June 17 will be my day
- Thread starter MeAgain
- Start date
dianeseattle
Member
I'm opposed to quickie surgeries in foreign countries. I've made myself very clear about that. I'm pasting in what I wrote to Haystack in a previous post:
To the Canadian who's heading to Mexico for surgery, Please consider the risk you are taking. Adding a language barrier to a systems-altering surgery puts you at considerable risk. We've discussed Mexican surgery here and my opinion is DON'T DO IT. Get in line & count on some people disqualifying over the next year or two & dropping out, moving you to the front of the line. Canada's medical system (I know a doctor in Ottawa) is highly respected and this is your LIFE you're dealing with. So you've wasted a lot of it being obese. That's in the past. Make sure you have a future by putting your health in accountable hands. How you gonna get right with a Mexican "surgeon" you know nothing about, who doesn't have to follow rigid standards for doctors in Canada & the U.S.?
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I've actually had the surgery, 12 years ago & am qualified to talk about it, based on my experience. This is not to be taken lightly. At the very least, you should do research on the "doctor" or clinic that's going to be cutting you open. You should know his/her background, education, success rate, deaths, malpractice actions & media accounts. If you can't do research on your doctor, you shouldn't be seeing that doctor. You don't know if that person just showed up for a 2-week seminar where a laparoscopic rig was demonstrated & students got to try it out. Or, god forbid, an operating room where a 7-inch vertical incision will be made in order to snip the stomach & part of the duodenum, then stitch it to the jejunum to create a bypass resulting in malabsorption. When will you get your staples out? Who's taking care of you post-op? Do you imagine you're going to fly home the next day? Did your Mexican surgeon give you a lot of tests to see if you can survive surgery? How about written instructions, handouts for post-op care?
I had an open procedure & had to remain hospitalized for 3 days. Then I was home in bed taking painkillers for weeks. I encountered many "firsts" in life, including constipation. But let me tell you, that constipation was about the same pain level as giving birth. I also had nerve damage & still have it. It directly traces to the incision & the nerve bundle that comes away from that. There was one day I couldn't even physically get out of bed, the pain was so excruciating. I had to phone for help from my bedroom to my roommate, who came & helped me.
All that & I will still tell you this was one of the best decisions of my life. I was on the phone with my surgeon & the bariatric nurses, as well as the nutritionist who was assigned to me. I lost 35 pounds the first month, 25 the second, & averaged 15 pounds a month after that until I plateaued. After the plateau, I went on to lose a total of 115 pounds. I was surrounded by supportive friends & brilliant medical personnel. They were there for me 24/7 & never had any trouble taking a phone call from me or having me come back in for a look-see.
I had lost about 18 pounds before the surgery because the surgeon told me to. I had also been training at the YMCA on the treadmill, because I knew my first chance after surgery, I'd be taking a 7-day hike into the wilderness of the North Cascades. Everything worked out perfectly. I'm inserting a photo below to show how skinny I got 14 months after.
that tank top was just hanging on my bones. I used to fill it out with no room to spare. And the photo below shows me wearing a different tank top, four years apart. I was 56 or 57 in the skinny picture.
There was a one-year waiting list at UW for bariatric surgery but as it happened, I was able to use a combination of Medicare & charitable care from Virginia Mason hospital, had surgery within 2 months & didn't spend a dime. I could have waited a year, but I got lucky.
I know you're all hooked up & ready to head to Mexico but I wanted the opportunity to say, in the strongest possible terms, that you should never put your life in someone else's hands if you don't know that person's reputation & skill level. That's just nuts. It is not too late to reconsider.
I'd say the same thing if you were going to Thailand or some other popular surgical destination to have this done. It is extremely serious, potentially fatal surgery and there is NO room for error. There is nothing else we do electively to our bodies that is so dangerous. You cannot do it alone. Even people who have come here after having surgery at a reputable hospital by a skilled surgeon have dozens of complaints about how they feel afterward.
That's all I got.
To the Canadian who's heading to Mexico for surgery, Please consider the risk you are taking. Adding a language barrier to a systems-altering surgery puts you at considerable risk. We've discussed Mexican surgery here and my opinion is DON'T DO IT. Get in line & count on some people disqualifying over the next year or two & dropping out, moving you to the front of the line. Canada's medical system (I know a doctor in Ottawa) is highly respected and this is your LIFE you're dealing with. So you've wasted a lot of it being obese. That's in the past. Make sure you have a future by putting your health in accountable hands. How you gonna get right with a Mexican "surgeon" you know nothing about, who doesn't have to follow rigid standards for doctors in Canada & the U.S.?
<end of paste>
I've actually had the surgery, 12 years ago & am qualified to talk about it, based on my experience. This is not to be taken lightly. At the very least, you should do research on the "doctor" or clinic that's going to be cutting you open. You should know his/her background, education, success rate, deaths, malpractice actions & media accounts. If you can't do research on your doctor, you shouldn't be seeing that doctor. You don't know if that person just showed up for a 2-week seminar where a laparoscopic rig was demonstrated & students got to try it out. Or, god forbid, an operating room where a 7-inch vertical incision will be made in order to snip the stomach & part of the duodenum, then stitch it to the jejunum to create a bypass resulting in malabsorption. When will you get your staples out? Who's taking care of you post-op? Do you imagine you're going to fly home the next day? Did your Mexican surgeon give you a lot of tests to see if you can survive surgery? How about written instructions, handouts for post-op care?
I had an open procedure & had to remain hospitalized for 3 days. Then I was home in bed taking painkillers for weeks. I encountered many "firsts" in life, including constipation. But let me tell you, that constipation was about the same pain level as giving birth. I also had nerve damage & still have it. It directly traces to the incision & the nerve bundle that comes away from that. There was one day I couldn't even physically get out of bed, the pain was so excruciating. I had to phone for help from my bedroom to my roommate, who came & helped me.
All that & I will still tell you this was one of the best decisions of my life. I was on the phone with my surgeon & the bariatric nurses, as well as the nutritionist who was assigned to me. I lost 35 pounds the first month, 25 the second, & averaged 15 pounds a month after that until I plateaued. After the plateau, I went on to lose a total of 115 pounds. I was surrounded by supportive friends & brilliant medical personnel. They were there for me 24/7 & never had any trouble taking a phone call from me or having me come back in for a look-see.
I had lost about 18 pounds before the surgery because the surgeon told me to. I had also been training at the YMCA on the treadmill, because I knew my first chance after surgery, I'd be taking a 7-day hike into the wilderness of the North Cascades. Everything worked out perfectly. I'm inserting a photo below to show how skinny I got 14 months after.
that tank top was just hanging on my bones. I used to fill it out with no room to spare. And the photo below shows me wearing a different tank top, four years apart. I was 56 or 57 in the skinny picture.
There was a one-year waiting list at UW for bariatric surgery but as it happened, I was able to use a combination of Medicare & charitable care from Virginia Mason hospital, had surgery within 2 months & didn't spend a dime. I could have waited a year, but I got lucky.
I know you're all hooked up & ready to head to Mexico but I wanted the opportunity to say, in the strongest possible terms, that you should never put your life in someone else's hands if you don't know that person's reputation & skill level. That's just nuts. It is not too late to reconsider.
I'd say the same thing if you were going to Thailand or some other popular surgical destination to have this done. It is extremely serious, potentially fatal surgery and there is NO room for error. There is nothing else we do electively to our bodies that is so dangerous. You cannot do it alone. Even people who have come here after having surgery at a reputable hospital by a skilled surgeon have dozens of complaints about how they feel afterward.
That's all I got.
MeAgain
New Member
I find it VERY insulting that you would assume I haven't done my homework on this. I've spent the last several months researching the different Mexico locations and doctors and what will happen post-op. I've talked with several people (coworkers, friends, friends if family) who have already gotten it done here and in Mexico. If you knew me at all, you would know that I don't do anything without knowing EXACTLY what I'm getting into. Not that it's any of your business, but my doctor is highly accredited and reviewed, studied in the US for years and assisted in setting up several clinics and training US doctors. He's been doing this for 2 decades. And his staff all speak English.
I joined this forum for support, not brow beating. Don't make assumptions about me and my health. You don't have a clue what you're talking about. I'm getting the surgery for more reasons than just weight loss (again not your business). My BMI is only 34, but I still qualify because I have a host of other issues that will also be either cured or relieved by this procedure. Some of which are very painful. I cannot wait 3 years for the surgery just to save myself some money.
You need to stop judging people on what is THEIR choice and unique to THEIR situation.
I joined this forum for support, not brow beating. Don't make assumptions about me and my health. You don't have a clue what you're talking about. I'm getting the surgery for more reasons than just weight loss (again not your business). My BMI is only 34, but I still qualify because I have a host of other issues that will also be either cured or relieved by this procedure. Some of which are very painful. I cannot wait 3 years for the surgery just to save myself some money.
You need to stop judging people on what is THEIR choice and unique to THEIR situation.
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MeAgain
New Member
Thank you! It takes so long because healthcare in Canada is free, so there are long waiting lists. I could pay and get it done asap, but it would cost triple or more what it costs to go to Mexico. And the good news is, I can still have any postop care I need here in Canada at no charge even though the surgery was in Mexico. Its a win win, really. ☺
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dianeseattle
Member
No, I don't. I am not judging you on your choice and I don't know what your situation is. I do know that you're having surgery thousands of miles away from where you live and you'll have no access to your doctor after that. If you have a problem when you get home, you'll have to find another doctor to deal with the first doctor's work. I do know that doctors don't like to mess with other doctors' work. I think you're making a mistake. I think you are contributing to an alarming exploitation of desperate people who will have minor and major surgery in other countries because it's cheaper or because less qualification is required. I have been supportive of everyone's journey here except those people who go offshore to foreign countries and unknown situations to have high-risk surgery. That is never going to change. And considering the fact that I have already had the surgery, I know a little bit about the process from before, to after, to way after. You are trusting in the words that you are hearing and reading from this person. You have no hands-on experience to prove that what this doctor is saying is true. You obviously didn't hear what I was saying the first time, so I won't explain it again. I wish you luck and the best of health.
MeAgain
New Member
You're making assumptions again that are not true. It's none of your business but I already have my doctor lined up at home. And, if she's not available, I can go to any emergency room and be admitted for free. Canada!
You obviously are ignoring what I wrote about all the research I've done ahead of time and the numerous people I've talked to who have done the same thing. You're also discounting the reasons I gave that I can't wait for this. Every one needs to decide for themselves what is right for them and they don't need to deal with an opinionated bully in the process. You're apparently one of those people who thinks they know what's best for everyone and I'm done explaining myself. I'm putting you on ignore.
MamaBearOf4
Member
Diane was worried for your safety. But as long as you got your doctor and she understands that you are having surgery in mexico and they are willing to do the after care then that is a plus for you. I just hope that the traveling is safe and you get home safely. Diane is not a bully she is just straight forward with her answers and she sticks more to the facts that she has seen to be true. We all have our own opinion and we just want the best for you. We want you to be safe. But no one can stop you from doing what you need to do. All we can do is be there for you when you need us. Just make sure you keep in touch and let us know you are safe. It is all I can say.
dianeseattle
Member
Wow in all the years I have been on the internet involved in newsgroups and other types of groups I don't think I have ever heard anyone stick up for another person! Mama, you are a brave woman. Thank you for saying that.
I know that I am blunt and that many people would prefer a softer touch. I personally just don't have the patience or the ability to manipulate other people by slowly sneaking up on this subject.
This is the kind of thing that you just can't resolve. I did read our messages several times, looking for any sort of language I might have used that would paint me as a bully. I sure don't want to be a bully, though I do speak strongly. I expect that I am speaking to my equal. She has the same rights in the same strength of opinion that I do.
What I learned is I didn't get personal with her and call her names. I also did many hours of research reading articles on medical tourism. There was nothing on the internet that changed my mind.
The thought of going to a strange town in a strange country and walking into a converted retail space in a mall, then being escorted by strange people to cramped little rooms and rendered unconscious with very little ceremony just horrified me. Maybe if you just want a check up on an ingrown toenail, any old clinic will do. But when you're having your guts literally cut out and someone poking around inside near vital organs, you want to know that person before it happens, and you want to see that person after it happens. That person who has literally been inside you should stick with you and take care of you and make sure his or her work was done correctly.
And that doesn't even begin to cover the gamut of reasons why continuity of care is an essential part of our medical system.
Anyway I'm not going to argue more. But I will probably speak up whenever a newcomer announces plans for surgery in a foreign land just because it's less expensive, not because it's better. Even if the doctor was more skilled, it remains a dangerous proposition, and there are hundreds of stories from people who experienced it and news agencies who investigated medical tourism.
I do hope things work out for her and her husband and she doesn't encounter any problems with a very complex surgery that usually comes with problems. I think most people who have the surgery, including the people that are here in this group, will agree that it is much different than they expected it to be. Most people have a moment afterward when they say, wow I don't know if I would do this again, now that I know what it's really like.
And thank you Mama for being the brave and straight-shooting woman I have come to know. You are very special.
I know that I am blunt and that many people would prefer a softer touch. I personally just don't have the patience or the ability to manipulate other people by slowly sneaking up on this subject.
This is the kind of thing that you just can't resolve. I did read our messages several times, looking for any sort of language I might have used that would paint me as a bully. I sure don't want to be a bully, though I do speak strongly. I expect that I am speaking to my equal. She has the same rights in the same strength of opinion that I do.
What I learned is I didn't get personal with her and call her names. I also did many hours of research reading articles on medical tourism. There was nothing on the internet that changed my mind.
The thought of going to a strange town in a strange country and walking into a converted retail space in a mall, then being escorted by strange people to cramped little rooms and rendered unconscious with very little ceremony just horrified me. Maybe if you just want a check up on an ingrown toenail, any old clinic will do. But when you're having your guts literally cut out and someone poking around inside near vital organs, you want to know that person before it happens, and you want to see that person after it happens. That person who has literally been inside you should stick with you and take care of you and make sure his or her work was done correctly.
And that doesn't even begin to cover the gamut of reasons why continuity of care is an essential part of our medical system.
Anyway I'm not going to argue more. But I will probably speak up whenever a newcomer announces plans for surgery in a foreign land just because it's less expensive, not because it's better. Even if the doctor was more skilled, it remains a dangerous proposition, and there are hundreds of stories from people who experienced it and news agencies who investigated medical tourism.
I do hope things work out for her and her husband and she doesn't encounter any problems with a very complex surgery that usually comes with problems. I think most people who have the surgery, including the people that are here in this group, will agree that it is much different than they expected it to be. Most people have a moment afterward when they say, wow I don't know if I would do this again, now that I know what it's really like.
And thank you Mama for being the brave and straight-shooting woman I have come to know. You are very special.
MeAgain
New Member
Thanks. I appreciate the concern, but I've got my bases more than covered, which Diane wasn't 'hearing'. The last thing someone in my position needs is to have someone who knows nothing about them passing judgement. You come to a forum like this for support and the second reply I get after joining is the exact opposite. I'm keeping her blocked. I don't need that negativity in my life right now.
MamaBearOf4
Member
I know that it is difficult to hear the negative responses. I heard it from my friends as soon as I got the date. Now I stay with just my kids and my husband. I talk to the people in this chat but other people I still have not got the urge to talk to. So I understand about the negative reactions and how they make you feel. And like I said before she is blunt but she does give good advise. Now if you go to another country or stay in yours that is your decision. You will have your surgery done and hopefully you will come back and check in with everyone because it is a scary thing to do but it is your choice. Me personally I would go with the doctors here. But I understand that your waiting list there is so long. So all I can say is with in time maybe you should give Diane a chance maybe not now but someday. She is only wanting to put her thoughts on the topic. But other then that your surgeries are coming soon, so when are you going to start the liquid diet to shrink your liver.
Krazykat928
Member
Krazykat928
Member
I get your frustration- sometimes in people’s attempts to give advice - they are overbearing - my mother had a face lift in Mexico and I thought she was crazy but many people go to very reputable places in Mexico and do fine - my surgery is in Los Angeles on Monday - I will pray for you and your hubby and I wish you the best and I am sure you have investigated this closely
Texnoble
Member
Hello Me- I had the sleeve done and it was a breeze. The doctor and the internet prepared me on what to expect. We've had a couple people going to Mexico that checked in, but after surgery, didn't come back. It would for you to educate us when you return. I'd love to hear about your accommodations and such.
Best of luck to you and your husband!
NicoleY
Member
Ahh I had forgotten all about that free health care. It makes sense. I have heard of so many people that have gone to Mexico and had great success from plastic surgery, weight loss, back surgery all kinds of stuff. I wish you and your husband safe travels to and from as well as great success with the surgeries!
MeAgain
New Member
I started my pre-op diet on Monday. I'm on day 3 and so far so good.
MamaBearOf4
Member
That is great. It is easy as long as you keep your mind on the prize. Good luck and check in with us. We would like to know you are doing good
Brenda2010
Member
I've been researching some plastic surgeons in Mexico, probably the only way I'll ever be able to afford to reconstruct my body after all the yo-yo abuse it's endured since my teens.
honeysgirl
Member
I wish you and your husband the best of luck and a safe journey and surgery.
I guess the good and bad of Universal Healthcare?? You can get it free but you have to wait a long time but on the flip side, the doctors will treat you afterwards. I hope I am getting this correct??
I met a lot of people from Canada when we lived overseas and their opinions were so different on how they felt about the medical care. Some loved it and some hated it. A lot of them traveled to the US or other places for the same reason as you, long wait times. A friends child got bit on her face by a dog and needed cosmetic surgery but could not get it done there quickly and since it was on her face it needed to be done ASAP. It's different circumstances for different people. Goodness know the US healthcare system has a lot of issues of it's own. I certainly will not judge another countries healthcare system as I have never lived it.
My husband did a good bit of work for a year and a half in Canada and just loved it. He hopes we can vacation there sometime in the next few years.
One of the things I worry about (have not had surgery yet) is if we move from my current home. My husband is in the oilfield and we tend to move more than most people. I always wonder if I will have to travel back to the surgeon who performed the surgery should I have any future complications. Good question to ask him on Monday.
Keep us updated.
I guess the good and bad of Universal Healthcare?? You can get it free but you have to wait a long time but on the flip side, the doctors will treat you afterwards. I hope I am getting this correct??
I met a lot of people from Canada when we lived overseas and their opinions were so different on how they felt about the medical care. Some loved it and some hated it. A lot of them traveled to the US or other places for the same reason as you, long wait times. A friends child got bit on her face by a dog and needed cosmetic surgery but could not get it done there quickly and since it was on her face it needed to be done ASAP. It's different circumstances for different people. Goodness know the US healthcare system has a lot of issues of it's own. I certainly will not judge another countries healthcare system as I have never lived it.
My husband did a good bit of work for a year and a half in Canada and just loved it. He hopes we can vacation there sometime in the next few years.
One of the things I worry about (have not had surgery yet) is if we move from my current home. My husband is in the oilfield and we tend to move more than most people. I always wonder if I will have to travel back to the surgeon who performed the surgery should I have any future complications. Good question to ask him on Monday.
Keep us updated.