Trip to see Vinnie
Comments
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I got my Vinnie's today! We arrived 4 hours early cuz I was so excited. We first met Trent and talked for a while. Very nice guy;) We came back for our appt, filled out paperwork, took before pics and was off and running. I brought pics from my ps of my pre bmx self and showed them to Vinnie. He was so fast at mixing the colors. It's like "he's done this a million times". I did have burning and stinging, but Vinnie moves so fast that he doesn't stay in one area for long. He also seemed to give me a little break. What's also pretty cool, is that Vinnie can carry on conversation the whole time (esp with my hubby) and never miss a beat. Then after pics by Anna, dressings on, after care explained, some quick pics with Vinnie and out the door. It stung for a few hours, but now is just itchy a little. Supplies provided in a cute "tattoo the ta tas bag". Was surprised how much I actually did feel. Even stung all the way toward my armpits. Looks very realistic and improved the look of the foobs so much. My hubby said it was like Vinnie "brought them to life". We had a 4 hour drive each way. Ladies from Colorado and Atlanta were there too! Vinnie said he does 5 tattoos/ day and his partners do 3-5/day. It's a very busy place. Makes you realize how much breast cancer is out there. It's unreal.
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Kingster--Thanks for the update. Welcome to the "Vinnie's Girls Club"! Vinnie did mine in May 2016 and I couldn't be more pleased. After everything we've been through, this is a nice club to be in!
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Thanks😊 So happy to cross that finish line and look as normal as possible;)
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congrats Kingster on getting the finishing touches..... the icingon the cake. I had mine done a month ago and they look so great. Anna did them. She was wonderful. Like you I was surprised by how much I could feel -I guess the trade off for never having to have a mammogram again. It's a good feeling to be done.
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YAY, kingster! Just keep those girls lubricated for the first three days and you'll be home free. Welcome to the club! (I joined in January of 2015 and still marvel at the difference those two little tattoos can make in your perception!)
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Congratulations, Kingster.
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Thanks😄. Just so so happy!!! Anna is great;) She did my photos, dressings, and instructions. We need more Vinnie Myers artists in this world, so ladies don't have to travel so far. It makes a gigantic difference in the way they look. Those tattoos really make them come back to life!
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There are plenty of great tattoo artist that do beautiful work in the U.S.. Unfortunately, they just don't get the same press as Vinnie. The woman who did my 3D nipples is an artist. My areolas look so real and have not faded over time. And she charges half as much. I would highly recommend her. For women in the Pa/NJ/NYC area there is no reason to travel to Maryland. I've seen other's post about comparable tattoo artists around the U.S. We should put together a list so women have plenty of choices.
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Janetanned - Where did you end up going for your 3D nipples? I am having reconstruction in February and I am trying to figure out my options! I am in Massachusetts....
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hi Dennyl. Vinnies Myers comes to Boston a few times a year and works with patients at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Maybe others too not sure. Give his office a call. I hear there's another ttalented 3-d tattoo artist on the North Shore. Julie Moon is her name I believe.
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pink inkproject.com has a list of some other artists. I had mine done by Renee and they look awesome. It's fun when you first get them done, you can't stop looking in the mirror. Definitely look at before and after pictures from the artist.
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That list sounds perfect! Especially from ladies that had first hand experience. There was a tattoo artist locally that does really good work, but had much less experience. The cost was pretty much the same.
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Dennyj - I used the micropigmentation specialist that my PS uses. Her name is Mandy Sauler. She does cosmetic tattooing in NYC and at a few locations in PA. My PS at HUP uses her for all areola tattooing.
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Has anyone out there got insurance reimbursement for 3D tattoos? If so...any tips on how to go about this?
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Hi Kingster....I went to Vinnie April 2016. I submitted the form they gave me to insurance and it got rejected. I appealed it and after sending them everything they needed, it still got rejected. So I am out of the $800.00. If my PS did the tat's, he would of billed them probably a few thousands dollars and the insurance would happily pay. Just don't get it.
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Thanks happy spring. I'm on my first level of appeal. Said I was "out of network" . There is no one in network that does them. Insurance happily takes their premiums out of my paycheck, but tries to get out of whatever they can. I'll write back if I get something other than another denial.
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Kingster--I wish you luck with your insurance appeal. I have BC/BS and was also denied reimbursement due to the "out of network" issue although there is no one in my network who does them either (besides my PS who told me honestly that Vinnie was way better than him and he looked forward to seeing Vinnie's work in person)! I was also told that had I gotten approval to go out of network BEFORE the procedure, BS/BC MAY have covered the nipple tattoos with Vinnie. Hindsight is 20/20 but I am posting this here to let others know to ask your PS (or do it yourself) to request out-of-network coverage through your insurance for the procedure by Vinnie BEFORE it the procedure so you may have better luck in getting reimbursed. Even though I had to pay out of pocket for my Vinnies, they are worth every penny!
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I had the same experience as LoriWNY. I only had one done so $600 and insurance denies due to being out of network. My PS had offered to do it but once I saw Vinnie's work, I knew I had to go to him. My PS was so impressed that he now recommends Vinnie over himself. It wasn't cheap but definitely worth every penny!!
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About the pre approval issue. I saw another ps in my area that has a partnership with a local tattoo artist. The insurance told me to get pre approval...but that ps office refused due to the insurance company never paying anyway. So the pre approval probably wouldn't have worked anyway. I got my denial letter today for my appeal. Maybe I'll call and ask for a second level of appeal. At least making some noise might get their attention that these tattoos are a very important part in finishing reconstruction. My tattoos made my new foobs come to life! So glad I had it done. Vinnie is the man, lol;)
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HI Ladies,
I am starting the process to finish my reconstruction and have heard nothing but wonderful things regarding Vinnie. I have sent him an email but wondering if there is anything else I should do to start the process. I don't have a preference for location NOLA versus Baltimore. Anxious to get the ball rolling...but willing to wait to get an appt with him. Thanks in advance.
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mmshae, sorry, I don't know if there's something else to get that going, except maybe a follow-up phone call in 1 week if you've not heard back. I'll follow your posts with interest as I plan to see him myself.
May I ask if you had a physical nipple reconstruction? Or going straight to tatt? And your reasons? Cheers,
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