Thundergrrl

Nope, no need for both. Here is the link: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html Passport card is $55 and here are the details: The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air. This means you need to be flying to a US destination and then driven across the border (like I was). You cannot fly straight to Mexico with only the passport card.

It's actually unbelievable to me! I haven't had the left shoulder pain, gas pain, or anything. I've dry heaved a few times due to nausea but it goes away if I just lay down again and ask for more meds I am appalled at how much worse I felt after the band. I haven't gotten ice chips yet, but today... My surgeon does 2 leak tests while you're still in the OR so I actually don't have to that before they discharge me. Super happy on that because I've done too many of them with my band when it was messing up and I will puke if I have to drink that stuff again.

I underwent a Lap-Band to VSG revision surgery on 3/16/15 with Dr. Alvarez of Endobariatric (www.endobariatric.com). And the bottom line is, I couldn't be happier with process from start to finish. The long version, including some details you may find helpful is as follows: I learned of Dr. Alvarez from a Band to Sleeve revision support group on facebook. One of the members had her revision done with him and highly recommended him. Of course there are a lot of options when it comes to going to Mexico for surgery and I knew I wanted to explore Mexico because I was going to be completely self-pay/no insurance coverage for this revision. My insurance had covered my band placement in 2010 and followup care for a few years until I had to switch jobs and my new insurance would not cover anything relating to obesity. Due to the state I live in, I also could not get coverage on the healthcare exchange that would include obesity. I was very successful with my Lap-band and lost 95 lbs in about 9 months and maintained that loss for another year +. Then I started having complications such as a dilated esophagus and achalasi. It was not safe to have Fluid in the band so I got a complete unfill. Of course, I started gaining weight back immediately and despite my best diet attempts, I gained back 50 of the 95 lbs I had lost. I couldn't afford the constant maintenance of the band without insurance coverage and worse, I knew if I ran into trouble again, I'd have no coverage even in case of an emergency band removal. That's when I decided revising was my only option. I researched surgeons in my area but the closest ones to me that had good reputations were still 3+ hours drive and $25,000 of more for self-payers. I also would have had to jump through most of the normal hoops like pre-op classes, counseling, etc. It would have meant a lot of time off work before even being approved for surgery. When I found Dr. Alvarez, it was like a dream come true. I could complete everything I needed to online, travel once, and get my revision done for $9,000. Of course, I was warned it may not be possible to perform the band removal and revision all at once, due to the unknown amount of damage in my stomach. But even if I required 2 surgeries, the price would be $12,000 - still half of my US price. The entire process of working with Endobariatric from start to finish was incredible smooth. The patient coordinator, Susan, is one of the most responsive customer service professionals I've ever had the pleasure to work with. Rarely did more than a couple of hours go by without an answer to my questions via email. And I have no doubt she is interfacing with dozens of patients daily, not just me. When I finally did make it to San Antonio, TX to be picked up and taken to the surgery location just over the border in Piedras Negras, again everything could not have been more smooth or well done. There are few big differences between this hospital and all other US hospitals I have been in. I found these differences to be positive for the most part, but I was not expecting them. So for the sake of an honest review of the experience, you might like to know about them. 1. This is specific to Dr. Alvarez, not a "Mexican hospital standard" I'm sure. But there is a very high ratio of nurses to patients here. It feels like one on one and you never have to wait for your needs to be addressed. When I got my Lap-Band at a busy Baltimore, MD hospital in 2010, I had to wait 5 hours after surgery for my first doses of anti-nausea and pain meds. I had to wait for a doctor to write orders for things, I was miserable, and no one cared. I had to wait a couple of hours to get up to pee even though I'd been pushing the call button nonstop. You will find the exact opposite at Endobariatric. I have barely been in pain for a moment since coming out of surgery. they are on top of the med schedule and the times I've been particularly nauseous they will give me more medicine right away and not insist I wait 2 more hours till my next scheduled dose. 2. The hospital that Dr. Alvarez operates out of is not shiny and new on the insude but it is cleaner and more comfortable than any US hospital I've been in. It is QUIET above all. There are not constant announcements on loud speakers. No constant beeping machines. No yelling or crying in the background. I think I am on a private wing only for Dr. Alvarez's patients, but even so, the whole place just has a different feel than US hospitals. 3. I was surprised at the lack of glove use that is so prevalent in US hospitals. Nurses are touch specimen cups and patients without gloves. This doesn't bother me too much but if you are very concerned I would ask in advance about requesting nurses to wear gloves around you at all times. 4. You can actually rest and recover in this hospital! What an idea, right? Instead of being hooked up to machines that beep and disturb you, you'll have an IV for fluids and meds but they will only come by once in a while to check blood pressure and temperature. And you get compression socks and instructions to walk and move but are not hooked up to auto-inflating leg pillows that squeeze and beep you all night. I was able to sleep as much as I wanted, undisturbed. 5. There will be a slight language barrier but it is not bad at all. Dr. Alvarez has nurses that are bilingual and make it very easy but they do leave at night. I was told they are accessible by phone if there's a problem requiring translation but since everything has gone very well for me, I haven't had a problem. I know some basic Spanish and I've used google translate to ask for specific things. 6. The wifi is not as great as I was hoping. Whereas in the US, hospitals seem to be built with wifi access throughout, this is an older hospital with heavy walls, and it doesn't reach the patient rooms. This is not an issue for me because I've enjoyed coming out of my room and sitting in the hallway or near the nurse's station to get a good signal. But if I had any "complaints" at all, it would be for wifi in my room so I can watch netflix in bed. That is all I can think to mention right now. Again, bottom line, Dr. Alvarez is a skilled surgeon with a great personality and his staff exceeded all expectations. I am a HARD person to please and it is rare that I can write a glowing review. But these folks deserve it.

I hope you are feeling better this morning! I am so grateful that the hospital I'm in (in Mexico) does not do all the beeping machines and leg pumping stuff. I have been making sure to walk a lot on my own but it's an incredibly different experience here than in US hospitals, and makes you really appreciate getting to be left alone and rest.

Just had my revision from band to sleeve yesterday and I'm feeling great. So much less pain than when I had the band put in 5 years ago. Wishing a quick and easy recovery to all of you 3/16 folks!!

Mine was done at the same time, although my surgeon warns it's not 100% because he won't do it all in one if the stomach is too damaged from the band and needs time to heal. There are many surgeons who simply won't do it all at once and many who will, under the right circumstances that make it safe and effective.

Not sure if you are aware but there is a thing called a Passport Card which works for Mexico and Canada only. It's a lot less expensive than a real passport if you are not planning to go outside of north america any time soon. You get it through the same process as a normal passport.

I went to Dr. Alvarez at Endobariatric - www.endobariatric.com. He is in Piedras Negras, one mile over the Texas Border. I could not recommend him more highly and I believe his price for virgin sleeves is $8,000 including everything after you land in San Antonio, TX. MY price was $9,000 because I was revising from a lap band to sleeve. Yes, there are less expensive surgeons in Mexico, I've heard as low as $5,000 including everything but your airfare. And I know people who rave about those surgeons too. But from my experience here, I would not have done it any other way even for half the price.

How did it go? I got revised from band to sleeve this morning and feeling great (all things considered lol). Not about to run any races quite yet

WOW! Same exact experience here! And my revision to sleeve is on March 16th. I would love to keep in touch and see how you progress. I was banded 3/17/2010 and now 5 years to the day (almost) later, I'm revising. I had a lot of luck with my band - 95 lbs lost and kept off for 2 years - until the problems started and the fills/unfills, and regain.

I'm March 16. Band to sleeve revision. I can't wait.

Hi Everyone, I'm kind of new here. I'm 25, actually, getting banded a week before my 26th Bday (the best present ever!) And I'm looking to hear some success stories from those of you/us who have been heavy as long as we can remember. I see a lot of people who gained weight after having kids and could never lose it but I can't be the only one who's mom dragged me to WW when I was nine or put me on Atkins when I was 10, right? I think it's a whole different set of issues for those of us who have always been the fat kid, fat teen, etc. rather than knowing what it's like to live outside the world of fat and then starting to gain weight at a later age. I truly believe that this is what I need in order to free myself from what feels like a prison inside my own body. And I believe that all the discipline and effort I've put into failed diets in the past will finally prove successful. But... it wouldn't hurt to hear from others who've been in this position. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Montynic, that's too funny. Sure we're not some sort of bizarro-world twins? I think the only one I didn't ever do was cabbage soup. If only I'd tried that before getting banded, maybe it would have saved me :thumbup: So when did you/do you get it?

Thanks for the responses. It's good to meet you all. I am now just over 2 weeks post-op and have lost 26lbs (including some pre-op.) I wish it would keep coming off but I know my body has to stop and catch up at some point so I'm just keeping at it. I know everyone always talks about the "lifestyle change" but I'm going to say, I think that really reinforces the false idea that all fatties are lazy, junk food addicts, and do nothing more than sit at home all day. Maybe I'm the exception, not the rule, but I have always lived an active, healthy, outdoor lifestyle and done my best to choose good foods. Unfortunately, genetics (3 generations of overweight family members) and endocrine disorders like PCOS from a young age, have made my body resistant to losing weight in all but the most extreme circumstances. Never in my life have I done what I have done for the past month: living on 1000 calories a day while still exercising at least 1 hour a day. The first 2 weeks were pure willpower but the past 2 have been easy in comparison since I don't feel insatiably hungry like I did before. I'm not knocking anyone's personal journey to better health but I'll be the first to admit it feels patronizing to hear the repeated "it's a tool -you have to work it" and "it's a lifestyle change" lines. My lifestyle, activity level, food choices, etc. are pretty great (and have been for years) but I'm hoping to finally have the help I need via the band to kick the constant gnawing hunger that never would go away for more than 30 minutes. So far so good. And it's really encouraging to see success in people with no fills. It looks like I won't be getting one at my 6 week post-op, if things continue the way they are.

I am now banded (as of 2 weeks ago) and in the process of both pre and post op dieting, I have lost 25 lbs. This is close to the most I've ever lost in my life, period, and it's been by far easier than any of the other times I've tried. Maybe cause I knew the band was coming so it helped me make it through. Anyway, since being banded, I've been eating 1000 calories a day and making a point to exercise 30mins-1hour a day and the weight is coming off very fast. I would never be able to sustain this kind of diet without the band but with it, at the moment, it's easy. I hope that everyone here finds the same kind of success that I feel right now. And for myself I hope it continues.

Hi Everyone, Just a quick post to say hello, yes I'm new here. I was banded on 3/17 and am recovering pretty well. My highest weight was 374 and I am now 354. Hard to believe 20lbs gone forever :laugh: It doesn't feel like very much, I've dropped from a size 22 to an 18 but I don't actually feel any difference yet :smile: The first few days after surgery were rough but today was really great and I feel almost back to 100% except for pain and ITCHING at my incision sites. I'd love to make friends here and meet other recent and long time banded folks.

Hi there, I'm new here as well...having surgery on the 17th. Bets of luck to you. This forum doesn't seem so active.

8 years ago when I was 18 my endocrinologist recommended bypass due to my PCOS and how hard it was to lose any weight. My parents said no way so I put the thought out of my mind. But now the technology has come a long way and I'm going to be getting banded. I find it really interesting that for me too, the only way to lose weight is on extremely low calorie and high exercise plans, which I can't keep up for more than a couple of months. I know that the band will help me with this as long as I keep being as active as I am.

Hi Everyone, I'm Ellen, 25, living in Maryland near DC. I have been thinking about surgery for the past 8 years since my doctor told me it would be a good option for me since I have PCOS and have tried everything to lose weight with very little luck. My parents didn't like that idea but now that I'm an adult (lol) and have my own health insurance, I decided it's time. I have been happily partnered for nearly 4 years, we own a home, have great jobs, a dog, and a horse, so I don't really have any huge reason to do this (it certainly can't make me happier than I already am in life) - but I do hate to feel like I am held back from things I enjoy doing and I've started to feel like I'm only going to get more and more limited as I get older. My weight has been relatively steady for the past 5 years, in the 260s but I ended up at 274 when I started this process. I'm very fortunate to have insurance covering me 100% and my process will have taken about 3 months from the time I made the first phone call to my surgeon's office through banding (which is 3 weeks away.) I'm happy to meet people who are on this journey and look forward to posting some after pictures soon

This is so sad and I'm sorry to hear they're so ignorant. What I would do is join in on their forums and post your daily food and exercise diary and let them compare to their own. But I'm somewhat of an instigator and can't just leave well enough alone. Probably best you just disengage. Having said that, I'm really happy to hear the plan works for you. My employer offers WW at work for $175 for 12 weeks or whatever the normal course is. I've done it a couple of times in my life and it never worked for me. I can follow something like that for a few months but I don't actually lose weight. Maybe 10 lbs... It's just too much struggle with no results for me. Plus, I'm always hungry! Hence, why I'm going to get the band. The thing I've found about people who lose weight is that they become evangelists for whatever method they are currently using. I'm sure WW is a good program for some people, as are most diets (except the crazy ones) but if you're hungry and miserable the whole time, it's not a way you can live. I'd tell them that you're following the same exact plan as them but you're not miserably hungry on a low calorie diet and hence, don't have to be so mean

I'm actually looking forward to the preop liquid diet (less choices means less time trying to figure out what to eat and whether I want it or not.) I've been doing Protein shakes for Breakfast every morning for... jeeze, like 9 months now and I love them. My recipe: 8oz skim milk (90 calories) 8oz lowfat chocolate soy milk (120 calories) 1 scoop chocolate flavored whey protein (104 calories) So the total shake has 314 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 30 grams of protein. It keeps me full till lunch and that's 16 oz of shake... once I have my band I will only be able to drink what, 4oz? So, this is my idea of the perfect Protein Shake but I could be wrong. It does taste very good though. I get my whey protein from wholefoods for 11.99/16 servings.