Atslady

My PCP is doing all my follow-up. I have complication insurance and I was nervous about going to MX. However, Dr Illan sent me home with my surgery video, labs, chest xray and leak test video, so my Dr has everything and Dr Illan will share his case notes to the Dr.

Edit....I have no idea why this app is providing inaccurate links!!
Every time I put in my surgeons name doctor a-r-i-e-l O-r-t-i-z, a link would come up with another  Dr. Ortiz that is not with the  Obesity Control Center and actually had a news article about a patient dying...this is not the doctor I went with. My doctor actually teaches his procedure to other Bariatric surgeons. BariatricPal has a link bug!!
Edit: the link for Obesity Control Center is NOT The Oasis of Hope!!
Wow, this app has major bugs!!

Hey there!! Back with an update!Yay!!
I just got back to my hotel and my surgery was done yesterday (2/10/17).
I was a little surprised by how quickly everything went. I mean super duper quickly! But I did have a few complications as I have been cursed with hard to locate and even harder to hit veins. The anesthesiologist had to put my iv lines in.
The shuttle take you in at 6:15am and you're in the waiting room with final paperwork stuff and final payment.
They call you in to finalize your dietary plan and also do the EKG...then you wait until your room is ready.
When you go to your suite, you quickly change in your gown and then the phlebotomist comes in to give you a little Xanax and does your IV.
The surgeon comes in and chats with you for a moment and then it's show time.
The procedure took less than 45 minutes and he not only staples but he also does a reenforced suture over the staple line to prevent additional complications.
Past that, walking around after surgery went pretty smoothly and I still have "rolling" gas bubbles which are annoying beyond belief!
Before they release you from the hospital, they have you do a tiny barium swallow to make sure your tract is completely clear and then you're released to go back to the hotel!!
You have to keep walking...the more you walk, the faster the rolling bubbles will be relieved.
I've got a final follow up on Monday and head back over the border by about noon that same day.
Feeling pretty good (past those bubbles) and have no regrets whatsoever.
The only major things I will also add:
If you buy your meds that are prescribed there at [/url] OCC , it's about $190 with a credit card. If you ask the hotel shuttle driver, he can take you to a local pharmacy that will sell you all the drugs for about $70 bucks.

Bring or buy a pill crusher. (There's a Walmart near the hotel or if you go to an offsite pharmacy...or pack one with you.

I have the vitaleph  shakes , but I also bought powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury  Protein   powder  (online only) the  chicken   broth  and the unflavored variety...to break up the chocolate/vanilla shakes...you will get tired of those flavors quick. The unflavored powder can be mixed with juices or just water!

That's it!!

Sorry for the novel!! But you're going to do great!!

I'm December 27th. My husband has off that week, so I will be flying from Philadelphia to San Diego on my clear Fluid diet, on Christmas Day - dreading that part, lol, but it was my choice.
Definitely though, just talk with them and go with your gut - while you still have one ~ haha! Let me know how it goes, & good luck! Maybe we'll end up down there at the same time

@Taylor5 Thank you for the information , the more i think about it the more i'm convinced Dr. Ortiz may be
the right choice. He has been around a long time, I am going to call them in the morning and
chat with them. The other facility is in a hospital and you stay there your entire stay ( which i like) but the doctor is more important than any other factor to me.


Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question , it was very helpful
What day do you have your surgery?

Good morning and congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I'm still pre-op as well, so I can't speak first hand from being at the facility or from a newly sleeved perspective, nor do I know much about Trinity. However, as you can see, I have decided to go with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. As you said, I too liked that there was a lot of info available on him.
I checked the ASMBS website to be sure that he and OCC were definitely members/accredited, and they are. That made me feel better. I also purchased complication surgery, and there were only 3-4 (at most) surgeons & facilities in Mexico that were accepted by the policy I purchased (GPS) and Dr. Ortiz/OCC were on that list too. I watched several of his videos on youtube, including one where he actually performs the VSG on a patient. You are able to view on the O/R screen what is happening inside the abdomen as well as scan around the room to observe the O/R staff and watch the surgeon's hands as he performs the surgery. I thought it might gross me out a little, but it was actually really interesting and made me feel better seeing exactly what will happen to me.
Since the moment I contacted them for initial information, they are always quick to respond. They have sent me a ton of information, and have requested quite a bit as well. After reviewing my health history (which is extensive) they informed me that the internist, Dr. Jimenez - who is part of the surgical team, wanted to speak with me about some of my history. He then called me and we talked about how this might affect me during my surgery. His English was excellent, and I could tell that he had honestly reviewed everything I sent them as he ran through my entire history with ease. I don't get that kind of attention with my own doctors. After that phone call, I have felt even better about my decision and am excited to meet everyone in person!
I don't mean to sound like an advertisement, and I hardly can be when I haven't even been there yet. Just letting you know my experience so far. I'm sure there are other excellent doctors and facilities down there, and as long as you do your homework I think you can have a great outcome with Dr. Ortiz or anyone else with excellent credentials and patients with great outcomes. I know there are many on this forum under the "Self Pay, Mexico..." heading, so I would check there if you haven't already. Best of luck wherever you decide to go!

Hi ,

My surgery date is 12/20/17 and i have researched for over a year. I am having my surgery at Trinity Medical in Mexico.
I am nervous and thinking about changing to OCC because of all the information available about Dr. Ortiz.
Maybe i'm just having a lil anxiety because the date is getting closer.
Any Sleever's with information about either facility?

Thanks ( Nervous in Ga )

I'm Dec 27th, have already been sampling a lot of different stuff w/mixed results. Am on an extended pre-op diet, which for me is mostly about cutting things out a little at a time so I don't feel sick/get headaches, and adding things in slowly so I can get used to them. I used to drink various Protein Shakes in the 90's when I was a gym rat, and found a few that I liked. Now I have IBS and am finding a lot of the shakes and Vitamins don't agree with me. So that's not good.
I tried some of the Vitaleph products recommended by Drs. office, but they are expensive and not very palatable. I am saving those shakes for my 2 wk pre-op diet, which is the strictest phase. I got the Multi-Vitamin patch from BariatricPal Store, bc I have always hated the aftertaste of Multivites, but am not 100% sure how much gets absorbed (watched a series of youtube videos this one surgeon does on nutrition and he doesn't think Patches in general are absorbed well, which concerns me). So I have decided to save them for right after surgery and have just got Nature Made Fast Dissolve VitaMelts off Amazon. They got good reviews and were priced well. The taste is fine. I had a little stomach cramping after but am not sure if it was from those or my 1st experience with Premier Protein shakes premade.
I get a lot of stuff off Amazon bc I am a Prime member and get fast/free shipping on most items, so I've also tried an organic B-12 spray (tastes nice but don't notice any difference in energy), and a Vitamin D3 cream (feels nice on skin, not sure if it's helping increase levels or not though). I also have a melatonin cream for post-op when I won't be able to swallow my nightly melatonin.
I found one pre-made shake I really like: Orgain Organic Nutrition Shakes, Iced Cafe Mocha. It's like a nice cold Mocha Frappuccino in the morning, but with less sugar and more Protein. So far that's my favorite shake drink.
I got some other items off BariatricPal store that I haven't tried yet. I got a box of strawberry smoothie mix, grape juice mix, mixed berry juice mix, and cream of chicken Soup mix. All high protein of course. I plan to take some of these with me on the plane to surgery as they will travel well. I will sample before I leave and if they are good may order more for post op.
So that's my experience so far, hope it was somewhat helpful. I would love to hear about anything you've tried and liked/disliked, and from others as well. Have a great day and good luck with your surgery!

I am scheduled for December 20th, exited & nervous! I actually canceled at first, thinking I could do it myself, then after another moth of yo-yo dieting, I decided to go for it.

December Sleevers??
i had the sleeve December 15 - 2011!!
yep, you heard me right.
next month i'll be six (6) years PO
5 years GOAL
i am healthy, feel wonderful, and
look cute as a button
one month PO i turned 58 years OLD!
i will be 64 years YOUNG in January
after losing 105 lbs, little fluctuations,
i still say i am at GOAL (130 lbs 5"3)
good luck to all December newbies
"may the force be with you"
kathy

Mine is at OCC with Dr. Ortiz on Dec. 27th. Good Luck!!

I also just got confirmation on a surgery date of 12/27!! sooo excited for this new journey.

@hope4anewstart: You're right, it can happen to anyone. So, be prepared just in case. As you read, I was not prepared, to the point that I didn't/haven't told my doc what I did. Be sure to have a plan of who to go to for care after your surgery. The chances of you having issues are small and like I stated even my surgeon who fixed me was surprised. You are also right that if you don't do something to help yourself now you will have problems down the road. This is a great tool and I'm happy I took the plunge and went ahead. You will feel all the emotions everyone on here talks about: fear and anxiety, etc . One emotion I never felt was regret, even after it all went bad I didn't regret my decision because I was already seeing more weight loss than I had ever imagined. After a couple of weeks you will be so grateful you had the opportunity to make your life so much better, you'll not regret your decision.
Give yourself a good amount of time to heal, take it easy for a couple weeks and before you know it you'll be feeling so much better than you have in years. The desperation you are feeling will soon turn to self confidence. You'll find that you are stronger than you ever thought you were. You can do it, you can break the cycle and turn everything around for you and your child, you just need a little help to get started. I have been where you are right now, I tried every stinking diet on the planet. Now I don't diet, I eat what I want but I make wise choices and eat a whole lot less than I ever thought I could. There is hope. I wish you nothing but the best. Be sure to post what you decide to do and how you are getting on. The folk who are on this forum are all rooting for you and they do care.
My advice would be:
If you are going to Mexico be sure to take someone with you, you will have a long travel day coming home with lots of plane changes. It is stressful, so let someone else handle that.
Contact the doc at the place you decide to go and ask, ask, ask. Get all your questions out there, this will alleviate your fears.
Let your PCP know what you are up to and get his/her support.
Make your decision, whatever it is, and don't look back. Trust yourself, you know you better than anyone else does.
My best to you in whatever you decide to do

Hi Twanda, No, there was no follow up with Dr. Ortiz, however other than filling out my 3-month survey I didn't contact them. Also, the other person you read about this happening to I think had very recently had a baby. The surgeon who fixed me was very surprised this happened and also stated the chances were at about super low.
I should also tell you that my sister went with me and she was very impressed with the Docs at OCC. They came out and talked to her immediately after surgery and gave her time to ask any questions she needed to. Sitting in the waiting room I think gave her empathy and a new understanding for the battle we all fight. She is a size 2, but supported me all the way.
Your relationship with the Doctors, staff and Nutritionist down there will depend on you. They will take calls, Skype or e-mail you. I did none of that...once I made my decision, I called and scheduled my appointment and never looked back.
I was trying to think of what I could tell you to encourage you and it made me ask myself this. If I knew then what I know now, would I do this over again? That's one hard question. No one would willingly go through the surgery knowing another would be imminent. But when I think about it, I know that without having this surgery I would be at my top weight feeling hopeless. And history and time proves that it would only continue to get worse.
I have currently lost almost 60 lbs, over 1/2 way to my goal and the list of ways I feel better would be a long one. I also searched the forums, for months. I found tons of positives reviews and very few negative ones. I don't know how this surgery doesn't work for the ones that claim that, but I think if you looked far enough in to it, they would be the ones admitting they still drink soda and continue to eat crap. For me this was a final chance to save myself. I have done every stinking diet on the planet! This took the word diet out of my language. I knew once I healed if I wanted the occasional treat I could have that. I never ate a lot of garbage before, I just ate a lot. That was why I felt this surgery was my answer as it makes eating a lot not an option. And I have been very successful and don't feel deprived or on the sidelines. I still meet friends for lunch or dinner, I just bring 1/2 or more of what I ordered home and get to enjoy it a few more times! My husband loves that when we go out he knows he will have his dinner and then the rest of mine
I hope this helps you in making the right decision for you. My heartfelt advice would be to contact the doc at OCC, express your concerns, and ask any questions you have. And then let your PCP know what you are doing. I didn't even do that! I didn't want to hear the negative things or have anyone try to talk me out of it. Also, I would 100% advise having someone go with, especially if you are flying home. I had 2 connecting flights on my trip home and that was an exhausting day! Best wishes to you, and please, post on here what you have decided and how you are doing.

UndercoverDiet, Here I am again. LOL First let me say this YOU are so very brave!!! Like was said above, your partner will more than likely come around!! You have us!! Feel free to ask me anything!! Even tho I had the RNY and you are having the Sleeve, WLS is basically the same when it comes to the feelings that come up. I would tell you to call ahead for them to have a wheelchair at the Airport, some of those places are huge!! Be sure to keep your carry in light as you can. I think you will have lots of help from the site you are going thru. Just let them know you are alone. Now just one more thing, I am very proud of you for preparing yourself for your new start. I can relate 100%. Keep us posted and remember keep your eyes on the prize!! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!

Hi! Been vegan for 13 years, glad to see another one on the board! We have a good handful of vegan or plant-based people here. I personally despise Protein Shakes, so it was a real struggle for me to have them at all (I only needed to have them for 2 weeks, thank goodness). I used organic hemp Protein and macadamia milk and it was okay, I could choke it down. When I tried it with almond milk there was no way in hell it was going down, so disgusting! I finally broke down and got some premade shakes. The best ones I could find that weren't pure sugar Water were the vegan Orgain shakes. Svelte brand is okay too. Give them a try, if you like protein shakes in general you'll probably like those!

To the OP, you ask for advice, are given sound advice and refute what is said from an experienced 'sleever'.
I understand you want to follow your surgeon's plan, then don't question your situation when you are following the plan.
I agree that 100gr of carbs, even good carbs are going to slow down the weight loss. The majority of veteran sleevers while losing aimed for 20-50 a day. But not 50 in the beginning. If you eat 3oz of Protein, you will maybe get an ounce of green Beans in which is 4 carbs and that is about it - you will feel restriction. Cottage cheese has a few carbs - 4oz has 8gr and 12gr of protein.
Your body will use the food you ate for fuel first, always and if you have been even slightly insulin resistant it won't burn the fat stores unless there is no food fuel for hours. Protein heats up the metabolism and makes the body work harder to burn fuel, carbs are easy quick fuel takes very little effort.
I am sure your surgeon is a good surgeon, but everyone is different in how their body reacts to food fuel. I cannot eat much fruit and lose weight, when Weight Watchers started allowing up to 5 fruits a day without counting points - SLAM - I lost maybe a half pound a week and gained on some weeks. Non starchy vegetables do not have the same effect - but WW swore it wasn't the fruit. As soon as I went back to an older plan and backed off on fruit - maybe one a day or none, then I could have better losses.
So the advice is to experiment and track what and how much, use a scale and a free app like Baritastic, myfitnesspal, or Lose It. Play around with the numbers, one size does not fit all. And good luck, we want everyone to win at this.

9 weeks. 39 pounds down. And I have collarbones!

December 21st sleever......best Christmas gift ever!!!!

Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

Mine is the morning of December 4th in Houston!

Hi all! Set for Dec 29. Fresno CA. I had a surgical hysterectomy last January. I’ve gained 45 pounds. Overweight to begin with. Dear Lord, I pray this will help me.

I have only 1 regret not doing it sooner! My days after surgery where ok not much pain only issue was the gas it lasted a week but that was my only issue.

HW: 247 VSG:6/1/17 CW:186(11/04/17) GW:185🙄

Wow everyone looks great!!! I'm encouraged
@dametris What was it like the first few days after surgery? Any regrets?

Surgery was 10/03, I'm down 26.4 lbs as of today. My weight loss is slow, but my body is slimming down. Everyone looks amazing!!



Sent from my SM-G920P using BariatricPal mobile app

98 Pounds down!
65% of excess body weight gone
Lifting weights, HIT and yoga
More energy, vitality and aliveness!