serenity1959

I have been watching your youtube videos (and subscribed to them). Love them! They are very uplifting and inspiring. Would love for you to suggest some other youtubes that may help me. I am scheduled wit Dr Aceves July 25th.

Dr. Aceves did my surgery 2.5 weeks ago and it was a fantastic experience. Everyone on his staff was incredible. I felt well cared for and the doctors checked on me multiple times a day. I am so pleased with my choice, it exceeded my already high expectations.

Dr. Aceves did my surgery a year and a half ago. Great experience. No problems. Down from a size 24 to a size 10.

Anyone else on August 8th? One month from today....whooohooo:)

August 5th - four weeks from tomorrow!!!!

I'm another one being sleeved in August. August 6th I go in and I'm so excited. I have my dietician appointment on Tuesday so I will be interested to see how long I'll need to do the Meal Replacement shakes for.

After much research, my decision was between Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez. I liked the longer time in the hospital with Dr. Aceves as well as the three leak tests. Peace of mind!

After much research, my decision was between Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez. I liked the longer time in the hospital with Dr. Aceves as well as the three leak tests. Peace of mind!

After much research, my decision was between Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez. I liked the longer time in the hospital with Dr. Aceves as well as the three leak tests. Peace of mind!

Wow! Amanda... you are doing so amazing! You inspire me! Guess what? I will be in Mexicali on Sunday... having surgery on Monday morning with Dr. Aceves! Your detailed account of how it all went has really given me a road map to follow so I know what to expect... I believe he is the BEST surgeon for this procedure and how he and his team handled your crises was just another testament to why I chose to be in a hospital setting... thank you for sharing all of that. I'd like to Friend you on here if you don't mind? I want to follow your progress and hopefully make a new post op friend (you would be my first as of Monday July 8th! lol!)
Great to hear you are making such great health improvements!

I had surgery with dr. Aceves in february and I couldn't have been happier! the drs and his staff are excellent! I would be happy to share any part if my experience!

I have been doing hair for 13 years. Ladies YES you can color and highlight it Will help look fuller. Also we all men and women need to use a Shampoo and conditioner call Nixon. It clears the scalp from tons of the impurities and anesthesia from ur follicles and then after the shower add a the treatment to ur scalp. Other important things is get tons of protien and use Vitamins that promote Hair growth. If you need any advice please in box, I love what I do and would love to give help with something I know tons about.

I haven't been to an amusement park since but when I hit my goal weight I am going back to ride that ride I couldn't. I'll still be scared I won't fit just because how embarrassed I was. But I'm sure I'll fit

I had surgery just over 1 week ago. I am no expert, but I thought I would post some tips for VSG in Mexico, based on my experience. I hope others will post their tips too. These are my personal suggestions, but as always, the old disclaimer applies…”your mileage may vary!”
The top 5 criteria for choosing a surgeon in Mexico are usually location, price, the DR, the facility, and the coordinator. You can narrow down your choice by focusing on answers to these criteria.
Location-It seems that most people on the forum go to Tijuana/Mexicali, Cancun, or Puerto Vallarta. There are other locations, too. Location is a good criteria to start narrowing down your choices if the location is important to you.
Price-The cost varies by location, doctor, and coordinator. Your BMI and other health factors will also affect the price. The coordinator web site will explain those.
DR-For everyone, the DR will probably be the primary concern. Do a search on the forum and read what others say about the DRs you are considering. My thinking is that any of the DRs mentioned on the forum are probably equally competent. It is in their best interest to take care of their patients and not have any issues. You can also check out information about them on their coordinator’s web site. I think many doctors may be represented by more than one coordinator. I also did a google search on the DR I chose. I felt very comfortable with him based on the information I found, I went to Cancun with that confidence, and it never wavered. I think that was a key component of having a good experience.
Facility-If you narrow your choice down to a specific DR, you might not have much choice in the facility. If the facility is critical to you, you might want to decide on that before narrowing down to a choice of DR. I want to say one thing about comments on “strip mall clinics.” I went to one that some people would call a strip mall clinic. It was a building that adjoined other shops along the street. I would not call it a strip mall in the American sense. You have to keep in mind that you are in Mexico, not the US. I would compare the clinic to an older small hospital that you could find in many small US towns. It was very clean and while a few nurses did not speak English, communication was not a problem. They use the same medical practices as in the US, although they may not be as high tech. For instance, they took my temperature with a thermometer in the armpit instead of the high tech thing they stick in your ear in the US. Both methods work!
Coordinator-The coordinator may be your least important criteria—it was for me. However, I realized that the coordinator can help you immensely. I chose a coordinator with a top BBB rating and with lots of positive comments on the forum. You can find lots of information on their web sites and you can ask them any questions you have.
To sum it up, I think my experience was good for me because I was confident in my choice and once I made my decision, I didn’t look back or question. My husband went with me and he was great support. He had traveled in Mexico more than me and he helped me to maintain a go-with-the-flow attitude that made the experience stress- free.
Suggested Reading -For post-surgery, you really need to make sure you understand the diet you will be on when you get home. You won’t have a nutritionist to consult with, unless you choose to find one yourself. Or this forum can be a great help too, although when I have seen some of the posts about diet by newly sleeved forum members, I don’t think they all quite understand what they should be eating. For that reason, I recommend that you buy Dr Alvarez book, Successful Weight Loss with the Gastric Sleeve. It will explain the surgery in Mexico and gives good information on the diet. The other book you will find useful is The Big Book on the Gastric Sleeve by VST’s own Alex Brecher. You should have both of those books.< /p>
Post Op Diet-I had diet instructions form the clinic and from my DR. I already was pretty familiar with the diet, thanks to the above mentioned books and working with a nutritionist 5 years ago when I considered lap band. But when I got home, I found I was confused because I was trying to stick to all the suggestions. I finally threw away the clinic instructions and modified my DRs instructions using the timeline in Dr Alvarez book. People think the DRs all have different diets, but in reality the diets are all the same. It is just the timing of each phase of the diet progression that differs. The progression is Clear Liquids, full liquids, soft food, pureed food, regular food. My understanding is that full liquids is the stage where you add the Protein Shakes. I am following my DRs food choice guidelines, but using Dr Alvarez progression so I am not starting soft/pureed food until 3 weeks.
I am very happy with my choice I have a lot to learn, but I’m looking forward to it. The key is to make your decision, arm yourself with information, and never look back!

August 7th!! I have been on this forum for hours a day just trying to be more informed. I'm going to start shopping for my liquids. I am required to do a 2 week liquid diet. What about everyone else and what liquids will you drink? My nutritionist said anything with a straw.

I am getting sleeved on Aug 5th!

Well fellow Sleevers... Looks like I'm gonna start our group off! August 1st! I'm sooo nervous!

Seems like Dr. Alvarez was booking 6-8 weeks out. Other docs were sooner, but ultimately, I am most comfortable with him, so I'm good to wait.

How long did it take for u to get your dates? I feel like the process is moving along and the sooner the better but I've just been put on the strict diet which I am finding soooo hard to follow

I'm also 8/6 in Mexico with Dr. Alvarez. I'm very excited and looking forward to getting the monkey off my back for once and forever!

I had my first round of blood test this morning, and managed to get my doctor the last few records he needed. Whew! I have a required seminar next week followed by pre-op appointment the following week. Everything seems much more real to me now, and I couldn't be happier with my decision to FINALLY do this. How is everyone doing with your pre-op requirements? Did any of you have a last meal of those foods we are not supposed to eat post-op?