RellaBelle

Like @@InfiniteButterfly, I have anxiety issues and have absolutely thought of dying under general anesthesia being a possibility. The reality of where I was headed was a bigger concern as others have said. I have 4 year old twins and one broke their arm this past May that required her to be put under to have pins placed. I cried/snotted everywhere as I watched them put the meds in her IV and watched her go to sleep. 1.5 hours later I was visiting her in the recovery room while she sported a very stylish pink camo cast. I say all that because as nerve wrecking as that situation was... it helped me get over that fear, at least a little bit. I think it helped because the reality of her situation was go under and have her bone properly set and casted or not go under and forever have issues with that arm and lack of movement of her fingers. The unknown is a terrifying thing but I can't let it hinder me. The pros far outweigh the cons for me in this situation as well.

Hey all! I've seen in several different places that your tastes sometimes change after VSG. I was just wondering how everyone's tastes have changed? Anything you use to love but now can't stand or vice verse? What are some foods that just set your stomach off and you can't go near it? My date to joined the sleeve community is 7/24/15.. yeah, over a year away but Im on my way! I just thought this would be an interesting topic :0)

I'm asking because I'm going with Dr Lopez & Dr Osuna, I was originally going to pick Puerto Vallarta because of the shorter flight but found that the surgery in Tijuana was less expensive in several different ways BUT while browsing another gastric sleeve forum thread, here, and found some pretty scary issues. One poster, Luann, was there last year in November and had a godawful experience with the staff being rude and not being attentive, she had a issue with a nurse not wanting to drain her bag when it was quite apparently full, they tried threading her IV with the needle still in place, she developed an infection that was the same as what another person on the same thread had. It was just a bad experience with the staff in general. There were at least 2 other women that said they also had the same experiences with nurses just staring at them and then walking away, brushing off the patients concerns and just concerning behavior in general. This is really concerning to me. I will say that these are the first bad reviews that I've seen about this hospital. I've watched YouTube videos of people who had had their VSG done there and didn't have issues with staff. Just.. really nerve wrecking hearing that woman's story. If you could share your experiences at Hospital MI Doctor, that would be great

Hello again all! I was hyperventilating earlier [figuratively speaking] because I called Dr. Lopez's company, Specialized Bariatrics and spoke with Kathy. She sent me an email with general information, pricing and the health history form. I've already filled out the form and sent it back to her. From what she sent me, the VSG in Puerto Vallarta will start at $5,200. I could save $700 and go to Tijuana and have the price start at $4,500 but I've never been on a plane before and I'd really prefer the 2.5 hour plane ride to PV instead of 4 hours and a car ride across the border. Anyway! Kind of beside the point. My REAL question is has anyone on here ever used their HSA [Health Savings Account] to help pay for the VSG? I called today and was told that because it would be for treatment for obesity and preventive care [i don't have any issues other than the usual aches and pains] and a recommendation letter from my Dr agreeing that I could benefit from it, they didn't see a problem with me using my account for that. That would be FANTASTIC news considering I have a little over $2,300 in the account. They did say to call IRS to be sure but, of course, I couldn't get through and there were no options for anything other than taxes. I did manage to find the guidelines of included expenses for HSA accounts and operations to treat obesity is one of them. I just don't know what to do. I can call IRS and just try whatever option to get through to SOMEONE and ask them to point me in the right direction or I could use it anyway, make sure I have some sort of letter from my Dr and hope I don't get penalized. Grrrr! Any and all thoughts are welcome!

Ok, so it seems I may need to speak with the bariatric surgeon I plan on going to first and find out what type of tests they would like done on future patients. Then I could combine that with what my PCP says they would like for me to have before proceeding.

I have two questions... with planning to have a VSG in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta to be specific, how does the pre testing differ than if you were to go through a US bariatric surgeon? I'm assuming your PCP still had to clear you? What tests were done? Are there some tests that aren't needed since I'm going to MX, like a psych eval? I don't have any medical issues other than the usual aches and pains that come from being overweight. Also, how did you approach your PCP about it? I'm asking because my husband and I have been in Houston for 4 months and I have not met my PCP yet. I will be upfront about what I would like to do but have no idea about how to even begin that conversation, aside from blurting out "HEY! I'd like to go to Mexico to have a VSG done! Whadaya think!?" I'm making calls on Monday to both potential surgeons, my PCP and my HSA account but I'm a little anxious about getting information beforehand. I'm just impatient like that >.<

Exactly why I asked this question.. I knew there would be some things that I would forget or not even think of. @@Travelmego, I was watching a YT video earlier and the girl mentioned have a little cash to give out tips so I'm glad you mentioned it as well. I wasn't sure if that was just her experience or a common thing that no one really mentions. @@Kindle, you can bring bottled drinks on the plane with you? I wasn't aware that you could take drinks with you. That was one of my questions to ask the coordinator or whomever I speak with Monday, was wheter or not the hospital had a filtration system.

Hey guys/gals, What are some must have items that you brought/are going to bring/wish you would have brought along with you on your trip? I see Gas X strips mentioned often, small pillow, heating pad for your back.. anything else?

I've added Dr Joya to my list of possible Dr.'s. How did everything go?

Travelmego! Yes! I saved the link for the spreadsheet they made, that was definitely a huge help. I just couldn't remember their name. Thanks for this as well though.

Hello All! Sorry in advance for the long post! I'm new to the forum and looking for a bit of help. After years of struggling with my weight, and seeing a full body picture showing how large I actually am at last weeks family reunion, I've finally decided that it's time to take action and begin saving for the gastic sleeve procedure. I'm 5'4, 265 lbs with a BMI of 45 [eek!]. I've researched and read forums posts until I was cross eyed! Research is not my strong point but I've done the best I could but a little more help won't hurt. As far as the surgery goes, it would be ideal if it could be done in early Aug of 2015, before my kids go back to school later that month. I've found two places that I'm leaning towards, Dr Perez with Ready 4 a Change in Cancun and Dr Lopez/Dr Osuna with Mexico Bariatric Center in Puerto Vallarta. Both places have financing because, ideally, I would like to have half or more saved up by June or July 2015 and have the rest financed. Of course, that would be in a perfect world but I don't know if that will actually happen or not. I'm also wondering if I should actually call now about getting half of it financed so there will be no surprises when it comes to knowing how much, if any, we are approved for and how much I would need to save. In the meantime, I would like to at least have a decision of what Dr I would like to go through. I also choose those two because they are both no more than a 3 hour flight away. My husband would be coming with me and neither of us has been on a plane before so a shorter flight would be nice though I do have two friends who went to Tijuana and both had great experiences. I've seen posts from people who have gone through Dr Lopez and have had great results, but I don't believe I've noticed posts from anyone who has had their procedure done in Puerto Vallarta. Most reviews, posts and videos are from people who have had their's done in Tijuana [an almost 10 hour flight from TX]. Has anyone gone through Puerto Vallarta? If so, I would love to hear your stories. Or just any Lopez/Osuna experiences in general. As for Dr Perez in Cancun, I'm still researching him but I've heard nothing but good things about Ready 4 a Change. Has anyone gone through him in Cancun? Also, I'm trying to make a list of questions to ask once I start making calls and getting more information. I know I'm just beginning to save but I figure there's no such thing as having information too early. What are some questions that you asked when going through this process? Sorry for all the questions but I want to have all my ducks in a row and get this going. If you stuck with until the end, thank you! LOL