Gastric bypass in Costa Rica





	See more pictures after gastric bypass & cosmetic surgery »	Andi's Story My name is Andrea Burdick, aka “Andi”. I am 57 years old and have had weight problems all of my life. In June, 2005 I had weight loss surgery (gastric bypass) to resolve many health-related issues due to morbid obesity. At the time of the surgery I weighed 265lbs—I'm only 5'2" tall. After the weight loss surgery, I weigh 113lbs!! My weight loss was very rapid and the health issues resolved quite nicely. My blood pressure is now normal and, though I have diabetes, it is now only an issue of low blood sugar when I don’t eat correctly. While my doctors were extremely pleased with my results, I was not. After the gastric bypass procedure my body looked like an empty, very saggy, bag of bones. How was I supposed to start a new life? How could I ever let anyone see me without clothes? I knew this was an issue all weight loss surgery patients have to deal with, but it just didn't help. I decided to take action. I owned my own business and was fairly comfortable financially, so I started looking into plastic surgery. I was appalled to learn that the procedures I wanted, and desperately needed, would cost more than I could afford! My insurance was no help, as they said the surgery wasn't medically necessary. They had been more than happy to pay for the weight loss surgery, but not the surgery needed to give me back my life. I started looking outside of the United States for options and after discovering that plastic surgery in Costa Rica is very affordable, I decided to investigate having my surgery there. I had been in touch with an online support group that was a wonderful resource. Many in the group recommended Dr. Rashi of the Rosenstock/Leiberman Clinic, so I did some checking on my own. My son, who is an ER nurse in California, spoke to one of the ER doctors at his hospital who owns a home in Costa Rica. He was told that the clinic has a wonderful reputation, with really great doctors—so the decision was made.

	After making the decision to have my plastic surgery in Costa Rica, I was faced with another concern. Where could I find a place to rest and heal after my surgery? I felt that it was very important to have someone to help me with my bandages, showers, nursing care, food, etc. What I came to realize was that though there are many excellent plastic surgeons in Costa Rica, there are very few places that offer these types of services. I came to believe that there was a real need for another top notch plastic surgery recovery retreat, and the “dream” was born. Since I have some nursing and nutrition experience, I felt that if I combined that knowledge with my own personal experience, I could build a wonderful place to rest and heal after plastic surgery. Now all I needed was more MONEY! I have a good friend in California, Mary Magdaline, who fell in love with the idea and wanted to be a part of it. Mary Magdaline also has training in nutrition and has her own bookkeeping business. Like me, she was thrilled with the idea of providing this much needed service to plastic surgery patients while starting a new life in wonderful Costa Rica—surrounded by so much beauty and the many loving, caring people who live here. After agreeing to a partnership, we were off and running! In order to bring our "dream" to life, we had to develop a plan. We researched existing facilities and looked closely at procedures that were already in place, shamelessly stole every concept we felt we could use, and added those concepts to the many services I had wished for while I was recovering from my plastic surgery in Costa Rica. We found out that Dr Rashi's wife Erica is an excellent architect. After seeing some of the fabulous homes she has designed & helped build, we immediately hired her to design and build our “dream” retreat. Through a series of “coincidences” we found the perfect site in Santa Ana, a terrific contractor, engineers, etc., and we were ready to start... in 2 years!! Neither Mary or I could stand the idea of waiting that long, so the small dream was initiated until the big dream can be realized. We rented a house in a great area of Escazu and have created within its walls a small, very personalized & beautiful plastic surgery recovery retreat. We have incorporated many of the ideas for the large house into this smaller home and created a wonderful place to rest and recover from your plastic surgery. It is our passion and commitment to provide the best possible service to all who stay with us. I hope you will visit us soon! Andi P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to let you all know that while we were checking out the different recovery retreats, I had the chance to meet Lorena and Ruben at ChiTica. They opened their home to me, knowing that my purpose was to pick their brains and open my own retreat. Rubin took me through all of their cabins & shared all the little extras that he had included for their guest’s comfort & care. Lorena offered her help in any way necessary. She has since come to my aid when I was ill and needed help. She is one of the most gracious and caring people you could ever hope to meet. Their retreat is absolutely beautiful and their staff is carefully trained and does a wonderful job of making everyone feel welcome and cared for. I can’t recommend them any more highly than I do. If you choose to stay at ChiTica you can rest assured that you will be in extremely capable hands. You will absolutely love both the retreat and its wonderful owners.

	Also see: About Us Our Dream Meet Andi & Mary Magdalene

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