JamieLogical

Well, I'm obviously not basing my decision solely on the Newsweek article, which I haven't even read, honestly. I'm basing my decision on a number of factors, including the couple hundred people on this web site that have had nothing but positive things to say about their experiences with my surgeon and his clinic. Those posts and reviews I actually HAVE read every single word of.
Not to mention the fact that I have traveled for surgery in the past and had a 100% positive experience. So I know first-hand that it's possible for "foreigners" to meet and exceed the level of care we would receive in the US. I know for a fact that had I had my previous surgery in the US, I wouldn't have received anything near the level of care I received in Mexico. I had 24/7 personal nursing care for two full weeks. People having that same surgery here in the US would have been sent home the second or third day to completely fend for themselves.

Annadette, thanks for the update! I love hearing from people who are further out from their surgeries and doing so well. I especially love reading that your life is pretty much normal now. I'm 5 days into my pre-op diet and 11 days from my surgery and "normal" seems so far away right now. So it's encouraging to be reminded this is only temporary.

Who said or implied that? All I said is that the OP shouldn't be so quick to assume that "foreign" surgeons are inherently worse than US surgeons.
Are there Mexican surgeons that are definitely worse and more risky than most US surgeons? Absolutely. But that's where research comes in. I would definitely not go to any surgeon that I thought was putting my life at any more risk than the inherent risk associated with any surgery, no matter what country they were in and no matter how much money it might save me.

Sorry for the confusion. The surgery that I had previously in Mexico was not bariatric surgery. It was plastic surgery. Specifically an extended Tummy Tuck with muscle repair, breast lift with implants, and all over body sculpting with Lipo. It was days before I could even get out of bed on my own, much less shower, use the toilet etc. Had I not had the round the clock nursing care I received, I would have depended on family members to do everything for me. At the time I had that surgery, I was on forums for plastic surgery (very similar to these forums) and I heard stories from dozens of people having their surgery around the same time as me and all of the trials and tribulations they had to endure after being sent home only a day or two post-op. I had the luxury of staying in a facility with adjustable hospital beds, 24/7 nursing care, and all of my meals prepared for me, meeting all of my surgeon's nutritional requirements. It gave me the opportunity to recover in comfort, cared for by people who knew exactly what I needed.
Bariatric surgery has a much less significant recovery time, so I see no reason why someone would need round-the clock care for more than a day or two at most.

Well, I'm obviously not basing my decision solely on the Newsweek article, which I haven't even read, honestly. I'm basing my decision on a number of factors, including the couple hundred people on this web site that have had nothing but positive things to say about their experiences with my surgeon and his clinic. Those posts and reviews I actually HAVE read every single word of.
Not to mention the fact that I have traveled for surgery in the past and had a 100% positive experience. So I know first-hand that it's possible for "foreigners" to meet and exceed the level of care we would receive in the US. I know for a fact that had I had my previous surgery in the US, I wouldn't have received anything near the level of care I received in Mexico. I had 24/7 personal nursing care for two full weeks. People having that same surgery here in the US would have been sent home the second or third day to completely fend for themselves.

You can only qualify for the exchanges if your employer doesn't provide coverage. I'm assuming the OP is like most people and gets coverage through work?

Ever surgeon/nutritionist has different requirements. Unfortunately mine is VERY strict. I'm allowed three Protein shakes per day (with specific nutrition requirements), one green salad with calorie free dressing, and two Snacks of either sugar-free popsicles or sugar-free Jello. I'm on day four and it's not TERRIBLE, but it's not fun. Monday was the worst. I had a bad headache all day and I was dead tired. Once I got over that hump, it hasn't been nearly as bad. Oh, and I'm supposed to keep working out throughout these two weeks. I skipped Monday and went to bed, but I've been working out the rest of the days.

I think it's normal to have cold feet at the last moment, just like with any major, life-altering decision! I'm 12 days away from my surgery and pretty much every waking moment is plagued with thoughts and doubts and excitement and impatience. Nothing has made me question my decision as much as this pre-op diet though! I have to keep reminding myself that it's only two weeks, but this is seriously NOT FUN.
You will be fine! Only one day to go!

I think it's normal to have cold feet at the last moment, just like with any major, life-altering decision! I'm 12 days away from my surgery and pretty much every waking moment is plagued with thoughts and doubts and excitement and impatience. Nothing has made me question my decision as much as this pre-op diet though! I have to keep reminding myself that it's only two weeks, but this is seriously NOT FUN.
You will be fine! Only one day to go!

This is a great article explaining why people gain weight when starting a new workout routine:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan

If you are still on clears I don't think there is any way for you to possibly get all your Protein. I don't think that's something you can realistically be expected to do until you are on full liquids and can get back to Protein Shakes and yogurt and such.

I don't think choosing a surgeon is much different for Canadians than it is for us Americans. Here's how I reached my decision. First I contacted my plastic surgeon (I'd had a Tummy Tuck and breast augmentation in Mexico in 2011) to see if she recommended anyone. She immediately got back to me and recommended the surgeon who had done HER gastric sleeve, as well as her patient coordinator's. Right away that sounded really attractive, as I LOVE my plastic surgeon and trust her judgement 100%. However, the fact that the surgeon she referred me to doesn't speak English and doesn't have an international reputation (not well-known outside of Tijuana) ultimately deterred me.
Next I came to these forums and I read a lot of the posts here. There was a Goolge Docs spreadsheet linked from this post:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/308509-surgeons-in-the-4500-dollar-range/
It has some pricing information and one person's notes on all her research of various doctors in the $4500 price range. I read the whole thing and absorbed all of that information.
Then I read the entirety of this VERY long thread on Ariel Ortiz and the Obesity Control Center (OCC):
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/261806-dr-ariel-ortiz-and-obesity-control-center/
Ultimately, the contents of that thread, along with more research on my own, helped persuade me that Dr. Ortiz and OCC was the best option for me. Yes, they cost about $2000 more than some of the "cheaper" options, but I just felt so confident entrusting a surgeon who was named by Newsweek as one of the top 15 in the world. What is a couple thousand dollars long term when we are talking about a surgery that is going to change the rest of your life?
There are many great surgeons out there and no one is going to be able to tell you what the best option is for YOU, so do your research and draw your own conclusions.

I started my pre-op diet yesterday and I'm not gonna lie. It sucks pretty hard core already. I have a low-grade headache going, but don't want to take anything for it on an empty stomach. And I am super sleepy. I'm way more sleepy than hungry right now. If you offered me a choice between a pizza and a nap, I'd choose the nap hands-down. I'm pretty worried about having the energy to keep up with my workouts. Hopefully my body will adjust and I can make it through these last two weeks at work.

I'm not as worried about the post-op liquid diet as I am about my two week pre-op liquid diet that starts Sunday. I still have 100% of my stomach and I have to go to work every day!

I don't think choosing a surgeon is much different for Canadians than it is for us Americans. Here's how I reached my decision. First I contacted my plastic surgeon (I'd had a Tummy Tuck and breast augmentation in Mexico in 2011) to see if she recommended anyone. She immediately got back to me and recommended the surgeon who had done HER gastric sleeve, as well as her patient coordinator's. Right away that sounded really attractive, as I LOVE my plastic surgeon and trust her judgement 100%. However, the fact that the surgeon she referred me to doesn't speak English and doesn't have an international reputation (not well-known outside of Tijuana) ultimately deterred me.
Next I came to these forums and I read a lot of the posts here. There was a Goolge Docs spreadsheet linked from this post:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/308509-surgeons-in-the-4500-dollar-range/
It has some pricing information and one person's notes on all her research of various doctors in the $4500 price range. I read the whole thing and absorbed all of that information.
Then I read the entirety of this VERY long thread on Ariel Ortiz and the Obesity Control Center (OCC):
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/261806-dr-ariel-ortiz-and-obesity-control-center/
Ultimately, the contents of that thread, along with more research on my own, helped persuade me that Dr. Ortiz and OCC was the best option for me. Yes, they cost about $2000 more than some of the "cheaper" options, but I just felt so confident entrusting a surgeon who was named by Newsweek as one of the top 15 in the world. What is a couple thousand dollars long term when we are talking about a surgery that is going to change the rest of your life?
There are many great surgeons out there and no one is going to be able to tell you what the best option is for YOU, so do your research and draw your own conclusions.

I had a great experience with Dr. Carmina Cardenas of Beauty Enhance. I lost 90 pounds back in 2010/2011 and had an extended Tummy Tuck, breast lift with implants, and all-over Lipo with her in August 2011. Unfortunately I've regained the weight, but my tummy tuck has held up amazingly well. Despite weighing 250 pounds, my stomach is flat and tight. I'm definitely planning to go back to her if I need any revisions or additional work done once I am sleeved and get to my goal weight.

Here were my expenses so far:
Cost of Surgery, included night in clinic and two nights in hotel
Two additional nights in hotels, one pre-op and one post-op... the extra night post-op is due to what time my flight leaves
Round-trip Flights
Take-home Meds
Cash for tips and incidentals
Passport Card - I have an enhanced license which gets me back into the US, but apparently Mexico recently passed a law requiring a passport or passport card to enter Mexico
Other than that, most of the money I'm spending is on Vitamins and Protein shakes and whatnot, which you'd need to buy no matter where you have your surgery.

Joatsaint, I just started watching some of your youtube videos and they are AMAZING. Thank you so much for posting them!

I'm having my surgery on the 1st and I went through and made a calendar of August (pre-op) through October with notes about which days I can start which supplements and foods. I carefully went through the entire post-op plan provided by my nutritionist and marked down everything on the calendars. So, hopefully I'll be able to do everything right if I just follow the calendar. I'm going to tape the pages up on the cabinets in my kitchen, so I will always be reminded every day.

Aw, your story about convincing your son that you would melt if you went outside just breaks my heart. Thank goodness you are on a path to a healthier life now and you will be able to go outside and play with your new baby!

Yes, this has REALLY been bothering me lately. I can't think of anything else. I even dream about it at night. I want to live my REAL LIFE! I hate that I can't think about or talk about anything else. My work is suffering, my relationship is suffering, it is NOT healthy! I've even thought to myself several times that maybe I should just cancel it altogether, so I can get back to being functional. But, I'm hoping that a few weeks after the surgery is done (on Sept. 1), I can start thinking about other things again. Maybe?

Yes, this has REALLY been bothering me lately. I can't think of anything else. I even dream about it at night. I want to live my REAL LIFE! I hate that I can't think about or talk about anything else. My work is suffering, my relationship is suffering, it is NOT healthy! I've even thought to myself several times that maybe I should just cancel it altogether, so I can get back to being functional. But, I'm hoping that a few weeks after the surgery is done (on Sept. 1), I can start thinking about other things again. Maybe?

Protein shakes will be much cheaper if you buy powder and mix it yourself, versus buying pre-mixed shakes.< /p>
Vitamins are going to be pricey, depending on what your surgeon/nutritionist requires. My nutritionist wants me on a bariatric Multivitamin three times per day for the rest of my life. I've seen some on here saying they only take two Flintstone chewables per day. So that's quite a range in pricing. The bariatric Vitamins I will be taking are about $100 for a four month supply, so $25/month. A quick search of my local grocery store's website shows Flintstones selling for $6.29 for a 60 count, so that would be a month supply if you were only taking two per day. So, that's a pretty big range in prices from $6.29 to $25 per month depending on your surgeon's recommendations.
In addition to a Multivitamin, you will likely also be taking Calcium citrate with D3, sublingual B12, and possibly some Probiotics. These all vary in price as well. I paid $16 for a three-month supply of calcium citrate with D3, so that's $5.30 per month. I paid $10 for a three month supply of B12, so that's $3.33 per month. And my probiotic is $22.50 for a one month supply.
All told, that puts me at $56.13 per month, but I take the expensive bariatric Multivitamins and Probiotics, which not all nutritionists or surgeons will require. If you were only taking Flintstones vitamins and no probiotic, you could get away with as little as about $15 per month.

Hahaha! Aw... I was so ready to read your rant. Hope you will get it posted today!

I bought a bunch of sugar-free Torani syrups to flavor my Protein shakes. Though they do have sucralose (Splenda), which I know some people try to avoid.
Here's a link to all their sugar-free flavors (there are TONS of them):
http://shop.torani.com/Sugar-Free-Syrups/c/Torani@SugarFreeSyrups