bulldog1973

I am 3 years post sleeve and have had wonderful success. In September my gallbladder went bad, which I know is common after weight loss surgery. Very long story short, my surgeon cut my bile duct during by gallbladder removal and is blaming it on my "unusual anatomy" after sleeve surgery. Obviously there is a lot to this story, but I was wondering if anyone else had encountered this?

I had my sleeve done with Dr. Garcia 07/03/13 and my experience was very similar to yours and mine went great also. I have had several friends and former co-workers go to him since then and not one of them has had any type of complication. I have now lost 125 pounds and feel amazing. I recently went to my 25 year high school reunion and no one knew who I was!!

All of my labs were perfect, LFT was all WNL. Pain is better now, still comes and goes occasionally, but definitely not like it was. I hate to put my head in the sand and act like it will go away on its own, but that is pretty much where I am.

Amy how did it go?

I just realized you were talking to amysd1009 sorry! My name is Amy too!

It could not have gone better. My only regret about my surgery is that I waited so long to do it!!

I guess I am lucky with my PCP. He has been very supportive of my decision to have this surgery since the beginning. To be honest, it never even crossed my mind to send it to Dr. Garcia's office because I knew my PCP would handle all of it.

Why are you eating meatballs at just 3 weeks out???

That being said, I am 15 months out and can still only eat 2-3 oz in one sitting, maybe 4 oz if I haven't eaten all day.

About 3 weeks ago I started having pain in my left upper abdomen, right under my ribs. I got worse over the next couple of days, to the point that I drank a bottle of Mag Citrate thinking maybe I was constipated. Pain continued to worsen, but only when I was standing. If I was sitting or lying down I had absolutely no pain. I finally gave in and went to ER. They did a CT with and without contrast and did not find anything out of the ordinary.

Over the next few days the pain was still present, but still only when standing. This went on for almost two weeks and then it was gone. I have no clue what this was, but it scared the hell out of me. I am 15 months post op, have lost 124 pounds, and have felt great throughout my post op. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this??

a yellow cab

Posting a more recent "after" photo.

I took my FMLA paperwork to my PCP here at home and he filled them out for me even though I had my surgery in Mexico.

You will be in very good hands! The first few hours after surgery I felt like crap, but then started moving around and it passed quickly. Just don't psych yourself out, I have a bad habit of doing that. Just remember what you are there for, take a deep breath, say a prayer, and think about the rest of your life.

Dr. Fernando Garcia is the doctor you should use. Between me and a friend we have referred 10 people to him in the last 15 months, all have had wonderful success and no complications. My surgery was 07/03/13 and I have lost 124 pounds, 1 pound to go. He, his assistants, the nurses, and everyone associated with him were, and have been, wonderful. I recommend him to everyone.

Glad you are doing well!!! I am almost 14 months post op and 4 pounds from my goal weight. I also went with Dr. Garcia and would not have changed a thing!! He, and his staff, are exceptional. I still struggle daily with getting in my Water and Protein, but that is because my restriction is still great. Even 14 months out I can still only eat about 3oz at a meal and that is being FULL. My boyfriend and I have a running joke when we talk about what to make for dinner...my response is usually "5 bites of anything".

Hope you continue to have great success!!

I was sleeved by Dr. Garcia on 7/3/13 and could not be happier. He and his staff are wonderful!! You will be given a ton of literature to read and will forget half of what you are told by the time you return home, but the paperwork is pretty easy to follow. So much of it is common sense that it really is hard to screw up. The first couple of weeks are the hardest, but after that you get the hang of it, and the weight is falling off. I do not regret for one second going with Dr. Garcia, he has absolutely changed my life.

I had my surgery just over a year ago with Dr. Garcia and I could not be happier with where I am. I am down almost 120 pounds, with only 6 more to go before I reach my goal weight. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Garcia and his staff. I know Dr. Garcia isn't one of the "big names" that you see advertising all over this site and drawing in the masses, but his surgical skills are excellent and his staff is amazing. I have not had one moment of complications since my surgery and I give credit to my surgeon for doing an excellent job. I can honestly say that Dr. Garcia has added years to my life, not just any years, but good years that I will be able to enjoy because I am healthy. Thank you Dr. Garcia!!!

Working in a jail you can never really be surprised by what comes out of an Inmate's mouth, however I have gotten so many comments from current and returning inmates regarding my weight loss it makes me laugh almost every day. My favorite ones are the ones who were released prior to my surgery and are now back in for whatever...and they say "Damn, you have lost a lot of weight, you were really fat before. You look good now." Too funny. Nothing like a guy in jail for shooting up pet meds judging me!!

Before my surgery and right after I worried about people knowing, but now that I am 7 months out and down almost 100 pounds, I could really care less. I am also a nurse, but I work in Corrections, so I get the double wammy with the gossip circles. When people ask me now I tell them "I went to Mexico and had weight loss surgery". They are usually far more interested in the fact I went to Mexico than they are in the actual surgery. The conversation usually ends with "well you look great".

At the end of the day, do what makes you comfortable and happy. Most I have found are very supportive, the ones that aren't are usually just jealous of the fact that I now look like a new person.

I'm smaller than my sister!!! I have always been the fat sister, now I am smaller than she is. As a matter of fact, I went through a box of clothes that she was getting ready to donate because all of the clothes were too small for her and I found all kinds of nice things that fit me. I know she is happy for me, she is my sister and she loves me, but she is having some difficulty with this role reversal.

You look fantastic!!! You should hang that comparison photo on your bathroom mirror and any time you feel upset about your stall look at how far you have come.

Just keep doing what you are doing. You have lost 45 pounds in a very short period of time, give your body time to catch up. I know we all want it to come off quick quick quick, but that isn't how it works. It took you years to get up to 302, it will take months, maybe over a year, to get off all of your excess weight. Stop driving yourself crazy, just breathe and keep up the good work. You are doing great!!!!

I was sleeved by Dr. Garcia on 07/03/13 and could not be happier. I was 277 the day of surgery and I am 187 now, down 90 pounds!! I have not had one single problem. I could not have been taken care of any better while I was in the hospital or in the hotel. Being a nurse I have seen lousy care, but the nurses and doctors that took care of me were fantastic.

A woman that I work with also went to Dr. Garcia a few months after I did and she has also had great success. I cannot recommend him highly enough, you will never regret choosing Dr. Garcia.

It was 5 days after surgery for me.

I have mixed opinions about this question. On one hand, I was also an overweight teenager and would have loved to have been a "normal" size like all of my friends were. However, I can also say that I know that I was not mature enough when I was 17 to handle the responsibilities that comes with this surgery, following the steps, avoiding certain foods, and to be able to really understand the possible consequences.

I think it would be on a case by case basis. I think if your daughter is mature enough to handle all of the baggage that comes with weight loss surgery, then there is nothing wrong with having the conversation with her.