Coreysmissus

August 22nd with Dr Ortiz!! Eeeep!!

Hoping for the 15th at the OCC in Mexico [emoji3][emoji3]

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I told flight attendant i have restless leg syndrome and needed to walk a lil during flight. I stayed towards the back and paced back and forth when I felt i needed to. I had a connecting flight and it was delayed. But i made it thru just fine.

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I had the surgery on a Thursday in TJ, stayed until the following Tuesday morning and then flew to Chicago on a direct flight. Then had a two hour drive home to Madison, WI from Chicago, O'Hare. Everything was fine. Walking around TJ was good once out of the hospital, walking through the airports was fine, no issues on the flight or the drive home.

You shouldn't need a wheelchair at all. The walking will be good for you. Mind the weight restriction (not lifting more than 10lbs).. so a wheeled suitcase is a lifesaver.
If you can, the direct flight is a good idea. You'll get pretty tired with the layover (it will be doable, just not as fun). If you opt for a flight with a layover, make sure it's at least an hour, so you have plenty of time to saunter over to the next gate.
I always recommend compression socks (medical grade) for flying, especially after abdominal surgery. You'll have to be fitted at a local medical supply place.
I had my surgery on Monday, and flew home on Friday. I highly recommend having at least that much time between the procedure and your flight home.

Hoping for the 15th at the OCC in Mexico [emoji3][emoji3]

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You should be afraid. Fear is a powerful motivator. Fear can also lead to respect. For example, I do not work with electricity anymore since getting the **** shocked out of me. I understand how it works and now have the utmost respect for electricity. I no longer fear it though. If you use this time to learn proper nutrition and establish good eating habits, you will no longer fear failure but you may respect the power food can have over you.
I see this stated so many times and I truly do not understand why people choose to call it cheating. Cheating is almost always done to win. In our situations, "cheating" always indicates failure or weakness. Don't despair! We all have weak times, it's natural. But having the idea in your head that you are cheating does not help you win at anything. Recognize it as a weak moment so that you can work on becoming stronger.

How are you doing now? Warm Water helping?

Thank you for your feedback!

Hi all
I had a BMI of 32. 20 weeks post surgery and have lost all the weight and hit goal today. I weighed in at 87kilos and now 55kilos. First time I've let anyone know that! I had prior health issues and now I don't. Dont regret a thing. Its a process and now I need to maintain and not lose anymore - shit, didn't think I'd ever say that!

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I will be using Dr. Elias Ortiz at ALM. My surgery is scheduled May 8

I had my surgery with Dr. Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana just over 6 years ago. My daughter is a gastroenterologist and he was specifically recommended to her by colleagues in the bariatric field. He was a world renown, cutting edge surgeon even then. I had a great experience, easy recovery and zero complications. As a nurse myself, I know the difference between quality healthcare and substandard, cut-rate care. Would recommend him and OCC to anyone interested in WLS.

@I'm Changing 4 Me
I created a spreadsheet to help me figure out what I wanted. Personally, I contacted each and every one of these companies/doctors. How are you going to know if you like them unless you deal with them directly? I think in reality, you have to go through some kind of coordinator. Do you expect your surgeon to be dealing with email and phone queries all day? (In fact, out of all these doctors, the only one I was in contact with was Dr. Illan - and while he seemed very nice, the wi-fi connection was so bad I have no idea if he actually answered any of my questions). So, while it would be nice to talk to them, it's not always possible. However, in some cases the coordinator will contact the doctor if you have any specific questions.
This is far from a full list, but based on this, and other sites, I felt that these were the most consistently well-regarded companies and surgeons. As I've mentioned in other posts, I think the biggest reason for price differences are the reputation of the doctor, the hospital used, and the hotels used.
Unless otherwise mentioned, all these doctors are in Tijuana, and these are quotes I got for a Gastric Sleeve (prices may vary depending on your personal health conditions):
Bariatric Pal Team MX: Dr. Jalil Illan ($4399)
Endo Bariatric (in Piedras Negras): Dr. Alvarez ($8900)
Mexico Bariatric Center: Dra. Louisiana Valenzuela ($5500) and Dr. Ismael Cabrera ($4995)
Obesity Control Center: Dr. Ariel Ortiz ($6500-$9000)
Pompeii Surgical: Dr. Sergio Quinones ($4500)
Ponce Bariatric: Dr. jaime ponce de leon ($5000)
Tijuana Bariatrics: Dr. Fernando Garcia ($4250)
WLSC: Dr. Ramos Kelly ($4870-$7710)
Another option seems to be Trinity Medical, also promoted by a pretty active member here, but unfortunately I didn't come across that company until after I had made my decision.
In my particular case, I live in Japan so unlike most of you in the US and Canada, I have some pretty long international flights, and my pear-shaped bottom can no longer squeeze into a 17" economy seat. I might have done that one-way, but I definitely did not want to be squeezed in for 14 hours after major abdominal surgery. Knowing that I would have to buy a business class seat on an international flight meant that I couldn't afford the more expensive doctors - so anything over $6000 was out. I did not like the way I was treated with Tijuana Bariatrics - all I got was a form letter "you've been approved - send money" - and all requests to speak to a coordinator or doctor were completely ignored. In the end the surgeons I was most interested in were Dr. Q, Dr. Ponce, and either Dr. Valenzuela or Dr. Cabrera at MBC. What swayed me the most was how well I was treated by the coordinator, and the amount of information they could give me about the operation, hospitals, etc, how many surgeries the doctor does daily (some doctors work out of more than one hospital, so make sure you find out the daily total and not the hospital total), and finally the price. Oh - and whether or not the surgery could be done on a day that was most convenient for me (for some reason it seems like a lot of the doctors will be away or on vacation or are already booked in February).
I know in the beginning it seems overwhelming, but the best thing to do is bookmark the sites you like, fill out the forms, and see what happens from there. I started with 3 different companies, but over time I expanded my search a little. That said, the problem is the paradox of choice: the more options we have, the more difficult it becomes to choose. Keep it small for now as you get your feet wet. Ask questions. Do research (other bariatric forums, Facebook, etc.) It should get better as you go along.
My surgery is less than 6 weeks away, so I can't tell you how it went, but I'm confident enough that I will be treated well. Anyway, I hope this helps.

For airline travelers, you can take bouillon cubes with you instead of broth. That way, you can ask for a cup of hot Water at a restaurant and make your own. The same goes for Protein powder and cold water for meals.
I know a guy that had a lbl after losing weight. He carried a cane with him for a few days, because he wanted to baby his stomach and not put pressure on his sutures. Best of luck to you!

Hi I'm a 34 yr old mom of two young kids and my surgery is scheduled for August 2017! Im excited and super nervous at the same time. Just wanted to see if anyone else was getting surgery in August too?