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Friday, July 10, 2009:
Dear Dr. Mueller,
“I am celebrating my first year anniversary of my successful surgery to
correct Poland's Syndrome. I just wanted to share some thoughts and to send
greetings to you and your excellent staff.
After dealing with the stigma of a chest that looked disfigured to the point
that people where shocked when they saw me without a shirt on for over fifty
years, today I am celebrating my new life that came after the pectoral
implant surgery you performed on July 8, 2008. Despite my love of the water,
running and other activities, I was embarrassed to do those activities in
public if I had to take my shirt off as people would stare, and usually ask
me what was wrong with me. Poland's Syndrome is so uncommon most people have
never heard of it, so I got tired of explaining it.
I tried for years to find an answer but there did not seem to be one. I
visited three major university hospitals; Duke, The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Michigan. Each time
specialists there told me that the procedure you performed wouldn't work as
the implant would move around. They told me the only procedure possible was
to remove a lat muscle from my back and move it to the chest area. That
answer didn't work for me as it corrected one problem by creating another.
As the internet became more prevalent, I would spend a great deal of time
looking for answers. I finally got in contact with Spectrum Designs Medical.
Sherry Boggs at their office told me that people with my condition were
being successfully treated with implants. I asked her for a referral
but she told me she wasn't allowed to do that. So, I asked her which doctor
did the most of these procedures and she told me about you and your
practice.
I must confess that the idea of a small college professor and minister from
the mid-west going to Beverly Hills for plastic surgery almost seemed
unbelievable to me, but after contacting Reid in your office I finally got
up the nerve to schedule a consultation and to fly out to visit you. After
my visit in January of 2008 I decided to schedule the surgery in July of
last year. Leading up to that time I was nervous. I was fifty-four and had
never had surgery before, but I was determined to change my life. After
arriving in Los Angeles I was treated so well by everyone on your staff that
despite being alone I felt very comfortable. The surgery went quickly. I
spent a day recovering at a very nice after-care facility you referred me to
and the day after my surgery I felt well enough to walk six miles around
Hollywood. Over the course of my recovery week in the greater Los Angeles
area I spent most of my time visiting tourist sites and almost no time
quietly in bed. My entire stay in California was made enjoyable by the
friendliness of you and your staff.
Despite the fact that I looked great about one month after the surgery it
took me a while to get comfortable walking around without a shirt on. This
spring I took a college group to Australia and New Zealand and we visited
the Great Barrier Reef as part of that trip. I noticed that I still felt
self-conscious on that trip but by the time we did a family Disney Cruise in
June I was feeling very comfortable walking around the pool and visiting
with others in the hot tub. I can't tell you how freeing it is for me to
feel comfortable being able to live my life as a normal human being, free
from the stares and questions.
I just wanted to thank you and your staff for taking such good care of me
and to thank you for my new life. I hope to get out your way some time this
year so you can take some after pictures for your files to share with
prospective patients. I am always happy to speak with those who may be
considering using you for this procedure.”
Best Wishes,
Mike F.
Michigan
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