KeepCalmandCarryOn

Hi everyone, So I have been researching weight loss surgery for a while and have settle on the sleeve. I have a "low" BMI, only 32, but I want to prevent it from ever getting any higher. I am 27 and have been overweight my entire life. Familiar story I am sure, I have vacillated from 170 to 230 lbs, depending on how active I am and how strict about dieting. I have tried so many other options, prescription diet pills, Atkins, Weight Watchers, I have a personal trainer I see once a week, I eat mostly vegetarian, I have a dog I walk everyday, but nothing ever lasts. I overeat and whether the food is healthy or junk, too much is still too much. My body wants to be a size 16, but I want to be a size 6. I will be self pay, so I have been primarily looking into surgery in Mexico. I have relatives who lived in Mexico for a long time, including my aunt who is an RN, and they are comfortable with the choice of Mexico if I do proper research and find an experienced surgeon. The only reservations I am getting from people is that I am so young and I could try other options first, like more exercise and dieting! My family, nuclear and extended, has a history of being overweight, not drastically obese, but almost everyone is at least slightly overweight. I am tired of being too embarrassed to wear a bathing suit or be confident with my figure around my boyfriend (he loves me no matter how I look and is an angel). I spend a lot of my time on the California coast with family and friends, but I haven't gone in the ocean since I was probably 8 years old because that would require me wearing a bathing suit. Really depressing! I am not in the dark about what a serious decision this is, surgery always carries risks, I have a family friend who died while undergoing elective plastic surgery, but I feel the risks are small compared to the lifelong risks associated with obesity, both mental and physical. I am a little nervous about making a drastic change to my body, undergoing major surgery, and the way it will change my lifestyle, but I am so excited about the way it will change my health and my future. I have basically settled with Dr. Aceves, I live in Southern California and would like a doctor close to the border so I can travel by driving. If anyone reads this who has used cosmeticredit for financing, can you let me know how you liked it? Were there really high or hidden fees? I have savings for a deposit (I am a graduate student so my income literally is fixed), and I could put the entire operation on a low income credit card if I went to a less expensive doctor, but if I use Dr. Aceves I will have to use financing. That is another argument I have to contend with, everyone thinks I am nuts to take out a loan for this when I still have student loans, but I see this as an investment in my future that will pay for itself. I am hoping to have the surgery done in March because I will be moving to New York City at the end of March for 6 months to a year before coming back to sunny California. So hopefully I will have good news to update about a scheduled surgery date soon. I really appreciate this forum as a resource. I am trying to absorb as much info as I can so I know what to expect afterwards. Thanks so much.

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So update to my story. I have been trying to work out financing. I am a graduate student so according to the loan companies I have no income. I understand, technically my income is all loans and grants and scholarships so it is hard for them to distinguish what is what. I lived so carefully in the last year and saved enough cash to pay for about half the surgery when I thought I was going to do the lap band. I was going to put the other half on my credit card. At the moment I have no credit card debt. Then I discovered the sleeve and Dr. Aceves. Basically, I can pay an astronomical interest rate and fee to go through financing with surgeryloans.com and have the surgery with Dr. Aceves to pay the difference, or I can go with a less expensive doctor to have the sleeve done and stick to my original plan, paying half in cash and half on credit and not do any financing. I am torn! This is a life long decision so I want to make a safe and rational choice, but it is a lot of money and if I mess with my credit too much it can affect my student loans next year. Any advice? Thanks.