JoeDee

Sleeved in MX Florence Hospital with Dr. Garcia
In February 2013 I started looking into vertical sleeve surgery. I lurked and read other peoples experiences. I contacted pretty much all the companies and got replys from all. I chose Ready4Achange because I liked how Alma explained things and how she was not pushy and always answered my questions promptly. I originally contacted her about Dr Perez so I would not have such a long flight but after researching the other Dr. Garcia in Tijuana. I knew he was the one. So I got all my paperwork and made my deposit and set a date. A week before surgery I got an email saying I could change from MI Doctor to florence if I wanted to. After researching Florence I decided to go with Florence. Mainly because of the nurse call button. Even though I am a redneck southern girl. I just didnt see myself yelling out for a nurse. Also It seemed people were having to wait a while once they got there. I hate anticipation. I paid $4700 plus airfare. I could have went with a more expensive doctor. I know some say you get what you pay for but I paid less and got the best. I honestly think Dr Garcia could charge more and is a very good surgeon. He has carefully picked his team that I would entrust my life with. Once I met them it was amazing at how well they compliment one another and work together. Like a well oiled machine. Dr Garcia and his team truly care their patients. The ready4achange group are out of this world. If you need anything they are right on it and happy to help.
March 28th-I left for Tijuana MX to have vertical sleeve surgery. I flew into airport and called Samuel and he called me back within 10 minutes and was at airport to pick me up in 10 more minutes. He was a sweetheart. I was not scared at all he was very informative on ride to Marriott. We arrive at Marriott Samuel made sure we were checked and and called Rosie to find out when we could expect her before he left. Rosie showed up in my room within an hour and answered any questions and explained what was going to happen and what time to be ready in the morning. She gave me a big hug before leaving. Which was so comforting being there alone. The marriott staff was very nice and the room was beautiful. So I just relaxed and got myself prepared for surgery.
March 29th- Me and Pretty in Pink were downstairs at 6:00AM for catch shuttle to Florence Hospital. We arrived at Hospital probally about 7AM. We met Melissa and she showed us to our room after explaining some things to us. Once in my room the man came to draw blood and install iv. I got in my gown and a lady came and put on my surgical hose. The pre/post doctor came and did the EKG. Everything was moving really fast. Which was good. I didnt have time to sit around and worry. Dr. Grafias, Dr Velasco, and Dr Cabrera came in to meet and talk to me. They were all so nice and made me feel so at ease and confident I was in good hands. Then Dr. Garcia came in and drew me a colored picture explaining everything and answering all my questions. He told me I was first and it would only be 10 minutes. I told him to take his time with me in surgery and he just laughed and said he would. I am so impressed with Dr Garcia and his team. So they rolled a bed in room and transferred me to OR. I then had to slide onto OR table. The team was all busy doing what they do and I was out. I woke up in my room in my bed. I worried about someone waking me up saying "you gotta get up and move to your bed" but NO. I woke up in my room in my bed with gas pain in my chest.The nurse was there and was putting meds in my IV. Once I felt stable enough I sat up on side of bed and then went for a walk.. I didnt feel pain from the incisions or drain. Just the gas pain in chest. So I slept with heating pad laying on my chest the whole time. It helped to sit up. Dr Velesco came into check on me. I went for a walk and when I got back I started dry heaving. It hurt!!! So I sat on side of bed and cried. I cry when I feel bad. Parker and Rdoactv (Patients) stopped in to comfort me. Which made me feel so much better. They assured me it would get better. It did!! SO Slept and walked the rest of the day and night. Later that night a lady showed up with ice chips. The nurses were in like clock work with my meds or if I rang the call button. They do have washclothes here. Also Dr. Garcia called my husband when my surgery was finished. SO Sweet.
March 30th- Day after surgery. I felt better and was still getting up to do my walks. They have a pretty garden out front you can walk outside to get some fresh air. Plus it motivates you to walk farther and more. The pain was just soreness that I expected from surgery. I did throw up a little today but not to much and didnt hurt as bad as the dry heaves. The nurse told me I could take a shower and I would be going for my chest xray and leak test. The girl that does the xrays doesnt speak much english. But you just gotta laugh and figure out what she wants you to do. You have to lay flat on table and she holds a cup with a straw and you have to drink it. Dont take to long drinking it cause my friend Deborah had to drink it twice cause it had already went through by the time she finished. (Poor thing). I kept trying to tell the girl I wanted to drink mine sitting up she kept shaking head no.(oh well). It was not to awful bad and I thought we had to drink a lot but it wasnt to much. Then a lady brought juice, tea and Jello. Dr Velesco came in to check on me. Then Dr. Zavalza came in and explained he was filling in for Dr Garcia cause of the Easter Holiday. Which was fine cause I trust Dr Garcias team totally. Dr. Zavalza sat on side of my bed and just talked and told me how well my surgery went. We just chit chatted. He is a very good doctor also and really makes you feel cared for and a cutie too. If he ever goes out on his own. He will be a good choice too. Then about 6pm the nurse came in with the blue stuff for the drainage leak test. It was a small amount and not to awful. We had apple juice, tea and jello again. The nurse will give you a bottle of Water if you want. Melissa also come in to check to see how things are going during your stay. She left a bag with phone numbers and gatorade.
March 31st- 6AM the nurse comes in and tells me to get in shower and get ready for Dr. Velesco to come remove drain so I could be discharged. We just walked around and talked waiting on the Dr. She came to remove drain. WOW!! It didnt hurt but its not something I ever want to feel again. I was like hurry hurry and she was like I can put it back in if you want .NO Thanks!!They give you a bag full of gauze, tape, anitbiotics,pain meds, and some kind of mylanta stuff. You may need a pill crusher to crush some of your meds like the anitbiotic. It being a holiday the hotel shuttle was off work. ???? So they contracted a taxi to take us to hotel. The driver took up along the beach for a tour. Really sweet of him. So me and deborah decided to catch a taxi up to the Walmart to get us some more pain meds to take home. Not that i needed then. I just got them for just in case cause you dont have to have a prescription in MX. I got some juice,jello, and Soup mix ( I didnt like Marriotts, Im not a soup person). SO after that venture I was tired and just kicked back in hotel room the rest of the evening. I would make rounds in the halls to get my walking in esspecially after drinking something.
April 1st- I didnt feel like going anywhere this day. I didnt feel bad but just wanted to rest for the trip home on 2nd. So that afternoon I sent down to the store in the Marritott and got me a pinepple and coconut fruit popsicle. It was delicious and hit the spot. I know it says no cold or hot stuff but cold works for me. Deborah went to get her nails done. So I called Pretty in Pink and she came down and we sat out by the pool and relaxed until time for Dr Luna to come remove our staples. That evening Dr Luna and Rosie came to remove the staples. It didnt hurt and he is a sweety also. He shows you how to do your dressings. You will also need some waterproof bandages once you get home. If you wanna go ahead and get them. They are to cover your drain hole. You leave it on in shower remove it after shower and do your dressings and put a new one on drain hole. My other incisions were pretty much closed by this day but I still babied them. Rosie and Dr Luna gave me a big hug and said good bye.
April 2nd (4 days post op) We were down stairs at 6am for Samuel to take us to airport. It only took 2 to 3 hours to get to airport. I crossed border with Birth Certificate and ID with no problem. I was tired from flying all day and rest the next day at home.
8 days post op- I feel fine. Its hard getting all my Protein in and liquids. I manage 50g a day. Im working on it. Thanks goodness when I got home I read I could have prevacid. I went straight to store and got me some. It made a world of difference in the heartburn. I am eating cream or chciken soup, jello,pudding, Protein Shakes, sugar free popsicles. The popsicles are gonna be my lifesaver as for not getting dehydrated. I though about freezing my protein shakes into fudgesicles. Also I couldnt handle pouring my antibiotic on food, I am swollowing it. I am not taking the pain meds either. I think they give me heartburn. I do wish I could have some mashed potatoes or a cracker. I hope my post helps to answer some questions some of the up coming sleevers have. I am so glad its over and I am on the Losers Bench. I know its a long post but thats my story and Im sticking to it.
Heres to a new me!!!

Thank you ALL for sharing. This was an amazing thread to browse through. I loved seeing the amazing progress. WTG.... I hope to be sleeved someday and POST my before and afters as well....

I haven't really been stressing about my lack of weight loss for the past 6 weeks(but I have whined a little). I assumed it was a combo of being 7 months out and weight loss slowing down and maybe hitting my first real stall. Since I was trying not to stress, I wasn't doing much other than cutting back on carbs a bit and waiting for it to pass. But...after tracking my calories in/out for a few days I have learned that I may be causing my so called stall.
Although I wasn't eating bad foods,my calories have been more along the lines of maintaining rather than losing. Its been very eye opening and has encouraged me to cut back and ALWAYS keep track of my calories from now on. So now that I am back to doing the right things... lets see what happens. Hopefully once I'm doing what I should and start losing again I will find out I was just the girl who cried stall

Since my surgery I've avoided my scale like the plague! I read so many stories on here about being discouraged because there's no/not much loss in the beginning. Well this morning, I put my big girl panties on (pun intended) and stepped up there like a champ! Low and behold, I'm down 8 1/2lbs since 3/19! Whoo hoo! *doing the cabbage patch* Hope everyone is doing well!!

Thank you ALL for sharing. This was an amazing thread to browse through. I loved seeing the amazing progress. WTG.... I hope to be sleeved someday and POST my before and afters as well....

Take care! Keep you in my prayers

Last night was an adventure, and not the kind I love. I had issues with my heart, something that has happened before, and I ended up in A-Fib heart rhythm. The team here was all over it and got me back on track, very professional even though I was emotional and panicking.
Per Dr.'s orders I stayed another day. Tonight is my last night and tomorrow I head home.
I humbly ask for prayers that tonight is a healthy and uneventful night and that I awake healthy and ready to embark on my journey home. I'm homesick and want to hug (gently) my family.
Thank you,
Amanda Rae

No. Gray hair is caused by children and husbands.

Just thought I'd show a progress pic with clothes on haha!! I know I have shared a lot of my plastic surgery scars & pics... But I love the way I look & feel in clothes!

My profile pic and the first pic are preop . The last 3 are 2 1/2 months post op. Click "like" if you can see a difference. I dont know if i can tell.

flyme_places ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
a true virgin
welcome aboard
it is exciting meeting with your surgeon for the 1rst time
officially starting the process to a longer, healthier, happier new life with your sleeve.
write a list of questions for the dr/NUT - keep ears open - write things down - it will go great
reading from the board here, posting your questions, getting answers - listening to other peoples responses is terrific
get info and add a ticker to your post showing your weight et al
add your info to your profile
its good for others to see where you are "at"
DOS, starting weight et al
good luck with your long wonderful journey in front of you

Another joyous occasion ladies!!
This A.M. I weigh 234.6lbs.
This is a VERY big deal for me. I have now hit my lowest adult weight.
Since getting my esophageal spasm under control, I can eat and my stall is over!!! Yay!!
234 is also the lowest weight I achieved dieting by myself.
What a great number to have reached!
HAPPY TIMES!!!
If this continue to go this good hopefully this strong since of regret will fade!!
Thanks for enduring these struggles with me and embracing the celebrations!!!

I came home from a week of restaurant eating limited excercise and instead of gaining, I actually made goal. I am beside myself with joy. I never really believed this day would come.
11/30/2011 Start of preop weighed 308
12/11/2011 Day of surgery weighed 300
2/23/2013 - 14 months later I weigh 158/size 8/fit and healthy!!!!! wooo hooooo
I will have to do a post with photos later... but off to the gym. I was just so excited I had to share with my fellow vets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A friend of mine got banded years ago....and she wanted me to follow suit. No way would I ever have WLS, there was no reason medically, I was healthy as a horse. I did feel down after I HAD to go shopping when I HAD to have something new. I did always feel like the biggest girl in the room, I did hate to have my picture taken....but I was healthy, I had a husband who loved me big or small. No way, hell would freeze over first.
Well three years passed and my friend had lost 60 lbs and she had not died. Ok, positive things, but still.
At 2 o'clock one morning, I got up to go to the bathroom and my tummy was in my lap.....right then and there, I made the decision to do it. Yes, I think clearly and come up with great ideas in the middle of the night, some times I'm in the bathroom, sometimes I just wake up and something comes to me.
The next day, I told my husband I'd made this decision. I was firm about it, not wishy washy. He was not on board with fixing something that was not broken. I had no health issues, I wanted to have fun shopping and feel good about myself while I was younger (49 yrs) and while I was still healthy. Vanity and preventive maintenence, priorities rule!!
That was Dec 2009, my DH wanted me to do research. I did, I read every single thing I could come across. I found a support group and started attending, and so did he. This guy became my biggest cheerleader!! He attends all my group meetings, even asking questions and taking notes when need be.
I found a doctor in Texas, our 'home'. We were at that time living out of state, but I knew I wanted someone in Dallas or Houston to take care of me. I knew we would be moving back at some point. I first thought I'd get a band, but the more I read and heard, even though my friend did ok and did not die......it wasn't the best choice for me. I chose the sleeve procedure after days upon days of talking to different doctor's offices, and after obsessively reading everything I could find. I attended the seminar in Dallas in April and in June 2010, six months after that fateful 2 AM decision, I did it.
I never, ever, ever regretted it. Not one minute of buyer's remorse. I've loved every single second since I woke up in recovery!!!! It is a wild ride and the most fun I've ever had!!! Clothes started falling off me, people started to ask if I'd lost some weight, which can be uncomfortable some times. A saleswoman called me LITTLE. LoL I have bones and my mom was wrong all those years, I am NOT big boned!!! I love my collarbone!!! It's my favorite NSV to this day. I'd wake up and all of a sudden have hip bones and my shoulders feel so boney now days!!!
I finally got use to going to the Missy dept instead of the Women's. That was hard and it is STILL difficult to get a size that fits. I tend to want a size larger. It takes a long time for your head to catch up with your body!!!
I'd read on this forum somewhere that we should get a disposable camera prior to surgery. Have someone take a picture the day before or day or surgery, then once a month on the date of your surgery. I did that, and then after my 1 year anniversary.....I got it developed. Wow, those pictures laying side by side from the previous year, I saw my transformation. I highly recommend doing this!!!
I reached my doctor's goal in just under five months. My goal, five lbs less, a month later. My total loss is anywhere from 81 - 84 lbs, depending on the day. I lost 23 of those lbs prior to surgery. I have been maintaining for over 2 years now. I had a hard time stopping the weight loss....is this possible???!! Yes it is! I added calories and gained back to where I was comfortable.
Would I do it again....in a New York minute! Forced Portion Control, that is what I needed. I still make choices, but I don't feel deprived at all. I'm not hungry, my new hunger is an empty feeling, which makes making wise choices much easier.
I weigh myself every single morning, first thing. I've done this from the beginning. I log my food on line and I weigh and/or measure my food when I'm at home. This is part of my life, it's like a game. I love it, it also keeps me aware of what's going on with my body. Even if it isn't the wisest choice, I am aware of everything that goes into my mouth. No more mindless eating.
I need 1150 - 1275 calories per day to maintain. I do not exercise, not really, so I knew that I'd have to make life changes I could live with, that would allow me to accomplish what I wanted. I get anywhere from 60 - 95 grams of Protein per day, almost without fail. It's all been pretty easy for me.
I think I eat pretty much like a naturally thin person. This is my new life, it's fun. I feel good. It is possible to lose all you want, still enjoy food and maintain, but this is not a magic bullet. You can't have 85% of your stomach removed then eat chips, ice cream, drink alcohol, milkshakes and eat food from a drive through, and expect to be successful. We still have to make good decisions.
'Nuff said!!

I had my surgery March 13th byDr Fernando Garcia, he is the greatest surgeon! I felt safe in his hands during the surgery.The hardest thing to deal with was the darn drain.Right now I am downstairs in the marriot in the computer room. I highly recommend Dr Garcia. Also recommend staying at the marriot in Tijuana they treat you like royalty here. :wub:

Kind of an amusing question, but I really want to know where weight goes when you lose it? I learned in high school science class that matter can't be created or destroyed. If I go to bed, then wake up 4 lbs lighter, where did those 4 lbs go? I didn't pee them out. Do they get converted to energy? Sometimes I feel like they're being passed out of my mouth in the form of bad breath.

Hopefully they go to Hell and stay there.
Sorry, 8 days post op and feeling humorous again.

I would like to donate mine to those poor souls that have a hard time gaining weight.... :lol:

What a great day! I don't get them often because my loss has been slow. I'm literally losing at the exact same rate I was before the surgery. 3 months out and 36 lbs. BUT 1. Today I finally hit Onederland. Yay! 2. I hit my halfway mark. 70 Lbs. gone, 70 lbs. to go.Yay! 3. Went to get my hair cut short today because it has started to fall out and when I walked in the hairdresser didn't recognize me because of the weight loss. Yay! When you're not sure if it shows yet, that's a nice thing to hear. I'm stoked.

Flew into Sandeigo, went straight to OCC hospital...got surgery at3pm....hardly any waiting.
After surgery slept for a bit. Up a little in the night, just couldn't sleep. They have great movie channels now doctors says I am doing great and can go to the Marriiot, I even drank a whole capri sun with no problems OCC is beautiful and have wonderful peoplel!!!!!

I’ve noticed more activity on this site lately from future OCC Sleevers with Dr. Ariel Ortiz. I remember before my surgery I craved information about the OCC experience so I thought maybe it’s time I that posted my story too!
My surgery was on Monday, July 9, 2012. Yesterday was eight months and I’m happy to say I am 14 lbs away from my goal weight! The following details are from email exchanges I had right after my surgery with another OCC Sleever. So although it’s been eight months since my surgery, the details here are from a fresh memory! Sorry if I seem to ramble at the end. I just cut and pasted from multiple emails.
My sleeve surgery was on Monday, July 9th. My husband and I flew into San Diego on the Sunday the 8th. We arrived around 9:00 pm and were picked up outside baggage claim in a medical transport van easily identifiable with OCC and my name displayed in the passenger window.
On the way to the hotel, the driver, Joel, played a welcome DVD from Dr. Ortiz telling us what to expect over the next few days. The drive was approximately 30 minutes long. Going through the border was a non event. Joel dropped us off at the front door the Tijuana Marriott and told us to be in the lobby the next morning at 6:40 am to be driven to OCC.
Check in was a breeze. They had my account flagged as an OCC patient. I was given a letter explaining I was entitled to 3 free bowls of broth and 2 Popsicles per day to be served in the restaurant or via room service. We also got 3 free bottles of Water in our room per day. The room was very comfortable with a king size bed with lots of pillows. The only thing lacking in my opinion was a microwave and fridge, but I survived! (By the way, the restaurant was very nice. They had a huge buffet at Breakfast and lunch. My husband loved it. We went there every day and had room service at night.)
The next morning we went to the lobby at 6:40 and met three other women going to OCC. One plication patient, a lap band to sleeve revision and a lap band. It was a short drive to OCC, probably 10 minutes. The office looks exactly as it does in the pictures on their website. It also happens to be across the street from the police department! The driver pulled into the basement parking and stopped the van. We were met by OCC security and loaded onto an elevator that dropped us in the lobby of OCC.
We were greeted by Ali, the concierge. It was 7:00 am by that time and they were just opening the office so we made ourselves comfortable in the reception area while Ali got situated for the day. In a matter of minutes she walked over and addressed us a group explaining that one at a time we would each meet with the nutritionist, Dr. Miranda; we would have pre-op blood work done, and we would have an EKG performed by Dr. Aurtoro. Once those three things were complete we'd be taken to our individual suites and prepared for surgery. She asked for copies of our patient information forms we had faxed in previously.
Just as she explained, one by one we were called back to one office or another. My first meeting was with Dr. Miranda, nutritionist. My husband went back with me to be my extra set of ears! She weighed me and set my goal weight. Interesting enough it was within 2lbs of what I had been thinking would be ideal. She explained that I could be 10 lbs over or under her target and still be healthy. She went over the post op diet and provided me with a three page hand out including a calendar of the different food stages. She went over Vitamins and supplements I would need to take for life.
I returned to the lobby. In a matter of minutes I was called back for blood work. That went very quickly. The port for my IV was also put in. I was given a pair of booties to slip over my shoes at that time.
Next I was off for the EKG. Undressed and put on a paper robe. Dr. and nurse affixed stickers on my chest and ran the EKG. That was even quicker than the blood work. It took longer to get undressed and into the robe than it took for the actual test!
I returned to the lobby. At some point I remember signing several consent forms. Mexican law requires that we sign them in English and Spanish. Once I was finished, my husband and I were escorted back to my suite. Dr. Martinez came by and introduced himself telling me I would be the 1st surgery of the day! He began talking about the procedure and answered any questions we had. His English was perfect and he made me feel instantly at ease. I was given a gown to dress in and mesh underwear to wear in surgery.
Once dressed two nurses I had met earlier came in and started my IV with fluids, pain medication, anti nausea, antacid and antibiotic. I also got a shot in the leg, a blood thinner. That was a sneak attack! It hurt but only lasted a second or so. I was also fitted in white thigh high stockings and a bonnet. The nurses left for a few minutes while my husband and I chatted. I was starting to feel very relaxed when in comes the nurse to tell me they were ready for me in the ER. It was 8:00 am at this point. When I stood up I was very wobbly, the drugs had definitely kicked in! She walked me to ER where I was greeted by the anesthesiologist.
I could hear Dr. Ortiz talking as I recognized his voice from the videos I had watched. He came over an introduced himself explaining he had been in my room chatting with my husband when he realized he hadn't even met me yet! After our brief exchange the anesthesiologist told me he was giving me something to relax. I remember saying, 'oh, I'm starting to feel good.' The next thing I remember was waking in my room where my husband was waiting. He said Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez came in and said everything went great and that I had a small hiatal hernia that was fixed during the procedure.
So! All that to answer your question.... what did my family do while I was in surgery! Once you are given a room, your family is free to hang out in there. My surgery lasted about 45 minutes; my husband says I was probably out of the room for an hour and 15 minutes. I don't remember much of that day. I was in no pain and fell in and out of sleep all day. My husband did leave for lunch at one point. There is an Applebee's on the corner by the clinic. At 4:00 pm all the guests are driven back to the Marriott. My husband stayed there over night and was driven back the clinic the next morning.
I was checked out and on the way back to the hotel by 11:00 am Tuesday morning. I took a long nap when we got back to the room. The nurse gave me a shot of pain medicine right before I checked out so that kept me a little drowsy. After the nap my husband and I went for a walk and bought Popsicles from a street vendor. Best Popsicle I had all week! The ones at the hotel were gross to me. The rest of the day was just lounging around watching TV and napping off and on.
I returned to the clinic on Wednesday morning to have my drain removed and to do my swallow test. Both were no big deal. Lots of people talk about how horrible the liquid you drink for the swallow test is. I barely had two drinks of a white chalky liquid that tasted like mint.
After the trip to OCC we returned to the hotel and had lunch there. After a rest we walked to Wal-Mart and toured the shops in that area. While I felt fine pain-wise I got tired fairly easily. The walk to Wal-Mart and back had me ready for a long nap by the time we returned. I suppose we could have ventured out farther, but I really wanted to focus on my recovery and rest as much as I could knowing I would be returning to work on Monday. My husband was happy to watch TV while I was sleeping away!
We left for home on Thursday morning. The drive back across the border took about 1.5 hours. We watched another OCC (departure) video on the way to the airport. Joel told us exactly what to expect as we went through customs. Although not as easy as coming into Mexico, crossing back into the US was not that difficult. Joel kept us informed and we just followed instructions. My flight home was a non event as I felt fine. I only had tenderness at the incision sites.
Misc:
It was very nice to have my husband with me for emotional support and to be my extra set of ears. There was a lot about the surgery day that I do not remember. He was really good at keeping me on task drinking my fluids and broth while we were still in Mexico. I was one of those people who wake up from surgery and felt no thirst or hunger. He stayed on me to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to be doing!
While having him with me was comforting, now that I've been there, I know I could have made the trip alone. The hotel is very secure. They are very accustomed to weight loss patients and catered to us the whole trip.
Since being home, everything has gone pretty smoothly. Dr. Ortiz sends you home with pain medication, anti nausea, antacid and antibiotics that you start taking day three while you are still in TJ. You will have a whole list of phone numbers and email addresses to use if you have any questions or issues. I returned to work on the 16th, exactly a week after surgery. My stomach was still swollen, but I had no real pain aside from a bruised feeling at the incision site.
Feel free to ask me anything else. I craved information before my trip and found there just isn't that much on VST about Dr. Ortiz and OCC, but everything I did read was highly complementary. I will say that everything about the experience as far as the doctor's bedside manner to the condition of the clinic was EXACTLY like the photos and video on the OCC website and in their You Tube videos. I couldn't have been more pleased!
I really liked everyone I came in contact with at OCC even though none of them ever visited me in my hotel room or took me shopping. Excellent health care was what I wanted and I believe OCC delivered!
I had gas pain in my left shoulder the first night and on and off Tuesday. It was just a sharp occasional pain right around my shoulder blade. They swear by walking, so that's what I did every chance I got. By Wednesday morning it was gone.
I can honestly say the gas was the worst pain I had and it wasn't even that severe. My stomach and incisions felt mostly like I had done 3,000 crunches! Pain med (Supradol) every 12 hours took care of that.
They didn't give me any drinks after leaving OCC. I bought Gatorade at Wal-Mart, used tea bags that were in the hotel room & took powdered chicken bouillon for the plane ride. They didn't really push Protein at first; they just focused on getting your fluids in. Drinking was a challenge for me. I did find that warm liquids were much easier than cold to get down.
Free wifi at OCC & Marriott. OCC also has a couple of desktop computers for patient use.
The Marriott's shuttle will take you anywhere and there are also taxis on standby at the hotel. I was told $5.00 would take you practically anywhere in TJ!
Since my husband was staying overnight at the Marriott, I had no reservations about leaving my valuables there. My room had a safe. I locked my jewelry away there when I went off to OCC. Also, the patient rooms area at OCC is secure. There are a limited number of rooms (maybe 5 or 6) with only a few people having surgery per day. The only people allowed in that area are the patients and their companions. So, unlike in a hospital, there are never random people walking through the halls.
A couple more tips...
The air conditioner in your hotel room will require your room key to be inserted before it turns on. The slot was near the entrance door to my room. That was a new one for me!
The morning you check out of OCC you will need to purchase your prescriptions. I think they were around $130. Cash or visa/mc. No AmEx.
My stats:
Height: 5'2"
Starting Weight: 212
Current Weight: 154
Goal Weight: 140