Plus size Tummy Tuck with hernia repair and lipo in Santo Domingo

A little about me. I am 27 going to be 28 on March 7, 2014 a mommy of four. I am 5'7" my weight fluctuates from 225-230. In November of 2012 I started the HCG diet. I lost 55 lbs! I have done this diet a few times but unfortunately have failed because of my lack of self control :/ my goal weight would be between 180-200. I have a big belly and humongous flanks :( My last two pregnancies were c-sections so I have the overlapping belly gggrrrr. I have recently found out that I have an umbilical hernia :S and am not 100 % healthy. I feel healthy but tests show otherwise. I have an enlarged kidney due to kidney stones. My liver and spleen are enlarged possibly due to liver disease or steatosis. I also might have a heart murmur. I know that an EKG is required before surgery I will be having it done soon from my doctor. I also have a vitamin D deficiency for which I have already started my medication for. Anyway, my plans are to find out if my EKG results are okay and to mention to the PS only about my umbilical hernia. I would like to have my surgery done at a teaching hospital since it is cheaper. I have called Lenox Hill and they told me I have to weigh 180 lbs :( I have a consult at NYEE on January 29 and one at Mount Sinai on February 21. I am hoping to get my surgery done during the first week of March. I work at a hospital myself and have saved up my benefit days for the surgery and will be using my income tax money :) So my questions are. Does anyone know how these teaching hospitals are with their rules as to weight and height? Lenox hill has me worried now :( and also how the teaching hospitals deal with umbilical hernia and tummy tuck? And does anyone know any other teaching hospitals in the New York or New Jersey area? Anyone have had tummy tuck and breast lift from these teaching hospitals? What did you pay for both procedures?? Thanks :D

So as you read in my title I went to see my doctor and told him about my plans on getting plastic surgery and my concerns about my health problems and he says "I don't see why you couldn't go under" so that's a yes to me!!! I am ssooo happy and excited! I am definitely (hopefully lol) going with Dra Walkiris Robles in Santo Domingo I love love love her work and the great things I have been reading about her makes me feel comfortable. I am half Dominican and have family in the Moca City area which is about an hour and a half away from Santo Domingo but this will be my first time visiting the country. I was thinking about going to my family after the first week of recovery. My father has a house over there maybe I can stay there but alone? I don't know. I would definitely like to visit my family while I am there but I don't know how comfortable I will feel both physically and mentally so I will see how that goes. I would feel fine around my aunts and grandparents but anyone else I wouldn't know very well. But anyway, I sent my pics and filled out the health questionnaire Saturday night so I am waiting for my response. I also started my vitamins. I had a blood test back in November so I asked my Dr what my hemoglobin was back then and he told me 12.2. Not bad but I'm hoping it goes up more by the time I have my surgery. I had originally said that I wanted to have the surgery in March but I think I need a little more time since March is right around the corner so I am hoping to schedule my surgery date for April the 7th. I would like to leave the US on April the 6th which is a Sunday but I am wondering if the driver works on the weekends?? I have around two weeks saved up at work of my benefit time and I have about two weeks of sick time available but I just heard that after calling sick the first week you will be put on disability and I would like to avoid that so I might be off for a little over three weeks which is not bad but I was hoping for a month. Anywho, I had an EKG so I am waiting on the results of that. I actually had an ECG about a week ago because of a possible heart murmur but everything came back fine with that (thank god :D). So I wanted to mention that I have never been under before so I am pretty scared about that but luckily (I guess O.o) I will be going under for an endoscopy on the 29th so I guess that will be kinda like practice -__- So, yeah I have been going to my Doctors about my health issues and hopefully I find out what's going on from here till April but as of now I am definitely going through with the surgery! Now my only concern is the umbilical hernia. I mentioned it in the health questionnaire I know Dra Robles fixes it because I did see someone else's review who also had a hernia and consulted with Dra Robles about it. I just need to know if she will need any more info about it or some type of paperwork from my Dr?? We shall see. I have been researching about everything passport is one that I had to google about because I've never had one. So it'll cost me $165 at the post office O.O and it takes 4-6 weeks :S I'm not sure when I will be able to do that but hopefully when I do I will get it back on time. As for the flights I have been checking here and there for the past almost two weeks and it keeps changing :/. I definitely want a nonstop flight and that opportunity seems to be disappearing by the day! :S it seems like everyone is going to DR! Lol I have mostly been checking the closest airport to me which is Newark International but I can also go to JFK so if there's nothing available to my needs and wants in Newark than I will just travel to JFK and leave from there. I read someone's review who said she will fly back first class and I thought that was a good idea I figure it would be more comfortable so I will also look into that. Oh and that just reminded me to mention that I am also pretty darn nervous and scared about flying since I haven't been on a plane since I was nine which was almost 20 years ago! And the thought of going alone is even more nerve wrecking but at the same time I'm just like f*ck it! Lol if I really want this I'm going to have to suck it up and do it! It won't be that bad. Right!? Lol so anyway my mom lives with me and she knows about my plans about going to DR for the surgery and she's pretty much okay with it. She will be the one to stay with my children of course. She is already my children's caregiver while I am at work M-F from 3pm-11pm so it's not much of a big deal. I would have loved for her to be by my side but it's extra work if she comes with me (having to look for a babysitter for my kids and spending more $$ for her to come along) so it's easier if she just stays here with my children. So anyway I was wondering what are all the recovery houses that are available?? I definitely want to stay at Virginias but I was just wondering what are the other options? I found this one (http://upscalerh.com/Room_Options.html) on Dra Robles Facebook page seems legit but it's more expensive so I'm not sure about that. As I mentioned before I will be doing this surgery with my income tax money so I am waiting waiting waiting on my w2's i do my own taxes so that's a plus. So hopefully I receive them before the 31st of January so that I can file that first day! Lol Once I set the date with Dra Robles which I read somewhere is $100 deposit which I can do right away I will put in for my passport and get my flight (having received my refund) and most importantly put in for my days at work!! So anyway I guess that's enough for now! Gotta get ready for work soon. When I receive my reply from Laura I will update! Take care RS ladies :)

So just wanted to say that I sent my $100 deposit and have booked my surgery date for March 31, 2014! I'm extremely excited and can't wait to see my new body! I can't remember if I had written before that I have never been sedated and was terrified about that well I had an endoscopy done a few days ago and I was so scared and nervous about being sedated for what!? I actually liked it! Lol so I am even more ready for this surgery now! I am good to go from work. My supervisor and boss are amazing! (Gotta give them a shout out :) ) I will be off of work for a little more than three weeks and hopefully I will be good by then I have to lift heavy items at work so I'm a little worried about that. I will hopefully be booking my flight and applying for a passport within the next two weeks. It's annoying that the flight price fluctuates :S. Anyway, I have been in contact with Laura and just like everyone says she is great. She gets back to me by email fairly quick. Oh, so on my deposit confirmation page it says the name of the recovery house I will be staying in which is called relax recovery. Has anyone every been? I googled it and it looks good so even though I wanted to stay at Virginias because of the great ratings I won't mind staying at relax recovery.