Andrea8967

Good luck. Keep us posted

Hi. I have two very close friends who both had gastric bypass surgery and lost a huge amount of weight. And then they gained most of it back. I can't imagine how that's possible with the sleeve - because it can't stretch. You just can't fit too much food in your stomach after you're sleeved. Just for the sake of visualization - Think of filling up a banana skin with cottage cheese. There comes a point that no more will fit in. Well- same thing with your sleeve. Research some more- but for my money - I think the sleeve is the way to go. I got sleeved 1/18/12 and I'm down almost 70 lbs. I have no will power- which is why this was the perfect solution for me. The bypass has some ugly side effects. Like puking frequently and dumping syndrome. It's much more of a drastic surgery in my estimation. The sleeve was a very simple surgery. I was back to work in a week. Never puked. Never had gas. Did get diarrhea - but it went away the minute I started taking a probiotic. The antibiotics completely messed up my stomach. I know it's not any easy decision. But for me there was only one sensible choice. Good luck to you. Go with your gut - and then get rid of it (just a little sleeve humor)

Hi. Congratulations! I bet now that the surgery is over you're wondering why people worry so much about having it, right? I hope your gas and pain, if you have any, are manageable. About the leak test- don't worry about it. It tastes kind of crappy but it only lasts a few seconds. You'll be so mesmerized watching it go down your gullet and thru your stomach (what's left of it anyway-ha) that you'll forget abou the taste in a few seconds. Seriously - it's nothing to worry about. They give you the ex ray as a souvenir. You will freak when you see how small your new stomach is. Enjoy the experience.

That's what Moms are for: support. She probably thrilled that you decided to so this. You're in for the ride of a lifetime. I noticed that after my surgery some of the food I uses to like - I can't stomach anymore. (That was a pretty good joke!). I am alot more selective in what I choose to eat now. Surprisingly - I can eat a piece of cake and ice cream without putting on a lb. My metabolism must have changed. I eat small quantities of food every 2-3 hrs now. I feel like I eat all the time. So don't think for a minute that you'll never eat again. On the contrary- you'll be eating alot more frequently. I met a woman online on one of the forums and we got to meet face to face at the hospital. We had such a good time down there. The whole experience was fun beginning to end. So don't worry about a thing. You're in good hands!

Are you traveling alone or with a friend or family member? If you're staying at the hotel lucerna you're in for a treat. (I think thats where I was). I remember all the delicious smells from the buffet they had every day. All I could eat was soup. But that's ok. I wanted to be thinner and did what it took. You're in excellent hands with Dr Kelly. It'll be over before you know it. Good luck and safe travels. I hope you're not stopping in the Houston airport on your way home. That was a nightmare too. They had all homemade food in the food court and NO JELLO!

Good luck to you on Monday. I dug up the post I wrote about my surgery with Dr. Kelly on the Gastric Sleeve Forum. Thought you would like to know what's in store. You are going to love the whole experience. Please keep us posted on your surgery. You chose a wonderful surgeon. http://www.gastricsleeve.com/forum/tell-us-about-your-journey-getting-a-gastric-sleeve/10655-day-two-in-tijuana.html

I had my leak test at Hospital Angeles. It's probably comparable to any major hospital in the US. Patients who chose to have their surgery there will pay quite a bit more. Having had my surgery at Oasis of Hope/ Florence Hospital I can testify to the cleanliness of the hospital and competency of the staff.

This post was started last year. I'm curious as to why it's been recycled. First of all - I'd like to address the issue of pain, nausea and gas. Once again I'd like to state- for the record - I didn't have any. Why is that so hard to believe? Moving on - please name the three hospitals Dr Kelly is no longer permitted to work in. That rumor has been circulating for over a year and a half. He has priveledges wherever he chooses to go. Not all the "hospitals" in Mexico are truly hospitals the way we think of them in the states. Dr Kelly traded up in some respects by performing his operations in better facilities. Dr Kelly performed my surgery in florence Hospital. It's older but clean. I had excellent care and he was an excellent surgeon. Name the three hospitals so that anyone interested in using Dr Kelly next month can call those three hospitals and check him out for themselves. Evidently you have an ax to grind. I haven't been on this website for awhile but I've noticed a few "experts" who have posting about drains. Last year no one used them. They didn't seem to be necessary. I didn't have or need one and neither did the other 40-50 people I met on this and two other sites. Now all of a sudden people are saying they wouldn't consider using a doctor who didn't insert a drain. The only 1 or two people I know who got drains had slight complications right after their surgery. Lets address the death of the patient. One death. One. Dr Kelly has been practicing for YEARS. many doctors have patients that die on the table. That's right. Right here in the Unites States. People have to understand there is a risk when you have surgery. My lawyer went for a colonoscopy and had a heart attack during the procedure. Is that rare? Certainly. But it happened. Who's fault was that? My surgery with Dr Kelly was perfect. It was a non event in that I had no complications etc. I stay in touch with another woman who had surgery the same day as me and she's fine too. Leave dr Kelly alone and move on. We're here to support each other - not make up crap about FACS physicians. Why don't you look that up? Dr Kelly is one of the only surgeons in Mexico who is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Is yours? .

Hi. It took me almost a year before mine went away. Coffee on an empty stomach was the culprit for me. Go online and look up some of the most likely causes. Even tea can cause it. It eventually goes away. There are a lot of other things you can take besides Prevacid if that doesn't do the trick. Even with the GERD I'm still happy with my sleeve. Good luck.

Every morning I have to take an estrogen pill and a thyroid pill. Then at night I have to swallow two high blood pressure pills (and one's as big as a Buick) and an anti anxiety pill. I know that eventually the blood pressure pills wlll be eliminated, but not soon enough. My question is this: if it's almost impossible to swallow immediately following surgery - how the heck did you guys take your medication? Even if I dissolve them - that's alot of Water to get down your gullet. Help please. Any suggestions??

Lora, I'm so happy to hear you're the coordinator for Dr. Kelly. You seem PERFECT for the job. He is such a terrific doctor, so in my opinion, he deserves an intelligent, caring staff. You seem to fit the bill. Your post about being on the airplane was heartbreaking. Having been in the "fat seat" will allow you to help others by truly having been in their shoes. I was so impressed with Dr. Kelly and I can testify that his skill and bedside manner make him number one in my book. So good luck to you and it's nice to see you on this forum. You can count me as a friend! Andrea no longer a fatty-thanks to Dr. Kelly

Hi everyone, I was sleeved by Dr Kelly on 1/18/12 and didn't use a coordinator. I went straight to the doctor and that was it. I had his cell phone number and when i had a question that i couldnt find an answer to in the forums i simply sent him a text. He answered me in a matter of minutes. The coordinator, in my opinion, is highly over-rated and shouldn't have any weight in the decision of whether or not to select a surgeon. The only thing I was concerned with was the reputation and skill of the surgeon and what hospital I was having the surgery in. There's a lot of drama on this and other forums about various coordinators. Don't worry about that. Do your research, select the doctor you feel most comfortable with and then enjoy the journey. I had a wonderful experience down there. The nurses were all terrific and whole thing went by so fast. I don't know why coordinators switch from one doctor to another but I'm sure money has a lot to do with it. A lot of the doctors have new coordinators. No big deal. Some of them live in California so you never get to meet them anyway. Good luck to everyone having surgery. You are in for the best time you ever had!

Hi. I'm just over a year post-surgery. I had diarrhea like most people all day every day for the first two weeks after surgery. Then I read another members success with a probiotic called Culturelle. It's a pill you take once a day. Worked like a charm. My doctor actually recommended it on my last check up just two weeks ago. I still have a problem going to the bathroom for a different reason now: seems I always have to go while I'm at work and its so annoying. The more I worry about it the worse it gets. I wish I could change my cycle. I'm thinking of skipping solid food during the day just to avoid the embarrassment of having to sit in there for 15 minutes. Anyone have any suggestions about that?

I should have updated my ticker prior to answering your question because my weight didn't reflect the update after I posted. I'm down 65 lbs now. Funny how I've become so vain about my weight!!

Hi everyone. I was sleeved on 1/18/12 - just over a year ago and I went thru the same problem with diarrhea. I found the solution from reading this forum. I took two capsules of a probiotic called Culturelle. I worked almost immediately. Nothing else I tried stopped the big D! Problem solved. Hope this helps.

coffee was one of my favorite things in the world -post sleeve. Now I get horrible acid reflux if I drink it. But I still love my sleeve. I switched to peach tea and I''m happy with that. Sent from my iPad using VST

HI everyone, If you had surgery on or before Jan 18th and you had acid reflux - when did it go away? All the medications on the market seem to just treat the symptoms. But what makes it go away for good? Is this strictly a symptom of poor food choices on my part? Or do I really have a serious problem? My doctor prescribed Nexium but told me if it doesn't go away he wants me to get scoped. I don't want to have to go thru that. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for your replies :-)) Sent from my iPad using VST

Fluffy : What a great name! Sent from my iPad using VST

Hi I can't believe it took this long! Wow-you've been thru a lot. I feel really bad that you got stuck with this infection. It was so unavoidable. But at least it's almost over and you should start to reap The rewards of your hard work. I'm down 52 lbs since January 18th and I feel great. I'm so happy I did this. And I love the forum. A great way to keep each other motivated and learn from others. Stay well!