Melissa Dussek

Hey everyone! I finally had my VSG on March 17th through BeLite Weight (BWL) in Juarez, MX at the Star Medica hospital. First I must say the hospital is the nicest and cleanliest hospital I have ever been in. They kept me there the whole time. They cleaned twice a day and I was able to watch some English channels on cable. The WiFi only worked right outside the room but I was able to keep in contact with people back home. My gf came with me and I was happy about that. It gets boring after awhile and I was awake a lot. It is a hospital so you are constantly waken up to clean your drain, check your IV, blood pressure, temperature and bring you fluids. I went the same day as surgery so I didn't take more time off work. Let me tell you about the surgery process. They conducted an X-ray. EKG, and blood work. One nurse tried several times to find a vein for the IV to no avail. At one point she stuck the needle wrong and it hurt pretty bad. So she stopped and I had the IV put in when I was under. I got to the hospital at 1pm and I was rolled to the surgery room around 2:45pm. I was awake being wheeled to my room and it was 5:00pm. I could barely open my eyes but I was able to talk a little bit to my gf in the room. I went to sleep for several hours and woke up to urinate about 3 times. I had 4 incisions and was surprised the next day that they are pretty tiny. I was wide awake around 6:30am so I decided to walk the hallways and use my phone. The gas gave me some discomfort but not super painful. I tried a Gas-x strip and it made me super nauseous and made my mouth Water a lot. I did spit a lot for the first day but no throw up. I wasn't allowed to drink anything the next day so my mouth was dry but I gurgled mouthwash and used lots of chap stick. The third day I was given Jello, chicken broth, ice chips and apple juice on a tray to start fluids. The jello made my stomach hurt but I was able to do some ice chips, chicken broth and apple juice without a problem. Anytime I consumed fluids I did burp and fart (lol) which made me feel less bloated as the days went on. The doctor told me there wasn't any complications and everything looked great. Next I was taken to do a leak test and I drank the contrast Fluid. After a few minutes I did throw up a small amount of slimy stuff. The contrast was super gross. Eww! I saw my tiny stomach and my drain was taken out without any pain. That day I felt well enough to go shopping of course. There was a great mall across the mall and walked about for an hour. I was pretty exhausted after that and took a nap. We left on Friday and the ride through the border went fine. I didn't get home until Saturday due to plane shenanigans but was super happy to be home. So far I am having trouble getting 64 ounces in but I am forcing about 24 ounces in now :-( I have tried Protein shakes several times but it still makes me sick. I realized cold beverages and straight water make me sick but my stomach loves hot things. I am living on room temperature crystal light, sugar free popsicles and chicken broth. I am feeling pretty hungry now but when I take a few sips I feel better. I am looking to the soft food stage next week! I am grieving food but I know it's part of the process. I have been feeling weak but I know it's the lack of nutrients and protein. I am working on incorporating protein somehow on my full liquid diet this week. I am thankful that I work from home due to my weakness and internal cries for food. Today I stepped on the scale and I am 8 pounds down and no pain! My gallbladder removal hurt more than this procedure. The weight loss motivates me to keep strong against temptations. I well keep you posted on my progress. :-) HW: 220 SW: 196 CW: 188

Yes it was. He came to see me three times. Very warm and friendly guy.

I am officially booked for my VSG on March 17th with BeLite Weight. I am so excited and focused on this weight loss journey.

It's great to keep reading reviews about BWL. After months of research and communication I have chosen them as well. I'm also doing the single incision. So excited! Thanks for your sharing your experience.

Yup and I did. I feel comfortable with my decision because I did my research for months.

Hello Everyone, My name is Melissa and I have been on this forum almost everyday for a few months. I started researching WLS seriously last year because I'm FED UP! When I finally decided on the VSG I only told 3 people and won't tell anyone else. I know the comments I would get and I don't need any discouragement. My BMI is 37 so everyone always says I'm not that big or I'm jsut thick. WHATEVER! I am obese and I have been since I was a kid. It only got worst when I got a car at 20. I am 29 now and I want to make a permament change to improve my quality of life. I wanted to share what I found in my research of finding a surgeon and financing. I called and emailed about 7 companies in Mexico for the VSG. I did my research with pricing and level of care. I then narrowed down my search to vibe/feeling I got when speaking with the coordinators. I kept the one's that were quick to respond, sent attachements of the whole process, history of the surgeon, and last price. I had my gall bladder removed last year by single incision through my belly button. In my research I discovered only a few surgeons offered the single incision procedure. Since my BMI is under 40 I was told I am an ideal canidate for this procedure. Nothing wrong with 3-5 incisions but if I can have just one that is invisble why not? I might be able to wear that bikini more confidently without scars. Hey it's my body and I call the shots. The SILS(single incision) was $500 more with BLW(BeLiteWeight) and $1000 more with R4AC(Ready 4A Change). The coordinators are very informative, friendly and got back to you quickly. BWL offered the VSG for $6800 plus $500 and R4AC was $250 plus $1000. I loved that fact that BWL offered IN HOUSE financing which usually means less fees and less interest rate. I looked and looked and looked and I couldn't any other WSL in Mexico that provided the same service. R4AC works with a few loan companies but in my research I discovered bariatric loans usually have high interest rates. Well Citerra offered me 23% interest rate plus $2000 LOAN FEE. No money down and would send me money to also buy my plane ticket. My monthly payment would be $267. So in total I would almost be paying back DOUBLE my loan amount after 3.5 years. I was disappointed and almost said EFF IT because quite frequently I want this done in March and just get it over with. I thought about for a few days and filled a loan application with BWL to see what happened. With BWL my down payment is $2500 plus $500 for the SILS and $200 a month for 2 years. The loan fee is only $300! If your credit is better than mines the down payment can also be less. Yes the price is more but they have stellar reviews and Jamie understood that most companies rip people off. She said she wanted to help people as much as possible without feeling like the person owed the mob. She was spot on. I debated on my whole tax return used as my downpayment but I don't want to wait much longer to save up the money. My goal is to be at least 20 pounds lighter by summer time. I can have my surgery without so much debt. I had to step back and realize that desperation and impatience sometimes puts me in a situation I regret later. I am super nervous and excited to be finally free of this fat bodysuit. I just want to be comfortable in my own skin. :-) I hope this helped someone with some questions like several posts that I had before in my research.

They don't have surgeons that offer SILS.