SerendipityHappens

Quite right Amanda.. I had no comorbidities or health issues other than being big and fat. I think you were really smart to take your cardiac condition into account when selecting a doctor/facility.

Yup, It's doable and you have your youth on your side! I had that same OSM when I realized exactly how much weight I had to lose.... I realized my goal weight was 210 less than my highest weight.. I somehow had some illusion that I had to lose "around a hundred pounds"... I've since made peace with reality and am taking it one pound at a time! Best wishes on your journey!

$4,500 plus $80.00 for an extra night at the hotel plus $400.00 round trip boston-sandiego-boston. Plus about $50.00 for tipping expenses (driver, housekeeping etc) The $4,500 included ground transportation to and from the airport-hospital-hotel, all surgery costs and hotel. I chose to pay for an extra night at the hotel, but I felt so great it really wasn't necessary after all. Prices have gone up since then... I think they're currently $4,700?

I chose Mexicobariatriccenter to coordinate for me. I had Dr's Valenzuela and Cabrerra. I stayed in the hospital for two nights post surgery and then at the Marriott hotel for three nights. My package only included a two night hotel stay but I purchased an extra night just in case I wasn't feeling up to travel. MiDoctor is where I went. It is a hospital. They have an ICU if needed. Patients have private rooms where they recover for two nights post surgery. It is not a clinic. It is not a FULL SERVICE hospital. Right now they pretty much cater to elective treatments.. If you are say, a cardiac patient, they're not going to do a heart transplant there.. you're not going to go there to be treated for an infectious disease.. It's a hospital, but they treat bariatric patients. There are four floors and two (soon to be 3 operating rooms) Go on Youtube and input Mi Doctor hospital and you can find videos where you can see that it is an actual small hospital and see what the rooms look like. I can say that I had a fantastic experience. The surgeons were excellent and Christy with Mexico Bariatric Center has really been there for me. I actually just got an email from her checking in on me. I will give one word of warning though.. If you are meek or not inclined to advocate for yourself and what you want, then you maybe should consider going with doctor where you'll have a bit more hand holding. I received great care at MiDoctor, BUT I was on top of everything.. I asked for my spirometer and started my breathing exercises on my own. I made sure I got my walking in.. I went to the nurse's station hourly and got drinks.. They are not proactive about bringing these things to you but they are happy to get you whatever you need.

I like Jay Robb protein powder in addition to the isopure. They're both good and come in a lot of fruity flavors. You can mix with stuff like crystal light, vitamin water zero, or diet iced tea. You can even mix with water.

Looks delish.. I've been loving a slice of great quality chicken or turkey lunch meat (usually boars head oven roast gold) half a slice of muenster, 1/5 of an avocado and rolling the avocado up in the meat and cheese.. Can't wait until I can eat tomatoes and I can add a nice slice of a tomato on it.. This has ALWAYS been one of my favorite meals/snacks, but it was so expensive and calorie dense because I'd wind up eating half a pound of meat, four ounces of cheese and the whole avocado.. It's AWESOME to me that I can now enjoy a nice small portion of good quality nutritious food! Dear God, I love my sleeve!

I'm five weeks out and I'm not "normal" yet because I can't yet have seeds citrus or my glorious fresh pressed vegetable juices... but other than that, Yeah, I'm eating all other foods normally, just in smaller portions. I can throw back nearly a cup of Water at a go if I want to. I don't do Cereal grains with the exception of oats. That's a personal choice based on my own food sensitivities unrelated to the sleeve. I know those are things that can give people problems even when they're further out but since those things are off the menu anyway it's maybe easier to feel normal. I have not slimed or had anything come back up or anything.. I did have a few times where I ate a bit too much and felt pressure in my tummy, but I just laid down and it passed. I pretty much think of my choices in terms of nutritional value rather than how it will set in my sleeve.. my sleeve pretty much loves everything so it doesn't dictate my choices!

Nickel allergies are very common. It's less common to have a reaction to surgical steel BUT there are several grades out there and often jewelry SAYS "surgical steel" but it is a lower grade. When I was a kid I couldn't wear anything with ANY nickel. I couldn't even wear 20K gold because I would react to the other 4K of whatever else was mixed in it. I could only use 24K gold over surgical steel. Even now I can't wear a cheap watch because it gives me a rash. I went to Mexico and I asked specifically what kind of staples. They use a triple line of titanium staples which is standard pretty much every where.

I went to walmart and bought three pairs of clearance sweats for three dollars a pop. DONE.. saving my money for non-walmart shopping spree AFTER I lose the weight. If you wouldn't be caught dead in sweats, then yeah, yoga pants would be good.. especially if you'll wear them for working out post op. They have the danskin ones at walmart that are pretty good.. they have a nice fold down top. no drawstring. Personally, I just wear the sweats when I'm exercising.... but we all have different standards and apparently mine are pretty low. Don't worry too much about how they fit around your belly or getting ones that are super loose.. the operation happens in the area from the belly button up.. The bottom part of my abdomen didn't feel any kind of pain or even discomfort. Also at the hospital, I just wore the hospital gown.. I figure, I'd rather ooze and bleed over that ugly gown instead of my super fancy $3.00 walmart sweats.

GREAT advice. I tried SO HARD to practice this presleeve but it was SO HARD. Post sleeve, it was a lot easier since you got some negative reinforcement if you didn't (though I have never had a problem with liquid thankfully-- at five weeks I can guzzle about 2/3 of a cup without stopping) With my food, I am getting a LOT better at chewing, but I struggle with waiting between bites, etc.. but I'm a work in progress.. It's hard to un-do 40+ years of bad habits!

STOP... BREATHE.. I am five weeks out.. In addition to my presurgery loss, I have lost 14 pounds since surgery... ALL in the first two weeks and since then NOTHING.. I even gained back four pounds for a while!!! It's OK! It's a stall. Stalls are NORMAL and they're EXPECTED... Even in the third week... Even a stall that lasts THREE FREAKING WEEKS. Remember you ALSO lost a boat load of weight right before surgery even if it is "just water" your body is replacing that Water so that can account for why you're not losing that fast. Eat the food. Measure it and account for it and then eat it. I'm eating at around 900 calories a day. I know in VSG world that seems a bit high for someone only 5 weeks post op, but it's still a huge deficit and I know I'll continue to lose once my stall is broken... Which I suspect will be very soon because I just had to make ANOTHER notch to tighten my belt AND my fancy scale tells me my body water % is 3.1% HIGHER than it was 3 weeks ago.. that's 8.5 POUNDS of extra water.. meaning that if I still weight exactly the same, that I have 8.5 pounds LESS of fat! I suspect your body is going through something similar but you don't have a super duper fancy scale to reassure you. Enjoy your new phase of food. I'm right with you on this journey and having a very similar experience (to the exact pound right?) and I KNOW that this is temporary and the scale will move in the right direction again. Stay strong!

Awwww, sorry to hear that. I went by myself and felt 100% safe and comfortable... I know you'd like to have him with you for support, but know that you won't really be alone when you're there... you'll have plenty of other patients with you and you'll all look out for each other.... REALLY sucks about the plane tickets though.. ESPECIALLY missing the window by ONE STINKING DAY!

Congratulations!

What about sublingual, transdermal or injectable delivery?

I had a few of those too. I tugged gently on them and most came right out.. The one that didn't, I just used a pair of nail clippers (new out of the package for sanitary reasons) and clipped it close to the skin. When I was nine years old, my family doctor let me take out my own stitches- he cut them and let me pull them out under his supervision.... and he pretty much created a monster that day.

Lentils seasoned with taco seasoning and tomatoes. topped with cheese and a bit of avocado.. BEST THING I EVER ATE.

I'd say the vast majority go to Mexico due to the price. For some of us it's the only way we can afford it... For others of us we *could* go to a low cost doctor in the USA, but we prefer the care that we can get in Mexico for a comparable price. Lastly there are some who go to Mexico because they want a certain surgeon. Aceves or Alvarez come to mind.. There are people who could easily afford care in the USA, but they WANT these particular surgeons.

I saw the same videos I think. When I laid down on the operating table.. The last thing I saw was my anesthesiologist's mask.. it was indeed covering his nose. As far as real risk of infection? I don't know I've never seen a study of it, but I kind of think unless they're touching their noses or their noses are dripping onto you, I think that there is no real risk here... but I'm not a medical professional, I don't play one on TV, nor have I even read any research on the subject matter, I'm basically just going off of my gut instinct.

My surgery only took 45 minutes.. (My doc has done 3,000 bariatric surgeries so she was FAST) The one thing I had that I didn't expect was spasms in my stomach.. They weren't unbearable, but they were severe enough to stop me in my tracks until they passed.. Other than that and a couple of waves of nausea, it was sometimes hard to remember that I'd even had surgery. I stopped pain medication after day two because I needed a bit of discomfort to remind myself to take it easy!

I've seen several people on this board who started with BMIs in the 70s and 80s.. You should also look in the sub forums... there is a board for people with 200+ pounds to lose and that's where a lot of us high BMI'rs like to hang.

Congratulations on reaching this milestone!

I had multiple meltdowns during my preop, usually while working at my boyfriend's convenience store. I felt like a crazy person crying in the bathroom because I couldn't have chips!

I'm actually having some "hang ups" about my body as I'm losing.. I've always been comfortable in my own skin.. I'm not what you would call a "lights off" kind of girl and NEVER have felt uncomfortable with my partner seeing my nekkidness. I was FINE with the fat from an aesthetic point of view... But saggy wrinkly belly and thighs and deflated breastcicles I am having issue with and I'm starting to want the lights dimmed or off.. ANYWAY nothing a thigh lift, arm lift, panneculectomy, tummy tuck, buttock lift, and breast lift can't cure, right?

I agree with the snarky comment too. I'm totally PMSing AND I'm feeling hangry.. I need to get off the forum before my head starts spinning around

Uh, just to refresh your memory, you said: "but really to throw them under the bus is disgusting and shame on you." Perhaps you need to look up the definition of "berate" because that's EXACTLY what you did... and it's exactly what I just did to you.. Cuz, I'm just snarky and tedious today apparently