SylviaMom

They have the little pouches of seasoned tuna which are delicious and don't need to be refrigerated.

Rescue-check out the Mexico/SelfPay Forum. It's pretty informative and you can get lots of insights about various doctors in Mexico and cost effective alternatives to Mexico if you prefer. I really like Dr. Aceves and he seemed like one of the more experienced revision surgeons. See www.mexicalibariatric.com. I had my band removed in June and will be going back for a revision in December. My sleeve will cost $9,500 and I paid $5,000 for the removal. But, most revisionistas who go to Dr. Aceves get it done in one procedure for $10,500. It's a little pricier than some in Mexico but the quality of the team, hospital, and general pre/post coordination is top notch in my opinion. Having said that, there are so many great surgeons so I'm confident you will find a great match. Good luck in your journey.

B&R's mom. Just checking in to say 'Hi' and hope you are recovering well!

You are looking fabulous! You can totally see the difference...thanks for sharing and inspiring others.

Congrats to all those getting surgery tomorrow. Keep us all posted on your progress.:-)

I had an erosion and after removal, I need to wait 6 months. VSG surgery scheduled for December. I know it can be rough waiting. Best of luck to you.

You look wonderful--so healthy and alive!

Suzanne, your messages are so inspiring. Thank you for being such a wonderful angel of hope and goodwill.

Drinking too soon before or after eating does two negative things: first, since your sleeve doesn't expand as much, you can overfill your sleeve and it may cause you to throw up. Second, drinking too soon before or after "washes" the food down too fast, defeating the purpose of the sleeve so you get hungrier sooner.

Endoscopy, no. Barium swallow, yes.

Sounds like you have a plan! I'm waiting for my sleeve (had eroded band removed in June) and I think we will be sleeved around the same time (December). It'll be worth the wait to make this process as safe as possible. Best of luck on the next phases of your journey!

Congrats! Can't wait to hear all the NSVs and SVs.

I've heard great things about many of the doctors but my vote is for Dr. Aceves and his entire team (including the top notch hospital). But do your research, talk to a few folks who have used that surgeon and follow your heart. The good news is that there are lots of very experienced surgeons in Mexico.

Just come the night before and stay at a hotel by the airport with a shuttle. You meet the drivers at baggage claim so it should not be an issue. Best of luck on your journey.

Thanks Rawwwr! Good to put it in perspective.

I love it. I want to release not just not just extra weight but also all the bad habits that got me here in the first place. thanks for posting.

I have a lifetime of stories that remind that the one thing more mortifying then feeling invisible because you are fat is feeling like everyone is laughing at you--because you're fat. I started writing some of my personal stories down and what is sad, is that I can remember the names of each one of those jerk bags...but can't remember the names of many of the countless people who have treated me with unsolicited acts of kindness. I hate that I have allocated so much emotional space to those merciless monsters. But, I wanted to end on a light note-->the bigger your a$$ is/was the more of it there is for all the bullies to kiss.

Congratulations on this amazing achievement and thanks for keeping the rest of us inspired! Any NSVs you 'd care to share?

I had the same struggle. Hubby was afraid I would come back with one less kidney, if I came home at all. LOL. My decision to go to Mexico, and particularly with the doctor I chose (dr. Aceves) was about finding the most experienced and well respected revision surgeon. getting bariatric surgery is not an area that i wanted to be penny shy and pound foolish. No pun intended. Dr. Aceves had 100 times more sleeve surgeries than the local "specialist". This was a no brainer particularly when all the data shows experience is highly corelated with successful, complication free surgeries. We had budgeted and planned for surgery in Washington state but I simply could not find a local doctor with the experience and kind/quality of referrals that Dr. Aceves had. Also, the self-pay rates I was being quoted weren't inclusive....meaning if I had a leak or some other complication during surgery, I would be out of pocket. That was on top of a 2 or 3x price difference. The truth is medical care in the U.S. is very expensive for a number of reasons...and quality of care is not the reason. Without getting too political, the medical and insurance lobby are extraordinarily powerful in the states...and we Americans are pretty darn litigious too. Ultimately, I went to Mexico alone because of a number of reasons but I needed to do what was right for me. I followed my heart and my instinct and luckily it worked out. My Mexicali and hospital experience was far better than any hospital experience in the states. The stay for the sleeve was 4 days (in contrast to the overnight stay typical in the states) and the hostipal was clean and professional. Because my band was eroded, Dr. Aceves was not able to complete the sleeve (just did the removal). I will be heading back in Decembre for my surgery. Good luck in your journey and remember that your heart knows.

Hey, who is that hottie? Oh, it's Lisa! You look fabulous. Keep up the great work and keep inspiring us sister!

Weight loss surgery and all related complications are a specific exclusion in my health insurance policy. I have this same fear. However, I have heard people who have leaks and such asking their providers to simply not mention the previous surgery for the billing code. Not sure if it will work but it's worth a try I guess.

I've heard great things about Dr. Rod so it sounds like you are in good hands. Dr. Aceves told me the risk for leaks after an erosion is about 30% but improves significantly by waiting 6 months. I am not sure what "a lot" means but trust that Dr Aceves wouldn't do the surgery unless he could do so with confidence. I think the key is having an experienced surgeon and following all the post op rules to the T and we can mitigate risk but the risk will always be higher for us then other revisions and certainly higher then virgin sleeves. My band was removed in early June.

Deb- I am also looking right before Christmas. My surgeon is Dr. Aceves. Who is yours? I can't wait for the surgery but want to do everything possible to minimize the risks of a leak...so I wait too. Many people who had a leak on this forum report they would still do the surgery even with a leak...so I put the risk of a leak in context. When I woke up afte surgery and got the bad news, I was pretty heartbroken though but am glad for the extra time to at least be lap band free. The band was pretty horrible and I am actually able to eat more healthy fibrous foods...for a change. My only fear is ballooning up while waiting for the surgery but so far (a month out) I've actually lost another two pounds. :-)

Totally understandable. My port sight was actually the sorest spot post surgery and still remains a little tender a month out. More proof that the band was a piece of garbage screwing up our insides. Hope you are feeling better.