MS Sherry

According to the government web site, yes...you do need one. According to other people I know that have been there recently, no...you only need a state issued ID or driver's license and a birth certificate. I can tell you with all certainty that if you don't have one, you do not qualify to travel through the medical lane. In other words, your wait at the border can literally take several hours (and caused them to miss their plane). My wait was 10 minutes with a passport card. A passport card is not that expensive and is acceptable when traveling over the border by land.

While I found my surgery buddy here, you can also post in the Bariatric Pal Team MX Facebook group if you are looking for someone to buddy up with. You are still in good hands even if you have to go it alone, and they will attend to your every need while you are there, but it is nice to have someone to go through the experience with you.

What an awesome review! Thanks for posting your honest perspective! 29 more days and I'll be there! WooT!!

Dr. Ilan is very accessible via email, phone, and FB. He has called me twice to answer questions in depth and was very cordial about it. I liked that he took his time and I didn't feel rushed while consulting with him. He also has a FB group that he checks into often to see if anyone has any questions for him there and usually responds to posts pretty quickly. I have already had issues with my gallbladder in the past, so I have opted to have mine removed at the same time as my sleeve surgery. I would rather just get it all done at the same time and get it over with, since the probability is high that I would have to have it done in the future anyway. Again, Good Luck!

Yes, sending pm now. Sorry for the delay. For some reason I don't get forum notifications until way after. Yay...I was about to give up!

Yes! Me! I am scheduled the same day with Dr. Illan and will be coming by myself as well. I have been on the hunt for a sleeve sister and Bill says we will get along great! If you have FB, add me there and we can chat on messenger.

Hi 79, There are threads here on all the doctors you mentioned. It just requires a little research on your part. As far as starting the process, just get in touch with a Patient Coordinator. My coordinator is Bill Yanez and he has made the entire process flow very smoothly for me. I asked every question in the book and he was more than gracious in answering my questions and explaining everything in detail. The whole team is great at making themselves accessible when you need help or have questions. They never keep you waiting for an answer. Bariatric Pal Team Members speak English, so there is no language barrier there. As far as being alone, they also include a 24 hour personal valet service for their patients at the hospital, the recovery house, and the hotel as well, so you don't have to be afraid to be alone. Although I had not planned to come alone, it looks like I just might be. I have also found that many people going by themselves seek out another person going alone and buddy up with each other for support. I'm still trying to decide between mid-March and mid-April and when I decide on a date, that is my plan. What the facilities are like depends on the doctor you choose. I chose Dr. Illan and he works out of florence Hospital. I have a friend who chose Dr. Zavalza. I guess it just depends on your preference after you complete your research. What's good for one might not be ideal for another. That's the reason why we chose different doctors. You can read more about them at http://teammx.bariatricpal.com/ and that link will also show you what all is included. All of the doctors you mentioned also have Facebook group pages where you can contact past, present, and future patients and speak to them about their experiences. Just search for the doctors name followed by Bariatric Pal and each of their group will show up in the search. As far as pain, I haven't been through it yet, but my oldest daughter and my sister were both sleeved in the past year. They said the first day was kind of rough, but after that it wasn't too bad at all. Just sore. They got out and about for walks and even shopped a little. Again, I guess that just depends on the person, as some people tolerate pain differently than others. I hoped this helped ease your mind a bit. I don't work for Bariatric Pal, but I have done my research to the extreme, and I am quite comfortable with them. Good luck!