I got my date: May 28 with Aceves

 oh my really selfish things like how bad is the scarring, are his incisions small ones???


How bad is the stuff you have to swallow before the xrays?

Anything you didnt take that you wish you would have?

Is the hospital close enough to the border for cell phones to work???

Its Mexico so standard American plugs right? lol

I'm such a newb

I havent gotten post op instructions yet. Does he have us do a 30 day liquid diet or ????

Be nice to have stuff already bought and waiting for when I get home.

Maybe these are questions for Nina

Yes, ask Nina too, but I will answer too. :) Nina is awesome and will answer any and every question you have and she will do it quickly! 

My incisions are small. My PCP was marveling on how you can barely see them! (The one where the drain was is slightly bigger, but that's because it was not sutured closed--this is normal)

The gastrografin is gross, but it will be gross in the US, too. :) 

I had everything I needed--husband, laptop, cell, robe, slippers, toiletries, movies, books.

My cell worked great, but I was sure to have people call me just in case. Also it is literally a mile from the border, maybe less.

Yes plugs are the same.

Post-op rules: 10 days clears, 10 days full, 10 days blended, 10 days soft foods, then normal foods as tolerated, I think (def check with Nina on this one). He's more conservative than some docs.

Don't buy too much stuff before you go--you have no idea what will taste good. I thought I could tolerate Isopure clear ready to drink drinks, but after surgery, it tasted like SOAP and I dumped it all out. So gross. Get lots of samples. :) 

Abby

 Thank you so much for the tips!!!!!

Anyone have  tips on the best places to get samples from (pay or not)????

I have no idea where to buy this stuff. What a new life this will be.

vitalady.com sells samples of many things, I think. I know celebrate vitamins will send free samples of their shakes. Just try whatever company you want to taste and ask them if they have samples! I know Jay Robb's website sells single-serve packets, and Tera's Whey (I use them) organic protein powder has single-serve packets as well.

Good luck! 
Abby

Congratulations and BEST wishes!  Watch out, time will fly by and your date will be here before you know it!!!

If you follow the plan, it will work.  Good for you for getting your date.  All this early stuff, which seems like such a pain, is so worth it in the end. 

I am particularly interested in all these answers too. I have a friend who is a serious lightweight considering flying to Mexico to have this done.

and sorry to steal your thread... Is plastic surgery offered at the WLS facility? I live in Northern NY and just not sure about plastic surgeons around here. Gotta do a lot of homework in other words.

And how long does it generally take from booking in Mexico to actually having the surgery, timeline wise? And, what does a vsg proocedure cost?

 Plastic Surgery is completely out of my realm, sorry Don't know. I know tons of folks go to Mexico and expecially some of the south american countries...

Timeline could be the same week if you had a passport. I literally made my appointment 2 weeks out once I was sure I had financing. And I'll barely have a passport in time.

Each doc is different but plan between 4.5k-10k for Mexico. Obviously cheaper debatably is not always better. Research your doctor choices very thoroughly. My procedure is $8,750 for everything but airfare.

Serious lightweight? Is she obese? Mexican doctors have standards too. My doctor won't operate on me if the day my plane lands I am not still at minimum 30 BMI.  No good doctor will touch you if you are not clinically obese.

No, Mexicali Bariatric does not do plastics. They will refer you and I know Dr. Aceves has a surgeon he likes to refer to for plastics. I don't know the name, though. VSG is, as the original poster said, $8750 for all but airfare. You can get it cheaper other places, but I've read horror stories from many of those other cheaper places. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez are the top VSG docs in Mexico, and they are similarly priced. And yes, you can get the procedure the same week if you have a passport and the money ready.

But yes, if she is not a BMI of 30 or doesn't have weight-related comorbidities, a good doctor won't do surgery on her.

He was my doctor too!  You are in good hands.  The first 10 days are the hardest, so hang in there.