girlfriday

Faganberry....dr. Garcia is doing my VSG at MI Hospital. I also arrive on July 1 and leave July 6. who is your surgeon?

July 2nd here!

July 2nd here!

I did it! I am booked for VSG on July 2. I fly out July 1 and will return July 6! I am so freaking excited. I can't believe it. I was going to have it done in the US and after extensive research I decided MX was the way to go and I will keep that extra 10k I was going to pay to have it done here. thank you very much.

Yikes...it could take a month to get a passport!!! Seriously??? I am becoming overwhelmed with choosing a doctor as well. are we allowed to ask which dr.'s to stay away from? also, I was hoping to get this done before Mid August and preferably mid July. does that sound reasonable? I have a coworker going on maternity leave in September so timing is of the essence. may have to wait until she returns from leave.

so, this Mexico thing is sounding very attractive. what about airfare? is a passport required or does a birth certificate suffice?

My insurance doesnt cover either so self payor here..... some cash, some financing but you can get it all financed. I look at it as an investment in my future. if I had to resort to withdrawing from my 401k I would. it has taken me over 3 yrs to make this decision and during part of that time I had insurance that WOULD have paid. I just kept trying to lose weight on my own to only be 30 lbs heavier than before. if you can't finance it think of ways to SAVE SAVE SAVE for it.

I went to the WLS seminar yesterday. One of the surgeons in the group I have chosen did all the speaking. first thing out of his mouth, "diets do not work!". then he said that for women, obesity shaves 9 years off their lives and 12 years for men. him saying that reassured me I was doing the right thing. you have to have some kind of support system in place to succeed, but those who are opposed to it are not very informed about it either. it's taken me over 3 yrs to come to the decision of having this done. I have done my research. until those people understand the process, do not let their lack of support deter you.....let it DRIVE you! good luck and God bless. oh, I am also only telling a select few of loved ones know about my decision. it's no one's business. they are entitled to their opinion, but that is all it is....an opinion.

This sort of concerns me about PCP not being supportive. I have been with my PCP for nearly 10 years. She knows I struggle with my weight, but has never really offered me any help other than telling me to eat right and exercise. same thing with a psychiatrist I saw. he said I would feel better if I got exercise. who can exercise with an extra 60 or 70 pounds?????? I am very overweight. so overweight that now it is affecting my joints. I just had hip surgery to have the bursa removed. totally thought that would be the answer to my prayers because I was in so much pain and had been for quite some time that it hurt to just walk. surgery was not very successful so now, I know WLS is my only viable option. if I lose weight, then my joint problems, which are causing me to be depressed, should greatly improve. I am also paying for it myself so my doctor better believe I am not going to piss away $15 grand. shame on those drs.

Thanks everyone for the info. I live just outside Birmingham, Alabama and will be having the surgery in Birmingham. The place I will use is a Bariatric Center of Excellence so I guess that answers one question....I will have to do psych eval. Just hoping they won't make me go through another sleep study(because I am not compliant with my cpap machine). I actually sleep worse from using that contraption. I also have reflux and really don't want to go through an endoscopy. I am just a "hurry up and get it over with" type of person. My health is good other than the things I mentioned above. No diabetes, no heart/lung issues and no hypertension. The reflux would probably be resolved from the surgery as well as the sleep apnea (hopefully).

I attended the WLS seminar yesterday. I think I may be the only one that was there that was self pay. The seminar was very informative but was geared more for those with insurance. As a self payor, I am hoping to go to my first consultation (on 6/11/12) and get the ball rolling and have surgery by mid July. Is this realistic? I do have some comorbid issues like sleep apnea and reflux. Also joint pain due to my weight. What has been Your experience as a self pay? I don't have insurance to cover WLS but am sort of glad so I don't have to jump through all of the hoops.

I have contemplated having the surgery for 3.5 years. I kept telling myself that I could lose weight on my own and didn't need to spend a small fortune to have the procedure done. Well, 30 lbs heavier I have decided enough is enough. I go to the seminar on May 31. I will be a self payer, my insurance doesn't cover the surgery. I hope to have surgery the first week of July. I am feeling more confident everyday about it and the fact that I am paying for it bothers me less and less. My quality of life has to get better.