HopefulintheNW

After much debate, I have decided on Dr. Ramos-Kelly. The other surgeons I considered seriously: Dr. Alvarez, Dr. Aceves, and Dr. Ariel Ortiz. I'm so excited! I am going to plan it for later this summer, probably early August (I am planning on having it done while I am on FMLA from work for a carpal tunnel surgery that I am having done, to kill 2 birds with one stone). The VSG will be performed at Oasis hospital (2 day stay) and recovery at the Lucerna hotel (2 day stay). I will be taking a loan against my 401b to pay for the procedure: money well spent! I only wish I had done this years ago! I am looking forward to better health, more energy, and naturally, improved self-esteem. If you have used Dr. Ramos-Kelly, I would love to hear your story. Thank you for letting me share my excitement!

I'll have to check My Fitness Pal out - I am not currently a member.

I especially enjoy Dr. Kelly/Florence Oasis and Lucerna stories, because that's where I have planned to have my surgery on July 15th! I can hardly wait! I want to do it tomorrow instead, LOL. Thank you SO much for sharing your very detailed account. May I ask what the Lucerna provides you? Do you get broth once or twice a day? How many water bottles will you get per day (if any)? Does the hospital send you off with any other supplies (ie, Gatorade or jello)? Were you able to access free wifi at the Lucerna, as well? It sounds like you really enjoyed your stay there - anything particularly stand out? Did you get toiletries in the room? Hair dryer? Ok, I know you are still recovering from your sleeve, so I had better stop with the questions, LOL. I am SO happy for you that you are doing well and wish you continued good luck on your weight loss journey. One thing that Lora (his personal coordinator) said to me that really stood out when I asked how emergencies are handled - she said that of the 600 or so patient's that they have done so far this year, there have been no emergencies. Yay for that!

Ok, I went on a bit of a crazy spending spree this evening. I ordered from Amazon, Unjury, and Bariatric Choices and I spent, hmm, lets see, about $152! OMG! I just couldn't help myself! I ordered protein soups, protein drinks (clear kinds like Isopure and Protidiet), mixing cup, Unjury's starter pack, a portable hand mixer, etc (I have some weight watcher powder packs here that I can barely stomach because they don't mix well in my shaker bottle with the whisk ball, I am hoping the little portable mixer will do the trick). Earlier today, I bought a thermos, tea, various gummy vitamins, and crystal light water bottle packs at Target. I am SO excited and ready for this weight loss journey to begin! I am scheduled for surgery with Dr. Ramos Kelly on July 15th at Oasis Hospital, I will spend 2 days in the hospital and 2 nights in the hotel, although, I am thinking of staying an extra night in the Lucerna hotel for my peace of mind, "just in case". I know you understand when I say I can hardly think of anything else. They would like me to start my preop diet 2 weeks before, but I am thinking of starting 3 weeks before so I can feel even more confident. I am so proud of myself for doing this, and although I am a bit nervous, I know that I am making the right decision for me! I have a skinny, healthy person inside of me just dying to come out!

I am scheduled with him, as well, on July 15th. It's too long to wait - it gives me too long to think, LOL. Good luck to you!

I just had this epiphany that I wanted to have everything on hand to succeed.

Cindy works for Mexico Bariatric Center, a coordinating company for several companies. I have spoken with her, and she seems very nice. Lora is Dr. Kelly's personal surgical coordinator, working only for him. She is who I am working with - I prefer to work directly with the surgeons personal staff. Although she is pleasant, don't expect speedy responses to your inquiries. She has taken several days to respond to me at times. I am happy with my choice, however, and I am scheduled for surgery on Jul 15th. I can't wait! I ordered myself protein water drink mixes (Protidiet from Amazon) and some Unjury protein from unjury.com - got their starter pack, and extra packets of chicken soup and unflavored protein. I am SO excited! I also bought myself a thermos, tea, and broth. :-) I wish I were having surgery tomorrow, instead!

Thanks for your responses, every one! I am pretty excited. The only negative thing that I am encountering right now is a lack of timeliness in responses from the coordinator who works for Dr. Kelly (Lora). I emailed her on Wed and she has still not responded. I emailed her again, and hope to hear from her soon. If not, I may drop her and work with the coordinating company that he also works with to get this taken care of. I have to say, to me, it's rather poor customer service to not respond in 3 days. My email prior to that one, it took her 2 days to respond. Not cool. Anyway - I am still excited. There are several good surgeons to choose from, and I could always select someone else if this continues. I have time on my side, I can't do it until July or August anyway.

Wow - thank you so much for your detailed accounting! I really appreciated reading through it. I wish you and you daughter the best of luck! Congratulations!

Hi. I believe that I have narrowed my choice of surgeon to Dr. Ramos-Kelly, as well. Although I love what I have read about Dr. Aceves, I can't justify the extra expense which would also delay me being able to get the procedure done, as well. Dr. Ramos-Kelly has a wealth of experience and thus far, what I have read about him has been overwhelmingly positive. I am happy with my choice! Because I am trying to get it scheduled for when I am off for a carpal tunnel surgery, as well. I will probably end up scheduling for the end of July or early August (it depends when I can get scheduled for the CTS). Anyway, I am always eager to hear real stories of peoples experience with Dr. Ramos-Kelly. I will look forward to hearing your story! Good luck and congratulations!

Good evening, everyone. First, I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone that has taken the time to share their detailed stories. I have found them both informative and inspiring. Deciding to have surgery in Mexico is a daunting decision, and family/friend support is a bit....minimal. It's so great that there is a forum here to read about other peoples experience and feel the support that might otherwise be lacking. In addition, it is so helpful to learn from others who have "been there, done that". Real people with real experiences really help. My name is Veronica, and I live in the Pacific NW. I have decided to have the VSG in Mexico for two reasons: financial and lack of access with my current insurance company (Kaiser). I do not qualify based on their rigid standards - even though I have pre-diabetes, asthma and GERD (and of course, the general aches and pains that come from being overweight) . I have been researching this decision for the last several months, and due to monetary issues, I may not be able to get it done until next March, but I think I may be able to swing it for later this summer. At least, I am hopeful that I can. I have been overweight for about 15 years, and each year it just seems to get worse. I am 41 years old and I have an almost 2 year old daughter - I want to be healthy for her and have the energy to keep up with her. I also have a 21 year old son. I just want to feel better about myself. It's been discouraging to struggle with obesity, as I am sure many of you can relate to. I am currently 5'7.5" tall and weigh about 252 lbs, so my BMI is 39, I believe. My preference would be to go with Dr. Aceves, but I have also been considering Dr. Ariel Ortiz Lagadere. For a couple of weeks, I have also been considering Dr. Lopez with A Lighter Me and MiDoctor hospital but after reading 2 independent and very disturbing reviews about the them, I am no longer comfortable with that option. Finances, of course, influence my decisions, but safety and service have great precedence. I would love to hear about the physician you chose, and why, ultimately, what your experience with them was. I am so happy to be a part of this group. Thank you in advance for all your guidance. Sincerely, Veronica

I can definitely see that research is the key.There are so many surgeons to choose from, not too mention coordinators. I am going to continue to read through the boards (and obesityhelp.com), but I *think* I know who I will ultimately go with. I wish I could have the surgery NOW! I can' believe I have waited so long already.

Hi everyone. Thanks for your replies. I've read a lot about Trish , she seems like a fantastic coordinator. I should revisit my research on Dr. Ponce - I can't remember why I was thinking "no" about him. Hoosiergirl - I read your blog, and I was so impressed and thankful for all of your information. Although my top choice is Dr. Aceves, at this point, I am really considering Dr. Ortiz as a more realistic and very acceptable alternative. I definitely don't want cost to be my deciding factor, however. Thanks again, everyone!

I feel pretty certain she is a coordinator, as well.

I was very sorry to read about your experience. I certainly hope that your experience improves when you next see the doctor to have your drain removed. In my opinion, you should be offered some sort of compensation.

Athough I have not personally used them (I have not yet had my VSG), there has been 2 very disturbning reviews recently: I read one today and one yesterday. Good luck in your decisions. As with the bad experiences, I am sure there are many "good" experiences that will help you make an informed choice.

Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. I read another very disturbing review of A Lighter Me/ Dr. Lopez/hospital issue yesterday, and it really helped me take them off the table as an option for VSG. I pray for your speedy recovery and your safe return. Please keep us up to date as to the "end" of your story.

Congratulations! It's great to hear about your experience.