DS Pariah???

[Jon]

It was Dr. Jaime Ricardo Ramos-Kelly in Tijuana. This site will not let me post his URL but if you google that name you will find him.

 

[DianaCox]

Yeah, he's a second rate hack.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Oh and consider that no doc will recommend a surgery s/he doesn't do! You can't get a Lexus at a Kia dealer.

Well, you CAN get a used one. But they don't have all the goodies the Lexus places have...valet, flat-bed to pick up your car, free car washes, snack bars with lots of goodies.

All in all, I'm very happy with my DS and my Lexus...lol

 

[Spiky Bugger]

It was Dr. Jaime Ricardo Ramos-Kelly in Tijuana. This site will not let me post his URL but if you google that name you will find him.

Find him? I just want to avoid him!

 

[Larra]

I've seen that name before, and not in a good way. Hey @galaxygrrl is that the guy who tried to talk you out of the DS?

 

[Munchkin]

I hope you are really pissed off at this guy now!

 

[Jon]

I hope you are really pissed off at this guy now!

I submitted my application and was approved for Mexicali Bariatric Center (Dr. Esquerra, Dr. Ungson or Dr. Wilhelmy). I received an e-mail saying I am approved and I sent back my choice of dates. So far they have not responded back to tell me the date I picked is ok. I asked for January 15, 2018 so hopefully they will take that date. I will have plenty of time this way to go on the liver reducing diet so my liver will be smaller for the surgery. I am hoping that they will fill out some forms in English for me so that I can use FMLA time at work and also my short term disability benefit so that I do not have to use so much vacation time to do this. I look forward to this!

 

[DianaCox]

The liver-reducing diet is an intensive last-minute thing - 2-4 weeks at most.

Is Ungson back in practice with them? If so, this is new news. He was appointed to a government health position 2-3 years ago.

 

[DSRIGGS]

The "liver shrinking diet" is frankly a load of BS. Dr K made a comment when asked about a liver shrinking diet, "I have never met a liver that I couldn't operate around...after all this is what I do for a living". It is your life and I don't know specifics of what you have going on and what types of things you have to work around to fit this in, but my suggestion is to do this as soon as you can so you can get on with your life.

Best wishes to you.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I submitted my application and was approved for Mexicali Bariatric Center (Dr. Esquerra, Dr. Ungson or Dr. Wilhelmy). I received an e-mail saying I am approved and I sent back my choice of dates. So far they have not responded back to tell me the date I picked is ok. I asked for January 15, 2018 so hopefully they will take that date. I will have plenty of time this way to go on the liver reducing diet so my liver will be smaller for the surgery. I am hoping that they will fill out some forms in English for me so that I can use FMLA time at work and also my short term disability benefit so that I do not have to use so much vacation time to do this. I look forward to this!

You know that you can claim the cost of this surgery, even if out of country, on your taxes...if you meet the other criteria, right? For you "kids," you add this to your other medical costs and that part of those expenses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income is deductible. So, someone whose agi is $50k, and who spends $3k on medical can't deduct anything. But if that person pays his regular $3k AND pays $9k for surgery, even in Mexico, he can deduct $7k on his taxes. ($3k plus $9k= $12k minus $5k ...10% of agi...equals $7k that counts.)

All of that to say...factor in taxes when you choose a surgery date.

 

[Diana S.]

Really glad that you got over the misinformation @Jon. I'm probably naive in my surprise and disgust about these non-DS doctors and the line of crap they spout about this procedure but I've gotten a good scare-speech from several different people now and I just can't believe they get away with it. If you don't do the procedure, say you don't do it, don't tell people the worst possible things you can think of. Do your own reading, scour this website, talk to the veteran DSers (more) and ask your doctor everything you can think of. The RNY seems more and more barbaric the more I learn about it, and I'm frankly surprised it hasn't been abandoned. The DS is a commitment between you and your doctor (and your health) and you definitely have to tow the line on your supplements and blood work. But everything I've learned is that it's the best of the available procedures, short AND long term. Doctors who bash the DS aren't skilled, honest or smart enough to offer real change and health to their patients.

 

[Munchkin]

The liver-reducing diet is an intensive last-minute thing - 2-4 weeks at most.

Is Ungson back in practice with them? If so, this is new news. He was appointed to a government health position 2-3 years ago.

Completely correct. All you need to do is low/no carb for a couple weeks before surgery. Don't make this worse than it has to be!

 

[Munchkin]

I am glad to hear you got a great doc instead of that other anus.