Yikes! I hope you get the issue resolved ASAP. I'm sorry to hear that you've been somewhat abandoned. Not cool. Please keep us informed that you're okay.
Thank you to all for your responses. Today's the day! I'm in the airport in Phoenix waiting for my connecting flight to San Diego. I'm surprisingly calm (I'm probably delirious from the lack of food) and more than ready to get the surgery over with. Wish me luck!!
I went to Dr. Lopez and also went through A Lighter Me and I can't recommend them ENOUGH!! My experience was great, and I was very well taken care of from my driver Abraham to the Dr, nurses and Eduardo! I was treated very very well and I don't have any regrets!!
As long as you sip the wine afterwards to make it moist. And just chew chew chew. But at three weeks it shouldn't be that much of an issue. Just have a little bottle of Water in your purse just in case because sometimes it can be very dry. Good Luck!
I felt the same way... I got home from the hospital on Wednesday and went to church Sunday and totally didn't realize I couldn't receive so I skipped it the first week and felt so strange cuz I stayed in the pew while everyone walked around me... I think as long as you make sure u really chew it you should be fine... And I took the smallest sip of wine and I was fine...
I'm completely there with you. I did not go to communion until I was off the liquid phase of the post-op diet. After that, I did would take the host, but avoided the wine until my diet plan said it was OK, I think that was 45 days post-op. My concern was mainly for the heartburn it may cause because wine would cause me heartburn pre-op if I wasn't careful. Haven't had any problems so far
The first week after my surgery I was in line going up for communion and then it hit me. OH NO what should I do? Then I decided that the Body of Christ was not going to hurt me. I just keep it in my mouth until it melts and it has been no problem. I have taken communion 2 times since my surgery and it has not been an issue at all.
Lisa
Hey I just had my surgery with Dr Elias Ortiz thru alighterme.com Janese was my coordinator I really recommend them they have a great rappor with the hospital that we didn't even have to wait to get rooms like some of the other patients that were already their waiting when we got their. I got in on a special for 4500 and that included everything except my travel to San Diego where they pick you up,
Also I didn't have time to get a passport or lets say I didn't want to wait to get a passport so I and my wife just went down their with our CA ID and birth cert. and we were ok getting back into the USA to get into TJ they don't ask for anything
Also if your a lower bmi u might be able to just do 1 week of pre diet and 3 days of liquids you can call Janese up directly at (714) 516-8193 or visit the website let her know Allen sent you she will take real good care of u
If you want to read my whole review just clink on my profile and it will come up
Sent from my iPhone using VST
Now that my adventures in Sleeve Travel are over, and I'm home and rested I'd like to share my experience with you. I will do my best to stay on topic and give as many details and I can.
LAX: I arrived in LA to visit some friends with my mom and have a mini-preop vaca. Being on a preop diet surrounded by people eating and drinking can make you a little grumpy. I will say though, it allowed me to locate the best Caesar salad within a 50 mile radius. That would be Bubba Gumps, btw, at City Walk in Universal Studios.
San Diego: We went to San Diego a day early to try and sightsee and prolong the visit. By this time I was a bit short tempered. The anxiety and stress of what was coming was getting to me, as was hunger, and I opted out of some the "togetherness" in SD for a little alone/down time.
San Diego to Mexicali: We met Ernesto at the airport, Terminal One, and were loaded in the roomy crossover SUV. There were 3 rows so we were two to a row. This is where I met me Sleeve Sister, Rachel, and her stepmom Marlyn. The "moms" hit it off right away, as did Rachel and I, which worked out perfectly for all of us. We cruised on our way. My only pet peeve with the ride had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do MBC. Another patient sort of took over the van, speaking in a manner that gave the impression she was staff and there to coach us along the way. A pep talk/be prepared for a lifestyle change thing. She didn't say she was staff, but it came across that way. I was not the only one who noticed this. Also, some of the advice she gave wasn't the most sound. Once it became apparent she wasn't staff, I altered my listening ear to politely tolerant. I was raised to be respectful to my elders.
Mexicali - Preop testing: We arrived at Almater Hospital and were greeted very warmly by Yolanda. We went in to get our blood drawn right away. One stick and all done. After that we were taken to a vacant patient room to wait to meet the team. In comes Dr. Campos. First I need to get this out of the way... Dr. Campos is very easy on the eyes. They ALL are. Dr. Campos and Ernesto are also sleeve patients. Dr. Campos is also a great speaker who keeps it real. He gave a great analogy about how weight loss is a like a table with four legs. The Sleeve surgery makes up two of the legs. The 3rd leg is fueling our body with the right foods. The fourth leg is exercise. Take out any other legs and the table loses its stability. He let us know that by the second day we should feel up to finding ourselves a couple of Mexican boyfriends. Then he backtracked and asked if we ladies were married. We said yes, but I pointed out that what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico. He let us know that once we were done with pre-testing and at the hotel we were free ti indulge in a final big meal with a two margarita max. He addressed any questions we had at that moment. Then I went to get my chest X-Ray and back to the room... Next came the anesthesiologist. Now, anesthesia, for those familiar with my previous posts, is my phobia. BIG time. We were seating on a comf couch and chairs. The anesthesiologist sat at the edge of the bed, directly in front of us. I liked that. He was there. With us. Taking care of us. He outlined the process of anesthetizing us. He reiterated the final big meal and 2 margarita max. Then he asked for questions. My hand shot straight up. You know I had questions. I explained my phobia and fear of never waking up. He didn't laugh or mock me (which a coordinator for another surgeon did). He did not make light of it. He outlined exactly how they go about making sure that doesn't happen. So my next question was as to whether it had every happened to him. He gave a very direct and honest answer. He said that in 25 years of being an anesthesiologist it had happened 5 times. Each of the 5 times were patients suffering from violent trauma like gun shot wounds or some such. It had never happened during an elective surgery. Next came Dr. Aceves. Now, I caught a glimpse of Dr. Aceves while getting ready to do my chest X-Ray and I won't lie. I was like seeing a celebrity. It may sound silly, but that's what it felt like. Dr. Aceves gave a very similar reality check talk about how to properly use your sleeve. He outlined our surgery day and recovery. Stressed the importance of following the postop diet. He fielded any questions and was very patient and did not rush us. He confirmed, along with Yolanda, the final big meal and 2 margarita max. I thought they were teasing, and I was hungry but terrified to deviate from the rules. We had our EKG's done next. The EKG machine was older, but they use the state of the art EKG machine during surgery. We were given an oral antibiotic and an Ativan and were instructed to take it at bedtime or b4 10PM Whichever came first.
Mexicali-Hotel Lucerna: Ernesto got us all checked into our rooms. The Hotel Lucerna is lovely. Set up like a villa. We went to our rooms and settled in and then met up with our Sleeve companions to talk important business. food. The restaurants were not open yet in the hotel so we chatted with the concierge about what was good. He said there was some tasty Chinese a couple of blocks down. So we went walking. We found the Chinese restaurant but then saw a steakhouse. You cannot go wrong with a steakhouse, right? Ha! It was not bad, but it was different, and I would not have preferred my last big meal to be a buffalo steak. Just sayin'. I limited myself to one margarita and trekked back to the hotel. We stopped at the casino and Rachel and her mom lingered. I changed into my swimsuit and coverup and went to relax and lounge at the pool. The Water was brisk so I sat on the edge with my feet and legs in the water. Rachel and her mom came back and we visited some more. The general consensus is that were all tuckered out. Went back to our rooms. Showered and continued to unwind. I am not much a of a "pill" person and the Ativan was elective. I did, however, decide to take it.
Monday - Surgery Day: We were up early and met Ernesto in the lobby at 7AM. He took us back to Almater Hospital, which is a full service hospital running 24/7, 365 days a year. It has an ICU and ER. Babies are born there. This was a very big deal for me. I was 1st surgery. Dr. Aceves only does 2-3 a day. Rachel and were it. I was given my IV, my relaxing medicine, and taken away. The last thing I remember was them securing my right arm. Then I was gone. Then I was back. In recovery I sat up and communicated that I was going to vomit. Then I did vomit. It was a bloody mess. I expected that so it did not freak me out. I was given anti-nausea meds and then taken to my room. I vomited some more. Anesthesia effects me this way. I was not surprised. My BP was a bit high so I got meds for that too. I was visited by Dr. Campos and Dr. Aceves several times. I walked a bit. The nausea wore off for the most part that day.The most pain I had was my back and shoulders from the force of vomiting. Dr. Aceves came in to check on me and even massaged my back, shoulders, and neck.
Tuesday: My IV came out because it went through my vein and had infiltrated making my hand swell. No worries per Dr. Campos b/c they were doing my blue dye leak test and I would be on Clear liquids after that, provided no leaks. That blue sh*t is foul!!! It tastes like chewing aspirin. But, no leaks. Onto herbal tea, apple juice, water, and gatorade. It was a struggle to drink. Lots of gurgling and burp attempts. We walked outside more often than not. The weather was almost offensively beautiful to an Ohioan in March. Mid 80's to low 90's and a clear blue sky. There was a slight language barier with some of the nurses but it was easy to overcome. They helped me improve my Spanish and I helped them improve their English. We always got our messages across.
FYI: I did not have too much gas pains so I gave away most of my GasX strips to some very appreciative patients. We were encouraged to walk, sip, burp, and fart. Repeat. Rachel farted 1st. I was jealous. So, I pooped first.
Wednesday: Next came the barium swallow leak test. It was much better than the blue stuff. I saw my stomach which looked to be smaller than my esophagus. Dr. Aceves uses a 36 Bougie to those who are concerned about that detail. Wednesday we decided to walk to the mall. This may have been a mistake for me. It was about 2 miles and the heat of the day. We made it there an back but that night around 11PM my heart acted up. I went into SVT and then landed in A-Fib. The staff was all over it, even though I was starting to panic. They got me on the EKG and then the heart monitor. The ER doc came in. They notified Dr. Campos, who also came in from home.
Thursday: They got me back into sinus rhythm but did not discharge on Thursday like planned. I cried. This bummed me out a bit because I was pretty homesick but I appreciated their thoroughness. I walked and sipped. Burped and sharted. Rachel and her mom left and I made friend w/ a lapband patient, Jessica and her mom Dixie, another Sleeve patient I had chatted with, Canada (not her name, but her home. I kept forgetting her name.) She said she didn't mind being called Canada.
Friday: We left early Friday morning for San Diego. Crossing the border does take some time. Our flight to Denver was delayed. We walked around and waited. Then away we went. We landed in Denver during heavy winds, ahead of the blizzard. Waited for on final flight home to Ohio. Boarded and was ready to go. Then my heart started acting up. SVT. I couldn't get it to convert and was terrified of being in the air and it getting really bad. Right before take off I made them stop the plane. They taxied back to the runway and handed me off to the airprort medics. They got me converted w/ an IV heart med, the plane and our luggage left without us, and I was transported to the hospital. I cried. The blizzard had arrived. We spent the night in the hospital and was release early Saturday morning.
Saturday: I was deemed healthy and cleared to fly home. We arrived at the airport around 7AM with a flight scheduled for 11:15AM. Then came the delay. Due to the blizzard we were delayed until 1PM. Then came the cancelation. I cried. We had no clothes. My CPAP was in my luggage with flew on to Ohio the day before. The hotels were fully booked already. We stood in line forever in the terminal and were able to secure a flight to Pittsburgh, about 2 hours from home, that night at 8PM. The waiting allowed me to work myself into a panic, along with the help of well meaning medic, about flying with my heart acting up previously. I had decided to fly my hubby and daughter to Denver and drive home, the whole 21 hours. My mom, and a well placed call to my cardiologist talked me down and we left Denver around 9:45PM Mountain Time (another delay).
Sunday: We landed in Pittsburgh around 2:30AM EDT to see my hubby, my dad, and my middlest sister. We dropped my folks off, went home, I showered (1st time since Thursday nighy, and crashed into be around 5AM. I slept until 2PM.
Side note: The SVT and Afib are not new to me. I have SVT from time to time and can usually convert myself. I had Afib once b4 and converted at the hospital. I do not want anyone to worry this had anything to do with the care I received. Also, Almater Hospital was clean and very functional. The staff was kind and friendly. They cleaned my room a few times a day and even switched my bedding twice a day. They were prompt with call lights. I saw Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos 3 - 4 times a day. I don't mean just in passing. I mean face to face touching base. If I added in passing it would be more like 6 - 7 times a day and they stopped to chat then too. They rememebered all of our names and the names of our Plus 1s too. I was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone looking to take this step. My mother the Mexico skeptic, 2nd only to my vocal father, said she was extremely impressed and if she was ever looking into WLS she would totally consider Dr. Aceves and the MBC crew.
I just found this forum & saw your post. I can totally relate. I started out at 418 lbs. & was really maxing out a 30/32. The only store that I could shop in was The Avenue & I sometimes had a hard time with their clothes. I was reliant on the internet. Awhile back the company that I ordered from sent me size 28 jeans instead of a 32. Too much trouble to send them back. A few weeks back I was practically falling out of my jeans & I remembered the 28's buried in my closet. I crossed my fingers. They slipped on & zipped up just fine. I was so happy! Now they are starting to get baggy. I had to buy a new pair of dress pants & ended up needing a 26! I am beyond happy. It is so great to have this forum. We understand where we all have been & what other people take for granted are victories to us. My latest victory was being able to actually fit in a restaurant booth! So, Congratulations to you!
I started out a 407 also, wearing a 36/38. I am now going into a size 24 and it feels so great. I am excited that I can shop at Lane Bryant again, I HATED shopping at Catherines at 30 years old. Good Luck to you.
Congrats Honey! So proud of you. I totally relate to the clothes. I was in a 5x or 6x when I got my surgery last June. I am down 125 pounds and in a size 2x or 3x now. I can cross my legs, tie my shoes, ride in other peoples car with no fear the seat belt will be too small, sit in restaurant booths, go to any movie theater, and buy clothes at LB, Macy's, Kohls, etc. I still hav 75 pounds to go, but my life is so much more active and mobile. I thank God for the surgery - and for this website. Way to go on the jeans!
Amy in Chicago
I am so happy to be wearing size 30 jeans! I shortened my bra straps today, too! I am so glad to have turned around and be losing weight! I was 407 and afraid I wouldn't be able to buy clothing anywhere if I gained any more weight. I weighed 390 when I was sleeved Jan 14 and have lost another 31 lbs in 3 weeks. Today I put on an old pair of size 30 jeans from deep in my closet and was so thrilled!
People often talk about how happy they are to no longer be dependent on stores like Lane Bryant but it has been a few years since I could shop there and I am actually excited to be able to again. Hopefully I'll be in a 28 before too long and able to wear their clothes soon. I was pretty much relegated to the Ulla Popken website before this because I love beautiful clothes and they were the only outlet I'd found with sizes up to 36/38 and decent quality. I hate the crappy clothes at WomanWithin, besides the name sounds like you have to shop there because you ate someone. Catherines clothing has weird fit issues and is geared towards women in their 60's. When they started closing Fashion Bug stores, I was really bummed, but soon I will be able to shop many places. Once you are in a 24 or less you can shop at LL Bean, Lands End, Eddie Bauer, Macys, even Nordstrom. I CANNOT WAIT!!
It is soooo nice to see that I'm not alone on this 200+ lbs to lose journey! My surgery date is April 8th, and I'm counting down the days. It can't come soon enough. I say that but I keep alternating between ecstatic and terrified. Ahh, the confusion!
My surgery is scheduled on May 10. I have became addictive to this website. I am so glad that people are sharing their experience: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. When I first seen the Forum for "Mexico Vertical Sleeve Surgery (NEW FORUM!)" I said to myself, "These people are crazy going over to Mexico for surgery." Then I was curious/nosy and clicked on the link and became infatuated with the stories that I was reading.
I had schedule a consultation to see a doctor about Lipo (appointment is today) and said to myself, "Why pay all that money for a quick fix when I can spend my money on a life-time change?" So here I am. I gave my deposit and set my date; I just want to thank everyone for taking the time out to share their experience especially the ones that went to Mexico. This is an awesome support Forum. I have been on a lot of forums and never seen one quite like this.
Surgeon: Dr. Fernando Garcia
Surgery Date: May 10
I'm scheduled for surgery on April 26th with Dr. Lopez and Dr. Ortiz in TJ. I'm going though ALM with Rhonda as my coordinator =) I'm pretty confident in my choice for Dr.Lopez and happy to hear good stuff on Dr. Ortiz as well.
My experience was great--I would highly recommend Dr. Ortiz. Dr. Lopez actually was not there when I had my surgery (he was in PV that week), so even if Dr. Lopez does not assist, I still trust Dr. Ortiz to be very competent. He checked in with me everyday starting the day of surgery (before and after) through my last night at the hotel (to remove the drain), so there were lots of opportunities to ask questions. I've also heard that Dr. Ortiz speaks better English than Dr. Lopez, so there's that.
Talked to Ronda last night. He completed his 1,000 surgery and he is assisted by Dr. Lopez. Furthermore, talked to a close friend that is an ex-pat in Mexico. All surgeons have to practice public medicine for several years before they are permitted to be private surgeons like VSG doctors. On top of that, you must have a 98% or higher success rate to stay in private practice. Sold me.... Icon23, how was you experience?!
LutheranChicTN got a reaction from JourneysofMissYaYa in ANY APRIL SURGERIES?....
LutheranChicTN got a reaction from AmandaRaeLeo in Runnin' Down a Dream... Headed to Mexicali
LutheranChicTN got a reaction from marlygirly in Dr. Ortiz (Or, Dr. Jesús Elías Ortiz Gómez)?