I have told people and have received a mixed bag of comments.same thing happened when I had my hysterectomy last year.stuff like oh you won't be a mommy again. Mind you my daughter was 20 at the time. And people giving me the no more babies for you looks.
This time around I'm really not as concerned about the comments, not that I was about the hysterectomy comments. It's my body, my life No one has to deal with the long list of health problems including the knees that go out, having to wear a sleep apnea mask every night no matter where I go, etc but me. I've made this decision for a healthier me and don't care what people think.
Dr Alvarez sends you home with a copy of his book and Susan will email you info about all the pre and post op diet plans, info on the Vitamins we need to take.
Dr Alvarez also emails us when it's time to move to the next phase of our food plan. I'm sure there is plenty we could have learned from a nutritionist, but we are doing great with the support & info we get from this forum. I'm confident we will reach our goals.
It's great that you have a PCP who is supporting your decision and will follow you. We are lucky that way too. My fiancé has been able to get off 2 Rx meds already. He's very happy about that.
Good luck on your journey. You'll do great. Looking forward to following your progress.
I know. This is a sob story. Sorry. Just felt I had to type this. I just found out today that I have osteoperosis. I'm only 59!!! What the heck!!!! I've been put on Fosomax 70mg but for whatever reason, I just feel it won't be enough. I had a dexascan in 2001 and was told at that time that I had osteopenia and that if I took Calcium it would be reversed. I have been faithful in taking Calcium for all these years and now it's worse.
If this has done anything, it is has made me even more determined to have this surgery to get the weight off my frame. And I will admit, I did cheat a little on my 1200 cal. a day diet. Guess I had to get the last bit of emotional eating out of my system.
So, ho-hum...it's off to bed I go. I work graveshift from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. so I guess I better hit the hay and get my rest.
Thanks for listening and maybe understanding.
Hug your loved ones and appreciate what you have today because tomorrow is never certain...
Oh thank you! I am scheduled Nov 11. How is it working having no support group and dietician to have?? I worry about this so much!! I do have my PCP to follow me ..my IM dr sd she wd take care of my tests and follow care.
How are you handling this with no support group and all? Thank you.
People tell me the same thing, that they don't think I need it! even though that's a nice thing to say, I guess I must carry my weight well (in my dreams) because I am 5'5 and 200 lbs... that's not healthy! I have gained 25 pounds in 2 years and I know it's just downhill from here, especially considering my genetics. I say to hell with all those people... we need to do what's right for us! I haven't told my mom yet... she's going to flip her lid when she finds out I'm going to Mexico. The woman has barely made it out of CA in all her 50 years lol
My fiancé and I were sleeve by Dr Alvarez on 9/30. We are very pleased with him. I'm an operating room nurse and was looking for short cuts or some negative about the whole process. He's fantastic!! My incision scars look like a plastic surgeon closed them. They are so flat and faint already. His coordinator Susan was great to work with. She responses quickly to emails.
His van driver Rosie is super nice. We also really loved Andrea; she checked in on us several times to see if we needed anything and even offered to go get my mom dinner outside the hospital.
I highly recommend Dr Alvarez and would go to him again in a heartbeat.
I think the price is higher based on experience. He has done over 5200 sleeves. You are also in a hospital for 3 days and 2 nights. Price also includes you meds to take home. Also some other doctors in Tijuana work out of clinics and not hospitals.
Hi I was sleeved yesterday around 10 am with Dr. Alvarez in Piedras Negras, Mexico. I was out of recovery and up and walking my 11:30 am. Crazy I know. I felt like I had done 800 sit ups. After walking a few laps I only had pain on my left side felt like a pulled muscle. I could not believe how great I felt. I even had to ask the doctor are you sure you took my stomach out. It's now 2am (the next day). Just got up to walk again for the 9th time . No gas pain and the left pain is hardly felt now. I am in a full hospital and the care has been great. I brought my mom along and Jesus (my go to English speaking guy) is great. My mother was hungry and he has no problem leaving the hospital and getting her take out food. Dr Alvarez only does these max of 3 surgeries per day. I was lucky my group of ladies let me go first. I hope my review will help someone. I decided on Dr. Alvarez bases on all of my research. He was also featured on Newsweek a few years ago as one of the top 15 bariatric surgeons. I know I have a long journey and a ways to go. As of right now I am on the top of the world with my decision. My starting weight was 410. Preop weight 383. Dr Alvarez did require me a very long preop diet of 37 days based on my Bmi of 69. I did have a few cheats in the beginning. And thoughts that this Doctor is crazy. No one can do this crazy preop. I am now very very thankful for this pre op diet. I feel like that it's the key to my recovery. I live in Houston. It was only a 6 hour drive including stops for gas. No plane boarding and 1,000 % worth is. Best $9,200 I've ever spent (do to my high Bmi I had to pay an extra $500). Any questions please PM and I will be glad to help you. Also his Coordinator Susan is the BEST. While I know that I could have went to Tijuana Mexico and save a few thousand I would not change anything other than having this surgery sooner. If Dr Alvarez is a doctor on your list than you have found your doctor. Thanks for reading my long post. And sorry of some does not make since it's 2:51 here.
October 2013
Sleeved at Mi hospital with Dr. Lopez through A lighter Me ($4750)
Day 1 - travel to Mexico (Ottawa-Washington-San Diego-Tijuana)
My companion and I arrived at the San Diego airport around 3:15 pm. Once we were outside we called our driver Abraham from A lighter me on his cell. He knows the airport extremely well. We told him the number of the nearest pick up station from us and he came to us. I was glad that my companion was wearing an orange top. It helped us stand out from the others around us making it easier for Abraham to identify us. He already had 2 passengers with him. Once we picked up two other passengers, we headed for the hospital. Crossing the border into Mexico was almost a joke. It was nothing like back home. We simply went in a lane, slowly driving forward past the customs agent standing on the side. They did not even stop us to ask questions. And that was it, we were in Mexico! Be prepared for an interesting driving experience! The driving in Mexico is kind of crazy. People just drive where they want on the road. Abraham, whose English is very good, told us to close our eyes if we were too nervous. He is extremely personable and really cares about giving A Lighter Me's clients a pleasant experience. Abraham's wife was sleeved about 5 months ago and is doing great. He showed us pictures. We first went to the Mi hospital where we filled out forms, got weighed, take our pulse and did blood tests and an EKG. It is a small hospital, only 4 stories high. I was happy to see they have Wifi at the hospital with free access for everyone. You also get a safe in your room and a TV. There are 2 places to eat at the Mi hospital. There is a coffee shop on the 1st floor and the hospital cafeteria on the 4th floor. I know people who ate at both places. Everyone said the food was really good. Once all 3 future sleevers were done, all 6 of us left for the Marriott. The Marriott Hotel is quite nice. My room was very spacious. There are restaurants walking distance from the Marriott Hotel, as well as a store like the 7 eleven. There is a bar fridge in the hotel room and a safe. You can also request a room with a microwave. You also get free wifi and TV. Most of the TV channels however are Spanish. So bring something to occupy yourself. It was a long day. I was glad to go to bed. The bed was sooooo comfortable!
Day 2 - day of surgery
My companion had Breakfast at the Marriot. She was very impressed with their brunch. Lots of selection and great food. It is served until noon. Since I was only being picked up by our driver at 2 pm and I was fasting, I slept in as long as I could (until noon). Eduardo, another driver, picked us up right on time to go to the hospital. I got a room within 20 minutes once we arrived.I met with the generalist doctor who told me about the results of my previous day's tests. He listened to my heart and lungs and I was cleared for surgery. I also met with the anesthesiologist Doctor Garcia and Doctor Lopez individually prior to the surgery. I was given the opportunity to ask as many questions as I wanted. I was also told what to expect. This was very much appreciated. The nurse, who also had been sleeved two months prior, also put in my iv and helped me to put on my compression socks to help prevent blood clots. My companion was very impressed with this as they do not do this back home. I had my surgery at 5 pm. About two hours after surgery, I was back in my room. Within a couple of hours after that I was up walking around. Everyone at the hospital (nurses and doctors) told me how important walking is to prevent pain from the anesthesia. It was a bit hard getting in and out of bed after surgery, but it was manageable. I was also given ice chips to sip on. This was very appreciated as my mouth was dry from the surgery. The beds at the hospital are very comfortable. They also gave me something to help me sleep that night. So, I had a pretty good first night at the hospital.
Day 3 - day after surgery - leak test
The nurse gave me this blue liquid to drink. The liquid would show up in my drain if I had a leak. Nothing. Good news! My companion went to the coffee shop on the 1st floor for Breakfast. She was very pleased with her meal. I took a shower before my leak test. The nurse then came by to change my bandages. The leak test was nothing like what I was expecting. It literally took about 3 minutes. They give you liquid. You take one sip and you can see the liquid going down in your body from the machine. In all I probably took 3 separate sips for the attendant to watch if any was leaking each time I took a sip. Again all good. Great news! I had heard so many horror stories about the taste that I was expecting something really bad. It is not something that I would order as a drink in a restaurant, but it was not that bad. Just bitter. After the leak test was over, I walked around talking to other patient sleevers comparing notes. It was nice to chat with the other two who I had been picked up with on the first day. One of the girls was doing extremely well. The other was not so lucky. She had been throwing up most of the night as a result of the anesthesia. I felt really bad for her. But by the afternoon, she was doing much much better. All of the nurses were very pleasant many calling me honey, sweetie, etc. It was a nice atmosphere. They even greet each other with kisses during the shift change. They checked my pulse several times that day and took my temperature. They also emptied my drain 3 or 4 times. Most of the nurses only know some basic English. So a conversation with them is difficult. However, there are a few who are pretty fluent. I walked again several times. I still had no pain (other than when getting in and out of bed). The TV here has mostly Spanish channels. Bring something to occupy yourself when in the hospital. In the afternoon, they gave me Gatorade to start my liquid diet. It tasted so good after having fasted for so long (almost 2 days - 10 pm the night before the surgery until today 1:45 pm). Janese, my patient coordinator, came by in the evening to introduce herself. It was so nice to meet her in person. The driver Abraham also came by to say hi.
Day 4 - first day at hotel - shopping and ice cream day
Abraham picked up a small group of new sleevers at the hospital around 12:30 to go back to the hotel. When I got to the hotel, my companion was in the lobby talking with this woman who was a doctor from the U.S. She had been sleeved in TJ a few years ago and was back to accompany her sister in law who was having the same procedure done. When I got back to my room, I had a shower and a nap. Abraham came back to the hotel around 3:00 pm to bring a group of 9 (all sleevers and their companion) to go shopping. It was a fun experience to be with a bigger group and meet new people to compare stories and have a few laughs. I also though it was very clever of A Ligther Me to bring their customers shopping to ensure they get the walking they need! I did not do much shopping. I mostly went for the sightseeing, which I enjoyed tremendously. After shopping, Abraham took everyone for some ice cream. He also stopped at a store for a few of us to get Gatorade, Jello and other items. I was given a paper copy of the results of my blood and EKG tests and a CD showing my leak test. I was also provided with a care package to go back home with (liquid antacid (aka Malox), antibiotics, pain killers (to take if needed), gauss, chap stick and little travel pack). I thought that it was very thoughtful of A Lighter me to do so. A nice personal touch on their part. I emailed my husband to ask him to buy me some Malox since I knew I could not bring it accross security at the airport (I only had a carry on) and would need some when I got back home. Everyone raves about the broth at hotel. For me, it seemed to be different depending on the day. I thought it was just ok.
Day 5 - second day at hotel - when drain comes out
Dr. Sanchez came by my room and removed my drain in the morning. Coming out, it felt like a light pinch. Not painful, just weird. I was soooo glad it was out. I emailed my coordinator Janese for a doctor's note to get time off work. I received the document by email a few hours later. My that woman is efficient! That evening, Abraham called to let me know what time he would be picking us up tomorrow to go back home the next morning.
Day 6 - flight back home
My companion and I were lucky. We were the only ones picked up to go back to the airport at 10:30 that morning. The earlier group had left at 8:30. Our very own private chauffeur! Going accross the border to the U.S. was a different experience than when entering TJ. There were hundreds of cars lined up at the border (yikes). However, A Lighter Me had a medical pass for me. Abraham showed the pass to the border officer who then let us through the express lane. We were the only one in this lane! We by passed ALL of those cars. The next stop was the customs officer. We gave him our passports, he asked me if I had anything to declare. I said no. And that was it. We were on our way. In about 5-10 minutes we were in the U.S. Again ! I am not certain how long it took to get the the San Diego Airport (25 minutes?). We also got slowed down a bit because of an accident. It is mostly highway driving so the trip is pretty short. At the airport, the walk from the check-in counter, through security to our gate was very short since there are not many airlines to go back to Canada. I therefore did not need any assistance to board the plane at the San Diego airport. But, because it is such a long distance to travel in Toronto, I asked the airline for assistance. I had not booked ahead. We therefore had to wait a bit. If you are travelling through a large busy airport, you definitely would do well to pre-book for assistance right away when making your travel plans. I was SOOOO glad I listened to A Lighter Me and packed light! It made the trip back home so much easier. I gave both Eduardo and Abraham a tip.
What you will need to bring
- a little bit of cash (I brought just enough for tips and to buy other things like Gatorade, etc. Make certain you have small denominations for those smaller tips)
- house coat (came in handy when I had to walk around with that hospital gown...)
- a safety pin (to secure my drain)
- medical dressing and medical tape (if you don't need it travelling, you will definitely need some for when you get back home for the incision where the drain)
- slippers/shoes with hard sole and that are easy to put on/take off to walk around the hospital
- hot pad (in case you have pain in your shoulders due to the anesthesia)
- OXO bouillon (came in VERY handy for the trip back home)
- Gas X strips
- a small container to put a little liquid antacid if travelling by plane for more than 12 hours to take your meds while travelling
Final thoughts
I expected my surgery to go well and it did. What I did not expect though was meeting great people, laughing and making friends while I was there because of the extra outings that A Lighter Me organizes for its customers. I have been home one week now without complications or pain and feel good (20 lbs lost so far). I would not hesitate to do this again. It was a great experience. I should have done this a long time ago. Now the fun part starts, loosing the weight!
Hope this post has been helpful.
Crying as I type this! Finally got my date. Start my pre-op diet October 30 and scheduled for surgery November 13. Cannot wait to rock my sleeve! Now I know this is all real.
hello my name is Jason and Im an alchoholic, no wait. wrong web site, yes I lust for the baconader at wendy and a giant Dr Pepper and snickers and fried fish and popcorn ect. but PEOPLE that is the food that made our jea ns tight and our t shirts tight and underwear tight and I can only speak for myself, but I refuse to go back to that.
1. I confess that I think about food way more than I should.
2. I confess that I drink caffeinated coffee on occasion
3. I confess that I have sucked on a tiny peice of chocolate and let it melt in my mouth because I'm on soft foods
4. I confes that I have cried until I can't cry anymore about how much I miss my old eating habits
5. I confess that I secretly am angry when my husband eats a big plate of carbs and fat....
I confess that I too, think about food way too much, but I know Im not really hungry.
I confess, because of number 1, that I am totally addicted to sunflower seeds
I confess that I drink caffeinated coffee everyday, but add Unjury unflavored to it.
I confess that since I quit smoking in December, I still think about smokes everyday. (prolly explains #2)
I confess I eat chocolate once in a while, but I think that is why I DON'T eat it everyday.
I confess that I USED to get upset about missing my old eating habits, but now Im proud of the fact that I don't give a crap about it anymore
I confess that I lie to my husband when he wants to go out to eat and I don't. I tell him I don't feel like it. The truth is, I have better things to do than to sit and watch him and the boys make 5 trips to the buffet.
I confess that I am secretly amused when my husband eats a big plate of carbs and fat... I just think "Keep going skinny man, one day you wont fit into that chair".
I confess that I am proud of the fact that I am forty something and getting physically fit. I make sure everyone in the house knows I just came from the gym.
I confess that I looked in the mirror way too much today, the first day I have worn size 14s.
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