Proud2BMe

If you don't meet the requirements you will have to pay for it out of pocket. Check with your health insurance to find out what the requirements are.

You need to do research and not just post a question on this site. There are multiple companies and doctors to choose from. Take your time and Google for information, recommendations and research various doctors and clinics. When going to Tijuana you will go through a company or a surgeon directly. You will generally fly into San Diego and then be driven across the border for your surgery. You will stay a couple of days and then driven back to the airport to go home. I had my surgery in May with dr. verboonen through the Obesity Goodbye Center. It was great. No real pain. No complications. My surgery cost $4,500. I paid $800 extra to have my gall bladder removed. I paid $1400 for 2 first class seats on the plane. I also took about $1,000 spending money but didn't really spend much of it.

$4,500, I had my surgery in Tijuana. In my state the cost would have been about $20,000 so I decided to go to Mexico. I also had my gall bladder removed at the same time for $800 more and I paid for 2 first class seats on the plane which was about $1400. $4,500, I had my surgery in Tijuana. In my state the cost would have been about $20,000 so I decided to go to Mexico. I also had my gall bladder removed at the same time for $800 more and I paid for 2 first class seats on the plane which was about $1400.

Everyone who lies and doesn't tell the truth is part of the problem and not the solution. There's no shame in surgery but there is shame in people who lie about it. Every time I have someone ask me if I've lost a lot of weight I always tell them I had weight loss surgery.

Everyone's different but men will usually lose weight on their legs, butt and the fat pad above their pelvis before they will lose weight on their stomach. After I lost 125 pounds I noticed that I can now feel bone there.

I had mine with Dr. V in Tijuana back on May 12. No real pain or complications. He is a great doctor. You will be fine.

Before surgery I would routinely order a large pizza and eat the whole thing for dinner. Post surgery I can't tolerate more than a couple of bites of one slice and I'm not quite 6 months out! The good news is that I no longer crave pizza. So I'm assuming that the longer you go without it the less you want it.

Thousands of Americans go to Mexico for surgery each year and are perfectly fine. The incidents of "bad stuff" happening are very rare. Many of the doctors are actually trained in the U.S. Also, probably not a good idea to compare different surgeries. The gastric sleeve is far more simple and less obtrusive than plastic surgery, such as a tummy tuck. There are far more risks associated with plastic surgery than with the gastric sleeve. I know a good handful of people who had "bad stuff" happen to them in the states, even knew one person who died who had their weight loss surgery in my state. We worked together and she got her insurance to cover it (gastric bypass) and then died 2 weeks after surgery from infection. Mexico is an option for people who either don't have insurance or whose insurance company refuses to pay for the procedure. You also don't have to jump through hoops when going to Mexico for surgery either.

Please keep in mind that Mexico is an option. It's self pay, around $4,500 plus air fare and some additional spending money. When you come back you can get follow up treatment by a doctor of your choice. So don't think it's hopeless. I had my surgery in Mexico. You also don't have to jump through the hoops that insurance companies make you do here in the states.

If they test you for nicotine then it's not okay. If you go to Mexico to have your surgery you should be fine. My doctor told me not to smoke but I had already quite 2 years prior and was simply vaping. I vaped up until the day of my surgery. After my surgery I didn't feel like vaping for a couple of days. However, I quickly recovered and began vaping as normal.

Michelle, It really bothers me when people just give up without exploring every option that is available. Save up about 6-7 thousand dollars and go to Mexico and have your surgery. We have an entire sub-forum on it. I saved up for 8 months to have my surgery in Tijuana simply because I didn't want to jump through the hoops of insurance companies. It was worth every penny. Don't give up. Just be creative and think outside the box.

It's been used in the UK for years. However, unlike the sleeve and gastric bypass, the balloon does not diminish your hunger. The balloon also deteriorates in your stomach and can not be kept in for an extended period of time and will have to be removed and/or replaced. In the UK they use the balloon as a preliminary procedure for patients who need to loose a good deal of weight before qualifying for weight loss surgery.

Omeprazole is for stomach acid.

Please keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of "studies" are b.s. and are written specifically to garner attention for the authors. A study should never be confused with a scientific fact.

What utter nonsense.

You can buy it in any store. It doesn't have to be organic or even have the "mother" mentioned above. In fact, it doesn't have to be apple cider vinegar specifically. Any vinegar will work. People who take it claim it helps them in almost every disease or disorder imaginable. However, the truth is there's no evidence it works. Also, there is a drawback. Drinking vinegar, even diluted, can seriously harm your teeth and can lead to stomach issues. So drink it sparingly. People who drink it use 1-2 teaspoons per normal size glass of Water, about 8oz as mentioned above. I've tried it and I can tell you that 2 teaspoons is too much and will burn your stomach and tastes awful.

Talk to your doctor.

It happens from time to time and it will happen again. This will not be the last time you eat too much and will vomit. Sometimes you will even find that if you eat while you are excited or emotional you will also vomit even though you didn't eat that much. It just goes with the territory. I just learned that I have a weakness for popcorn. My sleeve can amazingly hold a great deal of it. The last time I went to the movies I ate an entire child's size container. I was horrified as I only planned on eating a handful. And then today when I went to the bank they had popcorn and I ate an entire bag. Now I realize I have to completely cut it out because I can't control myself around it.

I went to Mexico where they don't do this. I quit smoking over 2 years ago but I vape. I love going to Mexico because I didn't have to jump through the hoop that everyone in the states has to. I was vaping right up to the hours before my surgery. After my surgery I didn't feel like vaping for a few days but now I have returned to normal.

I had the glue. I was great though for some reason I kept thinking I had stitches and was upset that I would have to go back to get them removed.

Just plain Water. Absolutely no sugary beverages. I would avoid fruit water because fructose in fruit is bad. I was reading something yesterday about how fructose cause more weight gain than sucrose (table sugar).

Too many carbs. Carbs will quickly sabotage you.

Using a smaller bougie is associated with complications that require additional surgeries to resolve, such as strictures. At least that's what my doctor told me.

I wore my old clothes as long as possible because I didn't want to spend a fortune on repeatedly buying clothes. So I ended up having to punch new holes in my belt and just keep pulling it tighter and tighter. Eventually my jeans began looking like parachute pants, especially after losing over 100 lbs. The first negative comment from a person about my pants was a sign that it was now time to purchase new clothes.

Okay, so this will be the first year that I won't be able to eat any real sweets on Halloween. Normally the holiday is a major excuse for my prior binge eating. No joke but I literally could consume an entire bag of the individually wrapped Reese's Peanut Butter cups as well as a dozen Halloween cupcakes over the course of a day. My sleeve put an end to that! So, Halloween is fast approaching and I thought I would share some good treats we might be able to enjoy. Feel free to post your own! 1. Atkins candy - You can purchase this at Walmart and other location. I've only tried the peanut butter cups and the fake M&Ms. The fake M&Ms are good, the peanut butter cups, not so much. 2. sugar free candy 3. Sugar free cakes, cupcakes and Cookies - Show caution as they still have carbs 4. sugar-free Jello - molded to form spooky shapes 5. Nuts of all varieities 6. Miniature Caramel Apples - See video below. Just make sure to use nuts as a topping and not cookies or candy. Make sure to show self-control. If you eat too many you might as well be eating a regular sized caramel apple. Protein. Portion size is one ball around the size of a golf ball. 8. Miniature Marshmallow Treats - Ditto on not eating too many. Portion size should be around the size of a saltine cracker. Remember, these are just to allow us to participate in the holiday and give us a taste of the goodies. What would you recommend?