Annie04

I'm going alone. I'm terrified, but I'm going alone anyway.

I'm considering going it alone. I have a friend that used Dr. Ortiz at the OCC last year and she said it wouldn't be any big deal. As a single mom with an 8 year old.........alone sounds really good!

My hubby stayed home with our kiddos too, so my friend traveled with me and was there the day of my surgery and left the following day. Was kind of nice to rest, walk, drink on my own schedule and not have someone there with me. Traveled home alone. It was no big deal. Now don't get me wrong, I was tired when I got home, but it worked out well.
 
I've been in contact with the OCC a couple times after my surgery and have gotten good response to my questions.
 
Good luck in your decsion!

I plan on giving a full account in detail for you guys I know how much it helped me when I was just starting out

i had mine done by Dr Aceves in Mexicali which is a stones throw from California. He's more expensive ($8750), but a good friend used him 4 yrs ago and I wanted first hand recommendation. The hospital has an ICU and was all the staff was very professional. We joked that there were no goats or chickens.
I am an RN and was impressed with the whole process.

I just had dr. jesus ortiz through a lighter me Ronda. I had surgery jan 3 and i was in the best care. Abraham picked us up from San Diego. We got to the hospital did all our tests, signed papers and i was off in to surgery. Next thing i know im waking up and the surgery i complete. I felt a little pain right after surgery but they give you meds in the iv to help with pain. I just slept and the next day i felt better. I kept walking the hall ways to release the gas that put into us that really helps. you'll enjoy Dr. Ortiz he speaks very good english and he is easy on the eyes. He is very attentive nad comes to talk with you daily. Right now im at the marriott in tj waiting for dr to see if i can get my drain unhooked and see if i can go home early. I feel fantastic today and would love to be with my family. YOu will not regret your experience with dr. ortiz. Im his #1 faN. IF YOU NEED REASSURANCE CONTACT ME AT pania@hawaii.edu

Hi Texas girl!
I did the same thing. I had a low bmi and I only have about 50-60 to loose. I went to Dr. Garcia in Tijuana. I am one month out and feeling ok. Still struggling to get my Water and Protein quotas daily...but other than that...no problems at all. It has been difficult to go through the holidays and eat when I can't have what my family is having but I will get over it. I am down 20lbs this month so that is good. I can now have some soft solids from what my doctor told me and the things I couldn't wait to have don't taste right. Ughh...I've tried to cheat and eat pizza topping, and ice cream...amongst other things...but they taste like crap! All food tastes bad except for baked fish and soft cooked leafy veggies like spinach...what the what?!?!? I didn't realize that my tastebuds would change too!
I know this sounds cool...but it is a big mental and emotional adjustment. I am realizing how much I relied on food to make me feel ok. I have found that now I have to stay busy just to keep my mind off of eating. So I'm working on getting some hobbies going. I have to replace the solace that I used to receive through food. I kind of wish I had have prepared myself a bit more mentally for this change. I didn't search this board like I should have before I had my surgery. But I will adjust and overcome. As everyone will tell you...time makes everything better. You will see healing milestones everyday. That's the awesome thing about this surgery.
Whatever the case we are making room for you on the loser's bench over here...come on girl!!! Get ready for some loose hanging clothes and renewed confidence. I swear I look 10 years younger...not sure why but even my husband noticed. He loved me before...but he doesn't notice how much more loving he is now. He loves to cuddle and pick me up now...so come on over to the "light" side!!!

I had surgery with Dr. Ortiz on February 4....feeling really good...off all blood pressure meds! Woo hoo! The staff at the OCC is very organized and the nurses were helpful, but not pesky. The whole surgery center is very efficient and I felt were thorough. They answered all my questions and overall, I wouldn't change anything. Including the pre-op diet, I have lost 27.7 lbs in 7 weeks....only 65 more to go!
 
Please message me if you have questions I could answer. My surgery experience is on my blog. GOOD LUCK!

So glad to hear others posting about the OCC and Dr. Ortiz. I'm hoping to schedule with Dr Ortiz at the OCC in June. I too like to hear other's experiences.

I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz on April 16th 2012 and I just wanted to wish you well!! Dr. Ortiz and the staff at OCC are simply the best!! I am down 129 lbs since surgery and I feel amazing!!! You have made the best choice!!!
You are going to do great!!!! Keep us posted!!!!
Emily

Hi everyone,
I am so excited!!!
I am finally getting my sleeve on March 11th with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC... I wanted to know if any one else was going to be there between March 10th and the 14th? It would be great to hook up with some fellow sleevers. Let me know!
Yay! Im getting ready to begin a whole new life! A new me is about to be made
Amber

i just checked the calendar and I am only 7 WEEKS OUT!! Not 8 as previously posted. Now I am truly thrilled! 30 lbs in 7 weeks - not to shabby!

i had surgery on 1/15/13. My highest BMI was 37, day of surgery was 33.6
Today is 8 weeks out and I have lost 30 lbs.
I have days where I worry I am not eating enough and days where I worry I am eating too much. LOL!
Only issue I have is trying to get in liquids and still have time to get food in, but the veterans tell me that will come with time. I have been craving something crunchy and salty, but it's different. In the past I would have gone to the grocery store to buy some chips or popcorn. Now, I think about it for a minute and then forget about it.
Love the support from this site!

Im going to share something I discovered, which you may not know if you don't have children. I've read several people on here in the soft/liquid/puree phases who miss texture and crunch. In the baby section there is something called "yogurt bites" basically its little wafers of freeze dried yogurt. They are crunchy BUT dissolve on your tongue and melt. So, it may help satisfy that need for something crunchy. They taste YUMMY by the way. Also would be good for those further along who just want a healthy crunchy snack. 1/4 a cup is only 30 calories!

I am going to Mexico for mine.

He did my surgery out of North Vista Hospital and them also I have nothing but good to say about them. My husband was also pleased all the way around with my care and Dr's attitude. He really liked him and the office staff.

I know there are some on here, and have posted about this before, might try and do a search to see if you can find the info... mine was about 36 if I remember... at two years, I still need to lose 18 pounds, but thats not bad at all in my opinion! My doc said ecpect to lost 50 pounds, I lost 67 (actually more, but thats where I am now after 2 years and a bounce)

I had my surgery on 2-19-13 and have my post op apt on Monday. I absolutely love the Dr and everyone in his office are very caring and awesome. I have not 1 complaint about them or the way he did my surgery. I wish I lived in Vegas so I could go to the support meetings.
Have you started going to him yet?

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

I had my surgery feb 6th. So far I'm getting in all my liquids, protien has been a little issue since it fulls me really fast. But I am trying. As far as pain, I still have a little pain in my tummy. Also when I drink I feel some pain down in my stomach for like 3 secs. I don't know what's that about. Maby cause I had a hernia repiar?? I can sleep on my left side now yeaa. Lol. I can tell I'm losing already, and it hasn't been a week. I know I'm losing inches. Also I been having diarrhea smh. Is that normal?
I'm also trying to be creative with this liquid diet, its getting boring but I don't have much choices. All in all I feel great, a little weak though. I am greatful to god for getting an opportunity to have surgery and get a second chance.

No problem.......

i was sleeved on the 7th. down 14 lbs total since the start of pre-op diet and down 3.8 lbs since day of surgery! i am doing good, off of pain meds but having trouble getting in all of my liquids/protein. i keep sipping but after a few sips i feel full.. like im going to explode.. haha. so i have to stop, walk around a bit and wait until that full feeling goes away. im also glad to have this support system here!

I am 46, married for 10 years, and mom to an almost 5 year old boy, who is the most adorable thing on the planet (biased much?) but who I really am is an artist, and more specifically a photographer. I have had a studio doing weddings and portraits for 10 years in the SF Bay Area, and am about to re-invent a scaled down version of my business in our new house up in gold mine country. The studio is all set up, just have to get some people in it and in front of my camera!! It's daunting and exciting at the same time. I am developing workshops to teach in SF, and really love working on some fine art photography projects that I have finally given myself permission to do... I was born in New York, grew up and went to college in Florida, and moved to San Francisco when I was 28... I knew one person. Best thing I ever did. California is my HOME!

I would say, by definition, I was a slow loser. I had a total of 80.5 lbs that I wanted to lose to my goal after I had my surgery.
In the first 6 months, I lost 55 lbs. Then, it slowed to a crawl.
In the next 6 months, I lost 21.5 lbs
I stalled at this point for 3 months and I actually thought I might be done losing, then I lost 3 more pounds, now at 15 months post op.
Once again I stalled for about 2 months and thought I was done losing, still about 5 or so pounds from goal, but I was really that worried about those 5lbs.
Then, 18 months post op, I hit my goal weight of 140lbs and 80.5 lbs lost. In the months following, I dropped a few more pounds!
Now I have a 3-4 pound weight fluctuation. My cycle is a major factor in how much I weigh, so I try not to let it bother me. I can go up as much as 2 or 3 lbs during ovulation and 3-4 lbs during TOM. My weight loss near the end only really occurred in the 2 weeks in between Tom and ovulation, so I highly encourage women to really pay attention to their bodies. I also get wicked cravings and have a very hard time not wanting to eat everything in my path. How do I cope with the cravings? I do not keep anything in my house that I know I will eat.
Now I am over 2 years post op and have not had many issues maintaining for the last 8 months. I am still learning as I go and I still make mistakes. But over all I would say I eat healthy 90% of the time, and 10% of the time I don't. If I am going to be truthful, I never counted anything (calories, carbs, protein), I never weighed anything, and I don't exercise by definition regularly. I did follow my post op guidelines. I rarely eat bread (but I will eat garlic bread when out for supper) and I eat very little other "white carbs" like rice, Pasta, flour, sugar (notice that I did not say never). I do not drink with my meals, I still occasionally drink Protein shakes, I eat a lot of greek yogurt sweetened with stevia, drink 2% milk, eat nuts, and enjoy veggies AND fruits. I will still have an ice cream cone once in a while, I will still eat chocolate and I will still have other treats as well. I just do not keep them in my house so they are not tempting because I do not have any more will power now than before surgery if food is sitting in front of me (hence a 4 lbs weight gain over Christmas that I am happy to report is all gone again).
I wanted to make changes that I know I could live with, maintain, and be happy with for the rest of my life. I am happy with the weight I lost, and even though it was slower in the "sleeve" world, it was still faster than any other time I had tried to lose weight in my life. My new habits are firmly entrenched, and even if I stumble now (like Christmas), it is not difficult to get my head back in the game. I would not change what I did and how I did it and I love this tool that I have been given!