Afro_Cyster

Thank you for your question DJ. I am sure that you weren't the only person who had this on their mind. Feel free to ask more questions whenever you are ready.

Easy way out? When was the last time you sewed your own clothes? Made butter? Hmmm.....I guess we ALL take the easy way out. I just chose the one that made a damn difference in living or dying. What's your reason?

Thank you for your question DJ. I am sure that you weren't the only person who had this on their mind. Feel free to ask more questions whenever you are ready.

Owwwwww!!!! GET IT GIRL! Your success is inspiring!

Thank you for your question DJ. I am sure that you weren't the only person who had this on their mind. Feel free to ask more questions whenever you are ready.

I think you will see more of the US patients with complications than Mexico patients. The Mexican surgeons have been doing this surgery longer. On that note I was sleeved by Dr. Kelly and I would do it over again 10,000 times. I am not being paid to say this. Actually I haven't spoken to him since my surgery. I should shoot him an email to tell him my progress a lot of Americans are misinformed about Medical Tourism. I'm glad I did my research and have no regrets!

How shocking! I would never fall off the wagon! I am always in perfect control of my diet and never
(This post has been aborted by the BS police, this guy has been off the wagon many times, please disregard his bologna)

Thank you for your question DJ. I am sure that you weren't the only person who had this on their mind. Feel free to ask more questions whenever you are ready.

Honestly, my stomach didn't hurt at all because I was so afraid to eat that I really didn't.
My suggestion would be to stay on liquids for another few days. Eat slower and extend your meal time. Like Dandra suggested, the slower we eat the happier our sleeves will be.
It will eventually get normal and you'll be able to identify your sleeve's signals.

I would add another option. If its not covered talk to your employer and explain where you are in the process and see if it's covered. Depending on if your company is fully insured, self-insured or fully funded, your employer may be able to override any exclusion. Plus, if Aetna generally covers it, your employer may not opt for the coverage.

Mederma helps with the discoloration ( not much from my experience) but usually only if youre diligent about it and the scar is new. Trust me ive had a keloid since i was 13. Im 24 now. I didnt try to do anything til i was probable 16. And it grew!! If u wear anything that irritates that scar it will grow and protect it from sunlight. If ur wearing a bathing suit get gooood sunblock. You can also purchase pressure bandages from the pharmacy.. Kinda expensive and they help smooth out the scar but again, diligence. If you get cortisone shots, you must try to get them every week! Many doctors will not cut out the keloid because for 90% of people, if you have one, you are a keloid former and the scar may just come back bigger and angrier! One plastic surgeon wanted to try cutting it out and then doing radiation to stop the skin cell growth (keloids are when your skin believes it needs to grow more tissue to help you heal but doesnt know when to stop), i know it sounds radical but can you guys imagaine.. I have one huggge one right below my clavicle in the DEAD center of my chest!!!!! Soooo believe meeee buddies.... I will try everything!! My keloid started out as probable 1 cm... It is now 3 x 4 cm now. I have this complex now about it???? when people meet me, they immediately look at my chest n then back at my eyes trying to seem as tho they didnt just give my keloid a second glance thinking "what the hell is that?!" as you can see i know bout these scars so if you guys have any questions pls dont hesitate to ask☺

I am so happy for you! My motto is to "Keep Trying". If we stay in the game long enough, we'll eventually get enough experience to win.

I am African-American, have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and I'm a chick. Afro_Cyster

So you guys put fear in me and I completed the surgery yesterday. It was a breeze. My doctor was Joshua Goldberg at Ochsner main campus in New Orleans. I chose him due to his bedside manner, online patient recommendations, wonderful nursing staff, returned calls, and the cuteness factor.
My surgery was a breeze. Since they knew I got nauseas due to anestesia, they gave me Zofran before the surgery and after I woke up so it was no issue at all. Also, when I woke up, I was shivering uncontrollable so the nurse warmed three blankets and wrapped it around my head, body, and tucked it around my feet (talking about going above and beyond). I was soooo ultra comfortable. The only hiccup was post-op, two nurses and an anesthesiologist couldn't find a suitable vein for my IV -- I got stuck five times. Luckily, before they stick you they give you a shot so you don't feel the large needle they insert. After they obtained the assistance from an OR doctor, we were good to go and they wheeled me out.
They allowed me to rest without interruption. And although they were ready to have me released, I requested another IV because I knew I would be dehydrated when I left the hospital due to my tummy and them having me fast the night before AND IV's make our skin look beautiful. So, they gave me my next set of pain pills and allowed me to rest again until I woke up. After that I was on my way home without issue.
I think that either I choose excellent doctors or my body responds well to surgery, but I swear it doesn't feel like anything happened to me at all. My team has a softball tourney Saturday that I'll miss due to recovery, but the way I'm feeling, I could play. Nooooo....I won't because ya'll won't let me, but I feel like nothing's stopping me.
I would like to thank all of you (including those who stalked this page and PMed me) for your honesty and concern. I am still upset that an organ was removed, but with the rate of my recovery, I'll assume it was for the best and move on with my life.
Thank you,
Afro_Cyster

This is exactly right (what your surgeon said). So many people get bad advice about this from their surgeons and I don't understand why. Yet 1000s of antibiotic Rxs are written for viral colds, so who knows.
Here's an explanation I've posted before:

I love the questions and follow-ups that are happening in this thread.
I am also bias because I went to Dr. Kelly. I came through the surgery with no problems. I initially had mild nausea, but it was due to the anesthesia. It only lasted about three hours and I slept the majority of the time. I kept asking my parents if they see an incision because it didn't feel like anything had been done to me. The nurses were exetremely attentive and took time to get to know your needs. I did have a night nurse that spoke limited english, but there was a translation sheet that I was able to point to if she didn't understand what I was saying.
Both of my parents were impressed and eased by the attention to detail and the work Trish did to make them comfortable.
My advice is to continue to do what you are doing now. Research research research! At this time, both doctors have competent coordinators that I believe are both happy.

I love the questions and follow-ups that are happening in this thread.
I am also bias because I went to Dr. Kelly. I came through the surgery with no problems. I initially had mild nausea, but it was due to the anesthesia. It only lasted about three hours and I slept the majority of the time. I kept asking my parents if they see an incision because it didn't feel like anything had been done to me. The nurses were exetremely attentive and took time to get to know your needs. I did have a night nurse that spoke limited english, but there was a translation sheet that I was able to point to if she didn't understand what I was saying.
Both of my parents were impressed and eased by the attention to detail and the work Trish did to make them comfortable.
My advice is to continue to do what you are doing now. Research research research! At this time, both doctors have competent coordinators that I believe are both happy.

I love the questions and follow-ups that are happening in this thread.
I am also bias because I went to Dr. Kelly. I came through the surgery with no problems. I initially had mild nausea, but it was due to the anesthesia. It only lasted about three hours and I slept the majority of the time. I kept asking my parents if they see an incision because it didn't feel like anything had been done to me. The nurses were exetremely attentive and took time to get to know your needs. I did have a night nurse that spoke limited english, but there was a translation sheet that I was able to point to if she didn't understand what I was saying.
Both of my parents were impressed and eased by the attention to detail and the work Trish did to make them comfortable.
My advice is to continue to do what you are doing now. Research research research! At this time, both doctors have competent coordinators that I believe are both happy.

LOL....Congrats!

I agree with CrazyCatLady. We chose different doctors, but we did our research. None of us have taken this lightly AND we didn't shop around for the cheapest doctor. We looked at a variety of categories besides cost in choosing our Mexican doctor.

I agree with CrazyCatLady. We chose different doctors, but we did our research. None of us have taken this lightly AND we didn't shop around for the cheapest doctor. We looked at a variety of categories besides cost in choosing our Mexican doctor.

I went to Mexico for my sleeve for a multitude of reasons.
My insurance has complete and total exclusion on bariatrics of any type. I knew I would have to be self pay. When I started researching options, the only surgeons that were in my reach financially within the US were either very inexperienced or had shady reputations...and their prices did not include meds, or a variety of other fees.
Additionally, I wanted my surgeon to have had many years of experience specifically with the sleeve. I found through my research that I was able to find a varied selection of Mexican surgeons that had this experience, as other countries (on aggregate) have been doing stand-alone sleeves longer than US surgeons. That is not to say that this is true for ALL US surgeons (don't flame me!), but it is distressing to see the number of US surgeons who have done a dozen or less sleeves being touted as "experienced".
For me, it came down to being realistic about availability of funds combined with the surgical experience I was looking for. I had my sleeve surgery in a hospital staffed exclusively with BSN prepared RNs, with a nurse to patient ratio of 3:1. That is nearly unheard of in the US. My surgeon and his team visited me personally several times a day, both before and after my surgery. This is also virtually unheard of in the US. As a wound care nurse, I get to deal with a lot of post-op wrecks as far as bad surgical techniques, poor closures, etc. The fact that my doc did not 1, but 3 leak tests (one in the OR, a methylblue first day post op and fluorscopy 2nd day post op), and that I could only find a couple US surgeons that did the same (and they were both WAY out of my price/distance range) made a big difference to me. Being a Registered Nurse makes me a bit more than simply an "educated consumer" - I am intimately acquainted with the other side of the nurse's station, and how the politics in US hospitals and nursing can be a detriment to the patient.
I know that going to Mexico may seem a little crazy. But it comes down to comfort and research. I had very strict standards that I wanted in both my surgeon and hospital facility - I was unable to find these standards in the US, so I looked elsewhere. Medical Tourism is a growing industry - can I tell you that I felt more pampered as a surgical patient abroad than I ever have when going to the local spa, a place that is supposed to be designed for pampering?? lol
There are many, many stories on this board of why people have made the decision to leave country for surgery - whether to go to Mexico, India, or beyond. If you have further questions, feel free to PM me
~Asche, The Crazy Cat Lady

I don't have a spouse, but I have a parent that is discouraged also. Unfortunately, just like us, they will not change unless they are ready to.
With my dad, he sometimes chooses a healthier route because he knows that I won't be swayed from my chosen diet. He wants to see me happy so he buys healthier foods. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop him from frying everything he eats.
All I can do is be encouraging, not nagging, and hope that when he's ready that I will be able to support him.

I agree. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just stick to the remainder of your diet. You will be fine. I ate a burrito the end of my first week. It was probably out of my system by the next day. I made sure that I stuck to the rest of the diet and my doctor said that everything was beautiful.

Congratulations!