BeanieandRosie'smom

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.

Oh Erika,
Thank you for all of that information, that is what I was looking for! I plan on lots of comfy sun dresses and lots of cute tanks and yoga pants. I am excited and scared, I will make sure to request good pain meds.
Good luck to you on your new journey.

Hey Seltyl,
I haven't had my sleeve done in Mexico, but I did have my band there. I was suggested to bring a heating pad on that trip and it was the best suggestion given to me! I just bought a cheap one from Walgreen's, but it helped me sleep.
A word of warning about the medication: if you're used to getting opiates like Percocet, Vicodin, even Morphine in the hospital in the US, you won't usually find them at the hospitals in Mexico. I have been told that this time around I can ask for stronger drugs. I was extremely uncomfortable my first night and barely slept. They give you a drug called Torodol or Ketorolaco/Rapix (That is the spanish Drug name and brand name). I kept asking for more in my iv, but it never did much. I had my gallbladder out in the US this past September and I was on Morphine for a bit and sent home with Oxycodone. I am a big wuss and inherited my mother's low pain threshold... I'm hoping that I can have my pain knocked out this time!
When I went the first time, I packed a backpack with all of my things. I am a girly-girl overpacker to the max, but I cut down for that trip and I never once regretted it. (I did of course bring make-up and the day after my surgery I did do my hair and make-up!) You won't want to carry anything big and bulky through the airport (the flight back was miserable!)
Something I didn't bring the first time that I regret is a little blanket from home. I was cold the first night and couldn't get comfortable. I wanted to have something warm and cozy from home with me. Even some fuzzy slippers (I had to wear those support stockings for a while to prevent blood clots).
I know I am practically writing you a book here, but I also mainly brought nice looking, comfy black sweatpants/yoga pants. I also LOVE the camis they sell at costco (don't know your location, but I'm guessing costco is fairly national). They sell them in an XL which is my size and they are really comfy. Built in shelt bra thing too. And I brought some comfy zip up hoodies.
Best of luck to you! Sorry for being so long winded!
Erika

Hey Seltyl,
I haven't had my sleeve done in Mexico, but I did have my band there. I was suggested to bring a heating pad on that trip and it was the best suggestion given to me! I just bought a cheap one from Walgreen's, but it helped me sleep.
A word of warning about the medication: if you're used to getting opiates like Percocet, Vicodin, even Morphine in the hospital in the US, you won't usually find them at the hospitals in Mexico. I have been told that this time around I can ask for stronger drugs. I was extremely uncomfortable my first night and barely slept. They give you a drug called Torodol or Ketorolaco/Rapix (That is the spanish Drug name and brand name). I kept asking for more in my iv, but it never did much. I had my gallbladder out in the US this past September and I was on Morphine for a bit and sent home with Oxycodone. I am a big wuss and inherited my mother's low pain threshold... I'm hoping that I can have my pain knocked out this time!
When I went the first time, I packed a backpack with all of my things. I am a girly-girl overpacker to the max, but I cut down for that trip and I never once regretted it. (I did of course bring make-up and the day after my surgery I did do my hair and make-up!) You won't want to carry anything big and bulky through the airport (the flight back was miserable!)
Something I didn't bring the first time that I regret is a little blanket from home. I was cold the first night and couldn't get comfortable. I wanted to have something warm and cozy from home with me. Even some fuzzy slippers (I had to wear those support stockings for a while to prevent blood clots).
I know I am practically writing you a book here, but I also mainly brought nice looking, comfy black sweatpants/yoga pants. I also LOVE the camis they sell at costco (don't know your location, but I'm guessing costco is fairly national). They sell them in an XL which is my size and they are really comfy. Built in shelt bra thing too. And I brought some comfy zip up hoodies.
Best of luck to you! Sorry for being so long winded!
Erika

Very interesting! I can't wait for my shipment. I ordered three flavors. I'll let you know how it tastes

thank you all for the Welcomes! I can't wait to see onederland. I am excited and nervous, I cant stop watching youtube videos and it is starting to consume my life, lol. Well if anyone has ant tips on what to bring, what they did to prepare, what pain meds you received and if you really needed them. What questions you forgot to ask after your surgery.
Many thanks to all:)

Check out this post:
http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28153-protein-shakes-as-meals-to-avoid-the-no-fluids-thing-smart-or-bad-idea/page__p__239465#entry239465
There are many threads about stretching the sleeve. Your sleeve is going to stretch a bit over time, but it is not going back to its previous size.
Search more threads on this topic for more details.

I asked my Dr specifically about stretching my sleeve and he laughed and said no. It would be near impossible to stretch it and it was utterly ridiculous to think it could ever be stretched out to the size it was before. In its previous state, pre-surgery, yes, the stomach could distend because there was stretchy material there. 85% of the stomach has now been removed. %15 remaining, most of which is not the stretchy material. So, he said, yes, after the swelling goes down, the stomach will size to the size it is going to be. To stretch it like I was asking would take a long strenuous effort which he just didn't believe was realistically possible to maintain.
He told me not to worry about it, so I am not going to. I don't think anyone else should either, but it is on the forefront of everyone's mind. Makes me crazy.
Makes me think of golf. You worry so much about putting the ball into the Water that you end up driving the ball right into the middle of the pond instead of walking up to the ball and hitting it like you know you are supposed to ... like you have been trained to do. I know I had difficulty not hitting the ball into the middle of the pond pre-surgery with my food choices, but now with this new tool, I can just relax and take the shot! I don't always put it on the green, and it has gone into the Water, but far less than it did pre-surgery.
I think it helps me enjoy life with my new sleeve instead of having my head spinning all around.

Hello and welcome! I just went on a cruise at the beginning of May. I've been on cruises before being sleeved and LOVE them. Leading up to this one, I kept thinking abt how different it would be now that I can't indulge like I used to.
One thing I learned is that we DEFINITELY can over eat if we don't stick to our newly formed lifestyles. I broke every sleeve rule possible. Ate too many slider foods, drank with every meal to make room for more food, grazed all day. Even with doing this, I still only ate a fraction of what my fellow cruisers were eating.
What did I learn? That I really appreciate my sleeve for allowing me to sample and enjoy without going off the deep end. I also know first hand that it is truly a tool; the willpower and self control is the driving force behind it. Without creating and following healthy habits, we can't do this!
I returned on May 10 and learned that I'd gained 4 lbs on the cruise (GASP)! But I cranked my focus up, went back to the life I know and lost that plus an additional 12 lbs in less than 3 weeks! I LOVE my sleeve!
Let me know if I can assist you on your journey!

It has been 2 Years since the sleeve went in. I was 311 and today I am 168 and will never look back. I find that I chew my food until it becomes vapor, eat very slowly and stop as soon as I feel anything. By the way I eat all day long..... Love it Love it Love it. I call this success. I don't often come back to the website so I may not see the comments but for those who are interested this is the best thing you can do. My boss had it done as well but I believe he continues to stretch it and has stopped loosing weight and needs to loose more so you can cheat it if you want my method is working with excellent results. I went from size 50 to size 32-34 the skin is starting to respond some and tighening up but I would be in 32 on everything if it were not for the extra skin....

Um, let's see...I was banded in 2009 and the most I lost was 40 lbs. I never found the supposed "sweet spot" and had multiple fills. food always got stuck and i vomited often. I had the fill removed to go through fertility and gained all the weight back and then some. My port area hurt all the time and I was frankly tired of paying $300 every time for the fills, never to reach the right amount of restriction. I had my revision surgery on 3/13/12 and have already lost 42.6 lbs and I'm only sad I didn't do THIS surgery in 2009 rather than the band. I would never recommend the band to anyone because of my own experience and frankly I just haven't met many people where it worked for them. Good luck with your decision.

http://shop.doctorsbestweightloss.com/Proteinex_c31.htm
Pretty awesome! Going to order me some very soon!

I am about 15 weeks post op & have holding between 201-203 for about 3 weeks..So this morning just as a whim...I stood on the scale & it read 195.2.... So stepped back off & looked at the mirror 2 make sure it really was me & I was awake & stepped back on it again.,,,195.2....I have been doing the happy dance all day...???? Total of 54 lbs gone...

n2theswim, I'm so sorry I didn't see this sooner! First off, there is NO "only" in weight loss. 28 pounds in 3 months is fantastic!! How much would you have lost without surgery? I know that all you can see is how much you have left to lose, but you didn't gain it all in one pass and you won't lose it all in one pass. I've had several stalls on this journey, but I've managed to work my way past them. I've also discovered that during stalls I lose sizes rather than pounds. It's like the body takes a break from dropping pounds in order to shape shift.
Take your measurements now, if you didn't do it pre-op, and then use them as a guideline to show you that you are still losing, even if the scale isn't moving. I've been shapeshifting for the last 3 months and lost 3 sizes, but barely dropped 10 pounds in that same time frame.
Are you exercising? Exercise is key to keeping the weight loss steady and to helping insure that we don't end up with lots of loose skin when we're done losing. Exercise also produces endorphins that help keep us positive and help balance out the crazy hormones that seem to be released for men and women when the fat cells start shrinking.
Please don't give up on yourself. This journey is SO worth it and YOU are worth every bit of effort you put into yourself!

Please try not to be so discouraged. Keep doing the best you can. Keep a log of your intake and exercise. Call your nut and see if she can review your intake and suggest some changes. If your are taking in fewer calories than you use, you will lose the weight. Are you in a support group. I go to a monthly group and find it very helpful. Started there before surgery. Everyone is very encouraging, but everyone has their own set of problems.
I'm 3 weeks out now, the scale hasn't moved since the first week. But my clothes fit looser and my stamina is improving. Try to find the little things that encourage you. I have 200 pounds more to go and I'm sure I will have my moments as well. Keep your chin up. Or in my case, chins.

Stop beating yourself up now. Here are a few things I would suggest in my opinion and if you've done them already, I'm sorry to sound redundant:
1. Sign up with an online tracker today, like my fitness pal or one of the others.
2. Clean your kitchen of any no no foods immediately. Shop for only the foods you are allowed to eat.
3. Pick yourself up by the bootstraps and know you can do this. Find a mentor, partner in this endeavor. And get with a support group ASAP.
4. Make a list of all the things you can do instead of eating the wrong things---includings eating out with friends.
5. You made the decision over a year ago to lose weight---that decision is still in you wanting to come out.
You were right to come on this site to ask for help and support. Above all ask your God or Higher Power for guidance. Hugs & blessings sent your way. Remember: today can be your first day!!!

Hi Erika, I totally agree with what others have said.
I had the band for four years, and I initially lost about 25 pounds and then another 10 or so in the beginning, but then the 10 came back and stayed back despite my throwing up at every meal. I couldn't eat hardly anything healthy without it coming right back up. I learned to eat sliders so that I wouldn't throw up and could feel full. I couldn't eat bread, shrimp, eggs, chicken, or anything dry with the band and learned to smother everything with mayo.< /p>
It turns out that I had massive scar tissue and adhesions around my port, around my band, and around my stomach on the inside of the band. When the surgeon removed my band, my stomach was still held tightly together until he could release it by removing scar tissue. I know this because I got my operative report from the hospital.
I just had the band taken out and the sleeve put in almost 8 weeks ago, and I've lost 27 pounds so far. I have a 38 French bougie, and the only time that I had nausea and threw up was the day after surgery and not since then. Now I can eat healthy food with Fiber, which is something that I couldn't do with the band. Now I can eat anything I want and choose to eat healthy, and I get satiated quickly even with my small portions.

Oh God! you just described exactly how I felt during that period. Believe me, it will get better, if you feel anything abnormal, talk to your doctor. And please promise me you won't try to eat again on the liquid phase. You will put excess stress on your stomach that it may not be prepared to handle.
You will probably laugh, but I used to torture myself watching recipe websites and drool over them in this phase (I don't even enjoy cooking and all of the sudden I wanted to be a chef LOL!). I don't know if I was being masochist or what, truth is that as soon as I started to eat regular food (last phase), there were lots of foods that I loved that are now not so appealing after all. So I got over my food porn, and now I feel great, it's still a challenge trying to figure out when I'm full, but as soon as I feel any type of discomfort no matter how minimal it is, I stop eating, and I'm satisfied. You will feel better, hang in there!
Anna

I am almost 6 months out and I can eat anything I want. However, you will find that your cravings and taste buds change. Something you may have eaten all the time before, may not taste good to you now. Please hang in there. Think of the long term results. You will feel so much better and healthier and you will love your new lifestyle. Just follow your doctor's instructions and you should be fine. I have gone from a size 18 to a size 6 in less than 6 months. Is that enough insoiration for you to hang in there? you will feel so good about this in a couple months. Your time and regular food will come. Good luck.

Ice cream is a myth. It doesn't exist. Neither do Cookies. I saw this show called Ice Cream Hunters International.....but you know....they have never proven its existence. Might as well forget about it.

I am pretty new to the site here! I have been reading information for a month or so and recommended it to my nutrition group last week. Well..I finally have a surgery date..yeah me! I was banded in Sept 2007 and initially lost 36lbs only to gain it all back. The only thing it does for me is make it hard to swallow medicine and throw up. I wish I had never had it!
I am excited about getting my band off and my sleeve done! I appreciate all your posts and the encouagement you are to me!

I just got a book from Amazon called The Weight Loss Surgery Comapnion Book by Tania Kabla. Helps identify and address issues many of us go through like head hunger, stress eating, loneliness, and our changing bodies.
Hope this helps. And remember, this too will pass and a brighter day is right around the corner.

Just remember, one day you will be able to eat anything you want, in smaller portions.
There is not one thing I can't eat.

Hi! I just wanted to say, I am scheduled for August 11, 2012 for my band to sleeve revision with Dr. Alvarez in TJ. Had my band placed two years ago in TJ as well and had a great experience! Good luck to everyone!

I had lap band surgery in Mexico in 2007. I had a very good experience with my trip to Mexico for the surgery and felt that it was an excellent option for me as a lower weight, self pay patient.
Now, a little over 4 years later I am hoping to revise to the gastric sleeve. While I have had good results with losing weight with the band(currently at 158lbs), I find that I have a difficult time eating the healthier foods that I want to. With the band I have a very difficult time eating fruit, lettuce, or fibrous veggies leaving me very frustrated! I have had lots of reflux that I never had before surgery and I have had a very hard time finding anyone in my area to follow up with for fills and haven't actually had ANY followup in 3 years.
I feel like by keeping the band that I am sitting on a ticking time bomb. I originally went with the band because it was "reversible" and "minimally invasive". However, now the constant fear of getting a stomach bug, slip or erosion is prompting me to research a revision.
I would love to hear from others who have had revisions regarding your experience with restriction and any food tolerance issues. Please share the good, bad, and ugly! If I had known then what I know now about the band I'm not sure that I would have done it.
Also, because I had my first surgery in Mexico, I will be doing the same with the revision and while I was not nervous with the band, I am more concerned about the sleeve as it is a much more involved procedure. What to do if you get home and have complications? Just go to the ER and pray that the surgeon on call is willing to help the crazy person who went to MEXICO for surgery?! Obviously, having been to Mexico for my first surgery I have seen first hand that the facilities are top notch and cleaner that the U.S. and that the skill level of the Surgeons is excellent, but people are quite judgmental and opinionated with their own preconceived notions. I am not close enough to go back to Mexico in case of emergency. So if you have had a complication after getting home what did you do?
I had my band done with a Doctor who doesn't have much revision experience so I am looking at having my revision with Dr. Aceves. In looking at his statistics he is one of the more experienced with revisions. Has anyone been to Dr. Aceves for the revision surgery specifically, and what was your experience?
Also, If anyone has been through a pregnancy after VGS, I would love to hear about your experience, as I am 25 years old and most definitely see that in my future.
Wow, that turned into a very long winded story! Thanks in advance for any information you can give. It is much appreciated!