- Name: Maria Mertlich
- Age: 36
- Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
- Surgery date: November 16th, 2016
- Testimonial date: May 18th, 2017
- Surgeon: Dr. Marcelo Hernandez
The experience with Weight Loss Agents has been great. I will honest, I was a little skeptical about going to a different country to have surgery, but from the beginning of my time working with WLA, I have felt at ease and comfortable and unashamed. Everyone has been very helpful and you get a quick response if you have any questions. Being in Mexico was pleasant-I mean you are in a different county where they speak a different language and that can be totally intimidating, but everyone was so kind and gracious and helpful. The staff at the hospital and the hotel speak English and will go out of their way to make you comfortable and have as pleasant experience as possible. They will help your "travel partner" with restaurant advice for their experience there, they will put together excursions to the flee market if you want to venture out and gather some souvenirs. The nurses at the hotel are great and helpful and willing to give you what you need after your surgery is done, popsicle's are a must!
Just remember that it is surgery, and there's pains that come with that. But they subside and the scars heal and you lose weight very rapidly! (I lost 20 lbs in the first two weeks, so it was worth the pain and the surgery!) There's still things I have to overcome-I'm definitely an emotional eater and those desires to stuff my face mindlessly with junk food or candy or sugary drinks don't just disappear with the weight. So I've learned to distract myself with other things to keep me from those all consuming thoughts. Exercising becomes easier, I don't mind putting on some stretchy pants and going for a walk, I actually really enjoy it now. I'm not scared to be seen in public in my workout clothes like I used to and I don't let that fear hold me back any longer. I'm not a bump on log anymore. I literally wouldn't move all day. I sit all day at work at a computer and then would come home and sit on the couch all night and my life would just pile up around me. It was a pit of despair. In so many ways! Thinking back on it, I wonder how I even functioned, how I even survived for so long like that. I've changed in so many ways, not just how I physically look, but more importantly, how I emotionally feel about myself. I'm gaining confidence again, I like myself a little more each day, I don't hold myself back from life because I'm too ashamed of what I look like. I'm becoming the me I knew was in there somewhere and yet improving upon that girl that's been hiding herself for far too long.
This surgery was a very personal decision for me. I know it's not for everyone and everyone feels like they need to put their two cents in about why you should or shouldn't do it, but remember that it's YOUR decision. It's about you, not them. I knew that this was the only way I was going to gain the successful results I wanted. Yes, its permanent and there will be things you have to adjust to stay healthy. You'll lose your hair, your hormones will go CRAZY, your skin may or may not snap back as fast as you want it to, your vision will be weird from losing weight so fast, your breath will be STANKY, your nails wont grow so fast anymore, you'll hit plateaus, you'll have ups and downs. But, if getting to a healthy weight is important to you, then you do what feels right for you. This is what felt right for me and I'm SO happy I did it. If you asked me in the week after my surgery, I may not have had that same feeling, but like I said, the pain subsides and you heal. It was worth it to me. I'm so happy with my results and I'm so proud of myself - that's whats important to me.
Good luck with your decisions and your journey to feeling better about life!
* This is an actual testimonial, however, your results may vary. For more information, please read our Testimonial Disclaimer and Risks of Surgery.