smithhome

I was really worried about having the conversation with my PCP but he was great about my plans to go to Mexico.
He gave me a standing order for the lab so that I can go in every month for blood work and he will call me if there are any issues. I will need to go regularly for blood work as I already have low Iron and B12 levels....so I'm incredibly happy that he was completely on board and supportive.
That's another thing off the list!
Dr selected. Date picked. Flights booked. PCP on board.
Now it's time to mentally prepare myself and prepare the house with everything I need for pre-op and post-op. Hurry up March 18th!

Hi! I'm scheduled for the 21st with Dr. Altamirano in TJ!
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I told my PCP that I wanted to do my gastric sleeve surgery and he was very supportive of me going to Mexico for my surgery. He was just concerned that I did my research and got into a great Doctor.
In the end, after extensive research, I chose Dr. Carlos Altamirano Cano. At the time I booked through Bariactric Pal and my trip and surgery went off without a hitch. The staff at Florence Hospital was amazing and took wonderful care of me.
After I was discharged from the hospital I spent 2 days at the recovery house where I had Juan who took me all over Tijuana and Ensanada. I felt that 2 days was a little much, it would have been nice to return home after the first day. I was pretty wiped out by the time I got back to Utah.
The think that impressed me the most about Dr. Altamirano was how much he genuinely cares about his patients. He calls you as your date is nearing, he explains EVERYTHING in great detail, and most of all... he stopped in and saw me at the recovery house and spent an hour of his own time with me. What doctor does that these days, house calls? As far as I'm concerned, I selected the very best surgeon $4400 could buy. I know I will have life long support from him as long as I want/need it.
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I'm kind of shaking my head because of the scolding this person got for asking a question. I understand your thinking but this is a forum for support not a browbeating.

I'm Jodi, and I was sleeved Jan 11/16. I'm down 65lbs and feeling great, but I'm finding I'm craving more support from people who understand what I'm going through. Only my parents, my husband and my 2 friends know I had this done, and they are great, but it's hard to talk to them. I kind of feel alone right now. I'm glad I found this group and hopefully will meet some great people!
Please feel free to message me anytime!
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Hi everyone. I had my surgery Tuesday January 5th. Very excited to be here and to be on this journey.

Okay first of all I said he just got an job offer to make more money. With what we make and the amout of children we have they told me I still qualify. My husbands insurance is my primary and all tencare pays is my copay. I didn't lie on my paperwork and I gave all my info so if they say I can keep it I will. I have bills just like everyone else. And based on that don't get upset because of there rules not mine. My husband pays taxes like everyone else so to each is his own. Even before I got married I took care of my kids. I have income that comes in as well so we don't live off the government. He is trying to make more money so he can add my kids and we want need anything from the state. But I'm using my husbands insurance to have my surgery not tax payers. And if I was to use my tenncare I have the right like everyone else to use my insurance the way I see fit if I qualify.

My husband does not even know I am going through the beginning of the whole process. When I found out about my diabetes and talked to my husband about my fear of one day losing my feet or my kidneys he made light of it. Now when I decline all the carbs and sweet stuff he says" oh yeah you don't want to lose you feet". I told him he was rude and unsupportive! He said "you are not going to lose you feet, stop overreacting." I was done with the conversation. I stick to what I want, he can support me or not, but in the end only I can take care of myself. When I mentioned I was thinking about surgery he went nuts. So, I have not let him into this area of my life. My daughter is the only person I have told. She will take to the hospital and pick me up. Once I am home I will tell him but I am going through with this for me. I do not need his permission. Hopefully he will support me after he knows, if not, it won't change me doing this.

Hi there...I too have an unsupportive husband. He tried for a year or more to belittle the idea because he feels it's not worth a major surgery, when some are able to lose lbs w/o surgery.
Then came the, "what if you die?" argument. Finally he admitted that he knows that he feels comfortable with my being overweight. That his opinion on this is more about HIM than me. So, now we're saving for the surgery and he's "ready"... he will take care of me no matter what, but his emotions will be more erratic than mine. It's SO hard to deal with men like this. I feel your pain. Let's pray for one another and maybe we can support one another in some small way!
Contact me if you need to talk it out.
God bless!!

@@KnowUrWorth ... I'm still looking at your name.
So sorry for your suffering.
I hope you don't endure it much longer.

You said, "It's usually ok but when we argue it can get full on and he can be quite nasty & say some hurtful things. We've got 2 children together. 2 year old & 3 month old, so you'd think he would be a lot nicer but that isn't the case. It's not the first time his put me down about my weight. He always apologies and says he only said it in anger but I just don't know when enough is enough.."
Look up the Cycle of Abuse. I am a survivor of domestic violence, including death threats from an unstable ex who kept five loaded guns in the house.
When I finally had to go to the doctor to have my injuries looked at, he said. "Why are you still there?" I said because I love him. The doctor asked, "Why would you love someone who treats you that way?" That doctor was very supportive in helping me escape from that mess.
It is no secret here that bariatric surgery exposes the raw dynamics of a relationship. My first ex was "just kidding" when he told me I was too ugly to live. My second ex "didn't really mean it" he when he said he wished he could beat the godda** shi*out of me.
Actually, as much as his cycle of tirades and apologies hurt, you are now seeing what he really thinks of you, and the lack of appreciation he has for your love. Examine your realtionship and how you two contribute to each other's day. What's in it for him, and what's in it for you? What was in it for my exes was cooking, laundry, housekkeeping, errand running, a second income to pay for their hobbies, and free degrading sex when they weren't out with someone else. What was in it for me was tears and humiliation. I ate what they ate, watched what they wanted on TV, wore what they told me to wear.
Bariatric surgery is going to help you re-invent yourself. I am guessing that he is not being all that lovely to the children either. I know that the politically correct thing to say is that you should do this for yourself, but the domestic violence survivor in me says to turn that fat money into revenge money. Do what you gotta do to keep your dignity and peace of mind and go get HOT!

Hi there...I too have an unsupportive husband. He tried for a year or more to belittle the idea because he feels it's not worth a major surgery, when some are able to lose lbs w/o surgery.
Then came the, "what if you die?" argument. Finally he admitted that he knows that he feels comfortable with my being overweight. That his opinion on this is more about HIM than me. So, now we're saving for the surgery and he's "ready"... he will take care of me no matter what, but his emotions will be more erratic than mine. It's SO hard to deal with men like this. I feel your pain. Let's pray for one another and maybe we can support one another in some small way!
Contact me if you need to talk it out.
God bless!!

Hi there...I too have an unsupportive husband. He tried for a year or more to belittle the idea because he feels it's not worth a major surgery, when some are able to lose lbs w/o surgery.
Then came the, "what if you die?" argument. Finally he admitted that he knows that he feels comfortable with my being overweight. That his opinion on this is more about HIM than me. So, now we're saving for the surgery and he's "ready"... he will take care of me no matter what, but his emotions will be more erratic than mine. It's SO hard to deal with men like this. I feel your pain. Let's pray for one another and maybe we can support one another in some small way!
Contact me if you need to talk it out.
God bless!!

Hi there...I too have an unsupportive husband. He tried for a year or more to belittle the idea because he feels it's not worth a major surgery, when some are able to lose lbs w/o surgery.
Then came the, "what if you die?" argument. Finally he admitted that he knows that he feels comfortable with my being overweight. That his opinion on this is more about HIM than me. So, now we're saving for the surgery and he's "ready"... he will take care of me no matter what, but his emotions will be more erratic than mine. It's SO hard to deal with men like this. I feel your pain. Let's pray for one another and maybe we can support one another in some small way!
Contact me if you need to talk it out.
God bless!!

I am going with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. I googled the hell out of his name and went on no less than 4 weight loss forums, searching for any patient comments. Other than a couple lab band complaints (which all seemed like "normal" post-op things to me), I couldn't find anything but happy patients. I also verified his credentials with the American College of Surgeons, the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, and the Surgical Review Corporation. I spoke with and emailed Carolyn at OCC zillions of questions about his technique, number of procedures, complications, etc.
After confirming Dr. Ortiz's qualifications, I moved on to check out the facility. Many people feel they want to go to a full service hospital rather than a surgical center. I specifically asked if I would need to be transferred to a local hospital in the event of any complications or emergency. I was told OCC is actually certified as a US hospital and has a fully equipped ICU to handle unforeseen emergencies. Besides Dr. Ortiz, they have two other surgeons (Dr. Martinez has done as many surgeries as Dr. Ortiz and they typically are a team on every VSG), a cardiopulmonary specialist, an anesthesiologist, two follow up docs, 4 RN's, a nutritionist, and a dietician. Bariatric surgery is all they do, and everyone appears to have a lot of experience. And by not being in a general hospital, there will be no possibility of cross-contamination or infections from "sick" patients.
So in the end, I really decided to go with the OCC team, not necessarily just the surgeon. To me, that peace of mind is worth the extra $$$$. I'll let you know in 18 days if it was a good choice!