mandems mom

Definitely not necessary, but sometimes the comfort of having someone from back home is nice...also a helping hand through the airports is priceless!

Hi MommyTawnie...I haven't been sleeved yet, but I do have the lap band and know when that happened to me, what worked best was to increase my Protein and if that didn't work, I reverted to the pre-op or immediate post-op diet for a week or 2. I've also read about other people doing what's called the 5 day pouch test...originally developed for gastric bypass patients, but now used for all weight loss surgery. It's supposed to "reset" you and your stomach so that the losing can begin again: Days One & Two: liquid Protein low-carb Protein shakes, broth, clear or cream Soups, sugar-free Gelatin and pudding. Day 3: Soft Protein canned fish (tuna or salmon) eggs, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, orange roughy). Day 4: Firm Protein ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken, lamb), shellfish, scallops, lobster, fresh salmon or halibut. Day 5: Solid Protein white meat poultry, beef steak, pork, lamb, wild game Link: http://5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html

If your insurance covers the endoscopy, I don't see why you shouldn't take that precaution especially if it can help resolve your misery rather than just waiting to see if something changes.

I've heard from some patients that had 5 incisions and then read posts from others that only had 3. These are all laparascopic surgeries, so what's the reason for the difference?

Heather you should be proud of yourself for telling the truth. In my own desperation for the surgery, I'm not sure that I would've done that...but then with my luck, I would've ended up on the operating table and either he wouldn't have completed the surgery or I would have been in very bad shape after. We all make mistakes and you (and we) are certainly learning from this one. Whether or not there is solid proof that the liver shrinks, each surgeon has their own rules based on their comfort zone with the surgery. To ensure every possible risk is lessened, we owe it to ourselves and our surgeon to follow his/her order's to the letter. Until I read your post, I didn't even realize the gravity of those instructions, but I now know that I will follow them exactly so that I don't suffer the same (or worse) fate as you. Best of luck to you....I'm sure your surgery will be rescheduled in no time!

Good luck and best wishes for a safe and fast recovery!! Where are you having the surgery done?

Hi, could I please get a copy of the booklet? sawah3@yahoo.com Thank you!!!

I asked one of the coordinators this question (Christi) and she responded today saying that he charges $700 to fix the hernia and also $700 if the gallbladder is removed. I've asked if this is something that we consent to before surgery or if the surgeon uses his own judgement and she indicated that we need to consent to it beforehand...so it's optional if you want either of these repaired/removed.

I've decided to have my band removed because, although it helped me lose 110 pounds at one point, my quality of life has been terrible. It's nearly impossible to find someone in the states to do aftercare if you're a Mexico patient, which I am. Also, getting the fills isn't exactly a pleasant experience and it's not an exact science albeit more accurate under fluoro; but you can expect instances of being overfilled or underfilled and having to go back multiple times. Your sweet spot varies from day to day. One day you can eat like a normal person...the next day you throw up chocolate milk. Over the past 5 years, I've been made to feel like an unwilling bulimic. During family dinners, I have to excuse myself to use the bathroom and get the food "unstuck". I have to sneak around in my house to make sure my children don't see or hear me throwing up. And last, but certainly not least...forget about eating in the car unless you have a puke cup on standby. I appreciate what the band has done for me, but it's time to move on so I can start to feel normal again.

I would also be interested in this information. I'm considering Dr. Ramos-Kelly through Successfully Slimmer (Christi) instead of Dr. Zapata through Ready4Achange who coordinated my band surgery in 2005 with Dr. Sanchez. I had a phenomenal experience back then, but have no history with Dr. Zapata and am not familiar with the new hospital they're using so I'm not sold on going through r4ac again. Anyways, I would love to hear any information about Dr. Ramos-Kelly both with first time surgeries and revisions. It sounds like Sandy and Christi are coordinators with different LLCs, but Trish is actually an assistant to the doctor. Is this true? Thanks everyone!

I'm considering going to Mexico and having my band removed and revised to sleeve all in one procedure at the end of next month, but need to know what type of restrictions there are after surgery. I have a 7 year old son s well as an 8 month old daughter who weighs about 16 pounds and I'm a stay at home mother so it will be impossible for me not to lift her. We also have a 2 story home so I will need to be able to be somewhat mobile. I know with the band surgery that muscle soreness was the worst of my discomfort but my son was 2 at the time and didn't require me to lift him so I didn't have any problems. I don't want to risk causing a leak, rupture, hernia, etc by overdoing it, but there's only so much I can limit my activity with my baby. Please give me an idea of what to expect after this surgery. Thank you so much!!!