Rocky1

Good morning. 6 weeks ago tomorrow, I started a journey that would change my life... I would like to thank everyone for their support, the wonderful staff at A Lighter Me, (for which I can not say enough and highly recommend them for anyone who struggles with their weight), my friends, neighbors, co-workers and my family. Well today I am glad to announce that I have passed my first goal... As of today, I have passed my 50 pound weight loss, the half way point to my ultimate goal. I know 6 weeks is a short time to have lost so much and know that the next 50 pounds will not be as fast or easy, but I didn't decide to go through all I have been through to give up now. So thank you all.

DaddyMarie,
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't a valid question. It's just usually the question is a result of misconceptions about healthcare in the States.
There is a difference between the care people receive in state run (or public) facilities vs. private for-profit institutions wherever you go. So when we talk about Mexico, the Carribean or wherever, we aren't necessarily referring to the same institutions that are utilized by the residents of the area. The facilities that people are going to cater to tourists. This is how they make their money. These wouldn't necessarily be the same facilities that make the indigenous women give birth on the front lawn.
There are definitely some horror stories about Mexico. But there are some facilities here that you couldn't pay me to visit. The difference is that while I wouldn't be able to afford a private facility here, I could afford one in MX.
The typical MX patient is someone that either does not have coverage for their medical procedure or their insurance costs make it unattainable. The MX option allows for affordable, quality, customized healthcare. Most people wouldn't be able to afford that option here and wouldn't get the perks offered in MX.
Does that make sense?
Ally

I can't say enough how wonderful my experience has been. I, like most of you, was extremely skeptical on coming to Mexico for a gastric sleeve. My family and friends thought I was crazy too. I chose Mexico Bariatrics Center for my surgery. From day 1 of interest, the patient coordinator Cyrel was there to help and answer all my questions. She was great! I flew from Texas to San Diego alone yesterday morning. I was picked up from the airport by a driver who works for MB. Border patrol didn't even stop us, which I was kind of glad because I had only a BC and DL. Even though I was told if would be fine, I was nervous about not having a passport. I came straight to the hospital and from the second I walked in, I was put at ease by so many happy smiling faces. I went on to have lab work, chest x-Ray and an EKG. Everyone here has been so wonderful. I was incredibly nervous but they made sure to ease my nerves and keep me calm. A little Valium does the trick! ????
I came out of surgery with a lot of pain, they all were diligently working to easy my pain. Some of the nurses were even in tears because they hate to see their patients in pain.
Last night I was up walking and trying to move as much as possible. The gas pains are pretty rough! This morning I slept quite a bit though I had several come in and check on me. I had my drain out early because it was giving me some unnecessary pain. Today I started my diet of juice and Gatorade. It's easy to swallow but some spasming when it hits my new (tiny ????) stomach. They are all so caring here. I will move to another part of the hospital/hotel tomorrow. If you are having any doubts, Dr. Camelo and his staff are amazing!!! I would recommend them to anyone!

You know the next time you see a person with a flat tire and you stop to see if they need help. Just think what they would say if you said... "If you use a compressor to fill that tire up you are doing it the easy way. YOU should just put your mouth on the valve stem and blow!" There are many ways to add or remove things and you have made an educated personalized plan for success. Let them blow their tire up anyway they want. Friend the proof is in the pudding. Be healthy and fit!

Before I went through sleeve surgery, I wrote a response to a post that, "I just want to get this surgery quickly out of the way and get on with my normal life.". Man, was I clueless.
Now that I am six months post op, I feel like it is starting to not CONSTANTLY be on my mind. There were times when the post op process seemed so mentally exhausting. After losing over 100 pounds, I am only now starting to reap in the rewards of this surgery and my hard work.

If I could just say to all that are about to have their surgeries, and to those who are just starting the process, please read what others have posted about what happens AFTER the surgery. I read so many posts about depression, hair loss, relationships turning sour, mourning of food, loose skin, complications of surgery......... Just read, get informed, BE PREPARED for what could be the wildest ride physically and emotionally of your life! It is a rough road, and sometimes it gets even rougher. Do NOT go into it thinking it is easy, painless, simple, and a cure-all to obesity. It is a long road, an arduous road. You may lose friends, you WILL lose weight. You may gain weight back. You WON'T get your stomach back. You more than likely will get depressed. You WILL have hormonal changes. You will have struggles that seem Never-ending.
BUTTTTTT.....these things pass. You need to TRULY have the strength and diligence that is mentally REQUIRED to do this. Before you go into this process, this surgery, read the list above that I have made. Look in the mirror and ask if you can handle this. CAN you handle this? I don't write these things to scare people off, but to PREPARE you for what is ahead. And it IS AHEAD! I wish someone would have made me read all that folks have written about their experiences. And I'm sure others feel the same way.
I wish you all the best, the safest of surgeries, and hope you find the support you will need to go through this AWESOME adventure!

It's so close and so far away at the same time!

As we lose the weight, we see sides of people we didn't or weren't willing to see before. I'm glad you called her on it while it was happening. And touching your hair? Ew.

So no one is supposed to talk about leaks or infections or severe GERD or dehydration or Hair loss or Vitamin deficiencies or other complications because they are scary?

I slacked off with exercise quite a bit post-op. I was instructed not to do any core strength training or intense cardio until two months out, but I really didn't start up again until more like 4 months out. I now am doing the Couch to 5k program every other day. On my non-running days, I alternate between biking and resting. On all of my cardio days I do strength training, rotating between upper body, core, and lower body, depending on the day. I just use free weights an do a series of about 6 exercises, two sets of 12-15 reps. I increase my weights for each exercise every week or two.
Upper Body
Bent Over Rows
Hammer Curls
Tricep Kickbacks
Dumbbell Flys
Lateral Raises
Wall Push-ups
Core
Crunches
Reverse Crunches
Bicycle Crunches
Side Bends w/ Dumbbells
Back Extensions
Pendulum
Plank (hold as long as possible)
Lower Body
Single Leg Squats on pillow w/ chair
Lying Single Leg Raises
Lying Abduction
Lying Adduction
Bridges
I do about 5 minutes of stretching after each workout.

This statement only makes me more leery. The product is basically so manipulated it really isn't even Protein anymore. It's just genetically modified molecules that used to be protein. Where are all the anti-GMO advocates on this one? Who's to say the body even recognizes it as protein. Where are the studies that show the pre and post serum levels? Where is the amino acid profile? Does it supply the essential amino acids that our bodies can't synthesize? Again, where are the independent 3rd party studies supporting any of this company's claims? If it's so great, Where is the FDA approval? Until I see answers to these questions, it's still just snake oil.

Read my post above for at least one reason. I know some people also go to Mexico because their BMI isn't high enough to qualify for surgery in the US. A lot of people from Canada go to Mexico because the wait list is 3-5 years up there. (Which is what will happen here in the not to far off future thanks to Obamacare). But I would be willing to guess the major reason is similar to my scenario....not everyone has insurance that covers WLS and they don't have $20,000 burning a hole in their pocket. Fortunately Mexico offers a good choice of affordable, quality health care for people that need it.

Agreed better safe than sorry.

sugar free Torani Syrup makes it more palatable. I add about 1/2 teaspoon.

The reversible was in regards to the MGB, the sleeve however is revivable. It's great that you were able to wait 5 months to let your stomach heal, however being self pay I didn't have that luxury and i know and have talked to many others in my now over 2 years of research that the band can and does at times damage the stomach to the point that a smaller sleeve increases risk which is why my doc had to use a 42 Bougie. Yes there are a lot of people who do great going from band to sleeve, there are also a lot that don't, it's important to know that there is always a chance it may be nothing like you hope it would be like in my case.

Personally I feel that regardless of whether it's the desire to or the actual action of going up to obese people to tell them the wonders of WLS, it's wrong and usually it's motivations are rooted in ulterior motives.
Former fat people who promote or indulge in this practice of offering unsolicited advice to random obese people , try and claim that they're doing out of care and concern but really it's more about boosting their own ego and self esteem.
It's faux concern, you don't really care about these people. If you really did, you would take the time and energy to get to know them before offering any life changing advice. If you are not willing to spend the time to know them, be actively supportive if they do decide to proceed with wls, go with them to dr's appointments, help them after surgery, then you don't really have right to be offering unsolicited advice about wls.
It also has be said that there's a slice of narcissism involved in going up to people and advertising the benefits of Wls and how it's helped you. Do you really think you're going to be the hero of their story? Do you really think that after you offer your advice the said person will go have instantly proceed with wls and live happily ever after? Do you really think that you are the first person to approach them? Do you really think they completely ignorant about Wls?
I just think that when someone takes an interest or actually decides to actually have surgery, it's best if that decision or interest is totally organic and not because someone else (especially a stranger) has badgered them into it

My current weight is 180, my BMI is 30.9, my highest weight ever was 260, I know after living with a very restrictive band for so long that my body got used to less calories, I'm willing to do my part, I still go to Crossfit 3x a week and try hard to eat right, but I know I need a tool and right now I don't have one. Iv had a continuous slow gain since I revised to sleeve, it's just a matter of time until I put it all back on if I don't do this.

@@Janex43 Well, you've got a whole day to do it. One pill at a time...

Please keep the valuable feedback coming. It's greatly appreciated and very useful! We're currently setting up warehouse space and working with vendors. We plan on carrying the usual Bariatric supplements, Vitamins, Proteins etc. We would also like to offer other unique products that appeal to our pre and post op community. All and any product recommendations are greatly appreciated.

I tried them for a week or so. Had no way to tell if they were working as advertised. I should have taken my labs before and after to test these. Wish there was more research available to show the efficacy of these Patches.< /p>

I was the same way....I could handle surgery and everything that went with it, but it was the postop complications that scared me. Not only could they threaten my life or at the very least, make me feel miserable, but I would have been financially ruined. My insurance wouldn't cover anything and owning my own business means no work = no income. And that is why I researched the hell out of my options and went with who I felt was the best surgeon at the best location. I did not let $$$ play a prt in my decision. Fortunately I had a wonderful recovery and my PCP has taken care of my followup bloodwork. As for complications, he would have directed me to the appropriate specialist if I had needed it.

It went great, thank you! I feel good and had no gas pain or other issues to speak of.
I see you're researching doctors. Please, be very, very careful in making your selection. There are a few great doctors out there, and a few not so great. If you put the doctor's names in the search bar at the upper right of this page you'll find tons of posts that may be helpful to you. Hopefully, none of the posts have been removed.

Surgery prices in Mexico vary widely, you can get as cheap as 4k, and on up to 8k. you get what you pay for. After reading a lot of horror stories, I am glad I went with Ariel Ortiz. He is not gonna kiss your butt like some of these other docs that are a little too eager, he acts like a doctor. His staff are professional. The whole process for me, took about a month- from first inquiry, to scheduling an appointment, to hauling my butt down. Glad I got it done quickly

Yesterday I weighed in a 185.2, which puts my BMI at 29.9. So I am now officially only "overweight". Woohoo! Even though it's only been 2 months and 12 pounds since my last set of progress pics, I had my husband go ahead and take new ones for this major milestone. You can see all of my pics in my gallery, but here are a couple showing my 54 pound loss since the pre-op photos were taken:
       

Hi All,
I'm 3 weeks post-op from my sleeve surgery on March 4th. I wanted to pay-it-forward and share my detailed experience in Mexico. I can only hope that it will help at least one reader gain some additional insight on this experience. Besides, I was helped by so many with their stories. Here's mine... here goes...
(***** warning long post ******)
_______
Tuesday, March 3rd - Travel Day - It's really here!!!!!
I arrived in San Diego, CA airport; flight was delayed due to weather in Atlanta. Either way, I didn't get in until 7:00pm local. However, the driver, Ricardo, was at the airport and I Iiterally walked out of the airport and into the waiting van. Love the curbside service. His English was very good.
Arriving in Mexico was truly uneventful - only took 35 mins - until we came through the section where there were no real traffic lights and cars came out of every direction imaginable. I'm used to driving in New York and Europe so it didn't phase me, but my ex-police officer cousin was on edge. Imagine that! Got in late so the nurse had to come to my hotel room to take my blood. Didn't quite like that, but it would help with surgery the next day. The Tijuana Marriott was just like being in the states. Nothing at all any different. I travel a lot and felt quite at home.
Wednesday, March 4th - SURGERY DAY - My journey begins....
I met my sleeve buddy for the first time in the hotel lobby. My best-friend cancelled - she was not getting the support from her parents and couldn't mentally pull it off due to job demands. She says she will do it at a later day - hope she does.
We had to go to a separate location to have the EKG done. The office didn't look like a clinic, but some things are just different. EKG was fine even though the nerves reality kicked in and I felt my heart would jump out of my chest and do the EKG for me.They took my weight; elated to learn that I lost 20 pounds on the pre-op diet. Yippie.
We were taken straight to VIDA Hospital - beautiful, absolutely beautiful place. Dr. alejandro lopez was my surgeon. They prepped me for surgery, but couldn't get a vein because I was dehydrated - possibly from the flight. After getting stuck 3 times, I had to stop them and say a prayer. I knew I hadn't come this far to be rescheduled. A more experienced nurse, Fatima, came in and with some work was able to find a vein for the IV. I chatted with the anesthesiologist and was taken back for surgery. I remember singing a tune - "good-bye fat, hello health," and was completely out in seconds. The next memory is waking up in recovery. Man, that is some strong stuff.
I was up and walking within the first hour in the recovery room. My cousin states that I was so out of it that I was bossy and commanding the nurses to do stuff - bring me ice chips, check my temperature, take my blood pressure, etc. While they did it all, they probably had a few choice words for me - drugged, crazy lady from the states would be putting it mildly. LOL My cousin reports that I would not open my eyes while walking. I have no memory of this at all - drugged out of my head. LOL
I ate the ice chips and started dry heaving. It was an awful feeling. I had to pray that this would not be the norm for me. I went to sleep - slept a lot and slept well. I drank the leak test stuff and had no problem keeping it down. Tried ice chips again and it was better. Now I was ready to test my bodily functions - ability to pass urine - Bladder works A+; started belching and passing gas - bowel function B+; need to have a bowel movement before I could make it an A+. Mom is a retired nurse, so it's that part of her talking to me. My sleeve buddy was having a rough time was very nauseated. I had her get up and walk with me more. I think I slept for what felt like hours, but it was really for 40 minutes at a time and then I would walk more. I'm telling you the drugs are amazing.
Thursday, March 5th - Day 1 Post-Op
The next day was much better. I was handling the ice chips really well. The doctors came in and told me I had a hernia that had to be repaired. I didn't even know what a hernia was, let alone needing to have it repaired. I was thinking, I have some other things that needed repairing too, but you didn't fix them - breast lift would be nice.
We were taken to our recovery suites which were like hotel rooms. I slept a lot there and walked a lot without an IV pole, which helped. The drainage pump was still attached, but didn't bother me. I showered with this thing and had no problems. The five (5) incisions were much smaller than I imagined.
I was good - able to hold apple juice, Gatorade, Water with no problems. I had no sensation of hunger or thirst but drank because this is what I was supposed to do. And then I started hearing this growling noise. The doctor stated it was my "ghost stomach." Freaked me out for a minute. I ain't scared of no ghosts but definitely didn't want my body thinking I still had the old part of my stomach either. This lasted for a day and then went away. Whew. I couldn't take that. The rest of my time was truly uneventful. I was doing well with the liquids, taking showers, didn't feel any pain, even after the surgery. My issue was keeping the IV line open which failed when my vein completely collapsed. They ended up giving me meds through 2 shots in my butt. Hurt like the dickens but I was done with IVs. Hallelujah!!!
Friday, March 6th - Back to the hotel, my last night in Mexico
We had one stop by make before the hotel and that was the clinic for the 3rd and final Leak test - the first was during the surgery. The liquid was not as bad as I'd heard - perhaps that was because I probably liked anything at that point. The leak test was successful. It was really cool seeing the liquid flow all the way through my system. I actually saw my new tummy too. How cool - my new sleeve, my little angel that will help me reclaim my health through weight loss.
Fast-forward to week 3
I have had no problems with my sleeve. I tried a Gas-X one day and nearly threw up on the spot. My stomach hates that stuff. I decided to walk so the remaining gas away. I was amazed that I still had some gas lingering. I'm grateful I have not had the major pain it can bring, but walking, talking small sips, small bites, and chewing your food to a complete liquid substance is the key. Honestly after a few bites and long chewing times, you lose your appetite for much more - 4 bites is usually it for me. Amazing. I remember just a few weeks ago and I would devour everything on my plate - huge servings at that. Now 4 bites - really? Amazing indeed.
Since my pre-op weight loss and surgery on March 4th, I am down 34 pounds. I saw my PCP at 2-weeks post-op and she cut my blood pressure meds in half and stated she will most likely remove me altogether in May. Wonderful thing as I've been on blood pressure meds for 12 years. I've lost tons of inches - everywhere. I took my measurements in January and now showing a whopping 7 inches from my abs, 4 from my chest, and 4 from each thigh and 6 from my hips. Now that's amazing to me. I'll take every pound and every inch. I'll say to others, take your measurements; it's the truer test. :-)
HW: 300lbs
SW: 288lbs
CW: 254lbs
Overall weight loss - 46 lbs.
That's it. Hope this is helpful.