Good evening, everyone.

First, I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone that has taken the time to share their detailed stories. I have found them both informative and inspiring. Deciding to have surgery in Mexico is a daunting decision, and family/friend support is a bit....minimal. It's so great that there is a forum here to read about other peoples experience and feel the support that might otherwise be lacking. In addition, it is so helpful to learn from others who have "been there, done that". Real people with real experiences really help.

My name is Veronica, and I live in the Pacific NW. I have decided to have the VSG in Mexico for two reasons: financial and lack of access with my current insurance company (Kaiser). I do not qualify based on their rigid standards - even though I have pre-diabetes, asthma and GERD (and of course, the general aches and pains that come from being overweight) . I have been researching this decision for the last several months, and due to monetary issues, I may not be able to get it done until next March, but I think I may be able to swing it for later this summer. At least, I am hopeful that I can.

I have been overweight for about 15 years, and each year it just seems to get worse. I am 41 years old and I have an almost 2 year old daughter - I want to be healthy for her and have the energy to keep up with her. I also have a 21 year old son. I just want to feel better about myself. It's been discouraging to struggle with obesity, as I am sure many of you can relate to. I am currently 5'7.5" tall and weigh about 252 lbs, so my BMI is 39, I believe.

My preference would be to go with Dr. Aceves, but I have also been considering Dr. Ariel Ortiz Lagadere. For a couple of weeks, I have also been considering Dr. Lopez with A Lighter Me and MiDoctor hospital but after reading 2 independent and very disturbing reviews about the them, I am no longer comfortable with that option. Finances, of course, influence my decisions, but safety and service have great precedence.

I would love to hear about the physician you chose, and why, ultimately, what your experience with them was.

I am so happy to be a part of this group. Thank you in advance for all your guidance.

Sincerely, Veronica

I haven't had my surgery yet, but I am going with Dr Kelly. He's had almost 7,000 bariatric surgeries, has the FACS and the American College of Bariatric Surgeon's designations (which aren't easy to get), trained in the US also doing a transplant residency before falling in love with bariatrics and is 3,000 less than a few of the other surgeons while being more experienced.

I know surgery is NOT a time to bargain shop, and if I felt more comfortable with a more experienced surgeon I would pay the extra 3,000 but that hasn't been the case. I'm sure the patients of the more expensive surgeons feel it was worth every penny and I'm happy for them!

I know from being in the medical field and now working as a homebirth midwife and doula there are midwives/doulas in my community that have 9-30 more years experience and are 25-50% cheaper than I am. I still stay very busy because some people are comfortable and click with me, but as long as you choose someone competent and skilled you are doing the right thing.

I also had Aceves as my surgeon and had a great experience!

Veronica, welcome to our forums! We are so happy to have you join us here and we are excited to follow your progress. As you have already learned, research is key! Research the forums, use Google, to talk to other patients and get their personal experiences and make sure you make an informed decision that you are are comfortable and confident with.

As you can see, we have a great community here with many wonderful members willing to share their experiences and help you in any way we can.

Oops, in my post I said "if I felt more comfortable with a more experienced surgeon" but I definitely meant more expensive.