Getting Surgery in Mexico

[Reddy]

Yes, @Diapered Dave that looks like almost identical email I got.

Yes it's all up through the urethra so there is no incision from the outside of your body.

You have to stay in Mexico to recover.  But they take the catheter out after five days and you stay several more days after that.  As soon as the catheter is out you are wetting your diaper... from then on for the rest of your life.

[Diapered Dave]

You can go to the TSA website and download this Notification card. The white bar is blank, but it lets you type in what you want.

If you get stopped by the TSA in the airport, showing them this card gets you a private screening. This is the one I carry in my wallet. 

No, I have not had the chance to use it since I printed and laminated it.

[Diapered Dave]

35 minutes ago, Reddy said:

Yes, @Diapered Dave that looks like almost identical email I got.

Yes it's all up through the urethra so there is no incision from the outside of your body.

You have to stay in Mexico to recover.  But they take the catheter out after five days and you stay several more days after that.  As soon as the catheter is out you are wetting your diaper... from then on for the rest of your life.

Did you have to pay a deposit already? Are they going to put you under for the surgery? Or will you be awake? Just imagine how exciting it's going to be when you leave the clinic, knowing you are diaper-dependent for life !!

[Reddy]

3 minutes ago, Diapered Dave said:

Did you have to pay a deposit already? Are they going to put you under for the surgery? Or will you be awake? Just imagine how exciting it's going to be when you leave the clinic, knowing you are diaper-dependent for life !!

For all of their procedures they require that you have to be put under. I haven't paid the deposit yet but I will when they ask for it. I would like to pay it, just to make sure everything is confirmed.

I am so excited for that.  Also, for the moment I first arrive at the center before I go under, knowing that the next time I wake up, I will be incontinent forever.

[Diapered Dave]

I wonder what the staff think, knowing they are making another guy diaper-dependent for life...  😁

[Babypants]

Have you looked into other countries?  For example, you can easily price the procedures on line for Thailand, where I have received what I would rate as high quality medical and dental care at a fraction of the price that I would pay here in the States.  Transgender surgery has a long history in Thailand (search katoey or kathoey),so you might find someone there who would give you a sympathetic hearing. 

[Reddy]

4 minutes ago, Babypants said:

Have you looked into other countries?  For example, you can easily price the procedures on line for Thailand, where I have received what I would rate as high quality medical and dental care at a fraction of the price that I would pay here in the States.  Transgender surgery has a long history in Thailand (search katoey or kathoey),so you might find someone there who would give you a sympathetic hearing. 

I haven't heard of any location in Thailand yet.  Just this one in Mexico.  That's not to say there aren't any.  It seems a little easier to travel to Mexico (I'm in the USA).  But I bet you are right.

[cathdiap]

2 hours ago, Diapered Dave said:

I wonder what the staff think, knowing they are making another guy diaper-dependent for life...  😁

Me too, although this surgery in itself is less invasive than the gender reassignment surgeries in which they specialise. But given the responses to these types of topics on this forum, I think they will receive more requests for this incontinence operation in the near future, so they will get used to it.

 

[DAQ]

2 hours ago, Reddy said:

I haven't heard of any location in Thailand yet.  Just this one in Mexico.  That's not to say there aren't any.  It seems a little easier to travel to Mexico (I'm in the USA).  But I bet you are right.

This is the clinic that several members have gone to here in this forum right? IDK, personally I would feel much more comfortable knowing the surgeon is reputable and paying a few more dollars then getting ??? in Thailand. Not saying that those surgeons aren't capable or safe but I would want to talk to previous patients in a situation like this.

[Reddy]

6 minutes ago, DAQ said:

This is the clinic that several members have gone to here in this forum right? IDK, personally I would feel much more comfortable knowing the surgeon is reputable and paying a few more dollars then getting ??? in Thailand. Not saying that those surgeons aren't capable or safe but I would want to talk to previous patients in a situation like this.

Yes, I definitely agree.  I like knowing about previous patients with experience at this place in Mexico.  And it's just easier.

[Diapered Dave]

2 minutes ago, Reddy said:

Yes, I definitely agree.  I like knowing about previous patients with experience at this place in Mexico.  And it's just easier.

What did the doc tell you about side effects? Will you still be able to get an erection? Will you have to bring your own diapers when they take out the catheter?

[Reddy]

On 1/13/2024 at 1:37 AM, Diapered Dave said:

What did the doc tell you about side effects? Will you still be able to get an erection? Will you have to bring your own diapers when they take out the catheter?

He said sexual side effects are one risk.  The other risk was strictures.  But he said there was nobody who had those issues.  Just that the small risk does exist.  I'm hoping to continue the streak of no issues.

 

[diapijay]

What sexual side effects did he mention?

[Little Sherri]

I admire your commitment and I wish you all the best. There are a lot of people here who are interested in hearing how you make out, @Reddy. 

[Reddy]

2 hours ago, diapijay said:

What sexual side effects did he mention?

I don't remember exactly what was said but I'm pretty sure it was erectile dysfunction or impotence.

1 hour ago, Little Sherri said:

I admire your commitment and I wish you all the best. There are a lot of people here who are interested in hearing how you make out, @Reddy. 

Thank you!  I will try to keep everyone updated.

[Reddy]

Today's update:

There have been a lot of logistics to work through.  I need to go to the passport office soon.  I had to find my birth certificate and I went to CVS to get my passport photo taken.  I need to get some pre-op blood work done.  I could have it done in Mexico the day before the procedure, but I'd rather get it out of the way sooner so I'll be giving a blood draw tomorrow or some time this week.  I also booked the hotel for my stay.  I'll just stay at the hotel rather than the recovery center.  My surgery date is now in February, less than a month away.  I already took time off work but need to shift that from March to February since I bumped my surgery date up.

I'm not telling anyone outside of this website about the procedure or that I'm going to Mexico.  One concern I have now is when I call my friends or family after surgery, will it show up on their cell phone that I'm in Mexico, or look in any way different?  I do need to tell people something, so in order to keep as close to the truth as possible without making people (and myself) uncomfortable, I let my closest friends know I'm having a bladder neck surgery here in town as a quick fix to my bladder retention.  Next I need to tell my family that.  That is more stressful.  I think once I tell my parents, as long as they aren't too worried, I'll feel a lot more relieved.

There's just a lot to think through and some of it is weighing on me.  I'm very excited, just nervous about all the details.  And about my close relationships.

[Diapered Dave]

Thanks for the update!!  I think a lot of us following this thread are very interested in how this turns out for you. Try to get the passport thing done ASAP.  I have a co-worker who had to get a passport last summer, and it took him a couple months, although I've heard that you can expedite the process for an extra fee.

You mentioned staying at the hotel rather than the recovery center. .. They have a recovery center there? Does that cost a lot more than the hotel? I'm just curious, for when I decide to get the surgery.  I'm guessing the recovery center has a nurse to check on you?   You mentioned in an earlier post that they take the catheter out after 5 days, and you have to stay for several days after that. Are there follow-up visits to the clinic during that time?

You mention being concerned about calling family and friends after surgery.... Couldn't you just e-mail them, or do a Facebook post? I don't think that would reveal your location. 

Hope everything keeps going smoothly!!

[Reddy]

Neither hotel accommodations nor the recovery center stay are included in the cost of surgery.  Since I need to get a hotel for the first nights anyway, I figured I would just stick with the hotel for the duration.  If you're at a hotel, they will still be sending a nurse out every day (up to five visits) to check on you immediately after the surgery.  After the five days the catheter is out and you're on your own (unless in the recovery center?  I don't know much about that, but sounds costly vs a hotel).

I'm not sure if there are any follow up visits back to the clinic itself.

I do need to get the extra-super-duper expedited passport.  I'm hoping to get that all done tomorrow same-day in one visit to the passport office.

Good call on the email or Facebook posts.  But my parents would probably want to have a call, and since that's typical for us, it would be strange for me to go silent when going through something as big as a surgery.  But this leads me to think I might like to keep the entire affair under wraps.  I was planning to let family know I was having "a procedure" but I'm starting to question (with helpful input from DAQ) what is the best approach, and would I really be telling them for their benefit or for mine?  I feel badly about potentially handing them all of the worry, with none of the pertinent facts.  I lean more now towards not telling them about a procedure at all, or else telling them much later on about "a past procedure" that I was too embarrassed to talk about and which explains my incontinence.  We'll see.  It has to feel right and respectful.

[foreverdl]

I ask is it that much more to stay in the hospital until they are sure you are ok?? in a hotel and one nurse a day? a lot can happen out of the county . I would see what the cost is to stay in a hospital to have them check your wounds until it heals up? unless they are doing it ottoscopic . Then it's not as bad. But if they are cutting my body I will stay in the hospital no matter the cost. But its your life..

[Reddy]

I'll be staying one night in the hospital but after that you have to leave.  They have a recovery center.  Also want to add that my above post contemplating the recovery house being costly was purely an assumption.  I haven't reached out about it.  But I did find a reddit post from the past year saying the person had a junior room at the recovery house and paid $135/night.  Not bad and about the same as some of the more expensive hotels in Guadalajara.  And the post stated the nurses there really know what they are doing to help you.  For some reason I just kind of want to be in a hotel under my own name and by myself.  I think the hotel I'm staying in is more like $75/night.

Edit: if I find out meals are included at the recovery house then I might just end up cancelling the hotel and signing up for that!

Edit 2: the incontinence surgery is entirely transuretheral (they go in with a resectoscope up the penis and make the modifications from there).  There are no external incisions on the body, just to clarify.

[foreverdl]

I hope it goes well, but I have been to Mexico . We went there to build homes yrs ago and I would not trust surgeries or some place there . But I am not you . My hope is you get back safe and no problem with it. But I have had at least 6 major surgeries and had issues even a month after one of them. I can't imagine having to drive to Mexico in an emergency situation a few weeks afterwards . And the local hospital will not even treat you if you say you had the elective surgery done out of the country . So if you have a major issue you will have to have an experience air flight bat to the hospital ..

[Diapered Dave]

21 minutes ago, Reddy said:

Neither hotel accommodations nor the recovery center stay are included in the cost of surgery.  Since I need to get a hotel for the first nights anyway, I figured I would just stick with the hotel for the duration.  If you're at a hotel, they will still be sending a nurse out every day (up to five visits) to check on you immediately after the surgery.  

Unless the nurse is going to "Scope your penis" which I doubt, (Camera up your junk...) my guess is she will check your vitals and check to see how much blood is passing thru, if any.  She (Or He, I guess) might also want to check how much urine you're passing. I say this based on chats I've had with guys who have had prostate surgery, with a catheter afterwards.

 

[DAQ]

@foreverdlwhy wouldn't a hospital treat you? I must admit my ignorance but is Healthcare so cutthroat that they will let people die because they didn’t have the work done here? Is it a warranty issue?

[Diapered Dave]

20 minutes ago, Reddy said:

Edit: if I find out meals are included at the recovery house then I might just end up cancelling the hotel and signing up for that!

Which ever way you go, I think you should probably have your post-catheter diaper supply ready BEFORE your surgery... You'll likely be to sore to go shopping afterwards.

[foreverdl]

I do really think you go to a hospital and admit you had a surgery out of the country That no one will do in the USA....... They may patch you up and say go back to the place you had it done. Dr's in The USA Are a Do no harm that means not to do a surgery that is doing you harm.......