DuckieXD

This is my 100% honest review. I will go over the good and the bad and my experience as it was through my eyes. I hope this will help you make the most informed decision possible. On May 31 2016 my husband and I were sleeved at Florence hospital in TJ, MX by Dr. Illan. Stacey was at the airport on time to pick us up and was very kind, we crossed the boarder quickly and within 40 mins were at Florence hospital in TJ. The hospital looks terrible from the outside, it really could be redone to make patients a bit more comfortable upon arrival. The inside of the hospital is very clean. My husband and I were shown to our room and right away nurses were getting our IV's in and our medical histories done. My surgery started about 3pm and was done within half an hour. My husband mentioned when they moved me into the recovery area that my removed stomach was on the tray in the same room as him before they put him in the operating room. I don't think this was very sanitary. Over all the doctor did a great job on our surgeries and we are healing up nicely. After our surgeries back in the hospital room nurses were in and out constantly any time we hit the call button someone was there within 2 mins. I had a hard time sleeping the first night and Louis one of the BP staff stayed in the room talking to me all night which was great and helpful. That night one of my bandages started to come off and when the nurse replaced that and re-taped my IV she wasn't wearing gloves. I mentioned this to Bill via a FB message and he said " They always use hand sanitizer that they have at the nurses station before entering the patients room. But I will bring it up to the hospital administrator." That's fine and dandy but still not 100% sanitary. After we were discharged from the hospital Stacy took us to the recovery house and Juanito took us out. He was a great tour guide and showed us around town. The nurse at the recovery house is a sweetheart and does her best with her limited English, over all though she was just fantastic. The housekeeper at the recovery house was great too! I do have a few issues with BP and have sent Alex an email addressing them. They are the following: Stacy their "nutritionist" doesn't have a degree in nutrition, she is an engineer by trade. She is also the wife of Bill who is the administrator of BP. She is apparently going to school to be a nutritionist but still has quite some time ( 6 months at least) until she is done. She has had VSG though. The post OP liquid diet it said we could eat beans and eggs..... nobody mentioned anything until I asked about that because from what I know neither of those things are a liquid. That is a potentially life threatening issue, if someone where to eat those things on a newly formed sleeve it could cause a leak or worse, when I asked her why it said that we could have those she said she was aware of the issue and was working on updating the paperwork.. yet I had the paperwork for over 24 hours before anyone told me that I couldn't have those things..... 3. Juanito, while fun and a great tour guide was at times unprofessional not only was his language colorful and unprofessional he was bad mouthing that patient in recovery house 1 because according to Juanito, the patient, was "strange" and didn't want to do anything and because his wife was odd as well. Apparently the patient and his wife were fighting and that annoyed Juanito 4. Juanito, also said to my husband and I that we were too young to have needed the surgery, called us lazy he said we could have just worked out to lose the weight. Whether or not that is true its none of his damn business. We paid over $9000.00 using bariatric pal along with flights and food and I cannot say I would do it again, I also wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. I feel there are serious issues that need to be worked out before I would recommend BP to another person. I would though recommend Dr. Illan to anyone. I did do a video recommending BP and have since requested it be removed as a majority of these issues happened AFTER the video was made.

I appreciate everyones responses and this helps me feel a lot better about BP. Thanks everyone!

Hubby and I are getting sleeved next Tuesday! So far we are liking premier Protein, but I also wanted to get some unflavored protein to add to things like broth (I'm going to get sick of sweet real quick). Which ones do you suggest someone suggested GENEPRO to me. Thank you for your help!

Hey sorry! I never got a notification you said anything! Id love to get below even 50! Im at 55 right now. Im going to look into rixtuan too though, I hear lots of us snow flakes have been getting into remission from it. Do you have facebook?

May 31st

I have Myasthenia Gravis, Im hoping my surgery in May will help me get off the prednisone

So quick quesiton. I got a target gift card at work... and my local target is having a huge sale! Im wondering if I should buy some smaller sized clothing so I have it while Im losing the weight? Im currently a 2x so im thinking xl and l shirts ( just a few) and smaller pants. What do you guys think. My surgery is May 31

Hubby started out with the gym comments then I said " look this is what I'm doing, you and I have been trying to lose this weight the four years we have been together and when we were hitting the gym daily and eating 1500 calories i lost four pounds and you lost 10.... Do you want me to book yours too" After about a week of me telling him about my research he decided to do it with me

So I really have 2 questions. Hubby and I are both getting the surgery in May. I'm looking at Protein shakes and protein broths ect in order to prepare to be prepared after the surgery. After we reach our protein goal ( 60-70mg) are we okay to just drink drink drink as long as we arnt hungry in the liquids phase? It seems most of these have 27mg per 6-8 oz serving, which I understand will take us a while to get down but to me that says 3.5 servings a day and then we've reached our protein goal. Of course we will be taking Vitamins etc. Im just wondering how realistic it is that that will be all we need? I think the calories are about 130 per serving, so that is about 400 calories a day, is that about what you were getting the first month post op? My other question is what would you suggest we pick up pre op for post op. Can you suggested the best ( least protein tasting) unflavored Protein powder? Thanks in advance!

MEEE!! I have MG. My surgery is May 31st. Im on 60mg Pred which some docs have an issue with mine just said ill need to take something like prilosec with it. There are a few people in my FB support group who have had the sleeve and had their pred intake stoped or greatly reduced. Im also taking cellcept and mestinon and a ton more meds

I got a new PCP and Im not sure how I feel about her. The only reason I switched from my great PCP is because my work is an hour away from him now and making appointments and having to take a half day off work just to see him wasn't working for me. Anyways, this new doc was nice and helpful, and of course lectured me about my weight...... I mentioned I was getting the sleeve and she said that over all its my choice but "I have patients who just couldn't do it and are 300lbs again". "Would you be satisfied eating a small amount how happy would that honestly make you, would you be satisfied eating just a cup of peas". UMM WELL VERY IF IT MEANS I CAN GET HEALTHY AGAIN! I honestly dont understand, there she is advocating that I eat less, but not "that" much less cause it wouldn't make me happy? I'm not a depressed person so I didn't get that.... Anyways, I mentioned I was getting the surgery in MX and she said she would be willing to do all the post of blood work etc. I don't know how I feel I just think that entire encounter was odd.

Actually Im not. I have an auto immune disorder so Im at the doc twice a month. So half a day twice a month isnt going to fly long with my employer.

which card did you get that was 36 month interest free?

Shes an idiot.. My best friend told me " Just stop eating and youll lose weight" Coming from another obese person it was laughable.

For those of you who have had the sleeve were any of you on steroids? Im on 60mg of prednisone ( part of the reason ive gained 30lbs in the past year). How did that effect your weight loss after the sleeve? Im getting sleeved 5/31

Good luck we are going in may too!

The stories about alamanza really did scare me away from considering MX. Glad I was able to talk to people who had seen other Drs and that I decided to go through with the surgery. But honestly if an American doc had that type of reputation I really doubt all these people would be saying it was the patients fault and would instead be screaming "off with his head"

Im talking to someone who also has my condition from my support group who had the sleeve and she said that it actually helped her get off pred. so hopefully that will be the case for me too!!!!

I have talked to my surgeon he feels like taking a medication like prilosec would help there not be any ulcers. Unfortunately my condition will not improve after WLS as it is autoimmune, my only hope of getting off the pred. is going into remission. That being said I do know that my weight isn't all attributed to the pred, but it has contributed to about 50lbs in the last year, that and overeating and the fact I had a sternotomy and was down for three months. Also due to my condition there is no way I could stop the pred before surgery.

When my nephew bumped into me when he wasn't paying attention and said "its not my fault I bumped into you, your just too fat, I mean too fluffy". 2 Christmas's ago and while I can't change what happened, this Christmas I will be getting healthy!

Hubby and I are scheduled May 31st with Dr. Illan in TJ.

For those of you who went to MX to get the VGS though Bariatric Pal can I hear your experiences? I am concerned about going to another country for the sleeve. I am thinking if I do make that decision that DR. A or Dr. Z would be my choice. I would love to hear from some of you who have had it done. Thank you!

Has anyone had any luck with them approving? They posted this PDF last month http://blue.regence.com/trgmedpol/surgery/sur58.pdf but my plan excludes bariatric surgery... as do all plans in utah.

I am in a contest to win free gastric sleeve but i am loosing. bad. If I loose I will probably do self pay as it is excluded from my insurance. My hubby is against Mexico; I on the other hand wouldn't mind. Where have you guys found the cheapest place to get the sleeve done? Thanks in advance If you wamt to vote for me on facebook the link is: https://apps.facebook.com/575480265829438 takes about three clicks

The national Obesity Foundation gives away 1 free bariatric surgery per month. I am in the running. Can you help me win? It would change my life the link is https://apps.facebook.com/575480265829438/ You would just need to click vote for a humanitarian and then vote for stephanie c. You win by getting most votes. Here is why I was nominated: Stephanie CummingsHurricane, UT Stephanie is a 20-something living in Southern Utah. She dedicates most of her time to school and work. In her free time, she volunteers at an animal shelter in her city where she helps clean the shelter and feed and walk the animals. Since high school, Stephanie has dedicated her time to other people. From starting an awareness campaign for domestic violence in the 11th grade and talking in many of the counties high schools, to taking care of helpless animals at the animal shelter. Stephanie's life goal is to become a professor so that she can inspire and help other people obtain their life goals. Your vote would be greatly appreciated!