I'm Torn

Hi, I have a date with Dr. Aguirre on August 26th. I've been going through the process of getting approved through BCBS of Ill (a company who I now feel has no compassion for MO people) to no avail. I think they're trying to get me to jump through hoops long enough for them to write an exclusion into our policy next year. Anyways... I decided to go the Mexico route after reading everything I could find on the internet. I mentioned to my DH that I was checking in to this self-pay route and he didn't seem too shaken by it. Well, when I told him I had a date and gave him the price, he nearly had a coronary. He thinks it's too expensive and I should wait to see if his company gets a new insurance carrier next year. I'm waivering. Sometimes I feel that the cost is too much, and other times I feel like it's not. I don't feel like I need his approval, yet I don't want to hear him complain about it for years to come either. Has anyone else had a DH who was less than enthusiastic about this? Also, is anyone else going around August 26th? Amy S

Dear Amy At first my husband wanted me to wait till we could save the money, which would of took us at least a year and a half if not longer and that was cutting back on every thing and going without a lot. It took a lot but I finally let him know I couldn't wait any longer I was in deep depression and just couldn't wait any longer. So we saved half and borrowed half and my surgery is this friday. we leave for the airport in 6 hours. You will have to let him know this is your life..........and you need to start living as soon as possible............Peggy

Hi Amy.. I had a hard time with the same thing. I had tried to get our insurance to cover my surgery, my husbands job changed insurance company's four times in seven years and everytime it changed I applied to that company and was turned down. I decided to go to Mexico and self-pay. It was so hard to do because I felt like I was taking away from my family by spending this money on a surgery. Let me just say, that money was well spent. I am two months post-op, I have lost 58 pounds already and I do not have to worry about those pounds coming back...lol. My family is so excited for me and I have not regreted the money once since I have been home. I was not taking away from my family, I was giving to them and to myself. No Regrets* Tess~

Ladies - thanks for the responses! I've made the decision to postpone surgery until late May of 2005 for a few reasons. First, as a teacher, I'd miss a lot of school should I have even one complication, second, it will give me time to battle my crappy insurance company (BCBS of Illinois), third, it is a compromise with my DH to keep the peace. So, August 26th is now available in Ensenada should anyone want it. Good luck, Amy

Hi Amy: I was going to wait for insurance to pay, but then found out that my portion of the bill was going to be more than the cost of me going to Mexico and paying the whole thing. More and more insurance companies are finding reasons not to pay for any of the cost. The more I thought about, the more angry it made me. I'm now making plans to go to Ensenada, Mexico and having Dr. Aguirre do the Roux & Y. At least I'll be in control of who, how, when, etc. Good luck while you try to decide whether to have the surgery now or wait. Ray B.

I had my surgery on the 23rd! I am also a teacher and I could have waited and changed insurance companies and so on but as someone already said the co-pay is more than the surgery here. I made my appointment for two days after school got out and now I have until September to recuperate. Actually, I feel pretty darn good and walking is no problem. I don´t know what you teach but I could easily go back to school (a regular classroom) in a week. I say regular classroom because I teach sp ed in a lock-down school and things can get quite physcial. In closing, I have to say the people here are wonderful. They take such good care of you it is unbeleivable.