AmandaL

I'm in So Cali as well....Inland Empire. I'm having my surgery March 22, 2013 in Mexico since my insurance doesn't cover any type of WLS.

I was just sleeved on March 22 and had a passport, although it was expired, along with my birth cert and DL. We ended up in 2nd inspection because they weren't going to just let us through with the documents I had. 2nd inspection ended up taking about 3 hours to get through (and the other girl with me was PISSED!) but we eventually got through. When I talked with the supervisor, he said it was hit or miss. Some border agents will let you go, others won't.
The girl with me ended up missing her flight because of me. Also, she was in MX for a full body Lipo and butt implants and was so uncomfortable the 3 hours we had to wait. I felt horrible for what happened so I ended up giving her $200 for her troubles and tipped the driver $100 because he missed out on picking up other clients because of me.
Trust me - after having the surgery, you don't want to wait an extra 3 hours. I was miserable. Just do what you have to do to get your husband a passport.

So after 2 years of going back and forth with my decision, I finally made the choice last month to have the surgery and took the plunge by paying my deposit and scheduling the date...March 22. Well, during that time, I also decided to look for a new job after 9 years at my current employer. So, fast forward a few weeks, I am now in the final stretch of being offered a position at a great company. Well with this new company, I have found that their insurance covers bariatric surgery. My current place of employment does not, and does not cover any complications related to the surgery (one of the reasons it took me so long to decide to do the surgery).
So here's my struggle that I'm currently dealing with...knowing that I pretty much have this new job deal in the bag, do I cancel the surgery I have schedule in Mexico and wait to do it with the new insurance company? Or do I just do it in Mexico, get it over with, and start on my new life?
I'm so torn!

I too am a smoker...recently picked it back up due to some family health issues (yeah, I know...) but I have to say I have tried everything under the sun to quit. I tried the patch and it gave me awful nightmares. Used Chantix and my moods went crazy. Tried the gum but that stuff tasted gross...(do you see all the excuses here?) So I finally tried Wellbutrin. Helped tremendously! I was nicotine free for over a year and was doing great. Gained some weight, but whatever, I'm fat already so the few pounds didn't bother me much. I too have to quit before my surgery and have actually set my quit date for January 31. One of the things I learned when attempting to quit all the other times is giving yourself a quit date. Write this date EVERYWHERE. Make post it notes with the date on it and stick them to the mirror in the bathroom, on the wall next to your bed, on your closet doors, in your car...wherever you will see them. This date will be implanted in your brain. If you are going to go the medication route...push your quit date out about 2 weeks after starting the meds (this is when you really see the effects). You might quit before your actual quit date, but give yourself some time just in case. When your quit date hits, throw away any remaining cigarettes you have left, toss out all your lighters, febreeze everything that you use to smoke around, wash all your clothes, bedding, anything that would have a hint of smoke in it. Throw out ash trays, anything related to your smoking habit. If you have the oral fixation, carry around something you can put in your mouth or hold in your hand. Keep healthy Snacks around so when you are craving a smoke, whip out a snack. Drink LOTS of Water. The first 3 days are the hardest, but I promise you it gets easier. You will start to feel the effects within a couple of days and you will be surprised at how much better things taste, how much more you can smell, and how much easier you can breathe.
You can do it!!! I will be your personal cheerleader!

I completely understand your decision and while using regular stitches might be somewhat of a hassle for some people, I found that I actually prefer the use of regular stitches.
Also - using regular stitches vs dissolvable stitches in no way means that the doctor is not "state of the art", it is more a personal preference. In my opinion (and I haven't asked Dr. Q why he uses regular stitches vs dissolvable), I have seen far less complications from using regular stitches rather than dissolvable.
The thing about dissolvable sutures is that they don't all dissolve at the same rate. It can take upwards of 7 weeks for a suture to dissolve. Obviously, that isn't good for the skin as well sometimes the body reacts to having something foreign in it for so long and thus, infection occurs.
The other thing about using regular stitches vs dissolvable stitches is that it means at 7-10 days after surgery when they need to be removed, someone will be looking very closely at those incisions, whether its you who takes them out, a relative or a healthcare worker. Someone will be looking at the incisions and I guarantee that if there any signs of infection or any sort of problems with them, you will know right away.
And lastly - more people have reactions (sensitivities or allergic) to dissolvable sutures rather than regular ones due to the materials that are found in dissolvable.
So yes, it is a personal decision on choosing one MD over another due to the type of suture they use, however, I encourage research to be done on the different types rather than make assumptions about a doctor not being "state of the art" just because of his choice.

I'm in So Cali as well....Inland Empire. I'm having my surgery March 22, 2013 in Mexico since my insurance doesn't cover any type of WLS.