JustGrace49

27 minutes ago, Lily66 said:

If you’re having no complications, you and your PCP may be able to monitor your journey. You can order your own labs through www.requestatest.com. I have used them past few years and very simple. Go to their website, order the labs you want, choose the lab nearest you to go for blood draw.

My WLS was 3/11/20, Covid took over right then, so my follow up appointments have just been brief and over the phone with surgeon/nurse. As long as I’m not having issues, all that matters to them are the labs. You can also seek out a nutritionist if you feel you need one.

So glad all is going well for you!

Holy Cow, I had no idea I could order my own labs! Thank you very much... Wonder if insurance will pay for it if I order my own? I will definitely check into it.

Congratulations on your surgery and your weight loss of 51 pounds... How much weight loss were you at 3 months post op? How many calories are you eating per day... are you exercising? How much Protein per day?

Maybe I do need a nutritionist because I know what I’m suppose to be doing more protein but I only get in around 40 per day without shakes. I find that to keep my calories under 800 I eat less protein.

They gave me a copy of my medical records to I will take that when I go. As fort cost, since I didn’t qualify here in the US with a BMI of 39, I would have to pay it myself. The cheapest I found In the US was $14,000 paying it myself. I paid less than $5,000 total for Mexico. Even if I had qualified for my insurance, my deductible would have been $1500, then 20% of every bill after. They make you go to lots of appointments, labs, psychiatrists etc... so it would have been at least the same........ if I had qualified.

I was looking into weight loss surgery a couple years ago and that is when I discovered that at 38-39 BMI I wasn’t fat enough and I didn’t have any co-morbidities. So they set me up on a diet program through my health insurance and told me I had to do that program for 6 months. I can’t remember the name of the program, but it was a diet similar to the food guide pyramid but eating a lot less. I was hungry all the time. Seriously, who do they think we are? We have a quart to gallon sized stomach and they want us to eat as if it is pint sized or even smaller. A set up for failure. I didn’t last but a couple months, barely lost any weight and was even more depressed. Ended up getting divorced and then looking into the surgery again. That’s when I saw an ad for a VGS in Mexico. I was like WHAT!?! I was shocked that people did this but it intrigued me. Then I started doing research, tons of it. YouTube, internet... Found some really good Youtubers who talked about their experience, one of them a nurse. Discovered what to look for in the hospital, what to look for in a doctor. Found out that Medical Tourism is a big thing and it’s not just for VGS. I got paranoid I would send them a $4,500 cashiers check and it would vanish. The whole thing was scary. But..... what an amazing experience. Everything went very smooth. No psychiatrist appointment, no 6 months of dieting, no pre-labs. Made the call and had an appointment a month later. The only requirement was based on BMI and I had to start a diet 1 week before surgery to reduce fat on my liver and then the typical 2 days of clear liquid diet. Flew in to San Diego, they picked me up and took me to the hospital, did some blood work. Next day surgery, stayed two nights and then they dropped me off at the airport. No problems. I did this all alone, no companion. I was very nervous.

My only hick up is finding a doctor here in the US who will do follow up. I scheduled an appointment with a internal medicine doctor and went to that and discovered their first appointment is a “get to know you” appointment. What is this? I have never heard of it. Seems like a way just to collect an extra appointments worth of money? So I walked out since no one told me in advance. Sorry, I work and don’t have time for doctors who require multiple appointments so they can collect as much money as possible. Nor do I want to pay a doctor $150 to get to know me. I feel like this was a scam. I’m simple, no health problems only surgery ever was my c-section and this VGS. Other than being Obese I am perfectly healthy. I need to get on this today. I have not done any follow up appointments but feel I am doing just fine.

Anyone know which kind of doctor I should do follow up care with? I feel like a bariatric doctor would be annoyed I went to Mexico. I was thinking of going to an internal medicine doctor since I have no complications and just need some labs to make sure things are good? Anyone else go to Mexico and then follow up in the state?

On 7/7/2020 at 9:12 AM, Band07 said:

Seems like some of those sleeved in the US have more regain than those in Mexico ? What are your thoughts?

Also, anyone sleeved by Dr. Rodriguez in Juarez who has had long term success ?

I was sleeved at Mexico Bariatric Center, Dr Christian Rodreguez Lopez in Tijuana. It was a near perfect experience. I also have heard that weight loss can be affected by the surgeon. If I remember right it was determined by how close to the sphincter they get and how well they shape the stomach. Only time will tell for me. I am almost 6 weeks post op and down 24 pounds. No complications. I went to Mexico because there was no insurance interference and of course in the USA I did not qualify due to not being obese enough or having other pre-existing conditions. Good luck in your decision.

17 hours ago, Tamwell said:

I am experiencing the panic today, surgery is set for July 4th. I've been great up until now, probably because my Pre-op started on Saturday. And now my mind and belly is telling me " think twice about this" Just trying to calm my nerves here, the people have been awesome !!

It’s normal to feel this way. I’m 27 days post op and 20 pounds down. Think of that.

On 5/29/2020 at 4:03 PM, sweetsmith78 said:

Sleeve.. Im a women traveling alone. In hopes to find someone to run around with after our surgery. Rather it's shopping or beach.

Not sure how things will be when you get there, but they cut our stay short one night, no companions were allowed and no touring the area. I would suggest booking 1-2 nights in San Diego afterwords instead. I stayed one night in San Diego, was at Pacific Beach yesterday letting my toes sink in the sand and Water run over them. It was beautiful. Just got back today! Time to get on with the show!

22 hours ago, sweetsmith78 said:

How are you doing?

I just got home today and everything went really well. Would do it again in a heartbeat. No waiting on insurance approval and jumping through all the hoops. Made a phone call and was scheduled a month out!

I’m in Tiajuana right now. Have my VSG tomorrow. Very excited, not really nervous. Time to start this new life. I quit caffeine a couple months ago and dreaded giving up my Decaf coffee with cream, didn’t think I could do it. Started Clear Liquids yesterday, no problem. No problem today either. It’s all in the head. I had to do the 1 week pre op diet but I actually started it about 2 weeks ago and then got perfectly strict 9 days ago. Keto stripped my urine this morning and it was large meaning I’m in Ketosis which is very good because it means my liver has used up all the glycogen stores. I’ve been hungry these past two days due to the liquid diet and when my stomach starts grumbling I just down some Jello and hot tea or my lemon Water. Just an FYI for everyone when you do the liquid pre-op, absolutely make sure you get Bone Broth which has 10 grams of Protein. Protein is Very important for preventing muscle wasting, promoting healing and keeping you a little bit fuller.

Why do you wonder if it’s the”stupidest” idea? I’m having my own doubts, mine is the 27th but I think of it As more of another excuse to quit so I am going through with it. It’s almost like I am punishing myself because for the past 3 years I couldn’t do this on my own so surgery is the consequence. I want to feel better so in the end that’s why I will continue this journey.

OMG, my thoughts mirror yours, I’m a nurse too. I knew of the surgeries and for 3 years now have been wanting to have it done but just haven’t been fat enough to have my insurance cover it. I even found out that if I gained more to the weight I don’t have to have the co-morbidities like diabetes or high blood pressure, I have to be that way for a year. Recently I became frustrated with this and that’s when I discovered the Mexico pathway. So after some research and thought decided to schedule it. Mine is May 27th. It’s costing me $4,500, a lot less than here in the USA.

As for telling anyone, I told my dad, my older daughter and then told my ex because if anything went wrong, he would get the kids. Well he had some doubts and didn’t want me to do it but when I shared all of the information with him he demanded to go with me. So at least I have a support person now. I did tell one co-worker who got excited and said she wanted to do it too. That’s all I told. I didn’t want to hear any lectures from anyone, I’ve thought about it a long time and now is the time.

There are so many things that make it right. Emotionally feeling better, my feet won’t hurt, I won’t get those co-morbidities and yes, the discrimination. It does exist. People look over you when you’re fat. I’ve been slender before, so I know. I did Atkins in 2004 and lost 60 lbs and kept it off for 2 years until I got pregnant 2 times in a row and then went through menopause.

You are not alone, we all have those thoughts, that’s why you are here to get moral support among those like you. Thanks for posting! Good luck on your surgery!