I've made the decision...to go to Mexico for my surgery. I made the decision to have the surgery long ago.

I imagine we all have similar stories that brought us here. Considering bariatric surgery that we elect to pay for ourselves and thus find ourselves medical tourists because we either don't have health insurance that includes bariatric surgery or if they do you must be very sick first.

We are tourists who are seeking not the thrill of the local scenery, the exposure to the culture and history, most especially not the epicurian delights. Quite the contrary, we seek what most tourists do not consider. We seek to know the healthcare quality standards, we seek to find the qualified, reputable physician that has credentialing that we can compare to what we understand, we seek to find trust in those that we do not know, to be cared at our most vulnerable far from home, and we seek to begin a better life.

Our journey includes travel in more ways than one. Travel to another country most definitely, but more significantly travel to a new body, a new self-concept, a new way of living, a new health, a new new future.

I've made the decision to go with the gastric plication procedure. I'm filled with excitement, anxiety, hope...yes, finally hope. I've spent the last year entirely discouraged after having tried everything but surgery to lose and maintain weight. In January of 2010 I decided to give it one last try. I went to hyponosis every week, listened to hypnosis CDs twice, sometimes three times a day. For two months I thought I had found the answer...then I regained the 17 pounds I had lost and fell into renewed despair. I then resigned myself to having to pay for the banding surgery myself since I wasn't sick enough for my insurance company to pay for it. I'm an RN and I know my certain future if I stay on this path...diabetes, heart disease, arthritis...

So, here I am. I'm calling tomorrow morning to schedule my procedure. I'm very excited, have read everything available including the Brazilian and Middle Eastern studies and the US preliminary results from the Cleveland Clinic. I've listened to everything Dr. Ortiz has put on YouTube and everything I could get my hands on. I feel well informed and am ready to go!

I've started losing the 5% even though I don't have a date yet. I'm hoping for something very soon...I'M READY!

My Stats:

Age 50

Female

Height: 5'6

BMI 34.6

Weight at Decision: 214

Weight today: 208

Highest Weight: 248

Goal: 136 - 144