pantala

I really don't have any stats to add because I don't think I was a slow loser, but you touched on something....most people here do think they are a slow loser, and half of them are wrong. I don't think the fast losers are more vocal necessarily....look at all the "why am I a slow loser" threads. It's just that it only takes 1 thread about someone losing 100 pounds in 3 months to wipe out 50 threads about losing 2 pounds a week.
It's just like people's opinions about why we really don't need WLS in the first place. They heard on the news about 1 guy who lost 200 lbs through diet and exercise and they think we all can do it. They don't realize or acknowledge that 1 guy was 1 in 10,000. It's the same here with the fast weight loss threads. 99% of the time the really fast weight loss people were like me...VERY obese so we had more to lose. The more you have the faster it's going to come off.
My long winded point is 90% of the people on this site are losing at a healthy sustainable pace and should be happy with that, not feel like they are failing because the pace is slower than someone else.

I know I may be accused of being in denial but I'm not addicted to food. I have always joked that I wish someone would invent people kibbles so I could just munch on a handful of something crunchy and move on. Moreover, anyone who has lived with me will confirm that I rarely overeat.
So how the H...LL did I put on so much weight and have so much trouble losing and keeping it off? Unrelenting hunger. I don't eat much at one time but I am famished in an hour or 90 minutes. Headache, nausea inducing hunger. And if I do not have healthy food when that hits, I will eat anything to make it quit. And in this obesegenic world that is a very risky place to be.
I did not have this problem until about 15 years ago after my daughter was born and I went into gestational diabetes for the second time. I have been told I have "borderline" hypoglycemia but I never bothered with testing as it is time-consuming, expensive, not covered by insurance, and inconclusive.
One way I kept weight gain under control was lots of physical activity. But bad feet run in my family and my activities gradually became more and more limited until I needed foot surgery and the forced inactivity really blew my weight up.
As my BMI approached 40, I decided screw it, I don't want to fight this battle anymore and with the blessing of my PCP, podiatrist, and Gyn, started looking at surgical solutions. So you could say that for me, the surgery was truly a metabolic surgical fix.
And I am already amazed at the difference. I feel so great it's almost unreal for me.
So that's how it feels from the standpoint of someone who is not a food addict. It does happen.

Melissa held onto my purse while I was in surgery. That's where my valuables were. She actually had it typed shut and cut it open on front of me. Ready 4 a Change, Florence Hospital staff and Team Garcia were fantastic. You will be in good hands from the time you get to San Diego. Don't worry !!!!

I was sleeved with Dr. Garcia on 4/11 and had a great experience. I DO NOT promote ANY coordinators/doctors but I just want to let others know about my experience and that they will be in good hands. I HIGHLY recommend same day surgery to get it over with and I stayed at the hotel for two nights only and I am so glad I did! Dr. Garcia and his team are phenomenal...Any other questions please feel free to ask

Ok, so here is my experiance in a nut shell...
I arrived in San Diego Monday April 8th, as the plane landed I turned my phone on for the driver to contact me and before we were even off the plane he was calling, he was there waiting and was promptly picked up by Abraham ALM driver right outside of baggage claim and driven across the boarder to the Marriott, durin the ride we were given the option of going in for surgery early or late and we (myself and another pt also in the van) chose to go early, so we were told to be in the lobby at 6:45 am the next morning for pick-up and ride to the hospital. Once at the Marriott we checked in and chilled for the night.
On Tuesday we met Abraham in the lobby of the Marriott and drove to MiDoctor Hospital where we waited to check in, this took about 30min because the person wasn't there yet, but during this time we all talked and got to know each other well. They took us back one at a time to check weight and height and showed us each to our private rooms, my room had two beds one for me and one for my sister. Once in the room we changed into hospital gowns, got our IV's put in, blood drawn and EKG's done. We then met the Anesthesiologist, the Internal doctor (who went over our histories again and meds) and waited on the surgeon. We were told they would choose who would be first depending on lab results. I was then told the other person would go first because he was really nervous, but then in came Dr. Lopez and low and behold I was first, very quick. by 9:25 I was in the OR, with Dr. Lopez, Dr. Ortiz, the anesthesiologist and all the surgical team. The anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to sleep for a while after surgery or wake up right away I told him I didn't know I just wanted to wake up, he laughed and said "of course, you will my dear", I looked at the clock and it was 9:35, next thing I know I am awake in another room (recovery) looking around watching everyone doing different things but could speak (I was totally out of it), I remember seeing my sister and Janese (coordinator) for a second and trying to wave but then I think I went back to sleep. The rest of that day is kinda a blur because I apparentely don't tolerate anesthesia very well, lol... slept all day and night so didn't do much walking. Believe me I paid for that on Wednesday...
Wednesday I woke up feeling great! but by that afternoon I was misrable, gas/indigestion, pain ect... I felt horrible and was EXTREMELY irritable. The nurses were all so kind and were pretty quick with pain and nausea meds which were on a schedule. When I saw the Dr. it was Dr. Ortiz I believe and he adjusted my meds and that seemed to help some. I think it was today that I had my leak test (they do 2 one in surgery and one the day after), drank some blue contrast and then another contrast liquid in the flouroscopy room, no leaks so I was cleared to start sipping liquids. I was given apple juice, and gatorade in different flavors to sip on later that day once my results were confirmed. I did not do too well with the liquids, I still didn't feel good. That night another doc came in and her name was Dr. V something she made more adjustments to my meds and by Thursday morning I felt much much better.
Thursday we got up and I walked, walked walked, felt soooo much better (not 100% of course but MUCH better), we were released from the hospital with our drains at about 10:30 and at the Marriott by 11 and checked into our rooms. We were told our drains would come out the next day at the hotel by the surgeon-- the longer it stays in the less chance of infection was the logic. I was still having a hard time with liquids but continuing to try... at about 2:30 our driver called us all to come down to the lobby and he took those of us who felt up to it shopping on Revolucion Street. I went and am glad I did because I had a fantastic time, got some great souveineers for my kiddos husband and self and got to know some great people and make some wonderful friends. Once we were finished there Abraham took us to the pharmacy where we bought some stuff we needed or wanted from toothpaste to Shampoo to meds.... Once we finished there he drove us back to the Marriott and a few of us decided to go out to a restaurant for dinner. We ate at an authentic Mexican restaurant and I had the consumma' (excuse my spelling) which was incredible, I was able to eat about 3-4 spoonfuls. After that I was able to start drinking more, like it flipped a switch and by Friday morning I had consumed an entire gatorade which was like a miracle.
Friday morning we took a cab to the Walmart shopping mall were we did a little shopping and ate at applebee's, Edgar was our server and he made my Breakfast exactly how I needed it- plain organic yogurt and a fruit mixture that he had liquidized for me, and it was SOOO good (I posted pic's a few days ago). Once we got back we met some people at the pool then went sight seeing with Abraham again, we saw the hillside where all the people live and rode out to the beach, this was a wonderful experiance because I got some walking in and really got to see a lot of very interesting and eye opening things. I never once felt unsafe, Abraham never let us out of his sight and everyone we ran into was sooo kind. On the way back to the hotel Abraham told me that Dr. Ortiz and Lopez had had a VERY busy day and would like for all of us to come to the hospital at 6 to have our drains removed, rather then them doing it in the hotel. I was absolutely fine with that because we were originally told they would come to the hotel between 8-10pm to remove them, so 6 was WAY better, I was ready for the drain to come out. They took us to rooms one at a time and the surgeon and Eduardo (coordinator) walked us through the removal of the drain, which was SOOO weird feeling, can't even explain really. He then spent time with us answering any individual questions we may have and telling us how to care for our wounds and the importance of following the diet and other important information. Once we were all done with that we headed back out to Revolucion street to get something someone had left behind the prior day and I bought a few more things... lol, having the drain out felt sooooo good!
Saturday we woke up and got ready to leave out to the airport (we had an earlier flight), we ate at 8:45 in the hotel restaurant (I had a yogurt smoothie) and promptly checked out and headed to the San Diego airport. We did not have any delay at the border, Abraham has a medical pass to go through the medical lane, therefore no line, which was fabulous.
Overall my experiance was really great, I met some amazing people and really enjoyed getting to know them all. Abraham was our go to guy for pretty much everything non-medical related and Eduardo was our coordinator for the medical part. Abraham would bend over backwards to help out in any way he could and made the whole experiance fantastic. Yes the two days in the hospital were rough for me, but I really think it was the anesthesia (I've never had surgery, so didn't know how I would react). So overall I had a great time and an amazing experiance and highly recommend ALM and Dr. Lopez/Ortiz.

My VSG Story PRE-OP: Two weeks prior to my surgery date of April 10, 2013, I had a check up with my primary care physician and tipped the scale at 343 pounds, 5-10 in height. I researched the VSG procedure and doctors in Mexico due to my insurance not covering bariatric surgery in the US for several months. All my findings led me to Dr. Fernando Garcia in Tijuana, MX. I went through the coordinating company, Ready 4 a Change. I chose that company because the response was instantaneous and I never waited more than a couple of hours for a response to my questions via email, even on weekends which is unheard of in the States. All in all, I would definitely recommend this coordinating company again. Also, I travelled alone, which went extremely well, and I guess would depend on the circumstances but I would not hesitate to do it alone again. On 3-27-2013, I started my two week pre-op diet which consisted of all liquids, Protein Shakes, and small salad for dinner. I did fairly well on the diet but cheated a few times very minor like one bagel bite, or a small bite of my wife's burger. Anyways, the diet sucks nonetheless but after day 2-3 it's really not that bad. The Protein shakes I used were syntax nectar strawberry kiwi, and the chocolate/vanilla Premier Protein. I would advise to start some type of workout regimen during this phase. This pre-op diet is meant for shrinking the liver to provide a safer surgery, not necessarily weight loss. Again, all in all the two week pre-op diet went well and it went by fast after the first couple days. DAY OF SURGERY: On the day of surgery, I flew out from Dallas, TX to San Diego, California. Upon arrival to the airport, which I was 15 minutes early, I called the driver with r4ac, and he said he was just around the corner and showed up in 5 minutes flat. He even asked me on the phone if I wanted him to remove the company sign from the outside of the van, which I though was courteous. I told him no need, I'm not ashamed! So the driver picks me up and we head across the border which was uneventful and easy. We make our way to the hospital, as I elected for same day surgery so I would stay two nights in the hospital, and three nights in the hotel. Upon arrival to the hospital (Hospital was florence Health System/Oasis) I was immediately checked in and taken to my private room with hospital bed with nurse call button, TV, an extra bed for a support person, etc. pretty much anything you would find in a hospital in the states. Now, this hospital is in the process of renovations with state of the art operating rooms as in the states, but the rooms are a bit older but nothing to gripe about for sure, and very clean. So I make it to my room and put everything up, and I am greeted by Melissa from R4AC, and she starts going over paperwork and answering any questions I had. The nurse comes in with a hospital gown and says to take everything off, including the underwear. So during the next 1-2 hrs, I have blood drawn for labs, an EKG done, chest x-ray, and an IV put in (first try,) and given a happy pill to relax. I also meet with all of the Dr's at the hospital including Dr. Velasco who is a bypass patient herself. Dr. Grafias who is a sleeve patient. Dr. Cabrera the anesthesiologist, Dr. Luna who is a bariatric surgeon as well, and Dr. Fernando Garcia, my bariatric surgeon. Pretty much all of the Dr's ask about medical history and prior and current health conditions so your basically checked 4-5 times to make sure your clear for surgery still. At about 5:30 or so, I was wheeled in to the operating room. You have to scoot over onto the operating table but no biggy. Dr. Luna took my wife's number down on his phone to call and let her know once surgery was done and everything was ok, which he did according to my wife. I remember one of the Dr's asking me if I had anymore questions as he was pulling out the left arm rest. I said just make sure I wake up and I was out like a light. I woke in what felt like was just seconds after going out. I sat up with minor pain in my abdomen from the incisions, not gas pain. I looked at the clock and it said 7:30. I'm not sure how much of that 2 hours was surgery time vs waking up, etc, and I didn't really care. I immediately stood up when I woke up and started walking the halls. All of the nurses looked at me like I was crazy and asked if I was ok. I told them I was because several speak pretty good English to communicate. They said most people are not up and walking that quick after waking up from surgery. I guess I was the exception. So that first night was pretty good except the minor pain in my abdomen from the incisions which basically felt like I did too many sit-ups, not unbearable in the least. POST-OP DAY #2 So I slept off and on mainly because the nurses come in every 2 hrs or so to check on you and give meds, check BP, etc. The nurses were AMAZING! No complaints whatsoever, and if I pushed the call button, the longest I waited for a nurse was maybe 25-30 seconds. This day was pretty much the same, walk, rest, meds, repeat! I also had 2 leak tests done, which went good and no leaks detected. One of the leak tests was odd as you lie down on the x-ray table and drink some liquid while laying down. It didn't hurt to drink but was just an odd feeling. While walking the halls, I met 3-5 other people from various online forums and FB who had the surgery and became friends and exchanged info to keep up with each other and our progress. POST-OP DAY #3 I had my drain out this morning. it was WEIRD, like a snake in your tummy. it did not hurt at all, just awkward. I got copies of my lab work, x-rays, etc and was discharged. Then around 10 or so, I was picked up by the Hotel Marriott shuttle and taken to the hotel. It was extremely nice and the same as you would get in the US. I got checked in and taken to my room. You get 3 free bowls of chicken broth, 3 free Popsicles, and 2 free bottles of Water daily. I would not eat the Popsicles, but there is a small shop in lobby you can buy Popsicles which were awesome. The broth was ok at times, and way to salty others, but then again it's broth...boring! The first day I relaxed mostly and went out by the pool and lounged around and didn't really do much. Still no pain really except for abdomen from incision sites. POST-OP DAY #4 Today I lounged around again and walked a bit around the hotel. I ventured out and took a can to the local Walmart as I started feeling some acid reflux, which is common with VSG, and bought some omeprazole which helped a lot and it was gone in 2 days. Dr. Luna came by and removed the staples from the incisions, which did not hurt, and cleaned all the sites and put steri strips on them and covered up the drain hole. I was given medicine before leaving the hospital which included antibiotics, disgusting liquid acid reducer, and pain meds, which I didn't take any of it. I had dinner with some new found friends and co-sleevers and got some sleep. POST-OP DAY 5 Today was the same as day 4 pretty much. Lounged, went out with some new friends, had dinner, etc. I packed up all my stuff and got ready to leave in the AM. I got a call around 8:30 by the driver who gave me the option of leaving at 6 am or 9 am. My flight left at 1:20 pm but I was ready to get back to the states so I opted for 6 am. POST-OP DAY 6 I woke up and was checked out of the hotel and in the lobby by 6, when driver promptly arrived. Myself and 2 other sleevers headed back to the US. It took us about an hour and a half to make it across the border, it was very busy but an easy process as we all had our passports. Made it to the airport, caught my flight home, end of story! All in all, I would say the level of service and care in MX was equal to and even greater in some areas than that in US. I would highly recommend Dr. Garcia and his team, R4AC, and Florence/Oasis Hospital. I would do this whole over again and look forward to taking some of my family members and/or friends to MX for this procedure. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me and I hope to help others with their journey if I possibly can. Johnathanw1988@gmail.com

We will have to learn to manage a lot of things without the protection of fat and food. It's called personal growth and won't just happen on it's own. And yes, ppl who pay attention to us when we are skinny but ignored us when we were fat are very shallow and we will know something about them that others don't.
You/we will always be more compassionate and less judging than the ones who didn't have to struggle this way; don't lose that. Focus on your own growth and not what others are doing, saying, thinking.

I was originally self pay where I live. I ended up VERY frustrated with the bariatric center I was going through. Loved the surgeon, but the staff was rude, unprofessional, etc.
i ended up switching to Dr. Kelly in Mexico. Paid a fraction of the price I was paying to have it where I live.
That was 8 months ago and I have zero regrets.
Like everyone else said, its all done when you get there. Much easier and less stress!

I know I may be accused of being in denial but I'm not addicted to food. I have always joked that I wish someone would invent people kibbles so I could just munch on a handful of something crunchy and move on. Moreover, anyone who has lived with me will confirm that I rarely overeat.
So how the H...LL did I put on so much weight and have so much trouble losing and keeping it off? Unrelenting hunger. I don't eat much at one time but I am famished in an hour or 90 minutes. Headache, nausea inducing hunger. And if I do not have healthy food when that hits, I will eat anything to make it quit. And in this obesegenic world that is a very risky place to be.
I did not have this problem until about 15 years ago after my daughter was born and I went into gestational diabetes for the second time. I have been told I have "borderline" hypoglycemia but I never bothered with testing as it is time-consuming, expensive, not covered by insurance, and inconclusive.
One way I kept weight gain under control was lots of physical activity. But bad feet run in my family and my activities gradually became more and more limited until I needed foot surgery and the forced inactivity really blew my weight up.
As my BMI approached 40, I decided screw it, I don't want to fight this battle anymore and with the blessing of my PCP, podiatrist, and Gyn, started looking at surgical solutions. So you could say that for me, the surgery was truly a metabolic surgical fix.
And I am already amazed at the difference. I feel so great it's almost unreal for me.
So that's how it feels from the standpoint of someone who is not a food addict. It does happen.

I know I may be accused of being in denial but I'm not addicted to food. I have always joked that I wish someone would invent people kibbles so I could just munch on a handful of something crunchy and move on. Moreover, anyone who has lived with me will confirm that I rarely overeat.
So how the H...LL did I put on so much weight and have so much trouble losing and keeping it off? Unrelenting hunger. I don't eat much at one time but I am famished in an hour or 90 minutes. Headache, nausea inducing hunger. And if I do not have healthy food when that hits, I will eat anything to make it quit. And in this obesegenic world that is a very risky place to be.
I did not have this problem until about 15 years ago after my daughter was born and I went into gestational diabetes for the second time. I have been told I have "borderline" hypoglycemia but I never bothered with testing as it is time-consuming, expensive, not covered by insurance, and inconclusive.
One way I kept weight gain under control was lots of physical activity. But bad feet run in my family and my activities gradually became more and more limited until I needed foot surgery and the forced inactivity really blew my weight up.
As my BMI approached 40, I decided screw it, I don't want to fight this battle anymore and with the blessing of my PCP, podiatrist, and Gyn, started looking at surgical solutions. So you could say that for me, the surgery was truly a metabolic surgical fix.
And I am already amazed at the difference. I feel so great it's almost unreal for me.
So that's how it feels from the standpoint of someone who is not a food addict. It does happen.

Yay you! The more we practice this, the easier it becomes. Good on you for starting before getting sleeved.

I go through the same trepidations about concentrating on body concerns at the expense of spiritual priorities. My conclusion is that body, soul, and spirit are all connected and that improvement in any one of them will help the rest. I personally feel the pleasure of God with me because I did this "temple maintenance". My spiritual life has improved as well as my mental and emotional elements. It certainly makes it easier for others to relate to me, which in turn makes it easier for me to be a good witness of His kindness.
Yes, my body looks better. I believe the only time that improving appearance becomes a detriment is when it takes priority over loving others. You can make yourself a god or improve yourself as a thanks to God for life. You are grateful for what He has given you, you take care of it.
What if a billionaire gave you a beautiful house? If he would return in 2 years and find it run down and neglected he would think that you are not grateful. If instead he found it beautified he would think that he made the right choice.
You have the money. Enjoy your life!

I keep reading on here about those who are struggling with guilt when they eat. Until yesterday I was one if those people. I am 6 weeks post op and yesterday we had a family function where everyone ordered pizza. I took a small slice, cut it in half and ate the half, except the back crust (the part where you hold). Afterwards I felt such a tremendous amount of guilt, I was depressed, angry, and frustrated that even after his surgery that food was STILL controlling my emotions. I just want to be normal! Eat like a normal, healthy person and FEEL and look healthy.
Here was my revelation. A healthy, normal person DOES eat a slice of pizza and enjoys it without all the negative emotion attached. Food has no power over me if I don't give it power over me. A small slice of pizza is not a bad choice (as long as its not a trigger food, as long as solids are cleared by your doc, and as long as you eat a normal serving size for your sleeve).
2 months ago I would have eaten 3 slices,maybe 4, with a coke and some garlic knots...so why the heck am I crucifying myself? THAT Is not healthy, not the pizza.
Free yourself. The weight will come off and you will lose the mental heaviness as well.

If you haven't done it yet, go to a free seminar. I had already made the decision before attending one that I wanted the surgery, but attending made me even more convinced. A lot of us have the same fears/questions you do. I truly had to try harder than I ever had before to hold back my tears when hearing the stories and actually seeing people in front of me that have been through it and now they look amazing. Then, people asked the questions I had running through my head. It was definitely an eye opener that it is possible and confirmed even more that I wanted to do this.

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 know I may be accused of being in denial but I'm not addicted to food. I have always joked that I wish someone would invent people kibbles so I could just munch on a handful of something crunchy and move on. Moreover, anyone who has lived with me will confirm that I rarely overeat.
So how the H...LL did I put on so much weight and have so much trouble losing and keeping it off? Unrelenting hunger. I don't eat much at one time but I am famished in an hour or 90 minutes. Headache, nausea inducing hunger. And if I do not have healthy food when that hits, I will eat anything to make it quit. And in this obesegenic world that is a very risky place to be.
I did not have this problem until about 15 years ago after my daughter was born and I went into gestational diabetes for the second time. I have been told I have "borderline" hypoglycemia but I never bothered with testing as it is time-consuming, expensive, not covered by insurance, and inconclusive.
One way I kept weight gain under control was lots of physical activity. But bad feet run in my family and my activities gradually became more and more limited until I needed foot surgery and the forced inactivity really blew my weight up.
As my BMI approached 40, I decided screw it, I don't want to fight this battle anymore and with the blessing of my PCP, podiatrist, and Gyn, started looking at surgical solutions. So you could say that for me, the surgery was truly a metabolic surgical fix.
And I am already amazed at the difference. I feel so great it's almost unreal for me.
So that's how it feels from the standpoint of someone who is not a food addict. It does happen.

I'm glad you were comfortable at florence, your experience sounds a lot like mine what with nausea and blown veins. Isn't Sara awesome?
Thanks so much for your detailed review, I know it helps people decide.

Hello all,
I was sleeved with Dr Garcia in TJ on Dec 4th. No complications and life is great! I am down 55 lbs and losing steady. Here is my most recent pic
Best. Decision. Ever!
Good luck in your journey!!

We will have to learn to manage a lot of things without the protection of fat and food. It's called personal growth and won't just happen on it's own. And yes, ppl who pay attention to us when we are skinny but ignored us when we were fat are very shallow and we will know something about them that others don't.
You/we will always be more compassionate and less judging than the ones who didn't have to struggle this way; don't lose that. Focus on your own growth and not what others are doing, saying, thinking.

We will have to learn to manage a lot of things without the protection of fat and food. It's called personal growth and won't just happen on it's own. And yes, ppl who pay attention to us when we are skinny but ignored us when we were fat are very shallow and we will know something about them that others don't.
You/we will always be more compassionate and less judging than the ones who didn't have to struggle this way; don't lose that. Focus on your own growth and not what others are doing, saying, thinking.

We will have to learn to manage a lot of things without the protection of fat and food. It's called personal growth and won't just happen on it's own. And yes, ppl who pay attention to us when we are skinny but ignored us when we were fat are very shallow and we will know something about them that others don't.
You/we will always be more compassionate and less judging than the ones who didn't have to struggle this way; don't lose that. Focus on your own growth and not what others are doing, saying, thinking.

Only 4 weeks out but I had complications. I'd still do it again. I'm glad I don't have to though. That first three weeks was hard!!

I remember once when Oprah had lost a lot of weight...she heard that people were saying things like "Well, she's rich, it's easy to lose weight when someone cooks all of your food and does everything for you." She was talking about it on her show and basically said...she was the one who had to make healthful dietary choices every day and refuse her beloved Ruffles potato chips. Her wealth didn't do that for her. And she is the one who had to get her butt on the track and walk every day. She couldn't pay someone to do that for her.
I think it is so similar when people say that VSG is "the easy way out." We are the ones who have make sure that every morsel we put in our mouths is good fuel for our bodies and resist head hunger. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who make special holiday meals for our families and then don't partake in most of it. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who go to the gym even when the weather isn't good or we feel like going to bed early instead. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who keep drinking (and drinking and drinking) Water when part of us would rather hang out with our old friend Diet Coke or Frozen Margarita. The surgery doesn't do that for us.
And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, the surgery is a tool, but I still feel that we own and deserve every hard-earned victory we see on the scale and every NSV. If others don't understand that, it's okay. I know that I haven't taken the easy way out, but I also know that what I'm doing is an investment in something very important--me. And that's something that money definitely can't buy.

I'm with dr Garcia May 11!!!!! Glad you're doing well! Thanks guys ????

Ok here is my detailed experience with Dr. Garcia/ Ready 4A Change
I was initially contacted by email to receive a quote from alma with r4ac. She was not pushy at all and answered my questions within minutes. It wasn't until I realized how many people inquired on a daily basis that I was truly impressed with her customer service. She makes it seem as though she has all the time in the world just for you (even on Sunday...sorry Alma) . With something this new and serious I needed someone to be available and she ALWAYS was. Dr. Garcia could have been the best surgeon in his country, but if his coordinators were awful, I would have certainly reconsidered.
Day 1- Marriot Stay
Samuel picked me up on time, even though I missed my first flight. He was still there is less than 20 minutes. We waited for another sleever, crossed the border with no problems, headed to hotel. Check in was seamless and I had a good first night. Within 2 hours of check in I met Rosie, she is very detailed and very sweet also. They are on the ball!
Day 2-3 Hospital
Went to Florence/Oasis by hotel shuttle (Marriot driver was on some Speed Racer juice, Good God they drive horribly). Trip was only about 15 minutes. Within 10 minutes of arrival the so sweet Meli met us. We talked, she gave us the run down and we were in our rooms immediately. Pre op testing began immediately (blood work, urine samples ekg, x-rays). Following that the doctor, who also has WLS comes in to talk about the procedure and answer questions. Following her another doctor who has also had WLS comes on for questions. Paper work, questions...boring stuff. Then in come the man with the Happy drugs plan. He explains that he is the anesthesiologist and he will be by your side the entire time.. then following him....drum roll please....The One The Only DR. GARCIA. He has the sweetest smile EVER. I bet he doesn't have an enemy in the world. He shows the surgery procedure, speaks with you and you're wheeled off. Dr. Garcia called my husband immediately after the procedure. I woke up on my room I met the internist following recovery. YOU WILL SEE THEM ALL THE TIME. A doctor is on staff 24 hrs. He sits at the nurses station.
Day following I had a lot of nausea but the nurses managed the pain and nausea well. Oh yeah...they didn't touch me with a needle until they were confident they could find my vein. One stick folks. They're English at Florence/ Oasis was superb, they work on a tight schedule. They were already doing before I could even ask. I was directly across from the station and can tell you all, I saw with my own eyes, they wash their hands constantly!
PS drain removal feels like a snake in your tummy. Strange but zero pain
Days 3-4
Back to that super comfy bed at the Marriot. Only gripe: I could not get them to connect calls to me on my last night there. Never stayed at a hotel that didn't transfer calls to a room. With the amount of international patients that stay there, they may want to consider a line for incoming calls. Also, didn't sleep much because of banging due to repairs. I got unlucky. All in all the hotel experience was good. However, I wait to get to the hotel to start with gas issues, smh. Not much sleeping.for this girl.
On my last night, Rosie came by with Dr. Luna and he removed my staples, painlessly. I got my paperwork, detailed information about how to eat, and my x-rays.
Day 5 Going Home
Going home started at 6am. We ran.into traffic, crossed the border and I was still 2 hrs early for my flight. Flying home is another long story I won't bore yall with. But, I'm home safe and sound. The Cartel didn't get me and all my organs are still in there. I would recommend Dr. Garcia and Ready 4 a Change to someone I love! The experience was great, I'm so happy I did this for myself. Please PM, or comment any questions. I'm here to help. I remember how much your posts helped me :-)