kemo46

Anyone who thinks this is an easy way out is wrong. I had my surgery for health reasons and I go to the gym at least 5 days a week. I see a personal trainer twice a week. I find this whole process anything but EASY. It is a tool to help us change our life and it works. I had to totally change my lifestyle from eating, exercise and a new way of thinking. We have all lost weight on diets just to gain it back. The sleeve is just a tool, the restriction is what has made my surgery and weight loss a success. So anyone who still thinks this is an easy way out, they can follow me to the gym every morning and they will probably change their minds.

Before surgery I had indigestion and acid refux real bad for years. I used to eat rolaids and tums all the time. I thought that after surgery by losing the weight and eating right would eliminate this, it did not. I did not have it as bad but it was still there so I still popped rolaids or tums when it acted up. My wife has been on Omeprazole ( Prilosec generic) for years and she never has any issues. I decided to give it a try. I take 1 20mg pill every morning and since I have started, I have not had a hint of indigestion,heartburn or acid reflux. This stuff is amazing. I get 42 tablets at Sams Club for 16.00 so it lasts me about a month and a half. It is worth every penny. I tried just cheap acid reducer pills before I started on these and they did not work. I feel great and have no issues any longer with acid.

Yecats, I have sent you a PM. If you have the right Doctor in Mexico, you should have many tests there as well. Remember, it is for your well being. You do not want your health put at risk or anything overlooked.

Great job FM. Keep up the good work.

I would be honest and tell them who, where and when. I would get them a copy of your records and x-ray of your sleeve.This would be helpful information in case any issues would arise. If you had an emergency, they have to treat you. If your PCP has an issue with helping you matain good health just because you had surgery in another country, I would find a new PCP. You want whoever your Doctor is to have all the information they can get along with any contact numbers of your surgeon.

I just want to quickly chime in here. I find some of these posts offensive. Generalizing an entire country based on one negative experience is not helping anyone. This is a support website, let's keep it that way.

Mexican people are educated too, and my surgeon is one of the best bariatric surgeons in the entire world. The hospital he works out of is by far one of the most attentive as far as staff and the cleanest I've ever seen. My own Mom who has worked in the medical field for her entire career even agreed.

Not only that, please remember there are many who post here who ARE Mexican, myself included. I come from a very intelligent family, and yes we do live in the United States now but our heritage runs very deep. We still have family who lives in Mexico, even my husbands side of the family too, and they are VERY HAPPY!! Please consider others before making generalizing posts. It's unfair and downright untrue to pool everyone into one instance.

I do understand the litigious side of the argument, I am not referring to that at all. It is a very important matter to consider when thinking of going outside of the country to have your surgery. It was a risk I took, but felt comfortable enough to as I went to the best surgeon and felt the risk outweighed the possible outcome, and thankfully everything went well for me.

Let's stay on topic and offer support to the unfortunate occurrence.

Also, anyone reading these posts, please PLEASE do your own research. Not every ONE every WHERE is the same. That would be just as ridiculous as saying someone in the US had an awful experience with their surgery so that means all US Doctors should not be trusted. People ALL OVER THE WORLD have bariatric surgeries. So does that mean every single one of them should fly out to the US and have it here? No, that does not make any sense at all.

Amen.

I too was in your shoes. I was diagnosed with Diabetes in May of this year, probably had it much earlier. Go to my blog www.kemo46.blogspot.com , I have my before and after blood numbers on there. It is not the actual surgery that can eliminate the Diabetes, it is the results. Once I was diagnosed, I immediately changed my diet and started exercising. I cut out bad carbs and sugar. My surgery was already scheduled for later that month. My Doctor wanted to put me on medication but I wanted to wait until after my surgery and see if I could get it under control. My numbers were through the roof, my A1C test was 10.2 and my fasting Glucose was 237. I had my blood work done 3 months after surgery and my A1C was down to 6.3 and my fasting glucose was down to 100. I did not need any medication so the surgery, wieght loss, diet and exercise helped my diabetes. I just went a couple of weeks ago for my 6 month blood work up and my numbers were even better. My A1C was 5.5 and my fasting glucose was 100. The thing that I do not agree with is even though my numbers are normal and I do not need any medication, I am still considered a Diabetic. They say once a Diabetic, always a Diabetic. They say it is now diet controlled but I will always be a Diabetic. I do not agree with this logic. I lost the weight and changed my lifestyle.

I cannot tell you which is the best surgery for Diabetes, I can just tell you my experience with the sleeve. I can tell you that the Gastric Bypass is very radical and the lifestyle after the bypass is extreme. The Vitamin deficiency and the dumping is very tough. The reason I know is my sister had this surgery about 6 years ago and even though it was considered a successful surgery because she lost the weight, her way of life after is not near as good as mine after my sleeve.

I agree, it sounds like dehydration. I know it is hard but keep sipping until you get at least 64 oz of Water or gatorade down a day. This helps so much. The Protein will come but staying hydrated is very important, that affects everything. Hang in there, it gets much better.

It is a myth that it is sub-standard care in Mexico. There are world-class surgeons that practice in state of the art hospitals in Mexico. There are also some that are not. You have to do your research.The cost was a big factor but not the deciding factor for me. I am sending you a PM. Check out my blog as well. www.kemo46.blogspot.com

In the U.S. , the insurance companies run the show. If you do not believe me, have a procedure that the insurance only pays for 2 days and try to stay 3 and see how you are treated. If you have the money, it is no issue but the level of care and the attitude changes greatly once the cash cow runs dry. I just experienced this with a family member at a major hospital in Dallas.

I have two close family members that are Physicians, one a surgeon, the other an M.D.. I have learned a lot about how the medical profession is driven in the states. We have been trained to think that if the procedure is not approved in the U.S. , it cannot be good or safe. That is 100% incorrect. In order for a procedure to be approved in the U.S., it has to have a clinical trial to be approved by the FDA. This is nothing more than bribery. There are procedures that have been performed in other countries safely for many years that are still not approved in the U.S..

The bottom line is you cannot say a whole country has bad surgeons or bad health care, you can find both in all countries along with great surgeons. All you can do is research and make the best educated decision possible. People should not knock other surgeons in other countries unless it was their own personal experience. There is too much hearsay and false information being repeated. I had my procedure in Mexico and was treated very well. I know there are great surgeons here in the states as well. That is why I have never said anything negative about any surgeon in any country because of something I have read. If you were not there, you do not know the situation, period.

I agree with the poster on the socialized healthcare, who are we to talk down about another country's healthcare program, especially since ours is such a winner.

I would respectfully contact your mother's surgeon and ask for him to take this more seriously and that something is not right. Let him know that if he does not care enough about his patients or his reputation to explore this, you will take it to the Hospital board. A surgeons reputation is very important and you would think he would take it more seriously. If that does not get a response from him or the board does not do anything to help in the matter, I would post his name and the situation on every forum I could find. I would let him and the board know this. It is not to threaten them or to hurt their reputation, it is to get them to do their job and care for their patient like they should do in the first place.

I am not blaming the surgeon for this issue becuase we do not know the cause, just blaming them for not exploring the problem.

I agree with the earlier posts, the sleeve is a restriction tool but math is math. If you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. It is possible that the surgeon did not create enough of a restriction and your mother is able to eat more than 4 oz of food. Like another poster said, if you eat bad things, you will not lose the weight. Keep us posted, I hope you find the answers.

Hmmm...the hospital I used in Mexico was cleaner than any US hospital I ever set foot in. I got more attentive care and better nurse to patient ratio than any US hospital I've ever been in. I had 3 doctors checking on me multiple times daily. My doctor keeps his patients in the hospital longer than US doctors......and, best of all, my doctor is the one who often teaches US doctors how to perform the surgery, is licensed in both countries and is President of the Board of Bariatric Surgeons of Mexico. My Mexican doctor was better qualified than any doctor I could find in the US. I went to him because of his qualifications/experience. The lower price was simply a bonus.

You had a bad experience in Mexico. Others have had bad experiences in the US. It's up to each individual to make the decision (do the research) for themselves.

Thank you EJ for your educated post. It it beyond me how people can say there is not a great surgeon in the whole country of Mexico. Like I mentioned in another post, I know two surgeons personally that teach the procedures to U.S. Surgeons.

I guess some would think Peyton Mannning is stupid because he went to Europe to have his stem cell fusion done, he has all the money in the world. I would rather think he went to the most experienced doctor he could find which was not in the U.S. .

Thank you again for your post.

Reality check, most likely the Mexico surgeons are worse which is why they are in Mexico and Not in the US where there are higher standards. I wonder every time I see so many Dr. (fill in the blank) in Mexico and wonder who is really posting them.

Get Real - don't be cheap on your health and get it done right. I have heard many horror stories form Mexico

Hear it Newbies save the extra couple of bucks to do the surgery right.

That is the most absurd quote I have ever read on any forum. There are some bad surgeons in Mexico just looking for a quick buck but trust me, there are some horrible surgeons in the U.S. as well. I can show you many world class surgeons in Mexico that practice at state of the art hospitals that have much more experience and a lower complication rate than many in the states.

The reason a lot of surgeons practice in Mexico is the ridiculous mal-practice premiums here in the states. Many of these surgeons in Mexico were actually educated in the states. I know two surgeons personally that teach and that have taught the VSG procedure to surgeons here in the states.

If you want to call out specific surgeons in a certain country based on facts, that is fine but to say that the whole country of Mexico have bad surgeons is just plain ignorant.

Great job, all of that hard work paid off. The sleeve was the tool but as you know, it was your discipline and dedication that helped you reach your goal in such a short period of time. Great job Noel, I am happy for you.

You do not have to deprive yourself, that is what is great about the sleeve. Please read my blog, www.kemo46.blogspot.com , I talk about how I have handled several holidays since being sleeved. You can taste that cookie or that piece of pie, you just do not do it everyday or eat a mountain of them. I love my sleeve in the real world, I split meals, eat healthy and exercise but when I want to have a sweet treat, I have it. Just like Sharon said, surround yourself with good Snacks. It is beef Jerky and almonds for me. I also do the EAS Advantage carb control ready made shakes. Protein is your new friend and if you will eat the protein first, you will find you do not have enough room for too much bad stuff.

I've been a lurker for weeks. This is my first time starting a topic. :smile1: I'm 37, married, have three young kids. My BMI is "only" 30, but I have co-morbidity issues with high LDL cholesterol and hypertension. My insurance won't pay for any WLS regardless of BMI, and most surgeons in the U.S. won't take me. However, I know that if I don't do something extreme and permanent NOW, my BMI will just keep going up, since I can't maintain my weight loss. I am not taking this lightly. After much research, I have decided to go down to Mexico for the surgery. I'm close to San Diego, so that is convenient.

I am waffling between Dr. Almanza and Dr. Ramos-Kelly. I like that Almanza is much cheaper ($4200 on a special compared to $5700 for Kelly). His coordinator is awesome and so responsive. He is clearly an experienced surgeon and has done a lot of surgeries. I don't like the idea of a clinic (small, not having an ICU in case of a serious issue), and I would rather not be in a communal "recovery house" (although I could live with it). I'd also rather not deal with taking out my own stitches when I get home. But he does accept PayPal, which is a secure way to pay.

Dr. Kelly is more expensive ($1500 is not chump change to us). He is also experienced and has a good reputation. I like the idea of being in a hospital and having a private room at a hotel. I want to bring my laptop and think it will be more secure at the hotel. I also like that he speaks fluent English (I speak decent Spanish, but I don't know if I'll be that coherent post-op). He does fewer surgeries per day, which I also like. He seems more involved (from what I read of his reviews). However, if you pay by credit card with him, there's a 3 percent surcharge, which is a bit on nearly 6K.

Yes, I've read both about the "armed robbery" at Almanza's and death of a patient at Kelly's. As horrific as both of these are, I consider them flukes, the risk of having ANY major surgery or traveling overseas (or NOT - I was once robbed at gunpoint in Oakland).

I have read a LOT of threads on here and other forums about BOTH doctors, but I would like to hear recent thoughts from former patients of either doctor. I'm anxious and stressed enough already, so I'd appreciate it if people who don't like Mexico doctors/surgeries or either/both of the doctors I've listed here wouldn't respond with negative comments.

Thank you.

Ela

Ela, I have sent you a PM. There are good and bad surgeons in both countries. People cannot just say surgeons in Mexico are bad. The fact is, Mexico has some of the best surgeons in the world and perform their surgeries in state of the art facilities. I know two surgeons personally that have taught many surgeons in the U.S. the VSG and the Plication. Please do your research and you will know who the right surgeon is for you and you will be at peace with your decision. Remember, communication is very important througout this process. Good luck.

Estella, I took my temperture a couple of times a day for the first month. If you have a leak, it will cause an infection and your temperture will increase. That is interesting that your surgeon did not do a leak test, I have never heard of that. I would like to hear from other sleevers if they did not have a leak test. Are you feeling ok, do you suspect a leak or just asking?

Cons of the sleeve- It does not make you magically get skinny with out any hard work. Booo. I was dupped!!

You still crave junk food and you still have to fight the urge to eat it. it is true you cant eat a whole box/bag, but you can still eat more than you should.

You can't drink liquids like you used to so it is a struggle to stay hydrated.

Hey Tiffany, the good news is you will be able to drink normally after some more time. It proably took me about 2 months to be able to drink like I did prior to surgery. I love Water and staying hydrated is not an issue for me. At first, it was a chore and it just keep getting easier with time.

As far as my only con for the sleeve is I do get cold, this used to not be an issue. It is worth the trade off to lose that weight.

Just like Sleeve of Steel said, you have to stay focused on staying hydrated. The Protein will come later. Sip, sip and sip some more but get that Water in. You are still swollen and it will get better and you will be able to drink more and much easier. What really helped me post op with fluids and protein was the Unjury chicken Soup Protein Powder. It is 20 grams of protein and you mix it with warm water. Remember, at your stage, staying hydrated is the most important thing.

Wow Noel, that is awesome to be so close to your goal. Have you planned any celebration or any thing you are going to do once you reach your goal? I have thought about it quite a bit but have not settled on anything yet, I am still about 25 lbs. away. You need to do something special, that is quite a goal you are about to accomplish.

The good news is it gets easier. Keep a glass with you and sip,sip and sip some more. I too was a big Water drinker before surgery, it took a couple of months before I could drink like I used to. I like the idea of setting an alarm, anything to keep you hydrated. I was instructed that staying hydrated was the most important thing, more than Protein, more than anything. I read horror stories about the issues caused by dehydration, you do not want that. I actually became obsessed with making sure I got enough liquids in because I did not want to have the issues with dehydration. The one thing that helped me was since I could not drink with my meals, I made it a priority to drink one 20oz glass of water 1 hour before and 1 hour after my meal. If I did this, I was assured that I would get plenty of water.

Paul, that is amazing. You have proved that regardless of the amount of weight loss needed, it can be done. I bet you feel like a different person. Congrats to you.

Fantastic job, keep it up.

That is awesome, I can only imagine how you must feel. I have never been a runner but getting ready to do a 5k ( baby steps). Right now, I cannot even imagine me running 13.1 miles but then again, I never would have thought I would have lost 90 lbs in less than 6 months. How did you train, what were the steps you took to get up to a half marathon?

I would love to do a 5K! Maybe I should just sign up for one so that I have something on the calendar to look forward to. Thin: thanks :smile1: I'm pretty much doing the natural stuff as well, but probably need to create more opportunities for myself.

You are doing great. Even though a 5k is only a little over 3 miles, you should still start slow and build up to it. I am going to participate in a 5k as well but I learned something, I can only jog a little over a quarter of a mile and I have to slow down to a walk and then jog another quarter a mile. I found a great training program for a 5k, it is called couch potato to 5k. It shows you how to start training for a 5k without killing yourself. Google it and you can print it off, it is the best I have seen to help increase the stamina. Good luck.