mareana

Ouch... Okay thank you. I heard there is a doctor in Michigan that does sleeve for 11,000 but didn't get his name
thank you

I finally have my surgery scheduled!! I am going to Michigan and having surgery with Dr. Mark Pleatman. I am so excited but also nervous!! Has anyone gone to him? Just curious of others experiences.

Also, as far as after surgery for self-payers, did you have any issues receiving follow up care? If I have any issues will I get turned away from other doctors? I have an appointment with my PCP and I'm going to make sure he's okay with it, I just am worried that no one will help me.

I'm so ready for this but I also feel like I'm not prepared!

Any other advice anyone could offer would be great!!

Thank you everyone for your advice! I am planning on having surgery in August or September to give myself time to grieve a lose some weight one my own.

So, I have pretty much decided on going to Mexico for surgery. I just wanted to see if I can get some input/advice from people who have gone to Mexico. I am scared and nervous and thinking about everything that could go wrong. I know a lot of people do it but it's so scary to think of having something like this done so far away from home. Is there anything you guys can tell me to help me make my decision? I haven't found anything negative about Tijuana Bariatrics but I just want to make sure I make the right decision.

So sorry for all of the chaos in your life and the loss of your dad.
As for going to Mexico for surgery, I've done it twice. The first time was back in 2005 to get my LapBand, and the second was nearly two weeks ago to get it converted to the VSG. Both times, Dr. Pedro Kuri was my surgeon. My wife also used Dr. Kuri for her band back in 2006.
Dr. Kuri has an excellent team around him from Carlos, the driver who picks you up at and takes you back to the San Diego airport, Dr. Peterson who gives you your pre-op physical, Joann (patient coordinator and source of information before and after your procedure), and the doctors who fill out his team. All top notch! The only complicating factor is that the hospital he uses doesn't have staff who all speak English. The two years of Spanish I had in high school nearly 30 years ago only goes so far, know what I mean? I made good use of Google Translate on my phone and it got me through a couple of spots.
Otherwise, it's $5,500 for the VSG plus any travel expenses you incur in getting to him.
I'd be happy to answer any other questions regarding my experience with Dr. Kuri. Just ask.

So, a few things have occurred over the last few days. My dad passed away in a terrible motorcycle accident and his wife, my step mom, is in critical condition. Alongside of dealing with the pain of losing my father, my hero, (I am 23, he was not supposed to leave me this soon) and dealing with attorneys for his estate and lawsuit, i am in the middle of my pre op diet and going through the motions and I am losing my insurance. My mom is putting me on hers, but I don't think it covers bariatric surgery.

I don't want to be selfish in thinking about this at a time like this but I have appointments coming up that I'm trying to get with my patient advocate about to see if I should go to them.

I am just wondering if I should keep going or if I should step back and just take the plunge and go to Mexico. I almost made the decision to go to Mexico before but decided to start the program I'm in now. What is every ones experience with mexico? Is it sketchy? Scary? Way more expensive and not worth it? I did a lot of research on it before and every thing seemed legit but I am still a little bit not convinced. Can anyone offer me some insight on this?

No I havent had to do a pre op diet yet. I do believe I will have to only do a 2-3 day liquid diet right before surgery. My BmI is 36.8 and I was approved through my ins.

No I havent had to do a pre op diet yet. I do believe I will have to only do a 2-3 day liquid diet right before surgery. My BmI is 36.8 and I was approved through my ins.

No I havent had to do a pre op diet yet. I do believe I will have to only do a 2-3 day liquid diet right before surgery. My BmI is 36.8 and I was approved through my ins.

Just curious- did you have to do a pre op diet? I'm worried about dipping below 40 BMI and not being approved. I see that you were approved, but did you have any issues with that?

That is exactly what I repeat to myself "invest in yourself, it's about time" I dam near spent almost all my taxes on this lol and i wanted to use that money for my vacation in December. But what's the point of going on vacation if I have to call for weight limits for things like kayak, horse riding, zip lining. I'd rather spent whatever on making sure I have no more limits on life, to be healthy. And if this surgery can increase my chances of having children then amen! Lol. This is an investment and will continue to be an investment if you think of the cost of Vitamins, plastic surgery, and healthy food which for some reason is so much more expensive than junk food lol. If this is what you really want then go for it! Maybe learn to budget so you can accommodate this new lifestyle, that is the stage I am in now and my surgery is in 2 weeks. But I am one of those people who like to prep/plan ahead lol. But good luck! And you got this, just remember it will be worth it in the long run [emoji6]

I am in month 2 of 4 of my pre op stages. I have good days and bad days. Today is a bad day.

I just keep thinking to myself, "is it worth all this money?" I keep getting bill after bill for each appointment, and then I keep thinking, Jesus dude, I still have to pay $6,000 for surgery!! Like, why am I doing this to myself? I'm trying to live my life and do things and I can't because I have to save every penny extra for all these appointments and the huge expense of surgery. My boyfriend is very good at getting me to see the big picture but when I am sitting here stuck in my head I stress myself out so much about it. Not only am I going to have life altering surgery, I'm going to pay a life altering amount of money for it. That money could go toward a house, my retirement account, or a wedding!

But I just keep thinking of the phrase "invest in yourself".

I could spend $6,000 on gym, special diets, or junk food in one year.

To look at it that way puts it into such a different perspective. I can change my life for less than $10,000 and lose this weight, be happier and healthier, and live a longer life and spend my old age with my amazing partner and my future children. That's what gets me. Those future children. I have to be healthy for them and teach them how to live a healthy life!

I guess I just need to remember "invest in yourself, and think about those future kids"

I guess I just needed to rant. No one around me understand what's happening in my head and you guys make my day better because you know what it's like.

I haven't had surgery yet but I have only told important people. My parents, sisters, in laws, my boss and HR Person, and my really close friends/coworkers. I haven't really decided what I'm going to tell people. Everyone in my life including coworkers know that I have been trying to lose weight for years. I'm the one who says no to donuts and cake on birthdays so they already know I'm trying to lose the weight so once it starts really happening hopefully they are expecting it. I think I will just say whatever comes out of my mouth at the time of the question. I'm in no way ashamed, but people are very judgy. All they need to know is what you want them to know. And diet and exercise is a real thing that you're doing so it's not a lie. You worked really hard and they don't need to know that you had surgery to help. You are working your butt off to meet your goal and that's what matters! And that's all people need to know. You needed a change and you made it happen.

I would say call your insurance provider and ask.
Or ask your doctors office, I am sure they have encountered this before.
Last option, don't loose too much weight before surgery [emoji6]

I was also worried about it because I was on the cusp of 40 BMI. My doctor told me that insurance looks at your original BMI as the qualifying BMI. I was approved even though my BMI dipped down to 39.5 after the supervised diet.

I am stressing myself out about losing too much weight and being rejected. My insurance requires a BMI of 40 to be considered. Mine is currently 47.5. I have a 3 month diet, and if I lose more that 40 pounds my BMI is going to drop to 39. I am so worried that I will have gone through this for nothing. 3 days into my diet and I am already down 3 pounds. Not complaining, I want to lose as much as possible for surgery to reduce lose skin and build good eating/exercise diets NOW rather than post op,

I am just so stressed thinking that I could possibly lose too much. Is this possible? Has this ever happened to any one? I have aetna.

Side note: I do not have any obesity related diseases so the need for surgery is based solely off my BMI.

Sounds like you need some fat. Remember, eating fat is not bad if it's from a natural source such as butter, cream, animal fats, etc. If you eat fat while consuming high carb, then that fat has something to stick to...the starch. When you keep your carbs low, the fat will go right through you. Your brain and body needs it for energy, to combat those cravings and keep you full.
When I'm eating under 20 net carbs (carbohydrates minus the fiber equals net carbs), I aim to eat 100 grams of fat a day. So for breakfast I'll have an omelet with a couple of slices of bacon. lunch can be tuna salad over greens or home made cheddar broccoli Soup. dinner can be chicken/beef/pork with green vegetables. Always use real butter over margarine and never eat sugar. If you've never ate like this before, it will be a mental struggle since all you've known until now is that fat is bad. Also, you'll go through sugar/carbs/crap detox for a several days. That means a lot of peeing, pooping, and irritability. Just like any detox. Once you ride that out, you'll find a natural high like never before. When I'm in ketosis, I find it hard to sleep because my energy level is so high. I also lose between 15-20 pounds a month. Remember to take your Vitamins and make sure you drink at least 64 ounces of water!
You can do this!

I just started my 3 month supervised diet and I am struggling already, craving bread and Pasta just because I can't have it! What did you all do to get through the diet? What sort of substitutes did you use? I already sub ground beef for ground turkey, and I try not to eat white bread but now that it's off limits I'm craving it. How did you get past it? I know that the first 2 weeks of a diet are the hardest and I just want to get through these two weeks without cheating so I can make myself stick to it! Any advice would be appreciated

Congratulations on your decision for better health! I'm pre-op too and have been making small changes these last few months to my diet to help prepare me for the pre-op diet and ultimately post-op. I'd encourage you to read up on the threads and even use the search when you've got a question to get a lot of them answered. Or you can just ask. [emoji4]
As for skin, there are numerous variables in whether or not your skin will bounce back. How big you are, how old you are, smoker or non smoker, in my opinion , even what your skin tone is. I don't think there's a miracle lotion to shrink skin, but you can moisturizer and eliminate scarring, etc. Doing strength exercises (weights) will definitely help in that area. Build that muscle!
Cant help on the stocking stuff, I haven't bothered to do that yet. I'm about a month out from surgery or so (don't have a definitive date yet). I tend to procrastinate too, so...

Hi everyone! I have just started this process. I am going to the nutritionist on Monday and will be starting my 4 month supervised diet. Does anyone have any advice for me? I have a million thoughts and feelings and I can talk to my boyfriend and family but no one really understands. I am worried about having lose skin. I'm 23 and all I want to do is wear shorts!! Does any one have any advice on workouts that will help tone and prevent? Any products that have helped with lose skin? Lotions/wraps? I want to do anything I possibly can to help prevent as much as possible. Also, any advice on how to prepare for post op? What should I start stocking up on besides the obvious things like soups/protein shakes, etc.? I will be having surgery in July and want to be as prepared as possible for what is to come.

I also have to do a 2 week pre op Optifast liquid diet. What helped you get through those 2 weeks?