The total cost of my surgery was $7,225. The gastric bypass procedure is more expensive than the sleeve, and I had a high BMI so my total reflected an extra $695.

@@1FatBeet thank you for responding who was your surgeon

I had Dr. Rodriguez and he was fantastic 😁

Glad you liked it and I hope it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful, and congrats on the start of your journey!

I'm so glad and you are so welcome, thank you for the kind words!

Thank you so much for the kind words! I started the channel in hopes to provide something helpful and recent since a lot of stuff I was seeing when I was researching was over a year old. I'm SO glad you've found it helpful!!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks so much! I'm so glad you found it helpful. I had a really great experience at MBC - you're in great hands. Good luck and stay safe!!

Congratulations 👏💙 Do they have a waiting list??

Thank you so much, and congrats on your surgery date!

I'm glad it was helpful! I have heard good things about that surgery center as well, and I'm sure it's a pretty similar experience.

How was your experience

I've definitely heard a lot of confusion about the COVID testing. I'm not sure if they're giving out different documents then when I signed my stuff, or if there's just word-of-mouth stuff going around about testing before you go. I'm glad I was able to clear things up, and I hope your surgery went well!!

You're welcome! It's totally understandable to be nervous, especially if you're like me and I'd never looked into any of this medical tourism stuff before. Just know you are in very good hands. I kept telling myself the day of surgery that I wasn't the first one to ever do this, and I certainly won't be the last. It helped me through that morning. Once it was over, it was game-on!

Hey! I’m going to be having DS at MBC in a few months. How are you doing?

@@ginazombie doing great!! Absolutely ZERO complications. Is your surgeon Dr. Rodriguez Lopez? He’s fantastic and you’ll be in great hands. I’m down a total of 154lbs from my highest weight & down 111lbs since surgery date. I ended up getting the Sadi-S instead of traditional DS. ☺️

I hope everything went smooth for you!!

You got this

How did it go?!?!

Congrats, welcome to the loser's bench! I have a HUGE aversion to broth, now. Even just the thought of it will churn my stomach! I was able to eat some chicken noodle soup not too long ago without problems, so hopefully I can ease out of my hatred of broth haha.

@@1FatBeet lol I just went to buy some broth and it’s horrible. happy losing !! 🙂❤️👏🏽 just needed something other than Gatorade, clear protein shades for my taste buds. But I’m excited for the road ahead ! Hope you are too!

Toronto here to. What flights did you take and how was the US re entry process? How are you dong now?

Update 6 months? 🥰

@@sammifrombp1603 I’m feeling awesome 👏🏽 I’m at 195 , down from 260 SW . I’m losing 1-2 lbs a week.

I also traveled from Sea Tac! The flight is pretty short and so the travel portion was great and easy! Is there anything in particular you're interested in hearing about in terms of what to expect?

@@1FatBeet I would like to know how secure the hospital rooms are. I'm traveling alone due to covid and so I won't have anyone in the hotel. Also now that you have been there what to pack.

The hospital was great with security. There is a small safe in the room in case you want to lock up any valuables. Honestly, I was nervous and out of it when they came to get me for surgery, so I left everything out on a table including my phone. When I woke up after surgery, it had been placed nicely by my bedside and they even had covered me up with the blanket I brought. In terms of what to bring, I go over what I packed in the beginning of my travel vlog video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gd97ebOavtS-c6c.html . Out of the things I packed, I ended up not using the robe at all - it is difficult to wear with the IV sticking out of you. I wasn't very cold anyway, and I brought my own blanket and pillow. It seems silly but those were definitely worth it because the extra comfort they provided was so nice. I wish I had brought slippers instead of fuzzy socks because right after surgery, I couldn't bend down to reach my feet! The long phone charger or an extension cord is a must so you can plug in and be comfortable without having to reach too far, and a heating pad really did end up coming in handy with aches and pains after surgery.

Mexico Bariatric Center - it's in the title 😉

I'm also in WA! And wow, your surgery is just around the corner! Are you excited?!

@@1FatBeet I’m in Spokane!! I’m SO excited!! I’m down 18 pounds on preop and I’m ready!! I hope you start filming videos again because I binged everything you uploaded And I shared your channel in a bariatric Facebook group so hopefully you’ve gained a lot of subscribers!

It really depends on how active your job is and how you're feeling. I personally planned to take two weeks off just to give myself time to recover and not think about other things, but I was so busy at work that I had to start working at least part time at home the very next Monday after surgery. I have a sedentary office job so it wasn't a problem. If you are on your feet a lot or are very active, a week or two may be necessary before jumping back into things. There is a lifting restriction of less than 30 lbs. for the first 6 weeks as well.

Absolutely! My mom insisted on coming with me, even though we knew she'd have to stay in the hotel. She just wanted to be nearby and help me on the way home as mothers do. I feel like I could have definitely done everything myself without any problems, they were very clear with instructions and took good care of me. My biggest suggestion would be to make sure you bring a carry-on bag with wheels since you won't be able to lift and carry around a bag after surgery. I brought a duffel bag not thinking about it, and my mom ended up carrying it for me.

Thanks!!!

Thank you, I appreciate your recommendation and good wishes. Nutrition is in the forefront of my mind and I have a couple videos on vitamins already as being really important after bypass. I'm also working closely with my doctor to monitor my vitamin levels and ensure I am healthy along this journey - I recommend everyone listens closely to their medical teams!

The hotel is not next to the hospital for Mexico Bariatric Center, but it's not a long drive. My mom stayed at the hotel by herself - she brought her computer and worked most of the time. She did wander around and get some food - communicating in English wasn't always possible but she said she got by just fine. She also said the food at the hotel was really good!

Dr. Rodriguez Lopez 😊

My surgeon was Dr. Rodriguez Lopez :)

Congrats! Not too long away!

Thank you so much! You will get to know the people having surgery on the same day as you, and you will check on each other and walk with each other after surgery. It's very supportive, even if you go alone!

When is your surgery date Cristhian?

My date is early June

Yes, when I talk about it at 39:00 I say that I was allowed to take one bottle in my carry on, but I wasn't allowed to take two. We chose to check a bag so I could take home the second bottle, but the first one we were able to put in the carry on and they did not make us throw it away.

Definitely a good question. Travel insurance was recommended when I scheduled my surgery. I looked into it and talked it over with my mom, who was coming with me, and I decided not to get it. I know that in a situation like that, we're talking about a low chance but still a chance of something going wrong, but I weighed my options and looked at the statistics and I personally felt comfortable going without because the odds of something really wrong happening are really low, and I was only going to be there for 3 days before coming back to the states. Plus with my mom there with me, she felt confident to be able to deal with anything she needed to if God forbid something happened. I know people who did get medical insurance and it wasn't very expensive so it's definitely something you can get for more peace of mind.

@Ebone Garcia Hey, congratulations on scheduling your surgery!! How long did they say you had to be at the hospital? Or in Mexico total?

It's a bummer, but it was comforting to know my mom was close by even if she couldn't visit. On top of that, it felt nice to meet up with her and have her help on the trip back. Things go by so fast in the hospital and honestly I just wanted to sleep a lot!

I have had surgery a few times in my life and I will tell you, this was by far one of the easiest experiences. It'll be nerve-wracking just because it is what it is, but honestly once you're in the OR they put you out quickly and easily an the recovery was really smooth for me at least. You're taken care of, no matter where you get the surgery. It's temporary - even if it's uncomfortable or you wake up not feeling great, it will subside. I hope that makes you feel a little better.

Yes, my mom stayed in the hotel room while I was in the hospital with no issues. Transportation where you need to go is all included but with current COVID rules, no companions can visit you at the hospital so there is no transportation for her to and from the hospital, no.

@@1FatBeet thanks so much!! I really appreciate your help

I had an amazingly comfortable plane ride home, actually. I had my own pillow and fuzzy throw blanket and I tucked myself in and fell asleep much sounder than I was able to in the hospital. No discomfort or pain on my end!

Thank you!! 🥰🥰

I used my debit card for anything I bought (which wasn't much). You get the best exchange rate if you use a card, and I had no issues needing cash. Just make sure your bank is aware you will be out of the country so they don't flag any purchases thinking they aren't you.

I'm not entirely sure, that would probably need to be a question for the hotel since I never did that. If you're talking about something like sending medication back to the U.S., you can pretty much take everything with you over the border without issues provided it's not illegal. I don't really know what else you would want to send back to the states from the hotel, though.

I am very grateful I have not had any complications or dealt with any pain issues after surgery. My primary care doctor knows I had the surgery and helps me with my follow-up care - I see her every 3 months for bloodwork to check my vitamin levels, and she has a specialist she can send me to if I have any major concerns related to the surgery. So far, everything has been good!

@@1FatBeet you are so AWESOME, thank you so much for the info.

@@1FatBeet did they prescribe you any vitamins to take moving forward daily? :)

You mean the TV in the hospital? I never turned it on! I heard from others that there were a couple of English channels, though. I watched Netflix on my phone.

I was in the hospital for 3 days/2 nights; surgery was on a Tuesday morning and I left about 8am Friday morning. Gastric Bypass requires an extra night in the hospital versus the sleeve surgery.

My meds personally cost $138. Depending on what is prescribed and what else you choose to get, it could be a bit more or less. They did take card, just make sure you tell your bank the dates you are in Mexico so there aren't any denied charges.

I've answered the passport question multiple times - I would definitely check with the border crossing rules to be sure before taking my word for it, but generally speaking, you should probably have a passport if you travel internationally. As far as recommendations, Dr. Rodriguez is highly skilled and did a great job, and I had a great experience at this facility.

It's in the comment responses 🙂

Because of COVID, the hospital is being extra careful and not allowing visitors. We didn't get to see each other while I was in the hospital, but we video chatted and kept in constant communication so it wasn't so bad! She brought her laptop and worked remotely from the hotel most of the time, but she also said she walked around a little bit near the hotel, grabbed some food, went to the grocery store, etc.

You can use a passport or an enhanced driver's license. I've heard some people used a driver's license and an original birth certificate - I would check the border crossing rules to be sure. I just used my passport.

@@1FatBeet thank you so much im really looking into this for my daughter.

Do I need a passport? And do u recommend this doctor?

You are replying under a comment where I already answered that question.

Hi, I do not believe so, but that may be a better question for them 🙂

My name is Stephanie :)

Lol I just had it done. It still takes time and hard work to lose the weight.

Thank you so much! I was going to tell you my Instagram is @1fatbeet but I see you already followed me 😉

I found you right after I posted that lol THANK YOU 👍🏻👍🏻🤗