Help with Excess Skin

I am 35 years old.  At the age of 27, I became sick.  In 2006, I was diagnosed with MCTD and put on high dosage steroid treatments.  At the time, I was about 170 lbs., over time I reached 276 lbs.  My doctor finally found the right mixture of meds that helped me be able to get off of the steroids in 2010.  In August 2011, I began dropping weight like crazy...naturally, no surgery.  I am currently at 197 lbs & still making progress.  After all those years of being sick, now that I am feeling better and living with my disease, I have all this sagging, hanging, rashing, irritating skin that is putting stress on my joints & my mind.  I am currently on Social Security Disability and medicare will not cover the removal of this skin.  I am only 35 and feel like i'm in an 80 year old body and I hate it.  What can I do on a limited income to get help with this... I AM DESPERATE!!!

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

This is a very difficult problem to handle financially.  I believe the best place to start would be to consult at the closest University Hospital Center with plastic surgery training program.  They may have the resources or the social services program to help you fund the multiple procedures required to correct your situation. Your investigation could coincide with continued weight loss to maximize your results.