supbanana

How far out was it before you could sleep on your side/stomach again?? I stopped sleeping on my back eight or so years ago because it always triggered sleep paralysis. I'm four days out and can't get comfortable sleeping on my side or stomach (uncomfortable pressure in the surgery area + irrational fear of popping new stomach like a balloon) but am having old anxiety resurface in regards to sleeping on my back. As soon as I start to fall asleep my body panics and jerks me awake again. I'm exhausted. :/

Oh hi! You were my hero, I was very impressed. I've got to learn how to say no for sure, that's one of my biggest flaws. Still, we got some cool stuff!

I'm the one that said cereal was 40, but that was in pesos! Everyone so far has taken US dollars gladly. Don't do what I do and bring a 100 bill, whoops. I've found food is similar to prices in the US, but a group of us just hit sort of a flea market tourist kind of thing and the prices were very impressive! Especially if you're not afraid to haggle and say no (I'm afraid to haggle and say no and freely admit I allowed myself to be overcharged and still feel like I got a great deal!). ETA: also, there hasn't been any tax. The two dollar sculpture is purely two dollars.

I've been on a ketogenic diet (high fat, moderate Protein, low carb) diet for the last sixteen months and my health dramatically improved, including my cholesterol. I sincerely feel like anyone considering wls should go on this type of diet for at least a month and see if they get results from it before resorting to surgery. I fully plan on continuing with keto now that I've been sleeved. I feel like the two together will be the perfect match for my own personal weight loss goals. It's not a very well understood diet and therefore gets a lot of criticism, but I do feel the majority of people would benefit from lower carb diets. I've actually often thought that post-op diets are more or less low carb and have wondered if the low carb itself has lent more towards weight loss than the actual surgery for some people.

Yeah, I didn't know what to expect at all so really wanted to document my experience in case it helps someone else. I'll upload and post the pictures when I get to a real computer, hopefully next week!

Had my leak test yesterday. I still wasn't feeling 100% so my memory is a little fuzzy, but basically I was taken out of the hospital in a wheelchair (hospital policy) straight to Omar's vehicle. He had my meds waiting for me - pain meds, antibiotic and another to help protect the stomach, plus diflucan to prevent yeast infection. there was also gauze, wound cleanser and band aids that came in handy after I couldn't resist a shower and longer last night. From there he took us to a grocery store where I got Vitamin Water and Gatorade. (Side note, I know the currency rate is different from USD, but it still kind of shocked me to see a 40 price tag on a box of Cereal lol, I didn't immediately realize they meant pesos.) After the store we went to Angeles hospital for the leak test. I was handed the barbaric (i meant bariatric, but i think this autocorrect is so accurate and funny that I'm leaving it) Fluid that would show up on the scan. It was clear and didn't smell like much but the aftertaste was so bitter. I was surprised at the amount. i was expecting a little sip, but it was probably about the volume of a shot glass. i was dubious if my stomach could hold it all, but it did. Omar had told me that no one had thrown up the liquid yet, but I admit I spent the scan thinking I was going to be the first. Anyway, it was cool seeing the liquid travel down my new stomach! No leaks. Omar was kind enough to record the video for me and email me a copy (I love technology) and I was given a printed X-ray type copy that was very cool, even if I don't know what I'm really looking at. I was weighed before leaving and had gained 8 pounds in the hospital, making my official surgery weight 288. I knew that I would gain some weight based on experiences I've read here, but it was still a bummer to be so close to 290 again. Oh well, not for long!! After that I took my picture with Dr. Illan and Omar, albeit grudgingly because I just got out of the hospital and looked like crap. That's never an ego booster, lol, but one day I'm sure I'll be glad to have those pictures. Omar then drove mom and me to the hotel, pointing out different monuments and sharing a little bit of Tijuana's history on the way. It was pretty fascinating stuff. The Lucerna hotel is very nice! It seems secure enough; you have to insert a room card to use the elevator. The staff brought us a refrigerator for my Jello and drinks. It was making a loud noise and so they replaced it with a quieter one and were very nice about it. They brought up a microwave for my mom's meals as well, though the staff mentioned that it might be 5/day to have it, which is fine. They have a restaurant thing downstairs. My mom said that it was really good, so if you're traveling with someone they'll have food on hand. Our room overlooks two very pretty swimming pools and we have a lovely balcony. I would have been happy in any safe, comfortable place but it's surprisingly nice that this one is pretty and luxurious as well. As for how I'm feeling, not bad! I started feeling close to 100% last night. I feel better and better as time goes on. No nausea, minimal pain. Been walking, using my spirometer breathing thing, and taking my meds. I think the hardest part is that I'm a dedicated stomach sleeper. I stopped sleeping on my back a decade ago because it caused me to have sleep paralysis (wonder if sleep apnea was involved?). The hospital bed wasn't too bad because I was sitting up, but it was difficult falling asleep on the hotel bed, on my back, because I was afraid of the old sleep paralysis. I finally managed to conk out and everything was fine. Dr. Reyna (not sure if I'm spelling it right, I only remember it because he introduced himself as "dr reyna, like dr Queen because Reyna is Spanish for Queen!" Loved that lol) stopped by the hotel with Omar this morning and put steri strips on my incisions. He said everything looks good, and I'm feeling good (knock wood) so I think things will be fine. A little nervous about flying back home tomorrow as sitting causes some discomfort, but it's a short flight.

Yep. was sleeved on Friday and made it through fine, but I'm having a rough time post op and I keep wondering if this is what dying feels like.

I used to eat all of my mom's expensive diet food as snacks when I was in high school and never realized how frustrating that must have been. Now that I'm reading your stories I'm feeling a little guilty, guess I owe her some nutritious snacks lol.

I have to share because I'm proud of myself, the doc just told me that my liver was so tiny that he had to make only four incisions instead of five because there was no need to hold my liver back. So glad I did the extra week of pre-op diet, including the last five days of virtually 100% broth, Water and crystal light. Yep, I'm walking! Thank you both. I'm feeling better and better as time goes on.

Short story: I'm officially sleeved as of ~4pm yesterday! Still pretty out of it but feeling good. Long story: Dr. Illan was incredibly pleasant and his English was perfect (only mentioning this because I see this asked frequently). He introduced me to a doctor that I think was being trained who was also very polite. After I passed the EKG (with another professional, informative doc), nurses loaded me into the OR. I remember them wrapping my legs in those things that inflate and deflate (I think to help with circulation?) over my compression stockings. Then of course came the anesthesia and I was out. Speaking of anesthesia, I got to talk to the anesthesiologist prior to surgery and admitted I was afraid of dying from the anesthesia, heh. She took the time to explain to me how it's calculated and why I wouldn't be dying from it, lol. She was also very kind, professional and really put me at ease. I was having the loveliest dream, and then woke up A) needing to vomit and with no concept of an indoor voice, whoops. I kind of blurted out/screamed "OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE IM GOING TO DIE I NEED TO VOMIT." (This is how I usually react to coming out of anesthesia, having existential crises). I was told it was okay to puke, so I went ahead and deafened everyone on the floor, "NO I DON'T WANT A LEAK!!1!" Dr. Illan was very kind and patiently explained that a leak is not possible. He says that he staples it, sews it, and then does on more thing to the seal. I'll have to ask him more about his technique later but that put me at ease. I was able to vomit and burp up some of the gas. My original gung-ho plan was to start walking as soon as possible, strutting out of the OR itself if I was feeling up to it. That got shut down fast, I was completely out of it until 10pm, then incredibly sick and goofy until around 8am this morning. I knew I needed to walk so I kept moving my legs in bed in lieu of the actual thing (made sense in my confused brain). I was able to get up and shower and then as soon as I did the nurses gave me nausea meds. That got everything under control and I was finally able to do a few laps around the hallway. I'm already feeling at around 80%, and the staff have just been amazing. They've been very attentive, patient and are on top of meds and the beeping iv. Last night one even discovered that the IV in my left hand wasn't working anymore, so she immediately put a new one in my right hand, I was impressed by this because the same thing happened to me during a hospital visit in the states and the nurses ignored me; my hand swelled up like an orange. Anyway, VERY impressed with everyone and everything here. Omar and a doctor even gave us an apology letter for the staff being loud the other night, which was totally unexpected but I thought very nice. I first starting researching weight loss surgery 8 years ago and I'm so glad I waited to have it now with Dr. Illan, his team, Omar, and everyone here at florence. Feels good to finally have this over with, can't wait to see what is in store for a thinner, healthier me!

I'm in Tijuana at florence Hospital. From what I understand, an enlarged liver can get in the way during surgery and make the surgery more difficult. Shrinking it as much as possible makes it easier to have clear access to the stomach. Good luck with your journey! I look forward to hearing about yours and will be updating this thread until I get home safe and sound.

Dr. Illan out of florence Hospital

Oh my goodness, just had kind of a funny moment. A lady came in the room and didn't speak English (note: not a criticism at all, I don't speak Spanish so we're even lol) and I could have sworn she said she was a respiratory therapist. She had me sit in the chair and lean forward then draped a sheet over my back and starting giving me a massage with a wand massager. I was confused for the longest time, "why is she massaging my lungs before listening to them??" But then it occurred to me that she was a *massage* therapist. I'm totally a puddle of goo right now. Stress? What stress?? This is great.

I'm sorry this is happening to you! I'm in Tijuana now and it was explained to me that if they found any reason that I could not go through surgery they would hand my check back over to me and send me on my way.

Thank you! I will update. I feel better now, just woke up with a bad case of oh-god-what-am-I-doing-itis lol. My mom is with me and was able to talk to someone that had the surgery yesterday and is doing great today, so that helped calm our nerves.

630 am, I'm showered and my IV is in. She got it the first try but I bled all over everything. I'm definitely not in the US anymore, my bloody slippers went straight into the garbage instead of biohazard. That doesn't bother me, but it's just different. Also different, I'm used to quiet US hospitals. The staff here laughed and talked loudly all night and even played music so loud I could clearly hear it through a closed door. Not sure if that's normal, but it made sleeping difficult for both my mom and I. (Edit: somehow this got back to the hospital, and they formally apologized to us. I was embarrassed but the rest of our stay was quiet and peaceful so I think this was an isolated incident.) Starting to get a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. Getting my stomach removed in a foreign country? What was I thinking?? Definitely having an attack of nerves, but I've got to go through with this. My knees and back are killing me, if I do t do this I'm surely looking at a knee replacement before I'm 40. Can definitely used all the positive vibes you guys have!

I'm having surgery tomorrow with Dr. Illan at florence Hospital, thought I would make my own thread so future potential patients can read about my experience here (hence the super long title, trying to cram the key words in there for future searches). I booked this though Susan (I think the company is Mysurgeryoptions.com? Please correct me if I'm wrong) and she was incredibly helpful (thanks Susan!!). It was an easy process for me, she did all the work. So far it's been great!! The flight from San Francisco to San Diego was flawless, and the driver was waiting for me at the airport holding a sign with my name on it (I thought that was really cool, I felt like a fancy lady). The drive was smooth, took about 40 minutes, border control stopped us and searched our bags but didn't ask for a passport or any ID. The driver didn't speak much English, which was no problem, it was just a quiet ride. As for this section of Tijuana, the driver said it best: "eh, this part not so good, but the hospital is okay." Omar was waiting for us when we pulled up to the hospital and stayed until we were checked in and comfortable. He even ran to a store for us and brought back chicken salad for my mom that was pretty much the nicest salad I've ever seen, and even brought me some creamed Soup that was sooo decadent after a week of broth and crystal light. The nurses and staff have all been kind and professional. Their English so far has been easy to understand, no communication barriers yet. I feel really at ease with them. The room is almost like a hotel room, pretty comfortable. My mom says the guest bed is fairly comfortable. I think the hospital mattress is cozy, it's not the weird hard mattress that's standard in the states. It's a little cushier, which I prefer. There's a little nightstand and a big chair that's pretty comfortable. They have cable but you have to leave your ID with the front desk in exchange for the remote so nobody tries to steal the remote (that's how it was explained to me). We're not bothering with that, we brought iPads and the free wi-fi works great! The plug ins were compatible with our chargers (thought I would mention it, I've seen a couple people ask). They're going to boot me out of bed at 6am to do all the pre-op testing, so I'll log off and get some rest. Feel free to ask questions! I'll update as time goes on.

That's funny, I was coming here to ask a similar question! I had to go off birth control for the surgery. That instigated an early period that started today, and surgery is Friday. I'm hoping SO much that my body will get over it before then, but prior to bc long, heavy periods weren't unusual. I *wish* I had heavy duty pain meds today though, the cramps are the reason I went on bc in the first place and I've been doubled over in pain most of the day.

I'm not having a revision, but my sleeve surgery is that same day and I'm also terrified of complications. Feel free to reach out to me if you need support or want to check in or just want a long distance surgery buddy? I hope everything goes well for you.

Could it have been Cash and Carry? Their website currently has them at a little under $6 but when I went to their store a couple months back it was closer to $4 for the big bottles.

That's what I was afraid of. I can leave everything in my car and carry only one class worth of books/supplies at a time, but my concern is walking up the hill to class, back down to my car and then right back up the hill again. I'm only 8 days into my pre-op diet and I'm already very week, by the time school starts I won't have had 'real' solid food for over a month and I'm worried about being able to make the trip. I'm sure it will be fine but my worst fear is the backpack weight causing a leak or passing out walking up the hills because my energy is shot.

On my pre-op diet I've been drinking coffee with heavy cream, broth, isopure protein shakes, crystal light, water and a little chicken at night. I've been on it for the past 8 days and have only pooped twice in that time. I think bowel problems are a little par for the course on the pre-op diet, whether it be diarrhea or constipation, but if you're in that much pain definitely call your surgeon. Also, our diets tend to be more low-carb, I've noticed. I've been on a very low-carb diet for the last 16 months and constipation is something that unfortunately comes with it.

That was sweet of her. I get a lot of people telling me that and I weigh 290. "What, but you look so good now!" I don't care, I don't feel good.

So my college semester starts 20 days after my surgery. The campus is on steep hills, so I'll be walking 1+ miles per day up steep hills carrying a 20-30lb backpack. Is this okay? I'm concerned about injuring myself just because I'm not sure what to expect from post-surgery activity levels. Sleevers, do you feel that this would have been doable for you? Anything I can do to minimize chances of injury? Am I overreacting??