cerenatee

No! That would be so freaking awful (a blessing for others though). I'll ask my doctor about it. Thanks for the heads up.

Hi. That's the wrong name. Her name is Beth Schweikert Yeack. The middle name is wrong in the other one.

Thanks everybody. I checked with the VA and they will do my follow-up care after my surgery. Believe me, there was no way I was having surgery and not having someone to care for me when I got back here. I do have the problem of being over 4 hours away from the Bariatric specialists in Charleston but I would have that problem even if they did it. Sharon, I meant that if I had the surgery in May in Mexico, I would be at goal in 8 months, before the VA even scheduled me for the operation. If there was any way I could safely lose this weight and reach my goal in 8 months without surgery, I would do it. The permanancy of the surgery does scare me but being overweight, having a stroke, getting diabetes, having clogged arteries, all those scare me too. I'm just scared all the way around. I spoke to my sister again and answered some more questions about the surgery. Luckily her best friend is a nurse and was considering having it done. After I spoke to her, she felt better about everything. She even pointed out that I easily spend over $600 a month on food, just for me. Multiply that by 8 months and my savings on food pays for my surgery. She had a point. I have another few days to pray about it before I lose all my deposit. Thanks everybody for your help. :wub:

I'm having the hardest time making up my mind about when I want my surgery done. I contacted A Lighter Me and arranged to have my surgery performed by Dr. Lopez in Mexico on May 8th for $4,650 plus $450 for my flight. That's $5,100. Then I found out the VA (Veterans Affairs Administration) offers the gastric sleeve to veterans once they've completed a 6 month weight loss program. So now I can get the surgery done free if I'm willing to wait 8 months - 6 months for the program and another 2 for scheduling and other pre-surgical stuff (that's being conservative). Plus I want to attend school over the summer and in the fall so waiting will allow me to finish school. I won't have that stress on me. But do I want to wait? My hubby doesn't care either way but he would spend our last dollar to buy bubble gum so his financial decision making is somewhat limited. I handle all our savings and since we just got married in November, our savings is low. We can afford tis surgery but it's not leaving a lot in the bank. On the other hand, waiting 8 more months is a long time. I keep thinking I could be at goal weight in 8 months. I could be maintaining in 8 months. Do I really want to be fat 8 more freaking months? Ugggghhhh! Can anyone tell me their thoughts on this? I'm only telling my sister (who is against the surgery), my 2 adult sons (who have a whatever attitude), and my hubby about the surgery so I don't have anyone to go to. I need feedback, input, something, before I drive myself bonkers.

Hi, I found the May 13th Facebook administrator ok but it says I have to pay $1 if I want to send her a message that goes into her actual Inbox. What's her name on here so I can let her know to look in her "others" box for my message?

Finally a May 8th!! Yipee! A date sister. I'm geting my procedure done in Mexico by Dr. Lopez. I'll fly home on May 12th, get here on the 13th. What are your plans?

JourneyGrl, I'm also a Gamecock fan. I live in Upstate SC and my date is May 8th. Hugs to all of us!

Congratulations! I'm May 8th and I'm freaking the freak out.

I posted this in the powder Room too so please don't think you have to answer twice. I just thought some women never make it to the Powder Room so posting here might be smart. Hi, I'm having the gastric sleeve on May 8th and I'm worried about how my Mirena IUD is going to effect the surgery. I know you're suppose to stop all hormonal birth control pills because they increase your risk of blood clots but I can't stop the Mirena. I still have 4 years to go. Plus my return flights are 5 hours and 1.5 hours. Surgery plus the Mirena plus hours being seated make for Fear Factor in my mind. If you have the Mirena, what was your experience? Was your doctor concerned at all? Did you have to walk more? Did you do anything special to reduce your risk of clots?

Hi, I'm having the gastric sleeve on May 8th and I'm worried about how my Mirena IUD is going to effect the surgery. I know you're suppose to stop all hormonal birth control pills because they increase your risk of blood clots but I can't stop the Mirena. I still have 4 years to go. Plus my return flights are 5 hours and 1.5 hours. Surgery plus the Mirena plus hours being seated make for Fear Factor in my mind. If you have the Mirena, what was your experience? Was your doctor concerned at all? Did you have to walk more? Did you do anything special to reduce your risk of clots?

Iggy, please, please, please do not move on and get over it. New members join the site every single day. We NEED to hear stories like yours. Too many people are like Frank - they had a good experience and they want everyone else to have what they have. But the truth is not everyone will have that experience and when the complications and disasters occur, it will be people like Frank saying we didn't research enough, we didn't follow the diet, we didn't breathe correctly, whatever. I need to know the bad stories because I NEED TO KNOW what the look out for. I need to know what to tell my family and friends to look out for. I need to know when to back off and when to push back. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MAN OR ANYONE ELSE THAT TELLS YOU TO STOP TELLING YOUR STORY. They will not be the ones on feeding tubes going thorugh numerous surgeries, scared every day about what your life is going to hold. They won't be there taking care of our families, paying our bills, or seeing to our medical needs. We all need to make INFORMED DECISIONS and the negative stories make the complications real in a way "may have leak or fistula" doesn't. DON'T STOP TELLING YOUR STORY!!!!

This was probably already stated but HIPAA only applies to medical personnel who has access to your medical files, not family and friends or anyone else.

I think the point of the story is that even with the best surgeon and medical staff, crap happens. The truth is there is a chance - a small chance - that we may end up on a feeding tube, we may end up suffering for months, we may end up needing more aggressive surgery, etc, a lot of messed up things may happen. No matter who your surgeon is, that person has had some bad results. We just have to determine if it's worth the risk. Hearing that I may have a leak and being told what that really means is too different things. I'm glad the OP posted her sister's story. However, even though I'm absolutely terrified, it's worth the risk for me. I pray to God I'm not her sister but I accept the fact that I may be. Now the decision is made and it's in God's hand.

I don't understand this. People sound unstable. The man has lost his practice credentials at THREE hospitals. You have to seriously mess up, not just one death, to lose your credentials. A patient has died and there was no good reason given. MANY COORDINATORS are no longer willing to refer patients to him anymore. A woman who wanted him to be her doctor wrote a post about him LYING to her. And instead of being thankful that you made it through ok, and running for the freaking hills if you're not a patient yet, you all accuse ALL THE COORDINATORS of trying to ruin his business? The coordinators AND the hospitals? What is wrong with you people????!!!!!! Maybe the man is on drugs, maybe he's had a mental breakdown, whatever. The medical profession in Mexico is leaving him alone and yet Americans, based only on the reports of other Americans, with absolutely no inside knowledge of what's going on in Mexico, have said THEY'RE ALL WRONG. I'm speechless. It's like the great guy that's caught molesting his daughter and everybody refuses to believe it until he confesses. There is something wrong here.

Hi, I'm earlier than you - I'm on May 8th - but I'm going with ALM and Dr. Lopeq also. What negative things have people read? Everyone keeps saying that but I've only seen one negative comment and it wasn't that bad to me. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

What other posts are she referring too? I can't find any negative posts other than this one and I don't think this one is that big a deal. (Just my opinion as far as weighing the good and the bad. I had a TT in the US and believe me, when I called and left a message for the doctor, his nurse got back to me at the end of the day and I definitely didn't have the doctor's number to call). But I would be interested in reading about other difficulties people have had.

I think maybe you misunderstood. She stayed at the hospital 2 days and her doctor did check on her. This is after she left and went to the hotel. I haven't read anyone's story where their doctor checked on them the first day back in the hotel.

I'm going to miss eating whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm going to miss Chili's, Outback. S & S Cafeteria, Chick-fil-a, and all the other restaurants that have become a part of my daily routine. That being said, I won't miss them enough to stay fat. I want to buckle my own freaking sandals. I want to go hiking with my hubby. I want my son not to make some passing comment about my weight and how I use to look. I want my hubby to be able to pick me up. I want to walk up the one flight of steps at my college without sounding like I ran a marathon. I want to walk like a person, not a penguin. I want to look down and see my panties. I want to have a waist again. I want to see my jawline. I want women to stop looking at my husband and then looking at me like they don't get it. Forget food. Life is too freaking short.

I've read a ton of reviews for A Lighter Me, just do a search with A Lighter Me in quotes, and I've only found one negative review. The girl said she loved Dr. Lopez but she got freaked out when she was in the hotel and woke up to heavy drainage from her wound. She didn't call the medical coordinator, Eduardo, who makes sure to give you his number and tells you to call him if you need anything at any time. Instead she called the driver, Abraham, who told her what she was experiencing was normal, and her US coordinator, who called her back after an hour. She was not happy. Even the owner of ALM got in touch with her. Since I've never had a US doctor call me back within an hour, this has not discouraged me in the least. She ended up going to a Walmart for bandages and having yogurt afterwards, so no, she wasn't dying. Dr. Lopez stays at the Marriott when he's in town so that he's close to his patients and when he saw her that night, he said she was fine and removed her drain. As for a 2nd negative review, I haven't found one. Here's a list of several of the reviews I've found so far - http://www.verticals..._"a lighter me" http://www.verticals...12/#entry622274 http://www.verticals..._"a lighter me" http://www.verticals...ep/#entry737945 Here's the negative one: http://www.verticals..._"a lighter me" I know everything freaked me out when I first started researching so don't let this freak you out. Dr. Lopez has consistently been given high praise, he's a member of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, he's written several weight loss articles, and he trains other surgeons to perform bariatric surgeries.

Hi everyone, I'm in Greenville and I'm getting sleeved May 8 by Dr. alejandro lopez Ortega in Tijuana, Mexico. I'm so freaking scared is ridiculous. Does anyone in the Upstate know of a support group I can join? Thanks ya'll!

I set my surgery date yesterday with Ronda at ALighterMe for May 8th with Dr. Alejandro Lopez Ortega. I'm so excited and scared it's not funny. I'm starting my pre-op diet this Saturday and then the 3 day liquid diet on May 5th. I'm going to be in the hospital 2 days and then in the hotel for 2 days before I fly home. I'll get back on the 13th, a Monday. Right now my plans are to start summer school that next day. Do you think that's realistic? When is everybody else starting their diets?