psychicrhino

Got the band at 30 and only told wife and 2 best friends. When I would be at a restaurant with coworkers I would just order a thin Soup and Water I greatly reduced the risk of "problems". If asked why I wasn't eating much I would always pat my gut and say "Oh, just trying to cut back a little". And that was that.
Band had to come out at 38 due to complications. Now, I 40 I am going back to have a sleeve put in today. Plan on telling is the same.
At 28 a man that worked the same place as me but in a difft. Area (I barely knew him), had WLS and had told people. One day he came in to the area I was working and made a delivery. Anyway, as soon as he left most of the 8-10 people in that area started talking about him, speculating how much he had lost, how much they heard it cost, why doesn't he buy some new pants that fit right, why didn't he just "hit the gym" instead of surgery. Etc.... That is when I decided I would keep it close to the chest.

@@actingnurse It has been a couple of years since your original post. I was wondering if you ever gained any more info on a waiver?

Well, have not logged on in a few months and I am just a couple of days shy of 6 mo out. Have lost 75# since the start of the two week preop diet. And appx 65# since the surgery day. Have been stalled for about a month. May try induction again in near future to sse if I can get rolling again. No complications. Pretty darn satisfied.

@@actingnurse It has been a couple of years since your original post. I was wondering if you ever gained any more info on a waiver?

I just got sleeved on the 14th and wanted to share some of my experience. I was previously banded at age 30 and lost nearly 100lbs. But by age 38 I had complications and had it removed. Now at 40 I had regained more than half the wt lost. So I elected for the sleeve. I chose to go to Mexico because it was less than half the cost of having it done by my original surgeon.
As an RN of 18 years I wanted to share some thoughts on StarMedica in Juarez. But first I should say I chose to drive to El Paso and I traveled solo so my wife could care for the kiddos. I woke up on Friday early and made my family a pancake Breakfast (had a bite of one myself). Then got on the road for El Paso. 810 miles and 11.5 hours later and I was there. I went by Wal Mart to pick up a heating pad (very helpful post op) and some slippers. I also (full disclosure) had an excellent "last meal" at JnL Cafe of enchiladas. Then headed for the Holiday Inn Express for the night.
I had a little confusion with scheduling my transport from the Airport long term parking but got picked up with another sleever at 1245 at the main entrance of the Airport. I was given the name of Sergio by my coordinator but this was not who picked me up. I did ask about Sergio and where I was being transported to before my luggage got in the van (I know, paranoid much?) The ride across the border was maybe 25 min with a 30 second stop at the border.
Once at the hospital, we were met by a fireplug of a Mexican with salt n pepper hair, in khakis and a blue Members Only type jacket. This was Dr. Caulderon. He helped translate the admissions paperwork for the other sleever I'd ridden over with then said he would be back. The admissions clerks asked If I could speak spanish and i indicated a little. Well, it was enough. I was going to sign their standard documents regardless so WTH, I figured. I gave them my money order and DL for them to copy.
Once Dr. Caulderon came back he took me for a chest X-ray (was film....I have not seen few in a few years). After that it was up to the 2nd floor for my room. Now, I have worked in HUGE Metro hospitals and tiny community hospitals over the past 2 decades. This was somewhere in between. Clean, a good size, style was a bit dated but not more than a decade (no lime green tiles here). The bed was a later model Stryker electic model. There was a couch/padded bench appx 28"wide by 5.5 to 6' long. Was a big picture window and a spacious bathroom with shower (lukewarm Water at best).
Shortly after Juan my nurse came in, he said he had 4 years of experience and that he was one of 4 male nurses at the hospital. He wanted to start an IV but honestly his technique was that of one of my 2nd semester nursing students. I am a fat man so veins are hard to visualize but not palpate. Anyway, Juan brought gloves but did not wear them. And I never saw him wash his hands and there is no alcohol hand sanatizer in the room (all of which is SOP in the US in the 1980s). The nurses also wore white (standard in the US in the 1980s), which I prefer. Juan spoke almost zero english and on his second attempt got the IV cath in but, because he forgot to take the tourny off my arm got blood on my gown, bed,and floor. "Oh Mi Dios! Mucho Sangre!" I reached over and popped the tourney off for him and it stopped.
The lab draw later was a bit of a trial (same deal,poor technique,no gloves or handwashing) that took 4 sticks. And in my opinion could have been avoided if a policy was in place for the nurse to draw the blood samples when the new iv cath was started, and before flushing. So I just kept reminding myself that I was not there for the nursing care but the reported success of the surgical team. I then hung out in the room until about 630p when I was wheeled to pre-op.
In preop the nurse gave me some IV meds which as best I could understand were for relaxation. The anestheologist came by for a couple minutes, the surgeon too and then I was wheeles into the OR where I scooted onto the table. That is all I remembered until post op. Was back in my room by 845p and up walking by 10p.
The next day was a mix of walking and getting IV pain meds. Best part was my nurse. Adalyna spoke excellent english, answered several questions, got me a remote for the TV and got me a password for the WiFi (all were beyond my limited spanish to ask for). She actually had good clean technique changing my dressings. Late in the day Dr. Caulderon got myself and 5 other new post op pts together and gave us discharge instructions. That night in addition to the IV pain meds, I got 10mg Valium for sleep.< /p>
The next morning I woke up, packed my bag, took a whore's bath (couldn't face a tepid shower) and made my bed and cleaned my room. At 930a I was taken downstairs and got on the Taxi back. Took appx 1.5 hours on return. Mostly sitting in line at the border. US border officer asked me what I was bringing back and I told him of the Ketorolac (non controlled pain med) Omeprazole (acid reducer) and Antibiotic. No problems. The driver dropped me off at my car in long term parking about noonish. Then, 810 miles and 13 hours later I was home. I stopped and got some chewable gasX on the way cause the gas pain was rough. Also stopped every hundred or so miles to walk around to stave off DVTs. Well, that is my story.

I think it is just the nature of forums. Ex.- couple of years ago I started reloading and joined a forum for that after lots of reading, posting and doing I got pretty good at it. I posted about 350 times because once I got better at it I was able to start giving back and helping some others.
Once I got what I needed and felt like I had paid back in as well I just faded out. Can go back any time I start reloading again and probably will but my knowledge base just reached a critical mass ya know. Probably happens here too in some cases.

Thank you for your posts. I am having surgery with him on June 12th And its good to hear of others experiences. He did my band 10 years ago and is now doing my revision. I am also an RN so I loved hearing your point of view. I do speak Spanish though so I will be asking for those guantes!! LoL please keep us posted on your progress.

@@Okiebon, glad you made it home well!. I am 12 days out now and very little tenderness left. Hardest part is getting enough Protein and Water in. 19.5 lbs down since day before surgery BTW!

@@Okiebon, glad you made it home well!. I am 12 days out now and very little tenderness left. Hardest part is getting enough Protein and Water in. 19.5 lbs down since day before surgery BTW!

No plans for that ! Lol thanks ! Glad you're doing well !

I made it home safe and sound, and I'm feeling really good! No issues at all so far. I really liked Dr. Rodriguez and felt good about my choice after meeting him.

@@Band07
I had the Vertical sleeve.
I had a barium swallow and fluroscopy prior to discharge.
I am 8 days out, pretty low on energy and it is tough to stay on top of Fluid intake.
Only minor cmplication wad a reaction to the adhesive (rash) used on the surgical drape (resolving).
If you fly in you go: Airport, shuttle, hospital. Guards at entry to hospital and every floor. Not much trouble to get into unless you go diddle around Juarez solo (not recommended).

Wifi login and password at admissions. Got it. Great tip, thank you.
I'm glad that you mentioned the gloves. I don't mean to make a mountain out of a molehill about it, I was just a little surprised. No idea why, but I was.

Thanks for sharing ! What surgery did you have ? Did they do a leak test before discharge ? How are you feeling now ? Any complications ? I'm researching MGB with Dr. Rod and would love to hear how it's going now. I may be traveling alone as a mid 30's female, anything I should be concerned about ?

@Rocky1. I am not saying it's right or wrong...just saying that is how it was for me. And sometimes when you speak little spanish and nurse speaks no english and things happen quickly....it can be hard to make your desires known in a timely fashion. Oh well...next time I will learn the word for gloves before I go to a foreign country for surgery

Yeah, the pain meds were fine in the hospital. Could have done without I think as my pain never got above a 7/10 but the one time I asked for it my pain reduced to 2/10. Once home I took the ketorolac for a day but walked 2.5 miles today and have not taken any. YMMV! BTW ketorolac is often used in labor and delivery departments. Never had a baby but I hear it hurts.

@Rocky1. I am not saying it's right or wrong...just saying that is how it was for me. And sometimes when you speak little spanish and nurse speaks no english and things happen quickly....it can be hard to make your desires known in a timely fashion. Oh well...next time I will learn the word for gloves before I go to a foreign country for surgery

@@psychicrhino people can be so mean. Jealousy...pure jealousy!

Got the band at 30 and only told wife and 2 best friends. When I would be at a restaurant with coworkers I would just order a thin Soup and Water I greatly reduced the risk of "problems". If asked why I wasn't eating much I would always pat my gut and say "Oh, just trying to cut back a little". And that was that.
Band had to come out at 38 due to complications. Now, I 40 I am going back to have a sleeve put in today. Plan on telling is the same.
At 28 a man that worked the same place as me but in a difft. Area (I barely knew him), had WLS and had told people. One day he came in to the area I was working and made a delivery. Anyway, as soon as he left most of the 8-10 people in that area started talking about him, speculating how much he had lost, how much they heard it cost, why doesn't he buy some new pants that fit right, why didn't he just "hit the gym" instead of surgery. Etc.... That is when I decided I would keep it close to the chest.

A little over 11 months out and 149 since surgery and 205 overall for me.

I tried something I never had before. food hasn't been too appealing lately. At my work cafeteria yesterday, I took some Tunafish from the salad bar but I'm getting sick of tuna. Someone made a comment that there was bacon on the salad bar- I started thinking about it and the next thing I knew, I was adding the cut up cooked bacon in the cup with my tuna and ate it. It was delicious!! Never had those 2 foods together before