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Going to Mexico !

BigHarleyGuy1

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BigHarleyGuy1    149

BigHarleyGuy1
Posted

My insurance will not cover me.

Weight loss surgery is an exclusion.

The private pay here in Jacksonville is $15,000.

It is $3899 with BariatricPals.com in Mexico.

So, I am going to Mexico.

Surgery date is 8/10/2015 with Dr. "A"

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ladivaluz806    87

ladivaluz806
Posted

How exciting!! Congrats! :D

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JamieLogical    8,684

JamieLogical
Posted

I chose to go to Mexico for similar reasons. I could only qualify for WLS through my insurance if I had been a documented BMI above 40 for 5 years. Well, in the last 5 years, I had worked hard to lose weight "on my own" multiple times in the past 5 years and had gotten below 40 BMI for much of that time. So my choice was to stay fat for 5 years so I could have my insurance cover surgery or pay for it myself. I chose to pay for it myself and plan to spend the next five years happy and healthy instead of fat and getting fatter!

Congrats on your decision!

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OKCPirate    5,323

OKCPirate
Posted

Did the same. When I checked, I found their rate of infection was lower than most places in the US. I didn't know why until I got there. I think it was because:

  • Big private rooms
  • Frequent mopping
  • Less equipment, hence few surfaces to wipe down

In short, less was actually more in this case. Hope your surgery is just a walk in the park like mine.

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berrych80    29

berrych80
Posted

Welcome to Dr. A club!!

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SleevedNFree    89

SleevedNFree
Posted

Congrats to you. Similar issue here - after paying very high premiums - because of high blood pressure, obesity... this over-paid insurance would not cover me. So off to Mexico I went after exhausting research of course. I'm almost 4 months out and feeling great. No regrets. Glad I did it! Wish you all the best....

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Cynthiaorn    17

Cynthiaorn
Posted

My insurance, Tricare, will only pay for the band or a full bypass. I want the sleeve, so Dr. A. was my choice. September 5th is my date!

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dml77    69

dml77
Posted

Right behind you Big Harley, August 11, with Dr. A.

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nicole_s519    0

nicole_s519
Posted

I also chose Mexico for similar reasons but I would like to let you know of a problem I just ran into. 4 days ago I went to the hospital because I was severely constipated (normal occupancy after this surgery). I am 3 weeks post op so I'm obviously back home in Florida. Turned out I had pancreatitis. The doctors in the hospital (specifically the surgeons then sent to see me because of my recent surgery) told me this was due to the sleeve surgery I had 3 weeks ago. The told me that all they were going to to do was give me fluids and make sure I could eat food and discharge me. Their exact words were, "Since you made the commitment to have the surgery in Mexico, you can follow up with them on how they want to treat your pancreatitis." What?!? How am I supposed to follow up with doctors thousands of miles away. I had to get lawyers involved and it was 3 days of hell in the hospital. So now I want to make sure people know that this is the way doctors may treat you back home. And the other complaint I have about having the surgery in Mexico is that I have no nutritional support here for guidance or a Bariatric dr here if I have any questions or complications. But I completely understand why you are making the choice. Just do all of your research and have a plan for when you get home for the event complications arise.

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Cynthiaorn    17

Cynthiaorn
Posted

I also chose Mexico for similar reasons but I would like to let you know of a problem I just ran into. 4 days ago I went to the hospital because I was severely constipated (normal occupancy after this surgery). I am 3 weeks post op so I'm obviously back home in Florida. Turned out I had pancreatitis. The doctors in the hospital (specifically the surgeons then sent to see me because of my recent surgery) told me this was due to the sleeve surgery I had 3 weeks ago. The told me that all they were going to to do was give me fluids and make sure I could eat food and discharge me. Their exact words were, "Since you made the commitment to have the surgery in Mexico, you can follow up with them on how they want to treat your pancreatitis." What?!? How am I supposed to follow up with doctors thousands of miles away. I had to get lawyers involved and it was 3 days of hell in the hospital. So now I want to make sure people know that this is the way doctors may treat you back home. And the other complaint I have about having the surgery in Mexico is that I have no nutritional support here for guidance or a Bariatric dr here if I have any questions or complications. But I completely understand why you are making the choice. Just do all of your research and have a plan for when you get home for the event complications arise.

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dml77    69

dml77
Posted

What doctor did u use? So the USA doctors are saying that gastric sleeve caused the injury?

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Cynthiaorn    17

Cynthiaorn
Posted

The plan I have includes 2 years of follow up with the surgeon and nutritionist via Skype. I have had pancreatitis twice before, and the funny thing is, the treatment is iv fluids and nothing by mouth until the inflammation is gone, so they were treating you. I would certainly have gotten lawyers involved as well!

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dml77    69

dml77
Posted

Yea, it looks like they treating you too based what I read on the web. This confirms I need to get insurance. Thanks for sharing.

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Go To Topic Listing Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery

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      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
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    • Aunty Mamo

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      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
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    • BeanitoDiego

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      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
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    • BeanitoDiego

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    • ChunkCat

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      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
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