Hi. My name is Jennifer. I am a mother of three and my husband and I have been together for almost 20 years. I have been heavy my entire adult life. I am 43 and, no thanks to our insurance, I am paying out of pocket for my sleeve surgery. That said, I am getting it done in mexico by Dr. Ortiz. My husband and my two younger kids support me but my oldest sees it as a cop out. Some of my family and friends think going across the border is CRAZY. They also feel that someone should go with me yet, for some reason, I feel that this is something that I need to do FOR myself, BY myself. Am I crazy? I have read a lot about this doctor and feel that I will be in safe hands. The main downfall to me paying for the surgery is that I don't have the "pre-op" guidance that some of y'all do. I would really appreciate any helpful tips that any of y'all may have that will make the start of this journey go as smoothly as possible. Thanks for your help and wish me luck . And CONGRATS to everyone one here for taking the time to put yourself first for a change in an effort to be a healthier you for yourself and your loved ones. ????

http://www.muhealth.org/documents/bariatric/bariatric%20booklet%20vsg.pdf

http://sunrisehospital.com/util/forms/Nutrition-Guidelines-for-VSG.pdf

Here are some pretty good booklets.

Welcome! There are lots of Mexico surgery sleevers here.

Edited February 8, 201412 yr by gmanbat

This is your decision - as long as your at peace with the doctor you chose, that's what matters.

You can't do anything about the nay-sayers - it is what it is. Again, if you're comfortable and have the support of your husband, that's what matters. I have found a lot of people who say it's a cop out don't understand the work involved with what you're about to do. They also don't understand what it's like to be you - in the body you're not happy with, in the physical shape your not happy with, the fear of being obese the rest of your life and feeling helpless and hopeless.

I, too, traveled for my surgery (Las Vegas). I came tot his forum for questions I had. I have a local bariatric doc that took me on even though she didn't do the surgery. I visited with her once prior to surgery. My local hospital has a support group that I was able to attend, but I didn't go - the timing of the meetings didn't work for me. Do you have a local hospital with a bariatric program?

You'll find a wealth of information in this forum and so many people that are willing to help. You'll find tons of support here.