I just wanted to warn anyone that is considering going to Mexico for surgery. DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know you may be determined and feel like this is the only way, BUT IF you have any complications, you're in bad shape! My surgery was in Apr 06, and I've been dealing w/ a deadly infection (pseudomonas) this whole year. I've spent weeks in the hospital, and was lucky enough to FINALLY find a wonderful American Dr that would even treat me (after several mos of searching and being turned down). Not only did I loose my job because of this, my unpaid medical bills are around $40,000 at this point (for that much money, not only could I have had surgery in the states, but also a shiny new sports car, lol)

My ordeal will not be over anytime soon. Unexpectedly I became pregnant, and I won't be able to be treated any further until after the baby is born in Oct 07. Not even any antibiotics. Until then, I will just have to deal w/ a painful, draining infection (which I am almost used to). And at that point, our last and only option will probably have to be removal of the band all together. The thought of having the band removed after all I've been through is very disheartening, but nothing compared to my fear for the baby's health.

So, if I had just been patient, and saved my money for another year, I would've been able to have surgery in the states, and avoided all this.

I understand there are TONS of success stories out of Mexico. That is what I focused on, and thought that I was invinsible. The savings in time and money was not worth it....not even close. If you go to another country for medical surgery, it is a dangerous, HIGH RISK gamble. So please reconsider.

And just an FYI.... I used Betancourt Medical in Tijuana, Mex. Since my surgery I have found several, several of their former patients that have had life threatening complications. So please steer clear.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions!!!!!

Thank you for sharing your story. Thats what this site is all about, people sharing their OWN personal experiences. There is no right or wrong, things just are (it is what it is). With all the posts and responses I have read so far, I'm very surprised at the lengthy response you received that basically took apart your thread sentence by sentence and dare I say a tad bit rude and abrasive. With all the words in the English language to choose from you would think....

We all don't have to agree and we all won't agree. I understood the point you were trying to get across. You do need to consider what would happen if complications came up and your doctor is a great distance away. Makes sense to me. The MOST important thing is that you and your child are healthy in the long run. I wish you good luck and a speedy recovery. I hope you will have better success with the procedure the next time around. Hang in there.