AngelNP

Dr. Louisana Valenzuela is also a trauma surgeon as well as bariatric surgeon. See if you can find a guy named Jaime. He is awesome. He is American who lives in TJ and is bilingual. He will get you whatever you want/need within reason (Legal..etc). LOL Great guy to get you sips of drinks, wash cloth, etc.

Bea, I was at the same hotel and had the same surgeons. He works with Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela. They are both awesome. Yes, I'm biased. Good luck and God Bless. Your time there will go fast!

Oh, I have 2012 research on WLS...if you want a copy..let me know.

ABSOLUTELY. When I was first sleeved, it was "swollen" which is normal. I puked and my surgeons gave me IV methoprednisol...like infusing Jesus! Poof, I was all better. I'm 7 months (will be 8 months on 08/07), s/p surgery. My blood pressure has normalized. My cholesterol is awesome, and 20 more lbs to go and I'll be non-diabetic. My Hbg A1C was 8.5 (lost 47 lbs) went down to 6.5 (under 6 is normal). My goal is 20 more lbs to lose so my HbgA1c will be about 5.5. I did this surgery to save my life! I was a ticking bomb and didn't know it until I looked at my labs. I have so much energy...like a jack rabbit on crack (like I did was I was in my 20's). I'll be 50 y/o in January. I know I don't look like it and now don't feel like I'm 92. LOL I can do all my activities like I did years ago...especially dancing. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. My sister says the same. She was sleeved 4 months before me, and we both went to Mexico to have it done. I hope that helps! Good luck on your journey. I will bet this will be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.

This is a great post. I really dislike the term "slow loser." It just seems so negative to me. I hope that I won't struggle with my weight for the rest of my life. One thing I like about the eating plan that my surgeon and NUT have advised is healthy eating once the dietary restrictions from healing were removed. I don't count carbs. I eat balanced with focus of course on Protein and then veggies/fruits. The idea is not to be at goal as fast as possible' date=' it's to establish my lifetime healthy eating habits. So if my goal takes 9 months, 12 months or 24 months it will happen. In addition, I won't be at THAT point learning how to eat for the rest of my life I will have all that time under my belt and should be habit by then.

We live in such an instant gratification society these days. I too, want it yesterday, but with this, if there is one thing I am learning, its patience. Comparing my loss to others is futile and chances are, I will come out on the short end the comparison stick. Why go there?

I just spent almost 6 weeks hovering with the scale teasing and taunting me of the magic number to overweight land with obese land in the rear view mirror. Down 3, up 2, down 2, up 3. It was brutal but I know if I hung in there it would happen. Finally, 3 days in a row now with the scale under 163. I am ready to officially claim the fact that I am no longer obese.

Good luck everyone, let's enjoy the journey a much as we can to a healthy life! [/quote']

Awesome! That is great insight.

I usuallyweigh myself once a week, i keep forgetting to measure myself. I'll just have to remember to do it on Mondays.

I am proud of u too!

Oh my... I hope that I don't have the start if arthritis... It runs in my family... My mom got it fairly early but I'm only 27... Lets just hope it's lack of Vitamins or minerals or Water or something that is a quick easy fix! Please keep me posted!

Believe it or not, movement is best for arthritis to keep the joints lubricated. Warm Water is ultimate exercise. If you have swelling on your knees, talk to your PCP about prescribing Voltaren gel1%. My arthritic patients love it. As long as u r not allergic to NSAIDS...true allergy.

Jeez' date=' Pool, you hit the nail on the head. The hardest part was just actually going out there and trying. Besides the anxiety of just starting out, I was a bit embarrassed for anyone to see my fat rear trying to do it. So you know what I did?? I walked back and forth in my parking lot. Figured if I fell flat on my face, I wouldnt have to far to drag myself into the house!!

My goal is to make the walks out to the street by Sat Morn.[/quote']

Keep up the good work, The key is consistency. Do your exercises at least 4 out of 7 days to see results quicker. Regarding the pool, Water is 12 times more effective than land due to the resistance and better for your bones and joints.

Couch to the 5k is great for starters. Also, giving up the 20 oz coffee will be of great benefit as it increases cortisol levels (stress level also worsens cortisol levels) that increases abdominal adipose tissue (fat cells). BarNone, do you have anyone that can give you a break from taking care of your parents 3 or 4 days a week for a couple of hours? This will help you mentally as well as physically. Sometimes care takers need a break. Good luck to both of you! I'm rooting for both of you!!! wooot woot..LOL

When tipping (driver' date=' room service), did you use dollars or pesos?[/quote']

Dollars

I am very excited. My stomach has been in knots for days. I am sure it will get better.

It will. I just referred one of my male pain patients to them today.

She's also a trauma surgeon who worked in San Francisco. I was a trauma flight nurse on a helicopter and fixed wing (airplane) for a year. With both Dr. Valenzuela and Dr. Ismael Cabrera, they have over 5, 000 surgeries performed with no deaths.

I am having surgery with Valenzuela on July 31st. I will be there on the 27th until August 5th, just in case. My coordinator Cindy had the same surgeon and she's doing great. I am going through Mexico Bariatrics.

That drain was disgusting! That's the only part that bummed me out about the whole thing. Bring soap to the Mi Doctor for your shower! They didn't have any for some reason. And they didn't give us any washcloths either. Maybe bring a shower puff or something. I wish I had taken hard soled slippers. And since I had more of an issue with my drain than the other patients, I wish I had brought a whole pack of sterile gauze with me and medical tape. Thank goodness I brought what I did, but I needed more. What really helped me pass the time in the hotel was my Kindle Fire HD and audiobooks. And games, music, etc. The TV in Tijuana was aggravating. Bring a light weight robe too. I think I did very well with just my carry on luggage and I didn't need to fuss with baggage claim. So that was a blessing too. I brought my own chicken bouillon cubes and tea which was nice to have something hot at night without calling room service and having to tip each time. Even though their chicken broth was awesome! Eat that in the dining room or during the day when you feel like dealing with other people. Oh! One more thing. Abraham will most likely take you to get the best ice cream in the world. Don't get the "fruit"! Get mango or lime instead. They don't have chunks and you'll be able to enjoy it better. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. Good luck!

I like to tag onto Jiggly's post too. In the Mexico Trip Tips document, it gives all the stuff including safety pin to pin the drain to your gown or clothes so it does not pull. Also, at MiDoctor's hospital, there is a Mexican/American guy named, Jaime who will get you almost anything (within reason and legal..LOL) I was provided towels and wash cloths when requested. There is free internet access. My girlfriend brought her computer, and I brought my IPad. I guess that is similar to Kindle? I know you can read books from it, but not sure if you can access internet. Oh, know the hours of the café when they are open. My girlfriend got stuck missing meal times; however the staff was unbelievable and gave her on two separate occasions free dinner. I was so envious...cause I couldn't eat...LOL just sip, sip, sip. My girlfriend and I visited neighboring patients. On our floor, we were all medical people. There was one gal who was by herself (traveling etc). We visited her often and my friend was also her advocate when she needed something. It's a great bonding experience. If I think of anything else...I'll post it.

Please stop and do the math.

People get completely freaked out by what I feel are unreasonable expectations. They fly into a panic. They assume that the first time they don't lose on the scale that their loss is done. They think that two weeks at one weight is a massive stall. They look at other people's large losses and forget that we don't all lose at the same rate.

First - if you did a pre-op diet you are not going to have the same loss your first month as someone who didn't do one. Your pre-op loss should get counted into your loss calculation if you did a pre-op diet.

Second - a stall is three weeks or more at the same weight with no fluctuation. Are you panicked after that? Well' date=' my friend coops once spent twenty one MONTHS at the same weight. She finally broke through and never regained during that time, and even lost two sizes while not budging on the scale. Is it the miracle cure you may have been hoping for on the scale? No. But stalls are not the end of the world. They are certainly more normal that flying to goal in six weeks, I promise you.

Third - losing anything more than a pound a week is good. Are you eating less than ever before? Yes. Does that guarantee you'll lose faster than ever before? No. I had two nine week stalls - no movement except upwards for my monthly cycle. I had months where I lost but only in the tenths of a pound. It's not normal to expect a big loss every time you step on the scale. It's setting yourself up for disappointment.

Fourth - your pattern is your pattern. You can compare yourself to other people sleeved the same day or with the same stats but it doesn't matter. So much of this is individual. So if you're constantly seeking out other people and comparing your losses to theirs, you are eventually going to discourage and frustrate yourself.

Fifth - are you closing in on goal? We all lose even more slowly the less weight we have to lose. So if you only have sixty pounds to lose but shed thirty in your first three months, please don't be hysterical because you're "only" losing a pound a week now that you're past the halfway point. It's normal.

Stop. Breathe. Do the math. Adjust your expectations. This is not a race. You do not get a special award for reaching goal more quickly. Your surgery was not pointless or worthless if you manage to get to goal in two years instead of six months. The real goal is not losing the weight. It's keeping the weight off. That's real success - that's what we're here to do. It does not matter if you hit goal in nine months or two years - the real challenge and the real journey begins with maintenance. How quickly or slowly you lost does nothing to change the challenges you'll encounter there.

I am not ranting at anyone in particular. I just feel that this is an issue that comes up constantly and it's actually pretty silly for people to fly into such a panic without really thinking. I've seen folks upset when they're logging losses of upwards of four pounds a week. Point to the diet that helped you accomplish that and was easy to maintain prior to surgery.

~Cheri[/quote']

Well said. Ditto!

Lol...goes to show I don't keep emails. Glad you got them and are helpful to you.

Are you drinking and eating appropriately? If it's hot weather and you're thirsty, you're already behind the 8 ball (dehydrated). It's hard to catch up. I got heat exhaustion from being at the fair and not drinking enough fluids (I know better but didn't do better). I paid the price and still trying to recover from it. My mum has a saying on her kitchen wall, "Learn from the mistakes of others, you can't live long enough to make them all yourself". Sure....LOL Hope that helps.

Thanks! Anything you recommend bringing? When (and where) did they take the drain out?

I'm not taking anything personally. Was asking questions to clarify your statements. Regarding hearsay, I was referring to whatever that woman told you. It was really unfortunate what happened. I too would have felt bad for her (you seem to be a very companionate person); however it is the patient's responsibility to give the surgeon all the information up until prior to arrival. That's what I meant about that woman maybe not providing you with hence what didn't make sense. Could she have been approved based on information she provided initially? Maybe she didn't provide accurate information in the surgical application. Somehow, when she got there, the surgeon (s) found that the information she provided (that got her approved) was no longer valid and was not able to do the surgery. It does suck...but she is alive and with a standing ovation clapping, Dr. Valenzuela did the right thing and not perform surgery if it could be dangerous to the woman's life. I tend to ask questions (professional habit-medical field and being a retired police officer/Deputy Sheriff-Coroner)...to seek to understand. I appreciate you telling the story. It does not have anything to do with Dr. Valenzuela's ability of being a bariatric surgeon...other than proving she is competent and will do the right thing regarding the safety of individuals versus taking money and doing an unnecessary surgery. I did state earlier that I was biased because she was one of my surgeons, and it was the research that I did and the company I went through (Medical Tourism- USA based company) to provide top bariatric Mexican Surgeons. Sincerely, Jen

@ Jiggly puff, I have a few questions. Regarding the 65 y/o woman, what was her BMI? How tall was she and how much did she weigh. Be careful regarding rumor, opinion, and hearsay, due to these being the lowest forms of information and does not mean it is a fact. What was her BMI when she applied for the surgery? Did she lose weight prior to the surgery IE pre-op diet? Did her BMI change after she applied for surgery and prior to arriving? These are key factors. You see, I went from BMI 35 to 33 and notified them immediately. I was cleared for the surgery again prior to flying. "Something's wrong with this picture" that you've described. When you "met this woman in the hospital", was she going to have surgery by another physician? It sounds like the woman wanted the surgery really bad and when she arrived, for safety reasons, the surgeon (s) would not operate. This is not a bad thing, this is a competent deal. How do you know she wasn't pissed because she wanted it so bad and then told no. It is very clear in the paperwork what the guidelines are. Oh, and FYI, she will be refunded her money if the surgery did not occur and not due to her backing out because of changing her mind. I know this FIRST HAND because I was one of her patients and received the paperwork. So, I'm curious on your answers, then it will either prompt me with further questions or give me more information to comment further. I believe there's more to this that you are either not providing or the woman wasn't telling.

Dr. Louisana Valenzuela & Dr. Ismael Carbera Garcia are out of MiDoctor's Hospital, TJ, Mexico. Nice hospital/great surgeons. Yes, I'm biased.

Dr. Louisana Valenzuela & Dr. Ismael Carbera Garcia are out of MiDoctor's Hospital, TJ, Mexico. Nice hospital/great surgeons. Yes, I'm biased.

I was at 24 hr Walmart and did not see it. So, I settled for Yoplait . Thanks for the visual! It will help me locate it next time or did you just get it online? I'm not much of a shopper (buyer..yes). I like go, in get it...bounce.

Yes and and I've got some on order now.. I've had a struggle with the artificial sugars since being sleeved I gave up all forms of sugar real or fake a year before being sleeved.. Since being sleeved everything contains fake starting with the shakes I drank in the beginning.

So I gave in. But I have been having convos about giving up the stuff again.

I'm not ready yet. So stevia here I come.

I ordered the drops.

I am sad that i went to the store tonight looking for the yogurt you mentioned and ended up with yoplay sp?