I'm frustrated, at 310 lbs. I can lose a little, maybe up to 20-30 lbs, but it always comes back. I'm a healthcare provider and know what I and my patients should be doing to eat healthier and exercise. I feel like a terrible role model.

I have had two previous times in the last 8 years that I really considered gastric surgery, but backed out because I thought, if only I try harder, I can do this on my own. So at the beginning of 2014 I set up with a personal trainer who has helped people in my church lose 150 lbs. I only went to him a few times and lost about ten lbs but then I had to leave town for school reasons. I've been living with family and trying to make low carb work, but I stalled after 10 lbs then fell off the wagon, regaining those ten quickly.

I wasn't very happy with the restrictions the personal trainer placed on my diet ( I like cheese, ok?) and so I don't see myself being able to do their diet long term. I feel embarrassed that the people I started the training with have lost 60 -80 lbs in the last seven months and I'm at square one, having lost twenty, gained thirty, lost ten, gained ten.

I'm ready to look at the sleeve and make a date. But I found my insurance excludes all bariatric surgeries. I'm back and forth over going to Mexico....I think there are good surgeons and centers there.... But I have had blood clots before and am afraid of complications of surgery not being covered by ins. I have considered finding a self pay surgeon in US, with BLIS, but the cost is easily $13 k.

I graduate in a few months and the next job I get may have better coverage of bariatric surgery. But then it will be at least six months of working and getting approved, then having to ask time off....Should I wait and hope for a good insurance policy, and do it a year or so from now, or pray for the best in Mexico and recover before finding my new job? I have recently been diagnosed with lymphedema and have fibromyalgia, a clotting disorder, mild hypertension, fatigue. The pain in my back and legs is bothersome for working long hours. Thanks for your input!

I'm going to start this post by saying this is only my experience and what happened to me is rare.

I got a sleeve in 2012 and my insurance covered it, now flash forward to 2014 and I can't eat solid food, the reflux is so bad my esophagus is eroding and they are revising me to the bypass. There is another girl on here who had a sleeve done in Mexico and she is having bad reflux and is battling with her insurance to let her revise to the bypass. Her insurance has denied her and she is obviously still trying but the reason they gave was; the insurance never would have allowed her to get WLS so they aren't going to pay for complications from the WLS she had done elsewhere. I've also heard that if you have major complications from something done in Mexico, it will be a bit difficult to find a surgeon who will work on you to fix any complication.

If I had to make the choice you are making and there was a possibility that the surgery would be completely covered in 6 months, that would be what I would do. I'm not dissing anyone who has gotten it done in Mexico but if you are worried at all about complications, it's better to have it done here.

Do you have GERD or take Nexium or Tums all the time? If so, that's an even bigger red flag. I had it bad before surgery but my surgeon never told me that the surgery could make it worse and now it's so much worse that my esophagus is eroding and we are discussing esophageal cancer. Like I said at the beginning, I'm very biased but WLS is made out to be glamorous and this spectacular thing that will change your life and for most people it works great however there are very serious complications involved with any surgery and ten times more risk involved doing it in Mexico where your surgeon isn't right down the road to help you deal with any complications that may arise.

Hopefully some other people will jump on this thread and tell you success stories because I know complications are rare but they are also very real so keep that in mind. Good luck

Go on yor states exchange and purchase a private plan with coverage would be what I would do. Not ever go to a foreign country

I would think with the healthcare changes they could not deny pre-existing conditions regardless of how they came to be. Myself, I would wait. I went through this since November and my surgery is tomorrow. The time did go fast enough for me.