Self pay and complications

I was self pay and my doctor offered an add on called Bliss Insurance. I believe it was a extra 1500.00 but it covered anything kind of medical necessity resulting from the sleeve for up to a year past your surgery. Luckily, I didn't have to use it at all. I think anyone can get it on there own, you may want to look into it for the peace of mind. Good luck to you!

 I am self pay also and will not travel very far for surgery due to some of the same issues you have.  I have my consult appt today and I will ask about the BLISS insurance but when I looked on the BLISS website - there was only one dr in the Cleveland area who offered it and that is not the one I am going to.  the one offering it is Cleveland Clinic but their self pay price is quite a bit higher than the other excellent rated programs in Cleveland so adding the insurance would really put them out of my range.  I am going to discuss with the surgeon his leak rate and other complications.  Since Cleveland is still 1 1/2 to 2 hours away for me - I had already asked if there was a leak or blood clot - would I likely have time to get to them before death or near death and they seemed to think so.  Of course - if I was really in dire need - i would head to the local ER - and take my chances of being able to pay it off or hopefully - my insurance would cover whatever the complication was if dehydration or bloot clot.  It is a big decision but like you - I feel I cannot go on this way so I will roll the dice and I am not usually a gambler.  Goodluck to you.

Believe me Dr. Aceves is wonderful and I would go to Mexicali again in a heart beat!  It was a cinch! I flew from San Diego to San Francisco and had a 4 hour layover, then on to Pittsburgh!  All without pain meds I might add.  Then an hour drive home.  I had my surgery on March 23, 2012 and it has been an adjustment but well worth it.  I have lost 36 pounds since having the surgery and feel much better.  Dr. Aceves has performed thousands of sleeves and has had virtually no complications that is why I chose him over the other surgeons in Mexico!  He and his staff have it down to a science.  If I were sitting around pondering what if's I would still be morbidly obese having trouble with my knees and so on...!  Sometimes we have to take chances in our lives and I felt that this was as good as it gets.  I am so confident in the Dr's at Alma Mateur hospital that I plan to go back and have my plastic surgery done there!  It is just the perception of going to another country and it was really nothing!  I went by myself and my husband and teenage boys knew.  My parents thought I was having the surgery in San Diego because I knew that they would have a fit!  When I came home and told them you would have pissed your pants at the look on their faces!! Priceless!  Then when I showed them the 5 little holes in my belly they were amazed!  They all think it was great because they see such a huge difference in me and how I feel!  I am getting my life back one pound at a time!  I don't regret one minute of any decision that I made! The best $8750 I have ever spent and I can't tell you how much money I have saved on eating out and groceries since I had the surgery! I eat like a bird now to quote my husband!  Food doesn't control me anymore I control the food! Empowering to say the least!

I feel like booking a seat today to get this done!  Thanks for the post and encouraging words.  I know I am not the original poster but some of her questions and worries are mine, too.  I am not worried about the Mexico thing at all...my PCP and family are.  I just worry about the risk factors/complications that could happen anywhere but I am 370 lbs. and slowly dying at this weight so to me the risks will be worth it. 

My heaviest weight was 317 pounds and I lost 17 pounds on the pre surgery diet so I weighed exactly 300 pounds the day I had my surgery.  I weigh 264 pounds today!  I feel great I still want to lose an additional 124 pounds and my goal weight is 140.  I haven't weighed that since I was a cheerleader in high school.  I am 43 years old and decided I couldn't live like this anymore. I took matters into my own hands.  After the fact everyone is like your so brave I can't believe you did that!  The hardest part is learning to eat all over again!  I was a chocoholic I don't even want it anymore!  I drank coke zero until it was coming out my ears I don't even crave that anymore!  I drink water and iced tea with sweet and low! I don't crave anything basically I eat to stay alive and if it wasn't for that I wouldn't eat at all.  I do like to eat my yogurt in the morning and I like a little bit of raspberries or watermelon for a snack.  I eat a piece of low fat baby bell cheese and then have a couple of servings of protein (shrimp, chicken, fish) for lunch and then dinner and usually a little something small like a pickle before I go to bed.  I do have trouble getting all my protein in but I never really liked protein to start with.  I make sure I take 2 flinstone vitamins a day and two chewable biotin a day.  People say I look radiant and I feel that way. My husband is so proud of me he calls me skinny Minny.  I assure him I am 100 pounds away from being skinny.  We laugh!  I wasn't living before the surgery and I was too young to be a hermit in the house.  I was embarrassed by the way I looked and I hated the way I felt! It is terrible to be a prisoner in your own body.  It was my fault but my entire family was paying the price for my obsession with food and it wasn't fair!  I made the sacrifice and we are all reaping the benefits! Life is good!

Believe me you wont be sorry with Dr. Aceves or his staff!  You'll come through it with flying colors!!! Have faith!

I'm from PA also.  Yeah I was leaning towards Aceves too that is if I went to Mexico.  I spoke with 5 references that just raved about him.  My issues are traveling after surgery.  I'm on the larger side (larger than most VSG patients), I have IBS and very poor circulation worried about flying post surgery.  Believe me if I was local to Aceves I would definitely go with him.  But I just keep thinking of the miserable plane ride.  The last time I traveled on a plane I swore I would not do it again until I'm much smaller.  It's too uncomfortable.  (taht's without having just had surgery)

Great story. Tell us more about plastics in Mexico and where you will go? Thanks so much, Sharon

i am also self pay, no loans all savings! i will be flying down to the dominican republic next month to have surgery with a really great doctor, the only reason i chose the dominican republic is because that is where i am from and i have family that will take care of me, my doctor recommended i stayed 4 weeks post op and i will take his advise, any complications  he will deal with them directly with no additional pay, he is also in contact with my doctor here in florida and they will be monitoring my health together, incase of complications after i come back i am prepared to deal with whatever medical loans will come my way, its a risk i am willing to take, you have to ask yourself how much do you want it and if your willing to take risks. i am 23 years old, my youth is quickly vanishing with time and i refuse to look back at my 20's with regret, ive made my decision and i wont turn back now, i am truly grateful that i have a strong shoulder to lean on if anything were to happen to me. i evaluated everything that could be effected by my decision and i told my self if there is anything that is going to hold me back it will definitley not be fear or excuses it has to be a legitamte reason that rather then give me doubt makes it a yes or no answer! best of luck !

So guess what although I'm from the U.S. I lived in the Dominican Republic for 4 years!   I was there in a Bible teaching work.  Than I met my husband and we have been married now for 9 years.  I brought him here on a finance Visa and we got married here.  As much as we would of like to live there we didn't have work to support ourselves there.  My husband is from Jarabacoa. That's where I lived for 4 years.  And prior to that I lived in Samana for 6 months.   We just took a trip to Jarabacoa about 1 month ago there's a lot of changes since when we lived there.   I love the Dominican culture.  People are so friendly.   So  what part of D.R. are you from?  Where are you having your surgery?   I didn't know anyone did the sleeve in D.R.    I still don't like the idea of traveling after surgery though but that's for me.  But you don't have far for you since your in FL and very ideal that your family is there to take care of you. 
P.S. The reason why I'm worried about the medical financial problem with the surgery in the event of a complication is because in the U.S. the prices of healthcare if off the wall.    Some pple are millions of dollars in debt due to medical expenses they are unable to pay.    I know in D.R. prices of healthcare are very inexpensive.