baribetty

I lost 120 pounds and have the same cup size, just lost some density on top.

Ive had the surgery and so has my partner. I can promise you, you cannot get away with not telling your husband if you live together unless you take a good 2 weeks away, never show him your stomach again (incisions/scars) and stop eating together (forever?).

This is a major change and major surgery with a recovery period. You can’t lift things for a good period of time! You can’t walk fast or far for a while. You can only sip Water and eat a couple tablespoons at once.

Talking to a doctor together and therapist would be a better route. He may feel very hurt by you going behind his back. Especially going under anesthesia and having surgery.

Ultimately, you should do what YOU want to do, but please don’t do it in secret without some support, or having the pressure of lying to your spouse about it. If you were single, I’d say you could get away with not telling anyone, but a partner you live with? Can’t imagine that being possible.

I’m sorry you’re going through this, I can’t imagine how difficult this is, and I’m bummed he can’t get excited for you and your future TOGETHER! Good things will come after surgery for him too!!

01/12/2023 01:02 AM, shelleyrenee3 said:

People reading this that may be looking for “the best” surgery center in Mexico. A friend went to OCC (obesity control center) and she said it was unbelievably clean and best experience. She said it was 5 stars all the way. (Just thought i’d add my 2 cents)

I had a VSG through Kaiser, and my partner had theirs through MBC

tldr: MBC falls short in care and cleanliness, Kaiser is cheaper but takes 4-5 months.

With Kaiser, I took 16 weeks worth of classes, did pre-op tests, EKG etc, waited a couple weeks and then had surgery for about $700. Kaiser is certainly the longer but cheaper pathway. I also think there is a lot of value in getting your head in the right place before surgery, and committing to 4+ months of pre-op does the job. It is annoying and hard to wrap your head around at the beginning but it went by quickly for me, even having to drive 1.5 hours each way to classes. I’m glad I used Kaiser so we have the resources given to me for him to use as well.

MBC: Surgery is scheduled 2 weeks out from pre-approval (website form) and deposit, as thats the timeline required for the pre op diet. This is VERY fast and convenient. We paid about $5000.

We are all familiar enough with US standards for hospitals, so here is where MBC falls short on that front:

- his incisions bled through his gown after surgery, they would not give him a clean gown and told him he should just put on his street clothes. So, he wore a bloody gown for 2 days as the waist band on his sweat pants would’ve been super uncomfortable.
- bandages/tape on floor of recovery room from previous patient.
- Less than ideal bathroom cleanliness in room
- Broken toilet for the entirety of his stay (he requested it to be looked at, at least 6 times before just pleading for it to be turned off at the Water so it would stop running so he could sleep. There was urine and vomit in his toilet for his whole stay.

Care comparison:

Kaiser: I was on a morphine drip and could push the button every 10 minutes if I was experiencing pain. I was given injections for nausea. Lots of room to walk the halls. Attentive nursing staff. It was overall great.

MBC: any time he asked for pain or nausea medication the nurse would say “I will check” and leave the room. Then, he’d wait an hour and have to ask again, only to hear the same response. You’re pretty on your own during recovery. He found that this was also the case for the other patients he drove back to San Diego with after surgery. It was not simply a bad experience, but the standard.

Technically MBC contracts with the hospital to use their facility, and the nurses do not work for them directly. They have no skin in the MBC game when it comes to patient satisfaction and it shows. We hoped that tipping would help, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.

My incisions with Kaiser were glued shut. His were open and we changed the gauze every day. It’s a little scary looking and you’re left wondering, “is this normal? Are these infected?”

Kaiser: no drain, no leak test
MBC: drain and leak test.

Kaiser: you get a full binder of pre and post op instructions with diet guides for life.
MBC: all of their instructions are on their website. What you see online before surgery is generally what you get in that regard. It is convenient to google quick answers to things like how many Fluid ounces I should be having, etc and accessing the info easily on their website however it is no where near as comprehensive as Kaiser.

Feel free to ask me anything, I’m sure there’s more for me to add and I will in comments.

If you go with MBC, you should have low expectations and be willing and comfortable advocating for yourself.

Ultimately, both work but the cleanliness and lack of care from MBC made me uneasy.

Yes. It helps a ton with incision pain. Highly recommend it!

On 10/18/2021 at 08:09, itsme_yourYaya said:

My surgery is November 4 with Dr. Fok Russell through Medicalmex in Tijuana. I live in Missouri and wish I could've had it here but my insurance didn't cover.

On 11/04/2022 at 12:37, seebee said:

This morning they quoted me $16,499 for self pay, which is waaaaaayyyy outside my spend range. I'm disappointed to say the least.

Has anyone gone to Heartland Weight Loss clinic? They advertise $9,999 self pay VSG but I don’t see a lot of information about them online.

How did it go?

Wow, that sounds awful, Im so sorry! How was your experience with your doctor in Mexico? Would you choose the same surgeon? Anything to watch for?

Thanks!

Can anyone share their timeline with Blossom Bariatrics?

On 10/05/2022 at 11:41, SuziDavis said:

from what I have seen on this forum, there isn't much post op anything.

On 06/08/2021 at 04:41, Crystalmoon said:

Recently went to Tijuana Mexico and had my gastric sleeve surgery with Dr. Elias Ortiz. This has been a wonderful experience. I’m looking for others who have done so as well share your experience on this thread. Hope to read some of your experiences soon.

Hello!

My partner is considering doing self pay in Mexico (I went though Kaiser, it was great but slow).

I’m wondering if others can share their experience with post op care. I’ve seen people say they’ve been refused care because they got the surgery done in Mexico.
Some have said don’t tell your doctor where you got it done… how would someone skirt around that? Say “I got a VSG, but I refuse to tell you where?” (Awkward?!)

What about post op labs?
What if there are complications once you’re home?

He is on MediCal through the end of the year and will probably switch to BCBS or Kaiser next year.

Thanks for any insight or experiences you are willing to share

Hello! I went through Kaiser for my VSG a few years ago and now my husband is interested in having the surgery as well.
He is changing insurance and I’m wondering if anyone has had a really smooth and easy approval and surgery process. Might as well shoot for the best! If you have suggestions, please let me know. Thank you!

Just a tidbit here... I didn’t consume any marijuana around my surgery, then a couple months in I started using it a bit. A few months after that I stopped and dropped 20 lingering pounds. I can eat SO much more (and want to) when I’m high.

On 11/20/2019 at 09:22, mjp9281 said:

Hi! I live in the Inland Empire and also have kaiser. I will be going to see my primary doctor today and will be asking to get a referral to get bariatric surgery. Do you have any advice as to what type of questions I should ask and is Kaiser in the IE fairly easy to get an approval? Also, what is the process for the surgery? I have high blood pressure which recently I ended up in the emergency room. I have other health issues related to my weight and have tried several diets and I am currently on weight watchers for the past year but have done weight watchers on and off since 2009.

I walked out of the last options class and immediately called to make an appt with the Surgeon. I believe there was about a 3 week wait? Then at the appt I said I was ready when he was, and had the surgery 11 days later! I went through Options at Kaiser in Fontana. Let me know if you have more questions! Good luck :)

I have told only a few family members and one friend. I’m two years out, lost 123 pounds and no one has raised an eyebrow bc it is such a gradual process. You don’t need to tell anyone you don’t want to know. I’m glad I didn’t tell anyone else. It adds pressure and judgement. 

I suggest having a stomach binder. It will help add pressure to the incisions and relieve pain. Best of luck! I’m two years out, I was scared as hell, but it was 100% worth it.

Hi friends! I know this thread is old, but since we are at our two year surgiversary, I thought I’d check in. I’ve lost about 123 pounds (HW 289), and I’m feeling pretty normal at this new size, meaning I’ve gotten used to it. I feel good, but still have insecurities like loose tummy and inner thigh skin. Overall, really happy to have had the surgery and would do it all over again.
How’s everyone else doing??

On 11/26/2018 at 21:01, lisalynne65 said:

Kaiser is really hard to get approval from. I had RNY in 2016 and I tried to get them to do a Tummy Tuck about 6 months ago but they denied it. They told me I didn’t have enough hanging skin and I didn’t start out at a high enough weight. My highest weight was 265 and I’m at 175. I ended up going to a plastic surgeon and I’m having the surgery Wednesday. If you started at a higher weight you have a good chance they will do it

I told a very select few, and I’m glad I didn’t tell more people. I don’t need the world of Facebook watching (and judging) my journey. I think it could be a good level of accountability for some, but for me, no way.

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On 09/03/2018 at 19:32, JSchool10 said:

On 08/14/18 I underwent my bilateral arm lift and my Tummy Tuck with muscle repair. I’m three weeks post op, and feeling well. It hasn’t been all easy, but for the most part this was a fairly easy recovery. I’m slowly seeing the swelling going down and the results. I’m very excited for my future. A few things that I struggled with was allowing people to do things for me. While I was in the hospital for two days, the fact I couldn’t walk by myself, feed myself, or wipe myself was a really hard pill to swallow since I’m fairly independent. Once I got home, I had my niece here for the first week to at least help with my puppies, and a home health agency checked in on me a few times to make sure I was alright. My husband would change my dressings once a day after he got home from work. I didn’t eat much the first week and slept ALOT! I was not allowed to sleep in my bed, so I chose the recliner. I used about 6-8 pillows, and I’m down to about 3-4 now. I have not been signed off to drive yet, or stand upright completely. I have a follow up on 09/05/18 so hopefully I get good news. If anyone is looking for support/has questions let me know. I used YouTube to binge watch videos to have myself prepared but there surprising isn’t a lot of stuff out there. My highest weight was 299. I was 181 on surgery day 2.5 years after RNY. They removed 4lbs from my stomach, and 1lb from each arm. Right now with the swelling I’m 178. I plan to return to the gym as soon as they allow me to. My goal now is to tone my muscles for my next surgery whenever that takes place :) I’m lucky enough my insurance covered everything but the muscle repair which I paid for out of pocket ($950). I plan on submitting to my insurance for my thighs in the future along with a breast augmentation which I will probably end up paying for myself (which I’m okay with). I really hope everyone on this journey has a successful outcome with an easy and fast recovery! ❤️