removed completely from the abdomen. A new breast would
be formed from the piece of muscle and fat which would be connected to a series of blood vessels in the chest. Because the ‘flap’ would be detached from its original blood supply the operation could take at least six to seven hours, as micro-surgery would have to be performed. I was informed that there was a 10% failure risk if the flap of tissue didn’t get enough blood – that the flap could, potentially, “die”.
All the time he was drawing diagrams and showed me where the cuts would be – just like Denise’s that I had seen. Overall, he was so positive, precise and honest. I knew that, if he agreed, I would be in good hands. I liked him. There seemed to be a twinkle in his eye which made
“I was there in the hope that he would give me a new boob. There!
I’d said it. As simple as that.
”
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