KatInFL

I think this about sums it up.. For SOME people they find it necessary to have the "best of the best" and when you have additional health concerns I can understand that thinking. For someone like me, who has no comorbidities and very little visceral fat (according to my surgeon who removed my gallbladder) I don't feel driven to get the best of the best.. I simply want a competent surgeon who will take adequate care of me.
one thing to add... just because a surgeon is not at a center of excellence or is not "one of the top 25 doctors in the world" does not make it a surgery mill. I know there ARE a few surgeons who do crazy amounts of surgeries a day and yeah, I wouldn't go to one of them either... but there are many other competent doctors in Tijuana to choose from.

Good morning and good luck with the insurance stuff!!
As far as maintenence, it's been really easy. The hardest part was stopping the weight loss. MY goal was 5 lbs less than my doctor's goal. I got EIGHTEEN lbs lower than HIS goal and was freaking out. I was looking bad and my size 4 jeans were getting too big. Size 2's are not easy to find really....so I knew it was time to take action! (all about shopping/priorities!!!) I talked to Dr. Davidson's dietitian and she had me add calories (snacks or additional small meals) to my diet. She said once I got to where I was comfortable, I'd have to play with the calories to see what I needed to maintain. Snacking, what a novel Idea, didn't that get me to where I'd been???!!! Oh well, I could not eat much at a sitting, so I added Snacks and it worked. I got back to where I wanted to be, anywhere from 3 - 7 lbs below Dr. Davidson's goal and then figured out I NEED 1200 - 1350 calories a day to maintain. I still measure and/or weigh my food when we eat at home, and I do keep a food log. I also weigh every single morning. Dr. D recommends it, always has. He says it is easier to take off three or four lbs than it is ten or twelve. Oh so true!!! Anyway, I've lost 81 lbs, give or take 2 or 3, depending on the day. It seriously is EASY. I still don't get hungry, my 'new hunger' is an empty feeling, NEVER a "OMG, I'm starving" feeling. NEVER! I can eat something, or I can ignore it. My issues before was snacking, which is bizarre, now I must snack to get all my calories in.....and Portion Control. When we get sleeve surgery, we are signing up for FORCED portion control. That is what I needed!!! I was never a 'coke' girl, so soft drinks weren't a problem, but if I wanted something, I ate it and would eat more than I should. Two donuts rather than a donut hole. An entire Mexican food platter rather than an ala carte enchilada. I will get rice and Beans off my husband's plate, about 1 T of each. At this point, THAT seems like a lot of food.....logically I KNOW it isn't!!! It IS a lot more than I could eat 18 months ago, but I still have GREAT restriction, if I eat too much, it is uncomfortable. I gained five lbs during the Christmas holidays and all I had to do is cut back a tiny bit here and there and lost it. I love, love, love my sleeve. I promise, you will too. It is life changing!!! Good luck and you can ask me anything!

Hey Everyone!
Just a little update since I have arrived...
Samuel Sr. picked my mother and I up from the airport. He was not waiting for me in the loading/ unloading dock since my plane had arrived early. I called him, no answer but he immediately called me back and was their to pick us up in less than 3 minutes. He was very polite and welcoming. He was picking up another individual that was having surgery (please keep your phone on until you get picked up) and tried to call her, but no answer. So while driving around the airport he would get out and ask random people if they were waiting on him. And of course people were looking at him like a weirdo and then moving from their spots that they originally was standing in...quite funny.
After finally finding them, we ended up at the border in less than 25 minutes. Sam Sr. was the only one that had gotten out. He showed the guy some paperwork, explained our visit, opened the trunk and was heading for the Marriott in less than 5 minutes.
Once in Mexico, it took probably less than 8 minutes to get to the hotel. Sam Sr. unloaded our bags and the bellman loaded our bags to bring them into the hotel. Sam Sr. accompanied my mother and I in to make sure our reservation was in and that we were able to check in with no problem. The other couple took off to check in by themselves (her husband had been sleeved maybe 5 months ago). Check in went smooth. You do have to provide and debit or cc for incidentals. They also provided me with to passcodes to access the internet ( I did not have to request or pay for another one.) Received my room and was heading up ( the other couple were still checking in.) Fyi...if the person that you are going with are a smoker or you all want a room that you can smoke on...you can request that.
One of the bellman explained the layout of the hotel, how to use the elevator and turning the lights on in the room, showed us where the restaurant was and bar area and the time that everything closes. He brought our belongings up after the other couple checked in.
The hotel is very nice...it's a Marriott so I did not expect any less. I travel a lot and stay at many hotels. The bed is not soft soft when you think of how it is when you stay at a nice hotel in the US, it is a firm soft. It was comfortable to sleep but I prefer the US soft. Other countries prefer firm beds.
On to amenities..
The room does come with a refrigerator (which is locked), you must call to request it to be unlocked. You can also request for a microwave and they will bring one to your room. It is good because your companion can buy food and warm up. coffee and tea, flat screen tv (has a few english channels, also MOD), and bath and body works aromatherapy products.
My mom was anxious to get out of the hotel so she went walking to stores around and Walmart. I waited for my on-site contact Rosie to meet me at the hotel. She arrived about 30 minutes after checking in. She answered any questions that I had, gave me paperwork to fill out and bring to the hotel with me, gave me the receptionist name at the hotel on the 3rd floor and told me that she did not speak much english, and the time to be in the lobby to catch the hotel shuttle to the hospital, which is less than 5 minutes away.
My mom ate at the restaurant in the hotel. Great, attentive staff is all I can say! One of the hotel managers were there keeping us entertained and telling us different stories. My mom got 2 free margaritas and the meal comes with a 15% discount...just mention the organization that you are with.
Tips:
I did tip with US currency. I gave Sam $5, my bellman $3, and our server at the restaurant $5.
I have surgery today, so I will update you all later.

As it pertains to the sleeve, there really isn't one. I'm seeing some posts here that say things like, "I really need to make the first six months count because my surgeon told me loss slows after that," or "My surgeon told me I won't lose after a year and will be in maintenance at that point."
This causes a panic and pressures patients to lose the weight as quickly as possible. It also causes a lot of people to feel frustrated or like they've made a poor decision with the sleeve if they aren't dropping five pounds a week!
With every WLS the patient is going to lose the most weight in the first few months post op. It's purely logical. We go from eating far too many calories a day to eating almost nothing. We go weeks on a liquid diet. Even once we're on solid food, our capacity is so limited that it's laughable. In addition, almost everyone is diligent about diet and exercise at first. OF COURSE we see rapid results when we're in this stage!
Many people see a slower loss from months six onward. OF COURSE they do. It doesn't mean the sleeve has stopped working and we need to panic because we're not at goal yet. It means that we're closer to goal and our bodies are losing at a slower pace. It's also our bodies compensating and adjusting because we lost so much in the earlier phase of life post op.
Does loss slow from one year onward? OF COURSE it does! At one year out most people are close to or more than one hundred pounds lighter. We have less weight to lose, and yes, once we're at that point it does come off more slowly. If you're a lightweight and had less than 100 pounds to lose, expect this slowing sooner. Again, the closer you are to goal, the harder to get those final pounds off.
That does not mean the sleeve works any differently. In fact, it's the same from day one. The sleeve is restrictive and that's what it does: it restricts the quantity of food you can eat in a sitting. It does NOT cause malabsorption which is going to speed up your weight loss. I've seen the study that was posted about dumping with the sleeve, but even that is not going to majorly affect your loss pattern. Your sleeve does not stretch like a bypass pouch, either. Your capacity will vary, but in my case, at about nine months post op I was double what I could fit at first with solids, and at around two years that doubled again. Sounds scary...until you realize that I'm talking about fitting in roughly 6-12 ounces of food at a time, depending on what I'm eating. That's FAR less than a pre-op stomach.
So this idea of a "honeymoon" is misleading.
In some respects, yes, there is an easier period of loss. But this is not due to the sleeve working more effectively. Our bodies do not look at a calendar and say, "Oh, wow, we're closing in on one year post op and so let's just transition to maintenance and stop losing now." It simply doesn't work that way.
Your sleeve will work as long as you work your sleeve. When you give up and slide into maintenance or worse, into bad habits, is when you'll see the loss stop. Outside of your body's own limits on loss, there is nothing stopping anyone from achieving goal at any point post op.
I just wanted to post this because we really do see a lot of questions about this and a lot of panicked posts because people aren't losing as rapidly as they want. We put on the weight over the course of many years - we cannot expect it to fall off in less than one year. Some people will fly to goal in a short period of time, but they are the lucky minority. The rest of us need to work at it and it's a longer process than a few short months.
Good luck!
~Cheri

Hey Everyone!
I almost forgot to make a "five months out" post! I figured out how to put pictures side by side on my computer and it wasn't until I looked at the pictures side by side that I thought WOW. I barely recognize the person in the pictures five months ago.
My life has been given back to me. I just turned 23 a couple of weeks ago and am very happy with where I am in life. I started my full-time internship for occupational therapy the day after my birthday and I feel like I have way more confidence than I had in my previous internships. I feel healthy and energized when I go to work. I really think getting this surgery was the best decision I could have made for myself. My weight loss is slowing down, but I am still losing a couple pounds here and there. I would love to get to 130, but I am happy with where I am now too Time will tell! I hope everyone else is loving their sleeve as much as I am Wishing everyone well!
Date of Surgery: August 22, 2012
Height: 5'3
Starting Weight: 231
Current Weight: 148
Down 83 pounds total today!

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update! We are in San Diego awaiting our flight hme now (flying first class! Yippee!). My recovery has gone SO smoothly! I feel very blessed to have had such an easy time of. I'm not sure if it's because I have had two previous abdominal surgeries or not (appendectomy and c-section) but I seem to have rebounded pretty quickly.
My drain site is almost all the way healed! They said it could take two weeks, but looks like it will only be about 6-7 days for me. I credit my very careful wound care once released from the hospital for this! I brought neosporin, a small bottle of antiseptic spray, and the extra large antibiotic band aids. I cleaned my wounds each day with dial antibacterial soap in the shower and then let them air dry. I kept my drain site covered in the shower because you don't want any Water eating in there and then uncovered immediately after getting out. Once the sites were dry I treated with neosporin and the spray. I also made sure to bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer. If nothing else PLEASE pack these items! They are very small, but can make a world of difference. Wound infection is Dr. garcias most common complication. They send you to the hotel with gauze and tape which is helpful, but no cleaning stuff.
As far as packing list, I packed VERY light...but still felt I overpacked. The items I used and brought were:
Clean underwear for each day
2 lounge sets (the loose pants and zip up jacket style) with clean tank top to wear underneath each day
One pair pajama pants, 2 pajama tops
Tennis shoes
Flip flops
Slippers
Gas X strips
Hygiene items (you don't meet much unless you are particular, they provide Shampoo and conditioner at both hotel and hospital). Definitely bring deodorant!
The stuff at the hotel is all bath and body works!
iPad and charger (FaceTime worked great, no need for cell phone really!)
3 soft bras, two sport style and one sleep bra
Small bag of makeup...just used foundation and mascara most days.
Ponytail holders! I didn't "do" my hair at all while I was there
And the wound care items I mentioned earlier
Also my PCP prescribed Nexium and that stuff has been a god send!
Light cotton robe (a must for the hospital!)
I wish I had brought a couple packets of crystal light (but only like 2 because you really won't be able to drink much at all)
I also brought a larger 24 oz tervis cup which I used a lot for sipping, the kind with travel lid.
Hope this helps! This really was all I needed and used. I only wore the hospital gown, robe and slippers while I was at MiDoctor.

So here are some more details...and I had to laugh at loud at all my typos in the first post, haha! I forgot to add that last night they brought me some sleeping medicine by request, I think you have to ask for it, they don't just bring it. It knocked me out...but it also gave me my first experience of the foamies. I guess I had to learn what a sip really is...when people say sip they literally mean like a tiny baby kitten. Was didn't vomit, but sure felt like I could. I had the same experience when I brushed my teeth this morning, even tough I didn't swallow anything. Started foaming really badly and then got some strong hiccups.
I did the upper GI earlier this morning which wasn't bad at all. You drink this clear sweet stuff. Don't be worried about it. If you can't finish the whole cup that's okay! Came back upstairs and have been doing laps in the wing ever 90 minutes. Come back to my rom and do breathing exercise and then take a nap . Quite the life, haha! They gave me ice chips around 1:30 which felt so Good on my dry tounge. And the heparin shot, which you barely feel, the needle is very tiny! They also give you levaquin through your IV to stave off any chance of infection. A few minutes ago they brought me three medicine cups of liquid (yeah!). One blue Gatorade, one iced tea, and one apple juice. I've only made it through about half of the Gatorade and I feel full. The nurse says that good, and just take my time with them. At this rate I will probably drink them all night!
I really can't say enough about how pleased I am with the care here. Everyone is SO nice. And if you need anything they come right in. I will be honest though, I am very friendly and polite too, so that might be helping as well. There hasn't been too much of a language barrier so far with any of the nurses, although some do speak much better English that others (my day nurse and I just finished a lengthy chat about our love of the show Glee if that gives you any indication )
My mom was also telling my dad how impressed she is with the care...she was very nervous initially. Speaking of phone calls...ach nurse station has a phone you can use anytime to make international calls. There is also an 800 number for the hospital that your friends and family can call and will be transferred to your room. Wifi is working great and I have been face timing multiple times a day with my husband and son back home. I'll be doing the blue dye test at 6 pm tonight and then drain comes out shortly there after. I will continue adding details as time goes on! Glad this helping everyone. Also user MikeRoss is here with me and he is doing great! He is on the 4th floor and I am n the 3rd, but they took me upstairs to check n m since he is traveling alone. He said "this whole surgery wasn't nearly as bad as he expected" and he to is very pleased with his care so far.

Good morning Everyone,
Super excited... Even though I am trying to down play it to everyone else. Tijuana today and tomorrow I will be a sleeved woman! Praying all goes well.

I've been reading for right around a year, too. Part of the reason I was/am leaning towards Dr. Kelly was because I've seen the BS that has occurred with coordinator/coordinator companies and I was hoping to avoid all of that. Plus, I feel better about using a coordinator that works directly for the doctor. I can't help but think that coordinators that work for multiples doctors will always have their own experiences and agendas that impact potential patients making a decision about which doctor to use. I've done a TON of research, at this point well over a year. A coordinator change won't be the deciding factor in which surgeon I ultimately go with. It's just nice to have the information vs changes with no explanation.
~Kat

I've been reading for right around a year, too. Part of the reason I was/am leaning towards Dr. Kelly was because I've seen the BS that has occurred with coordinator/coordinator companies and I was hoping to avoid all of that. Plus, I feel better about using a coordinator that works directly for the doctor. I can't help but think that coordinators that work for multiples doctors will always have their own experiences and agendas that impact potential patients making a decision about which doctor to use. I've done a TON of research, at this point well over a year. A coordinator change won't be the deciding factor in which surgeon I ultimately go with. It's just nice to have the information vs changes with no explanation.
~Kat

I've been reading for right around a year, too. Part of the reason I was/am leaning towards Dr. Kelly was because I've seen the BS that has occurred with coordinator/coordinator companies and I was hoping to avoid all of that. Plus, I feel better about using a coordinator that works directly for the doctor. I can't help but think that coordinators that work for multiples doctors will always have their own experiences and agendas that impact potential patients making a decision about which doctor to use. I've done a TON of research, at this point well over a year. A coordinator change won't be the deciding factor in which surgeon I ultimately go with. It's just nice to have the information vs changes with no explanation.
~Kat

I've been reading for right around a year, too. Part of the reason I was/am leaning towards Dr. Kelly was because I've seen the BS that has occurred with coordinator/coordinator companies and I was hoping to avoid all of that. Plus, I feel better about using a coordinator that works directly for the doctor. I can't help but think that coordinators that work for multiples doctors will always have their own experiences and agendas that impact potential patients making a decision about which doctor to use. I've done a TON of research, at this point well over a year. A coordinator change won't be the deciding factor in which surgeon I ultimately go with. It's just nice to have the information vs changes with no explanation.
~Kat

As of this morning, I finally made it to the 100 pound club! I am so happy and so grateful for my sleevie! I know there is NO WAY I would be able to lose 100 pounds in 8 1/2 months. I have 39 pounds to goal!! Whoop Whoop!! Before and After attached.

I am going to give a very detailed experience. It was the one thing I would search for and want to read when I began my search for my options of going to Mexico for my surgery. I am not going to give details of my surgeon, as we have all researched (or will) our Dr.'s and make the decision best for ourselves. I have only seen a couple of posts concerning who he is on these forums, and they were VERY vague and people having questions, no information. I am NOT a paid employee, nor do I work for free.
My surgery was on Friday, January 11.
I chose my surgery to be in Cancun. I opted to not to go to a border town, because I wanted scenery and beaches and a mini-vacation. I researched which physicians performed surgery in Cancun. There are several that practice in Puerta Vallarta, Monterrey, and Cancun. Easy enough.
I arrived Thursday, January 10 and was greeted at the airport with no waiting. Took me to my hotel. When I arrived, the hotel staff was extremely courteous and offered me a free upgrade to a villa. YAY!! (I have pics and should really post them at some time if you guys want to see them.)
Met in lobby on Friday at 8:30 a.m. There was someone else going, they were late and we did not leave until 9:30 because she over-slept.
Straight to the hospital. I arrive and greeted by a wonderful staff. I speak enough spanish to understand and to be understood. The best part? When in doubt...they have flash cards they bring to you to translate for themselves. My doctor comes to greet me (perfect english) and the labs/EKG and other stuff begins. Took about an hour, at the most. I had a room to myself. The floor was empty except for one other WLS patient. The hospital was great! My room had a shower, I sofa thatfolded out into a bed, working Wi-fi, and a tv with a blu-ray player.
Anesthesiologist comes in and she was great. I answered a few questions she had and she answered mine.
I changed into a gown and walked into the operating room and got on the table at 11:25 a.m. I remember singing "Proud Mary" and realized the anesthesiologist put something in my i.v.
Woke up in the recovery room, and I really needed to pee. lol the nurse asked me, in her way, if I felt ok to go. "si, si, si."
After that, I was in and out every for a couple of hours. Anesthesia wearing off. Then I was 'OFF!' I began with the laps. I had read about all kinds of major gas pain on here and to walk, walk, walk and that is what I did. Every hour (I timed by the TV shows: when it ended, I walked. repeat)
At one point I heaved a little and saliva/clear stuff came up. I was afraid because of my new tummy. The nurse came in later and I told her about and she came back and put something in my i.v. and I did NOT experience it again while in the hospital. The nurses knew of my one episode of 'nausea' and kept the anti-nausea meds in the i.v. I was checked on hourly, my drain was checked and/or emptied.
Was I not in pain because of the pain meds? I don't think so...I declined pain meds in my i.v. because I was not hurting. I have not taken NOT one bit of anything for pain since the surgery, nor since I left the hospital. Everyone's recovery is different. Walking helps.
Saturday: this is something I had NEVER read about on these forums, my mouth began to Water and knew I was about to heave something. It came up, but I will say it freaked the poo-poo out of me. It was dark. like something from a horror movie. And it came up 3 times total. LOL. I could taste the 'metallic' taste to it and knew it was blood. I WILL SAY THIS: as soon as I got that up, i swear I felt like I could run a marathon. I literally felt that much better. The nurse made her rounds and came in, I showed her and she assured me it was completely normal. My Doctor came by later that day and told me the same thing. I was given ice chips several times throughout the day and was allowed to take the best feeling shower I have ever had. walked, walked, walked. watched NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, etc.
Sunday: The inevitable blue dye is brought to me. OMG. It is horrible. Think of liquid Nyquil, the green one, and about 12 oz of it. Dr comes and gets me and we go to look. I get downstairs and I took a drink of some other clear liquid and watch it go down in to my new little bitty tummy. It's BEAUTIFUL!! lol. No leaks appeared. back to the room and he looks at the drain, no leaks or blue dye in there, either. YAY! He tells me he is going to pull it out and "It doesn't hurt. It just feels funny." Is it going to make me laugh? "No, but it just feels like it." He pulls it out and honestly, it did not hurt. just a quick 'zip' and its out. No stitches, he states. It is natures way of laughing at Dr's because it is going to heal and look the best out of all the little one's you have. I laugh. I "can then shower dress and get ready to go, the driver will be here at 11:30 to get you. We will call the hotel and pay for an extra day because check-in time is not until 4 pm." Great! and he tells me to walk and keep walking. We leave, get to the hotel, and we get upgraded again because they couldn't get a room ready quick enough. Leave my things and went walking on the beach for 1 1/2 hours, then went to the mall for 2 hours.
Monday: I am on soft/pureed foods and really can't hold much at all. I buy guacamole, but please put nothing in it. So basically, a smushed up avocado. Can I tell you guys.. I was scared to death. My tummy loved it. the entire baby spoonful I ate. I ate it for lunch and dinner. So, about a tbsp for the entire day. and only got in about 20 oz. of gatorade for the day. i ate a nibble of a piece of watermelon (it's on my approved list - and it came right back up. scared the poo out of me because i kept thinking i sprung a leak) It's just too much sugar for the new guy.
Tuesday: Leaving today. Pack, leave my stuff at the hotel desk, and went shopping. Drank 20 oz. of gatorade, 2 baby spoonfuls of yogurt and get on the plane with my bottle of Water.< /p>
Wednesday-Friday: Every day has got better and better. I don't eat much. 1/2 a boiled egg and 1/2 tbsp of light mayo blended, water, and a couple of Protein drinks, a couple of bites of yogurt, 1/4 c of blended Beans. nothing chunky, just smooth. I am not hungry and I set a timer on my phone to remind me. Right now, by the time it takes me to drink 12-16 ozs. of water, it's usually time for some kind of Protein. I have got more protein today than any other day. So, when everyone says it gets better and better, it really does!!
I have no pain, I have only heaved the once with the watermelon, and I am walking around and doing okay. (don't want to jinx myself!) I love my new sleeved tummy!!
I have lost 18 lbs total. 6 for the 7 day preop and 13.2 since surgery on Friday, 7 days ago. I am sure it will start to slow down very soon.
Good luck on your journeys and I wish every single one of you nothing but success! Thanks to every one who posts here telling their experiences - I knew what to expect, because of those.