Alone in Mexico
Hi new here. I am thinking about heading down to Mexico to have my lapband out and sleeve me. My lap band has been driving me crazy for a few years and I'm tired of it. I lost a total of 130 with the lap band and have regained about 50. I am scared of not being successful with the sleeve and running over everything In my head. My main question is has anyone gone to Mexico alone? I live about 2.5 hours from San Diego so I was thinking of driving down and doing this by myself. Or anyone else thinking of heading down soon? Maybe we can go together.
My wife and I were sleeved at the Mexicali Bariatric Center in Mexico. We went and had it done at the same time but there was a woman from Minnesota who was in her early 60's and she was there by herself. Really, I think it would be fine. What's the other person going to do? Watch you sleep and walk around the hospital?
You need to check with them and find out if they will release you without someone to drive you.
You may still be on narcotics ... And they will not permit you to drive.
I would also ask about crossing the border, alone, in possession of the drugs you will have with you.
patients are only on narcotics while admitted to the hospital. PTA receive non narcotic pain meds on discharge. Most surgeons there send a written explanation of the meds you are carrying and that is sufficient for the border crossing.
I went to (the late, great) Dr. Aceves at the Mexicali Bariatric Center. I live in the LA area but flew to San Diego alone. From that point on, I was not alone because two other ladies had flown into San Diego, and we were all picked up by the hospital's driver Ernesto for the drive to Mexicali. He took us to the hospital, where we went thru our pre-surgery labs, then dropped us at the hotel. We went to dinner together the night before surgery, and once we checked into the hospital the next day, it turns out the bariatric wing of the hospital has people in various stages of surgery - some leaving as we were arriving, and others on their second and third days. Most of them are American. The other two women also traveled alone, and we were Sleeve Sisters! We walked together often, I imagine we were quite a sight, three women slightly hunched over, wheeling our IV poles through the halls of the hospital several times a day, LOL When we weren't walking we were chatting. It was certainly as much company as you'd want as a recuperating surgery patient. We stayed in touch for a few months after surgery also, which was a great part of my post-surgery support.
Height 5' 7" High Wt 268 / Consult Wt 246 / Surgery Wt 241 / Goal Wt 150 / Happy place 135-137 / Current Wt 143
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In maintenance since December 2011.
I went to (the late, great) Dr. Aceves at the Mexicali Bariatric Center. I live in the LA area but flew to San Diego alone. From that point on, I was not alone because two other ladies had flown into San Diego, and we were all picked up by the hospital's driver Ernesto for the drive to Mexicali. He took us to the hospital, where we went thru our pre-surgery labs, then dropped us at the hotel. We went to dinner together the night before surgery, and once we checked into the hospital the next day, it turns out the bariatric wing of the hospital has people in various stages of surgery - some leaving as we were arriving, and others on their second and third days. Most of them are American. The other two women also traveled alone, and we were Sleeve Sisters! We walked together often, I imagine we were quite a sight, three women slightly hunched over, wheeling our IV poles through the halls of the hospital several times a day, LOL When we weren't walking we were chatting. It was certainly as much company as you'd want as a recuperating surgery patient. We stayed in touch for a few months after surgery also, which was a great part of my post-surgery support.
This is where I had my surgery as well. I had the same experience. Ernesto picked my wife and me up from the San Diego airport and drove us to the Mexicali Bariatric Center for lab-work and then to the hotel for the night...then back to the hospital for surgery. There was one man from Arizona already there who had the surgery the day before. Another woman arrived the day after our surgery from Minnesota.
Where we went, there was no concern about driving on painkillers. We had the surgery on a Monday and stayed in the hospital till Thursday (a normal stay for them). By the time we left we weren't on anything.
We crossed the border with medication but the doctor gave us a prescription.
And I HIGHLY recommend these guys. I REALLY, REALLY can't say enough good things about them. They weren't the cheapest in Mexico but that was actually a selling point for us. I was worried about how some of the clinics (like in TJ) could do it so cheaply. We had a team of surgeons, not just the one. It was done in a real hospital. Post-op was in a hospital, not in a hotel or group house. And I literally couldn't find anyone online who had anything bad to say about them ... and in the information age, that's pretty damn incredible.
Batwingsman · 1 replies · 1672 views