Hello! Thank you all for allowing me in the group? I just had a consultation and I barely qualify for the sleeve but I do! Yay! I'm 5'6 194 lbs. A few questions:

I heard going out of the country is cheaper - anyone go out of the country for the surgery? Like, Mexico. I'm in Florida. How did it turn it?

What's the pros and cons I should be aware of?

I've heard so many horror stories ie people throwing up, not being able to ever eat "normal" again, higher risk for cancer, etc etc etc. I've been doing research but id love to hear yalls thoughts since i know you're live ppl I can actually communicate with?

Thanks a bunch!

So i am in Florida. My insurance (any insurance from the Affordable care act) wont cover bariatric surgery here in Florida. So i ended up paying about $18-19,000 for my surgery at the Baptist Bariatric Center in Jacksonville, FL. Surgery went great. So far no issues. I thought about going to Mexico but i just wanted to be near home. If i would have done it in mexico i would have done it at Endohospital that is literally within walking distance from the border (but they pick you up and take you back) The Surgeon there is American trained at universities here. and this place only does sleeves. Beautiful location. here is a link to his youtube channel and a video of the facility. I think their rate is just around $10K.

I'm also from Florida and I'm being sleeved at the Endobariatric facility that the previous post mentioned on June 22. Dr. Alvarez is an amazing surgeon, and I would suggest checking out his Social Media pages as well as website. He's currently on vacation, but when he does procedures he shares on his Instagram Story pieces of each procedure. He does a maximum of five procedures a day 99% of the time.

My cost for the procedure is $7799. Normal cash price is $7999, financed or credit card is $8499. If you have a friend join you, then you both get an additional $200 off which is why mine is $7799.

I do not have any experience with Mexico and don’t know much about increased cancer risks, but I can tell you that post sleeve I do not have any issues eating anything I ate pre op and no issues with vomiting.

I'd love to be honest about it. The weight loss is nice...but I still have to be VERY DISCICPLINED in what I eat or I REGAIN weight. Also, I woke up from surgery with horrid GERD that has not gone away and HUNGRY. I still get hungry (famished) just like before the surgery. Long term GERD and PPI use have significant health issues associated with them. I have moderate anemia now (10 years post op), and can't seem to absorb enough through food. I may have to have Iron infusions. I have to have an endoscopy to check on things next month. I may have to have a revision to bypass. I hope it's not more serious than needing a revision (Please God, no Barrett's esophagus, or {gulp} cancer).

Most times, I am OK and have come to acceptance for the most part...but other times I seriously regret having 85% of my stomach removed (I really didn't have any co-morbidities) and I get a little freaked out about what I have done to myself and what might happen as a result of this serious surgery (no going back).

I was so desperate I was to lose weight. I gotta tell you... the biggest problem was a selfish, unloving, critical, abusive husband and my own lack of self-esteem. I was glad to get rid of all 180 pounds of HIM! Now that was the best and healthiest weight loss of all. I wish I had gotten rid of him first, because after he was gone, I started working out, lifting weights and got in shape. That was a game changer.

I would encourage everyone to do their own research. Look up the rate of weight regain after the sleeve. Look up the risk of GERD associated with the sleeve. Look up the rate of hunger after surgery. Weigh the pros and cons. This is not a benign surgery.

At least that is how I feel about it today

Welcome.

i’m very glad I had the surgery. I generally eat what I want & it doesn’t restrict me dining out or socialising with friends. There are foods I choose not to eat (sweet things, highly processed foods, etc.) because I want to maintain my weight loss. I know I will always monitor & watch what I eat & how much. Bad eating habits, poor food choices, cravings, etc. will always be there. The surgery doesn’t remove or stop them. It just gives you time to recognise what they are & why you’re experiencing them & find ways to manage them.

There are some foods that sit heavily in my tummy & make me feel full sooner like bread, pasta, rice & potato though some eat them without issue. It’s just who we are as individuals. There can be other odd things you may not tolerate temporarily after surgery or less common long term but there are plenty of alternatives for food allergies & intolerances about these days.

Personally, I’ve not vomited as such but have regurgitated a couple of times when I ate something too dry or coarse. It passes quickly & I don’t feel sick or have discomfort like after vomiting. I did have nausea from my vitamins & on odd days for no obvious reason except having a sensitive & fussy tummy after surgery & when losing. Don’t have it all now now.

The reality is you will be eating a much more nutritious & balanced diet so your health will improve greatly. A gastric sleeve will (Mayo Clinic) reduce your risk of potentially life-threatening weight-related health problems, including:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Cancer
• Infertility

Sure I have reflux, but I had it before surgery (managed it well with dietary choices). It’s not worse just different now. Had no comorbidities before surgery but they likely were just waiting to start. A lot of my big weight gain in the last few years was tied to being peri menopausal & then menopausal. I’d struggle lose 2 pounds & gain it straight back hard to fight your hormones & your body. You’ll probably find a lot of negative stories here but that’s because they’re likely looking for advice, support, etc. If things are going well, you tend not to post just reply.

Having a support system is important whether family &/or friends. As is having a supportive surgeon, GP, dietician & therapist, if you have one. My surgeon, his associates & my GP are great. Still see my surgeon’s associate every three months for follow ups & blood tests. And my GP reviews everything with me whenever I see her. If anything looks unusual, they monitor & investigate further. That would be my only point to consider with seeking out of state or country surgery - the follow ups.

Edited May 5, 20224 yr by Arabesque

Hello and welcome in.

As @Arabesque says we rarely post when we are having no issues, So plenty of times I have posted when I needed help. I have had a really elongated rough ride. If you look at in context, I never post saying that I have had a good week with lots of weight loss. So its never balanced. Its like taking a grain of rice out of a pan full and saying ' oh its all ruined now, I will have to throw it all away'

All of the ladies above me have made great points. It truly comes down to what will be best for YOU. I have to admit that the night before my scheduled surgery, I had thoughts of backing out. Just thinking that I would never be able to eat a big plate of my favorite foods again, or polish off a bag of potato chips in one sitting, or drinking my beloved Coke, etc...that kind of scared me. It scared me because I am/was an emotional eater and food was like a comfort blanket for me. However, the desire to finally be healthy and no longer being fat was stronger than my fear of losing my "blanket". I had the surgery on January 19th and never looked back. The only regret I have is NOT doing it sooner! I'm down 52 lbs and it has done wonders for my physical, mental and emotional health.

I have not had any major issues at all. My main struggle is keeping that multi-vitamin down. That iron kills me! And right now, I'm losing my hair by the handful....but I know this won't last.

Read all you can read. These ladies/forums are amazing! I've learned so much from them.

Good Luck to you! ♥

Hello! Thank you all for allowing me in the group? I just had a consultation and I barely qualify for the sleeve but I do! Yay! I'm 5'6 194 lbs. A few questions:

I heard going out of the country is cheaper - anyone go out of the country for the surgery? Like, Mexico. I'm in Florida. How did it turn it?

I was not comfortable going out of the country, but my insurance covered it, so that was even cheaper than going to Mexico. I know many people who have been happy with their results in Mexico, but I know one person who felt that she needed more care than she got, plus I know that some people go there when they are not approved in the US, and they may not be as careful about turning people down in Mexico.

What's the pros and cons I should be aware of?

Pros: you will most likely lose a good amount of weight. You MAY see improvement in certain health conditions. You will be able to fit in smaller clothes. You MAY be able to me more active. If you lose weight, people will be nicer to you (sick, but true!)

Cons: This is major surgery, and while the chance of a bad outcome is VERY SMALL, there is still some risk. Losing weight will not make you a completely different person - most of your problems will be the same, but you won't be able to use food to cope with them anymore. You will need to take a multi-vitamin every day for the rest of your life, and if you're like me, the multi-vitamin may make you throw up. You may lose some of your hair for a few months

I've heard so many horror stories ie people throwing up, not being able to ever eat "normal" again, higher risk for cancer, etc etc etc. I've been doing research but id love to hear yalls thoughts since i know you're live ppl I can actually communicate with?

I threw up once because the food was too dry (3 weeks after surgery). About once every two weeks I throw up from my multi-vitamin. I've tried three different brands, but it sucks. The only way you could be at a higher risk for cancer I can think of is if you have really bad GERD after sleeve, develop Barrett's esophagus, and this becomes cancer. However, if you get really bad GERD after sleeve, you could have a revision to bypass. Many forms of cancer have higher rates in people who are obese, so it's likely your risk of cancer will go down if you have surgery and lose weight. I eat more "normally" now than before surgery. Before surgery my portions were WAY TOO BIG and I was eating unhealthy food too often. Now I eat a more normal sized portion and less junk food. The only things I can't really eat easily are lettuce and rice, and those are getting easier.

Thanks a bunch!

8 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

You will need to take a Multi-Vitamin every day for the rest of your life, and if you're like me, the multi-vitamin may make you throw up.

Yes the vitamins can cause nausea. The worst are vitamin C, E & iron are the wurst but others do too. You may find it helpful to see if you’re doubling up on any - like getting iron in your multi vitamin & also taking an iron tablet. Have you tried patches?

But you may not have to take them forever. Sleevers don’t have the absorption issues that others do. I took my last one at 8 months, 2 months into maintenance. With my surgeon’s approval because my blood work & all subsequent tests show I don’t need too. I absorb all I need from what I eat. (Except for protein courtesy of my gall removal not my sleeve.) Was very happy to say goodbye nausea. Of course you may need to continue to take supplements if you are lacking in specific vitamins or minerals.

Edited May 6, 20224 yr by Arabesque

8 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Yes the Vitamins can cause nausea. The worst are Vitamin C, E & Iron are the wurst but others do too. You may find it helpful to see if you’re doubling up on any - like getting iron in your multi Vitamin & also taking an iron tablet. Have you tried Patches?

But you may not have to take them forever. Sleevers don’t have the absorption issues that others do. I took my last one at 8 months, 2 months into maintenance. With my surgeon’s approval because my blood work & all subsequent tests show I don’t need too. I absorb all I need from what I eat. (Except for Protein courtesy of my gall removal not my sleeve.) Was very happy to say goodbye nausea. Of course you may need to continue to take supplements if you are lacking in specific vitamins or minerals.

I'm not doubling up on any vitamins - all I take is one bariatric multivitamin every day. I know iron can be an issue, but pre-surgery I used to take the same amount of iron by itself because I wanted to be able to donate platelets (I have stopped donating due to lack of time). Our surgery center said no patches and no gummies. I will talk to them about going off the multivitamins.