yazun82

Had my surgery om the 27th. Came home last evening
I had a morphine pump . The gas pain was bad in the recovery room but it passed. Now i get intermittent gas pain that really hurts but it passes quickly. I have been on Clear Liquids since the 26th and I am still at my preop weight. Thought I would have lost several pounds at least. I think the worst part is before the operation - just so anxious before they took me into O.R. they have a special OR table. And they tilt it forward as the operation is done in that position. I remember they talking to me and joking around to be nice and then I woke up.in the recovery room. It was amazing. And the nurses were so kind. Time flies and I am now home and so relieved this is behind me. I'm on clears for one week. I think being on clears preop and now tor this week is the wordy part. I'm not really hungry buy I would really like a meal
Good luck to all who are going soon. It will be done before you know it.

Hi Im having mine Monday,it is only human nature to be nervous Im the same sometimes I do a happy dance then next minute Im ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww so scared.
Good luck keep me posted.
Julie

I went the other day to a local thrift shop. Figured I would start looking for things in various sizes since things come & go so fast in thrift shops. I can never find anything when I need it. Just planning ahead for my journey.
Anywhoo I also have a daughter so I figured I would take a look to see if there was anything for her. I was looking though a basket of shorts & a lady says to me as im digging though .....Those are size 0 & 1's......really i wouldnt have guessed by holding them up. I just ignored her & proceeded to look onto the table. Again she walks right up to me & said the clothes are arranged by size. The bigger ones are down there. (Even those wouldnt have fit)
At this point I could have really made a scene. I just politely told her that I do have a daughter that does were a size 0 so I know what im looking for.
It never seems to amaze me how someone can think they are helping me with comments like that & the tone she used.
Maybe this is the reason I try not to leave the house. Here I was having an exciting day getting things ready for my new life & she ruined it.

I live in tennesse its now 6:20PM. I'm scheduled for my vsg at 10:30AM tomorrow morning!
I'm so nervous,scared,sickly! Don't get me wrong I've been excited the whole time and still am but dang these nerves! I'm just saying if I had food in my system (liquid diet past two weeks) id probably be throwing up I'm so nervous! Anyone else having surgery tomorrow??

Hi, I'm Cheryl. My husband was sleeved on August 23rd. I plan on getting sleeved as soon as we can come up with another $4500. And I plan on getting sleeved at Dr. Almanza's clinic.
Let me preface the information on the clinic with this...Hospital Jeruselum is probably the cleanest place you will ever find. They have a staff of about 5 that absolutely never stop cleaning. It is not a "clean it at 7:00 and not again till the next shift" kind of clean. I mean they have a routine, they go from room to room cleaning everything from floor to walls, then come back and do it again, 24 hours a day. They do an average of 10-14 surgeries per day, 6 days a week, every week, Their rate of infection is less than 1% and that is saying something. Much better than the hospitals in the United States.
Now, Hospital Jeruselum is a clinic, not a hospital. By that, I mean that this clinic is literally located in a strip center. Along with a mattress store, commercial cleaning supply store, a paint store, and a lingerie store. Next door is an Office Depot and behind the strip center is a Home Depot and a costco. A LOT of people were shocked to see that it is located in a strip center. Do not let this put you off. They are professional and like I said, it is clean. I am only telling you this so that you are prepared.
There were no hidden fees or charges. Not once did they come to ask us for additional money for anything. The price we were quoted is the price we paid.
My husband is hypoglycemic so I asked if he could be one of the first ones to be sleeved that day because I didn't believe he could sit around until 2:00 or more without eating anything since midnight the previous night. They accommodated us so that when we were to arrive in San Diego at 3:00 last Wednesday we were going to be picked up at the airport and taken directly to the clinic to have the pre-op testing done so he could have his surgery first thing Thursday morning. We missed our flight so we didn't get into San Diego until 8:00. The van was there to pick us up and we went directly to the clinic where he got his pre-op testing done. I would have never thought in a million years that they would have bent over backwards to do that for him. They even had to call the cardiologist in just to give him his EKG. If we were in the U.S., there would have been no way that a cardiologist would have made a special trip just to accommodate my husband. And if they did, the charges would have been astronomical. Anyway, after the pre-op testing they took us to the Hotel Ticuan (I will tell you about that in a minute). By the way, my husband's best friend lives in San Diego and I asked them if he could accompany us. They allowed him to ride the transport van and to do everything I was allowed to do as his spouse.
Thursday morning, they came to pick us up at the hotel at 6:00am. We went to the clinic and they prepped my husband for surgery. They gave him a hospital gown, a bag to put his clothes in, and then inserted the IV catheter. They hung a bag of saline and muscle relaxer and had my husband sit in a waiting area with a TV and started his IV fluids. He was feeling mighty good when I made it up to see him. There was one other lady that was to have surgery before him. She had some other stomach issues that Dr. Almanza was taking care of so he did her surgery first. My husband went in at 9:30 after a consultation with Dr. Almanza. Dr. Almanza has had the VSG. His english is not perfect but he is very engaging and will explain every detail to you and they have a translator there to help the language barrier. The surgery takes approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours to perform. They do not allow you to sit in recovery too long. They wake you up because they want you up and moving around as soon as possible. They fill your stomach cavity with air because of the laparoscopic surgery procedure. You have to move to get rid of the gas. Most people just give a "blanket" excuse me and then burp, belch, or otherwise release gas without worry. When my husband woke up from the anesthesia, he was in a world of pain. He was convinced that he was having a heart attack because the pressure of the gas was so severe. Please know that the first two days after surgery are a complete and total miserable experience. (at least for my husband they were) In fact, on day two when they were going to the clinic for testing and IV fluids, not one person said they were happy they did the surgery. They all said it is not worth the pain and discomfort you go through. Remember, that is day two! Day three is a completely different story. Every one is bouncing around and wanting to do it again.
Also, there is a drain attached to the inside of your stomach. It is a tube the is attached to a little bottle that actually fills up with stomach fluids. (A little gross, I gotta tell you, but everyone has them)
Some of the tricks that we used to help him are GasX strips (which I gave him even though they told me no) and Riopan. I bought this at a pharmacy in Tijuana. It is similar to Pepcid, but a gel pouch. It's only like a tablespoon or so worth of medicine but it really helped my husband with the indigestion he experienced. The physical pain from the surgical wounds was nil compared to the gas and indigestion pain he experienced. I didn't give him the Riopan in the hospital but in the hotel after he was released. They give you pain meds and antacids and nausea medicine via the IV port in the hospital and the hotel. They also give you something to make you sleep. Thursday night my husband stayed at the hospital. They would not allow anyone other than patients stay in the hospital overnight. Don't even try, they won't let anyone stay no matter what. As soon as you are able you need to walk. I cannot stress this enough. WALK, WALK, WALK! Most of the men that were feeling pretty good were up walking the women looked like zombies because they wouldn't get up and walk.
We stayed at Hotel Ticuan in downtown Tijuana. All I can say about that hotel is 4 or 5 star hotel, no doubt. Very, very, very nice. food was awesome, even though you aren't going to eat it. And there is a nurse on staff 24/7.
All in all it was a good experience. We definitely agree that when I get my sleeve done with will do it the same way. I can endure a couple of days of misery to have guaranteed Portion Control for the rest of my life.
Please let me know if I left anything out. I will be glad to answer any questions you have. By the way, my husband has lost 30.4 pounds since last Monday. So, I would say it's worth it. And I asked him yesterday if he still regretted doing the surgery, his response?... Oh HEEEELLLL NOOOO!
Good Luck,
Cheryl

They took an x-ray to check if any leak.
They gave me some medicine to drink during the x-ray that was the worst so far.
I felt nauseous and pain.
But things went fine afterwards. They are keeping me in the hospital.
Tomorrow will start drinking.

I was lounging on my living room floor when my husband noticed how flat my stomach is and that my pelvic bones and rib cage now stick up! I am 2.4 pounds from my personal goal and have already met my surgeons Ideal weight goal. Just thought I would share my nsv from yesterday! Here is one taken the morning of my surgery for comparison too... 234 to 137, size 20 to size 4/6. Woohooo!!!!

I was sleeved on the 13th by Dr. Rod in Juarez. He was great and I never felt unsafe. The hospital is about 5 mikes over the boarder is all.
I have had zero problems since being banded. You are in excellent hands. There are actually three very good doctors taking care of you while you are at star medica and a staff that is better than anything I've had in the states.

Hello everyone
I had my surgery today, it went great thanks God.
I feel a little nauseous no major pain
I am not sure if I do not feel any pain because of the meds or I an just really lucky
Will keep u posted on my progress

I'm Sept. 7 as well! I also started my liquid diet Friday. I am allowed veggies, and a salad with Protein for one meal. The first couple of days were difficult. I was off work so I took 2 Tylenol PM's and slept through the worst of it. But the way I look at it is that we are on this liquid diet because our surgeries are finally imminent!! I am SO HAPPY to be to the point of being on the liquid pre-op diet. I have lost 7 lbs. so far. We are on our way!

What a fantastic birthday present! I turn 30 in November so this is a big step. I get sleeved 9/3! I too have only told a handful of people and feel alone...not all support this step

1. I feel like I look much better than my pictures show. I feel sexy and confident until I see myself in a mirror. Head issues anyone?
2. I drink caffeine free diet coke fairly often, at least one a day, but I always meet my Water goal, too.
3. I am having a tough time with male attention. I get hit on all the time now (see #1), but I don't understand it. I'm worried that I'm so screwed up in the head I'll never be able to deal with it well.
4. I got hit on by a woman yesterday, a woman that is HOT! See #3 and triple that confusion.
5. I haven't filed for divorce even though I've been separated for sixteen months because of 3 and 4, although I have no desire to see him.
6. I tried to lick my toe. I can't do it! LOL
7. I'm terrified that I'll never hit my goal weight, even though I feel good where I'm at.
8. I want to hit my goal weight and have plastics so that I can see "how much ass I can pull", to quote someone much earlier in this thread! LOL
9. Some days, I just want to eat junk and vegetate.
10. I go to the gym sometimes just to work off emotions that feel overwhelming. My workout partner calls says that it's me "grudge f*#@ing" the gym. I'm not sure whether to laugh about that or be worried about my mental health.
11. I'm pissed off at the people who were so supportive before my surgery that have now turned on me. My sister in law and one of my good friends have both turned into green eyed monsters.
12. Sometimes I wonder if those two women are right and I really am nasty and mean since surgery.
13. This thread made me cry.

without coming off too nosy - can you please elaborate? I'm pre-op and curious.

I have been accused of being a workaholic in the past. Now, I'm a work-out-aholic! I get jittery and nasty when things interfere with my workout routine. I want to go to the gym every day and I find myself putting the gym time ahead of everything else. My workout partner and I have had scheduling conflicts that have made me miss a few days here and there, so I've started going at 6am daily. Whether she's ready and willing or not, I am up and gone to the gym. I've even made keeping a gym bag with workout clothes, towel, etc. in my car a priority. What's worse is that I now know the location of every branch of my gym for over 150 miles of my regular travel area and I'll drop in to work out at a location if I have more than two hours to kill. I've become pretty good at getting into the gym, working out for half an hour, showering, getting back into work clothes, and out the door with a minimum of fuss.
Yes, my friends are at a loss at the "new me". Pre-op, I wouldn't walk the length of the mall. It was even hard back then to breathe when walking from the front door to the car. Now, I'm the one with all the energy and the "Let's go do something physical" attitude. What a difference a year makes... and, yes, I know that I'm nuts.

Hang in there this is the worst part! In a few weeks it will all be worth it! Here I am 7 weeks ago and now last weekend

It has not been easy on the pre op diet and I have actually had hunger pains but I am on day eight my stomach is shrinking and I have lost 12 pounds so far.

9/4 and I hate the liquid diet tomorrow starts Protein Shakes and Clear Liquids so I will be a whine bag till Tuesday. Ready to have this surgery and not feel starving all the time. One thing for sure if I can make it through this without the surgery these last 7 days I can do it with the surgery. Starting to feel optimism the first time in a long time.

Hello everyone. I'll be getting sleeved 8/28 and needed help from my fellow sleevers. I need to know what I need in my fridge when I get home from the hospital. What kind of liquids? Protein Shakes? Thank you in advance
Sarah

I'm day 6 of my liquid diet. Today was the hardest. It hasn't really hit me yet that I'm having this done mainly because I'm doing it alone. No one knows. I get sleeved on Sept 4 three days before my bday

Not that I am aware of @AKsleever.. 9 of us had it that day and none of us had the " sore throat " feeling and no one ever mentioned it to us.
@Yazun, that included what I spent on air fair as well from Atlanta.
I myself at this point am still glad that I went and had it done, just scared of no home follow up like it would be if we had it done in the states.

I had my surgery on a Monday, was discharged on Tuesday and went back to the hotel and was laying out by the pool! Wednesday I spent about 4-5 hours shopping.... Had no issues at all... No Gas, No Nausea and other than soreness there was no pain! Best decision I have ever made and best money I have ever spent!
Good Luck!

I was hungry up until surgery. I think it was mainly because I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat afterwards. I'm almost 4 weeks post op and I hardly ever get hungry. I eat something every 2 to 3 hours because I know that my body needs the Protein.< /p>

i posted this one one forum and they said i should post here as well.
I am 2 weeks post op from dr Almanza and want to give you guys a heads up...yes DONT forget gas ex strips...none to be had down there..DONT buy alot of the shakes now...your tastes will change!!!! i hate the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury stuff and amm going to return it..i bought way too much....dont get the liquid Vitamins...they go right thru you....i got chewables from Bariatric Advantage but have seen some at another site that look good too.....oh and most importantly, when you have to drink the small bottle of purple dye, do it thru a straw or your teeth will be stained purple and you will look weird for a long time!!! i ended up going to my dentist on the way home since we drove down from phoenix .....had to have the dentist work on the purple for a while....so ended up getting a good cleaning while in Algadonas. We stayed in the hotel Tiquan,,,which is VERY nice. The chefs are gourmet...ask and they will fi x for you....for those who can eat!!!! You get free broth in a gourmet setting and all the popsicles you want from the front desk!!!! close to shopping and a beauty shop almost next door where i got my hair done and felt human again...the girl went to the corner 7-11 and got me a popsicle while i was there too...very thoughtful for her...no charge either...You will love all of the people at Jerusalem.....more of a family type place...the nephews get you ice or Water and they are so respectful when they leave..kissing all their relatives....if you take guests they will be invited to eat the lunch provided for the staff....think the ex said they had enchiladas.....I am down almost 23 pounds since liquid preop diet and i got to have a night of margaritas with andres betencourt...when they did the ekg thye found an irregularity so wanted to be sure they could do surgery....luckily for me that sunday was one of 2 they do surgery on in a month...they went out of their way to find a cardiologist to hook me up to a monitor on the weekend and then read results the next day,,,sure it cost me more but i didnt have to go home and reschedule either...costing even more....everything turned out a okay and i was back and ready by 2 the next afternoon for surgery. They are all professional and you will love Lupita. she does perfect finding veins when they are hard to get...and did it the first time...which many cant do!!! I am excited for you all!!!!! You might want to take your favorite pillow with you, too.

My friend went to him last month. She really liked her experience there.

No idea who this surgeon is. I lived across the Rio Grande from Juarez a few years ago...scarey place. Wild West scarey, drug cartells, murders. If you have never been, please check it out first.