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I just want to know where everyone had their surgery (or will have), how much they paid, who the surgeon was (or will be) and what your overall experience was and how you are doing now.

I really wanted to stay here in the states but couldn't find an affordable option here, I did lots and lots of internet reasearch. I paid for my own surgery, no insurance. I finally settled on Dr Ismael Cabrera and Dr Louisiana Valenzuela (they perform surgery as a team) at Hospital MI Doctor in Tijuna, Mexcio. Everything was great, I was very pleased. The only thing that could have been a little better was some of the nurses could have spoken better English or in a few cases any English. The doctors and important personel all spoke really good english or good enough to communicate well. The facility was very nice, they call it a hospital but I thought it was more like a Sugery Center than a hospital, well at least compared to hospitals in the US. It was new, very modern and squeaky clean, exactly like the pictures. I paid $4500 for the surgery, total with other expenses like passport and airfare I'm into it for around $5300. I'm a 43yo 5'7" white male. I had surgery on Jan 10th 2013. I started out at 246lbs at the start of my pre surgery low carb diet (12/27/12, 2 weeks before) As of today 2/16/13 I've lost 38lbs, I've been in a little bit of a stall only lost 1lb in the last 7 or 8 days but i don't expect that to last too long and I knew it was coming. No complications at all and it's been one of the best decisions I've made about my health. I've struggled all my life with my weight and eating too much. I feel 1000 times better.

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Piedras negras Mexico with DR.Guillermo Alvarez, Endobariatrics.com. He also has a Facebook account were you can view over 100 photos of before and afters. I paid 8700 + plane ticket from Michigan 475. Everything went smoothly , The drive back was ruff because of the surgery, besides that everything went well. Im currently 8 weeks out and have lost 45 lbs I feel great and am so happy at all the complements I get. The scars are very small and

fading. I'm so happy I finally did it I have been also trying to lose weight for so long. The best part that Im having a hard time grasping is that I will never be Morbidly obese again. Unless I try really hard LOL

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I was with Dr. Kelly in Tijuana 9/14/2012. Cost was $5500 inclusive, and my husband traveled with me. With expenses and flight, I think we spent about $6500 total. I have had zero complications, recovery was quick, and I felt that the care they gave me was above average. I just wish I could have done it sooner. At 5 months out, I've lost 64 lbs., so my average loss is 12.8 lbs. per month. I think one of my biggest surprises from this journey is that I enjoy food more now than I ever have...I just don't need to eat as much!

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I am having surgery on March 9 with Dr. Fernando Garcia. I am going to pay $5200 (I have to pay $500 extra for a high BMI). Airfare for my husband and I is $600. I had to put down a $500 deposit to hold my date.

I am so excited but so nervous. It felt like the date would never get here and now it feels like it is coming too quick!

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What was the process for out of country? Was is difficult getting started?

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i would love more info on how to go about doing surgery out of the country. $6,000 seems a lot more doable than $12,000!

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What was the process for out of country? Was is difficult getting started?

I am going to Dr. Kelly with Mexico Bariatric Center on May 23rd for 5200 + the cost of airfare. If you go to Mexicobariatriccenter.com there is a contact page where you'll enter your information and they contact you back very quickly and provide more than enough info. Christy emailed me and is such a sweetie! I did a lot of research and have found that there are a lot of good dr.'s, I didn't find many negatives about dr. Kelly.

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Wow - I'm glad I have insurance. My surgery was done at a brand new hospital by the top rated bariatric surgeon in the state. The insurance bill was over $22,000! My only expenses are a $25 co-pay for each doctor visit.

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I had my surgery in Las Vegas with Dr Thomas Umbach. He was incredible! He has different fee's for cash or credit. His cash fee is $10,400.00. He also does the surgery outpatient which I really liked because I don't like hospitals. His staff is also top notch. I would recommend him to anyone!

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I'm almost a year out and lost a 115 lbs I went to Dr Aceves in Mexicali Mexico and paid $8.700 and $347 plane ticket..

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I have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance & it's a covered benefit (thank heavens!) I am responsible for my $25 co-pays for each doc visit & I have a hospital deductible. Since I still hadn't met my annual deductible, the absolute most I'll have out of pocket is $1000 (which includes the co-pays related to this WLS program.) My surgery will cost $19,000 to $20,000 & that doesn't include all the visits I'm making to diff docs & the psych eval, etc...so again, thank heavens for insurance!

So happy my husband didn't listen to me when I asked him to leave his job at Blue Cross to work for one of the car industries considering how that all worked out! :unsure:

I think it's wonderful tho that there is the option of having this type of surgery in Mexico for at least half the cost or less!

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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