Mtgirl

Hey! Surgery isn’t until the 31st. It feels like its dragging by 😭 Im so OCD I can’t think of anything else!! I’m so worried that this surgery might not work for me or take forever to lose the weight. Also stressing about about having severe acid reflux after. Its like my brain won’t stop!!

No, the sleeve isn't more complicated. Either your surgeon misspoke or you misheard.
There IS risk of leaks during the first 2 months postop, but bypass also has its own set of risks. The complication rate during and right after surgery are about the same for sleeve and bypass. BUT, the further you get from surgery, the sleeve complications drop significantly lower than those of the bypass. (Pretty sure GERD is left out of this statistic).

I had sleeve surgery in Tijuana with Dr. Frayre from Ponce Bariatrics on December 5th. Like anyone, I was nervous about going over the border for this and my family was pretty freaked out about that, although they supported me in making this decision.
I had the single port surgery through my belly button ($6,000), and for an additional $700, they took out my gal bladder as well through the same hole. My starting weight was 210 lbs, 34 BMI, and 5'6" tall.
I had a friend who had gone through Dr. Ponce and had a great experience, so that is why I chose them. Dr. Frayre is another surgeon who works with Dr. Ponce and I was told that they always do surgeries together, even though I can't verify that, as I never saw or met Dr. Ponce.
I won't lie, the first couple of days were rough, and it was my first major surgery, so I have nothing to compare to, but I do believe I received excellent care. I am a total sissy when it comes to pain and I really think I have a lower than normal tolerance for it. I was in a sort of tiny hospital called "INT clinic"...only about 12 or 14 rooms total and I had a room to myself with bathroom and walk in shower. The nurses were great and so responsive, even though they spoke little to no English.
My single port incision is about an inch long, and located not so much IN my belly button, but at the top of it which was different from what I thought. I have a very deep and narrow belly button, and they have to get all their instruments through that hole, so maybe that is why. I also had a very small drain incision. From my experience, I wouldn't say my recovery was faster with this surgery, but if you want less scars, this may be what you want to choose. You could save $1,000 and just go with the regular surgery and have 4 or 5 tiny incisions.
But I am healing well after 10 days and no issues. I do believe Dr. Frayre and Dr. Ponce are accomplished surgeons. I was told Dr. Frayre had the sleeve surgery himself.
This is long, but I hope this info is helpful.
Sent from my SM-N910G using the BariatricPal App

I thought I would post up my entire experience with ALM in Tijuana while the details are still fresh in my mind. This will be a bit of a long read, but hopefully someone who is investigating the possibilities will find some useful information, answers to some questions and some reassurances! Here goes:
I was introduced to the idea of bariatric surgery about 6 months ago during a conversation with a friend, who has been struggling for a few years with a significant (100lbs+) weight gain. I, too, had been gaining weight steadily since losing 100lbs four years ago. She said that if she couldn't lose the weight in the next year, she was "gonna get the gastric surgery" and be done of it. Of course, I had heard about gastric bypasses and lap bands, but I always associated it with Hollywood stars (ie, the very wealthy) or people who were much larger than 250lbs.
I walked away from that conversation with a seed planted, and over the next few days I began doing some preliminary online research. This was one of the sites I came across at that time. I learned about the different procedures, and researched some of the worst case scenarios associated with each. I researched long term consequences, health outcomes, the effects on women of childbearing age who want to become pregnant, etc. I tried not to get bogged down by only reading positive stories or looking at #vsgbeforeandafter pictures and imagining my weight disappearing effortlessly overnight.
I decided that this was something that really piqued my interest. I went to my provincial health authority's website (I live in Nova Scotia) and saw that the wait times here for an insurance covered procedure were more than 5 years, as there is only 1 bariatric surgeon in the province. Dismayed, I googled some bariatric centres close to where my above mentioned friend lives (Houston) and saw the procedures ranged from $12,000 USD up to $20,000 USD. There was simply no way I could afford that, even though I travelled to Houston on a weekly basis for work and could stay with my friend free of charge.
I put the idea out of my head. I thought, "this really IS for rich folks, $28,000 (Canadian dollars) isn't feasible for a normal working person."
But I kept coming back to pages like this, and others and on one of my google searches a sponsored ad result for ALM popped up at the top of the screen. "Affordable bariatric surgery at a top hospital in Tijuana, Mexico" or something to that effect.
Intrigued, I clicked through the ad and read the entire content of the page. All the procedures were available, starting in the low $4000s (about $5500 CAD). I'm not naive (in fact, cynical would be a much more appropriate adjective), so I thought "what's the catch?"
I took note of the doctor's names from ALM's website. I checked them on linked in, I read forums like this one, I entered search terms like "Dr So-So Tijuana deaths" and read well beyond the first page of Google results. I read about ALM, again entering morbid search terms, digging through online forums and basically trying to find that one piece of information where I would say "AHA! Gotcha! Of course that's a terrible idea!"
I didn't find much. The company seemed legit, plenty of online posts dating back a few years to a few days about people who used their services and had successful operations with the surgeons they work with. This was around June.
So I sent an email to a link on their page. I explained my personal experiences with weight loss and gain, my concerns about some members of my family and their onset health problems, and asking if I would be a candidate for the procedure at 5'8", fairly muscular and 250lbs. I don't wear plus sized clothing, but I'm at the point where if I gained another 15-20 lbs I would have to.
I clicked send, and wondered if/when I would hear back and went on with my life. To my surprise, I heard back only an hour later. My coordinator, Crystal, answered my questions thoroughly (I was surprised it wasn't a generic "form" email, thank you for contacting us, don't call us - we'll call you blah blah blah). We opened a line of communication back and forth, and I felt pretty confident with the answers I was getting.
So now I was getting excited. Possibilities. What seemed unattainable just a few weeks earlier was now suddenly in reach. It was time to discuss my findings with my wife. I chewed this over in my head, how to bring it up, was I ready to answer her questions, should I nerd out with all the info I had learned, or should I nonchalantly just throw it out there?
I brought it up, and she was surprised but open minded. I explained all the options I had looked into, and what, exactly, a vertical sleeve gastrecromy is and isn't. She listened to my spiel, and said "Okay. Would I qualify for the procedure?".
She is not fat, but has lost and gained 60lbs in the past few years and has an obese parent with diabetes. Her BMI was 32 when we had this conversation, and she wears size 12 jeans.
We emailed Crystal with her concerns and questions, and again, she got right back to us. She emailed us forms and questionnaires for the doctor's review and we set to filling them out.
We were on holidays for most of July, and when we returned we set a date, Oct 27 and paid our $500 each deposit to hold that date.
In early August, it seemed like an eternity but since we both travel for work and work 70 hours a week, we knew the time would surely pass. We talked about little else but how excited we were. How we were going to do everything right, get back to the gym, change our lives and how this would help us when we start our family in a few years. We booked plane tickets. We changed companies in September, which was a welcome distraction from all the VSG this and VSG that.
Starting about 3 weeks prior to our travel dates, we started receiving emails from Cindy Rios, an RN who works with (for?) ALM regarding diet, lifestyle changes, phases of the surgery recovery and suggestions for streamlining and making the most of our pending surgeries.
We had quit caffeine and carbonated drinks in August, in a bid to make it easier down the road. We went to costco and loaded up on Premier Protein (like a shopping cart full) because we are on the road with work and didn't want to be short on supplies and maybe tempted to cheat. We didn't do "food funerals" in the same way I wouldn't attend the funeral of a nemesis or adversary who had stolen some of my life and made me unhappy with who I was. We bought enough salad to get us through the work week when we were home each week.
The pre-op diet was easy, for the most part. Not wanting to risk enlarging our livers with excess carbs and losing our hard earned money if the surgery couldn't be completed made it easier. We had a supply of Keto-strips from previous ketogenic dieting and made sure we were staying in ketosis throughout the entire time.
We flew out of Nova Scotia at 5am on the 26th. We arrived at the San Diego airport before noon (4 hour time difference) after changing planes in Toronto.
We had a text message waiting for us when we landed from our driver, asking what our schedule looked like. We told him we were on the ground, and just waiting to deplane and on our way. We received a call immediately saying they would pick us up at the cab stand at Terminal 1 in about an hour. We carried on our luggage (not wanting to risk the airline losing our luggage with multiple connections) so we strolled from Terminal 2 down to Terminal 1. We received a text message with a picture of the driver's license, Rafael and his personal information.
When an hour came and went, I sent a text asking where he was and got a call right back. He was stuck in traffic at the border, but wouldn't be much longer. We got a description of the van he was driving so we knew who to watch for.
He arrived not much longer, and we picked up 2 other people on the way. We made our introductions and were off on I5 towards Mexico.
Rafael informed us that because we had landed quite early, we would head straight to Mi Doctor Hospital and do our preoperarion check ups instead of waiting for surgery day.
The hospital is literally 5 mins from the border. Rafael took us from place to place in the hospital, and stayed with us the entire time.
First we had blood taken for a full work up. Next, we went for an EKG to monitor heart function. I then met with Dr Elias Ortiz in his office, as I was the first surgery of the day the next morning. My wife filled out paperwork upstairs, and after my meeting with Dr Ortiz, I filled out the same paperwork. All the paperwork is in English and Spanish, so you'll sign everything twice. I was the only patient to meet Dr Ortiz that afternoon, as he would meet with the others during the day between surgeries.
I asked him to visually inspect my gallbladder, as I have a family history of gall bladder disease and he said he couldn't see if there stones, but the general health would be evident. I asked him about taking Advil (i take a HUGE dose of Advil once a month for period cramps) and he assured me that NSAIDs would not be an issue once the sleeve was healed. I have an alternative medication, but I don't take it because it causes drowsiness and he assured me that it was fine until I can handle NSAIDs again.
He was friendly, knowledgable, and overall seemed like a really friendly fellow. I felt like I was in good hands.
Rafael was waiting for us when everything was signed, and we piled into the van to head to the hotel.
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Tijuana, which was about 10 mins by van from the hospital. Rafael ushered us through the lobby and into the elevators to the 11th floor. He collected our IDs and did the check in process on the medical floor while we lounged and admired the view. Rafael told us what time we would each be picked up the next morning, 5:40am for my wife and I. One by one, we got our rooms and he passed us off the concierges to take us to our rooms.
The medical rooms were nice - spacious bathroom and shower, we had a king size bed and several pillows each. ALM provides each patient with 3 room service orders of broth, - sugar free popsicle and a glass of apple juice. We ordered twice and it arrived promptly. I skipped the juice, because I had worked so hard at cutting all the sugar out of my diet and I wasn't going to reindulge the night before the surgery. We were pretty tired from the flying, and even though it was only 6pm in Tijuana, it was 10pm at home and we had been at the airport for 3am. So we enjoyed our broth, watched some Netflix on the iPad and went to sleep.< /p>
We had to bring our luggage to the hospital the next morning, as we weren't returning to the same room after the procedure and would be staying 2 nights at Mi Doctor.
We got up at 4, had a shower and packed up our things. We met Rafael downstairs in the lobby and headed over to the hospital. We were greeted there by a nurse who gave us compression socks and gowns and told us to change into them. We changed, and the nurse came back in to put in the IV. She said it would be a little while before doctors were ready for us, so we puttered around the room and waited.
A series of doctors from the surgical team came in, we shook hands, saw pictures of their kids and talked a little about how the day would progress. I was first up, and my wife was second on the lineup. They explained that after surgery, I would be wheeled into a recovery room right beside the OR and would be waking up just as my wife was coming out of her surgery before we were both moved into our room upstairs.
After what seemed like eternity (maybe 4 hours, from the time we arrived) a knock came at the door. A nurse sat me in a wheelchair and I was brought upstairs to the OR. My wife was lead shortly after I left to our room upstairs. While in the room, nurses were in and out to hang some signs over our hospital beds and get it ready for us. They moved our luggage in for us, and she waited for her knock on the door.
When I was wheeled into the OR, I was given a hairnet and booties and told to untie my gown from the back and hop up on the OR table. I was wearing underwear, but no bra and nothing was said (many people seem to have concerns about this). I was never asked to remove them or asked if I was on my period.
The doctors I had met that morning were all there in their scrubs, and we had a grand chat about my work, including lots of questions from them. The anesthesiologist was busy hooking this and that up, and he said I would feel a bit woozy as he injected something into my IV. I felt elated, ecstatic and silly all at the same time. I was still chatting animatedly with all the guys when the anesthesiologist put a mask over my mouth and nose. I do not remember anything after that point.
I awoke in the room outside the OR (although I didn't know that at the time) and immediately tried to sit up. I had some pains under my collar bones, and looking down I could see the row of incisions on my belly. I remember asking for wife, was she ok? Yes, they said, she is fine and right beside me. I looked over at her, and then asked "did you do the surgery?" (As if the incisions weren't proof enough) and they said "yes, you did great and your wife too!" Then I went back to sleep.
When I was brought out of the OR and still under, my wife was summoned from our room to the OR. She sat with Dr Ortiz who informed her that my surgery had gone just fine, and that I was still in the OR preparing to be moved to recovery. They chatted about what would happen after her surgery, and she was brought into the other OR to be anesthetitized. While laying on the table, the anesethesiologist said "you look nervous, I'm going to give you something to relax and then we'll chat about what comes next." That's the last thing she remembers.
I vaguely remember being bumped around off one bed and on to another. This was in our room. It was still light outside, and I immediately went to sleep. I awoke shortly after when they brought my wife to our room, and I was very relieved to see her sleeping soundly in the next bed. We both slept for what I can only assume is a few hours.
I awoke suddenly and was incredibly nauseated. I tried to take a deep breath, but my shoulders were hurting and I couldn't breathe deeply. I vomited in my mouth, and threw myself out of bed to the bathroom and spit it in the toilet. It was dark coloured blood, which would have been alarming if I hadn't been so medicated. Feeling better, I went back to bed.
A nurse woke us up to check our vitals, and change the IV bags of medication. I asked about the bloody vomit and was told it's completely normal. They gave us an IV shot for nausea and we drifted off to sleep again.
This process was repeated every few hours (not the vomiting) until the next day. They brought some warm bags to place on my shoulders, the left of which was developing a very sharp pain.
I had some pain in my stomache, like a hunger pain right before your stomache rumbles when it's empty, except it would not rumble. Just a twisting, painful sensation.
I didn't have my watch or phone and had no idea what time of the day or night it was. The time difference made it impossible to guess, but I was feeling wide awake. I could sit up in bed, albeit with some pain, and took stock of my surroundings.
It was a good sized room, there was some free space to walk around the side of the bed and to foot with a private bathroom and shower in the room. A nurse came in and told us to take a shower, and they would change the dressing on our incisions and we would get dressed in our own clothes.
For the rest of that day (day 2), we walked a little inside the hospital, took a few walks outside and wandered around the parking lot (dragging an IV tree) and I tried to walk off the pain in my shoulder. The other shoulder felt fine, but the pain on the left side was making it difficult to draw breaths.
We relaxed in our room, played on our phones and chatted. Shoulder pain aside, we were feeling pretty good and mobile. My IV stopped working (unfortunately after they injected a nauseau shot into it, which swelled my hand up a bit). They switched hands for the IV, but my blood kept clotting inside the port and they had to keep cleaning it out to get the IV working. Finally, they asked me if I was feeling ok and just took the IV out, so I was pain med free.
The doctor came in to remove the drains the night before we were to be discharged. It was mildly uncomfortable coming out, but my shoulder pain disappeared immediately. We were bandaged up, and told that we would meet at 7:30am the next day to meet for aftercare instructions. We were both brought downstairs for an X-ray leak test with the radiologist, which both showed no leaks.
Dr Ortiz came in and told us that our organs looked great and healthy when he did the surgery, and that we had obviously followed the preop diet closely and that he appreciated it, as it makes his job easier. We thanked him and shook hands, and did not see him again.
About 20 mins after, I noticed a bloodstain on my inner left arm, but I was wearing a dark coloured t-shirt and could not see that my drain wound had bled through the bandages. A nurse came in right then, and I lifted up my shirt to look for the bleeding. She immediately changed the bandages, but about 5 minutes later it bled through again.
This happened 5 times, using a variety of pressure banding and trying to close the drain with bandages before a call was made to a doctor.
A doctor in scrubs appeared shortly after, and she lifted off the bandages to check me out. She was surprised that the drain hole was still bleeding and decided to stitch it up. She put in 3 stitches, which immediately stopped the bleeding and bandaged me back up. I told her that I suspected the drain wasn't working properly, since the drain balloon was full of large clots and my IV had been clotting, and told her about the intense pain in my shoulder that had dissipated as soon as the drain was removed. She agreed that it had probably gotten blocked and caused some buildup and pressure, but there was nothing to worry about.
We walked, talked, napped through the night and arose at 6:30 for our morning meeting. We showered, had our bandages changed and packed our bags to head downstairs.
During the meeting, we all received a little purple reusable shopping bag with some medications, copies of our blood work and leak test paperwork, as well as some ALM goodies, like a tshirt, button, pen and bumper sticker.
We were all shuttled over the Grand, and has a debrief while waiting for our new room assignments. It was about 9am, and we had a tour of TJ lined up at noon. We weren't sure if we would go, as the time change was really messing with our sleep schedule and we had been up most of the night. We got to our room, and decided we'd set the alarm for 2 hours and if we felt well, we'd go. Sure enough, a 2 hour solid nap did the trick and we headed out for the tour.
Rafael drove the bus with about a dozen patients and friends of patients. We went to a place with tasty ice cream (I was a bit nervous, since ice cream isn't exactly "clear liquids", but I ate a few mouthfuls anyway). I ordered the tiniest child size and couldn't get through half of it.
Next they took us to a pharmacy where the pharmacist gave a very entertaining presentation of all the medications they recommend for bariatric patients. B12 shots, pain killers, half a dozen kinds of antibiotics, anti diarreah, medicine for nauseau, and a whole host of others. He wrote prescriptions for whichever medecines you were choosing, so as to not cause problems crossing the border back into the USA. Everyone was filling up baskets, and even getting some of their medications from home unrelated to the surgery like Ritalin, Valium and Viagara.
We then went to the "main drag", where lots of tourists buy trinkets, get pictures with brightly coloured backgrounds set up and eat tacos (if they haven't just had surgery, of course). We were supposed to go to a restaurant that serves excellent broth afterwards, but there was a mixup with times and they were closed so we went back to the hotel. We were pretty tired, and basically just lounged around the room and had some broth and went to bed.
The next day, we had nothing lined up through ALM so we found our own action. We got dressed, changed our bandages and headed out into the sunshine. There is a restaurant across th street, Fonda Argentine that we had read online serves excellent broth. The door was open, and we stood inside at the maitre'd stand for about 10 minutes. Employees were sitting at a table, looked at us and turned their backs and refused to acknowledge us so we left.
All together, we walked about 2 miles around the neighbourhood, checked out the little ice cream stand again, and stopped by a little grocery store on the way to the hotel. We purchased a few of those "3 minute lunch" cups, where you just add Water to ramen noodles. We got some spicy beef and chicken ones, and microwaved them at the hotel in the medical floor lobby. We strained the broth out, and it was a welcome and delicious change from the bland chicken broth at the hotel.
The next day was our travel day, and we met Jack at 11am in front the Grand. There were 2 others who were there with their daughter heading to San Diego with us. Their flight was at 3pm, ours was at 6pm. It took about an hour and a half to get to the airport, which was much faster than we had expected.
We printed our boarding passes for the 3 flights home, and left the airport to take a trolley tour of San Diego. It was about $40 each, and took 2 hours. You could hop on and off at any of the stops, but we were anxious to get back in time in case security was busy.
There is an excellent little restaurant past security at terminal 2 called Saffron that sells delicious chicken broth. We got a cup of broth to go each, and boarded our first flight home. LAX had absolutely nothing that could pass as "clear liquids", it was all burger joints and pubs and none even had Soup on the menu, so we just walked the entire 2 hour layover. We did stop and have a glass of cranberry juice. We clocked about 3 miles of walking that day, and that included carrying our backpacks everywhere (remember, we carried on our luggage) and we were feeling great.
We had the same problem with lack of hot food options in Newark, the only place that serves soup didn't have any soup ready at 7:30am. So we wandered around the tiny terminal, just getting some walking in.
On our way home from the airport yesterday, we ran errands in a few stores, stocking up on broths and Soups we can strain for the next phase of our diet, starting tomorrow. I was in the kitchen all afternoon making a huge pot of butternut squash soup and a spinach dip with soup like consistency to portion up for work later this week.
Tomorrow we are back to our regular schedule!
If you're still with me, I hope this will help someone who is thirsty for the details on how this all works! Ask me anything, I'll do my best to answer it!

Hi there once again. I hope that everything goes smoothly with you and you don’t have the flight issues I did. When my flight was delayed I immediately emailed Ana to inform the lady Lana who was picking me up. Ana then told me at around noon to one in the afternoon to eat a yogurt and drink water but then nothing else so I could have the surgery that evening. I really didn’t feel faint or weak at all. It was not that difficult not to eat or drink on the flights (I had two flights going and coming, the flights were short and they only served Snacks and drinks). I think you’re too excited, nervous, anxious while you’re going to feel hungry or dehydrated really. When you’re coming back you won’t feel hunger after surgery. You will only feel like eating out of habit, mental hunger not physical nagging hunger at all. After surgery you won’t feel hungry they way you used to at all. I did the same preop you described. The first few days were rough adjusting to healthy eating and it’s preop so the hunger is still there but after that it was smooth sailing. By the time I got to the three day yogurt and water days I was fine with just eating yogurt and didn’t feel too bad at all. Plus I lost like 7 pounds on the preop so extra bonus!! Their postop care is good. I email Ana and she answers right away. They will also give you detailed instructions at the hospital for your postop diet up till 30 days postop. You will get a clear idea of what you an eat. Stock up on low sugar juices, broths, chamomile teas, and sugar free Jello for the first ten days postop. For Vitamins they only require you take a Megared, sold at most pharmacies and Target, and chewable Biotin. I do take my vitamins daily and so far so good.
I hope I answered everything. Let me know if any other question pops in your head.

You are a freaking wealth of knowledge!! Im so very appreciated for your in depth explanation. I have to know everything and Im a total research nerd 🤓 cant believe your previous ESG was a complete failure. Not on your part of course. Not even a sign of surgery or stitches? I would want a refund! Thats awesome they took off the 500. Definitely honest. So you didn’t have surgery until way late. Did you really not eat or drink any Water since the night before at 10pm? Im worried about traveling and not being able to even have a drink before surgery. I would get sick and dehydrated. So I was planning on coming in the day before and having surgery first thing in the morning. But like you said you just want to get it over with. Which is how I’m feeling now. So let me know how you handled that. Were you hungry after surgery? When did the desire to eat start to come back. Im also worried about getting hypoglycemia from not eating or drinking. Maybe the body just handles that after? But I can’t fast with out getting shakey and super grumpy. So you did 5 days of pre op diet plus an additional 3 days of yogurt and water? How was that? Not sure If I will handle that very good. How has their service been post op? Did you get good nutritional and supplement advice. She sent me a paper buts it’s not in depth and very vague. Are you taking Vitamins if so what kind and how is that going? Sorry for all the questions!
What food should I have when I get home?

Thank for that information! So why isn’t Perez as well known? How was the hospital? Do you mind me asking your stats? How did you about your surgeon? Do you wish you would have stayed longer to recover? So you paid $5300 for everything? Sils?

Wow!! I cant believe you never even seen Dr. Ponce? ! Have you actually watched the surgery to make sure he is doing it on your body? That is so disappointing. Did you speak to Ana or the hospital about that? Thank you so much for replying to me. It really helps me so much! My BMI is 30 so im so curious how my weight loss will be? What was your BMI? Ana has has answered my 1 million emails quickly which has built my confidence up. I worked with another coordinator briefly that books for Ponce as well. But she was not very good and didn’t follow through with any of my questions. How much did the sils cost you? Did they still charge you since they had put another port in? Im worried if they will be able to do sils on me because I have had 3 c sections and a Tummy Tuck. Did you fly in the same day as surgery or night before? What time did you have the surgery? Was Ana with you during your stay and check up on you throughout? Could you give me all the advice you have to offer up! Lol
Anything you wish you would have different? Even stuff you brought for surgery. Were you sick after? I think its amazing you have lost 22lbs so far!

@newlifeat41
Im also scheduled with Dr. Ponce the end of August. I would love to hear your experience with him. Are you at INT? Im debating between the SILS or regular. What are your thoughts? Worth the extra money? Do you mind sharing the cost?

Hi there. I’m going to be fair and honest on my review of Dr. Ponce and the INT hospital where I had my sleeve done. I’m now almost 5 weeks out and I’m very happy about my decision. You will be well taken care of. The staff at INT are excellent. The nurses are top notch. My only complaint was that many did not speak English but were very accommodating. I downloaded google translate which helped a lot. Dr. Frayre will the surgeon who will meet with you and check up on you throughout the entire time. I never got to meet Dr. Ponce although they told me several times I would. This is the only thing that really bothered me. I felt he should have taken the time to meet me even briefly but I neither spoke to him or saw him AT ALL. He was the main operating surgeon though as they give you a DVD of your surgery to take home. So I’m sure that he does exist and performs surgeries, lol.
Now about the SILS, I’d definitely pay the extra for that. I had a SILS kind of because they had to add an extra incision due to my weird anatomy as Dr. Frayre explained it. He told me my liver was in the way although I followed the preop properly which he acknowledged was evident but my liver apparently was too long so I needed an extra incision. Anyway, even with one extra incision the healing was very quick. I don’t have any marks or scars except for a small one from the extra incision and a tiny minute one, maybe 1/2 a centimeter from the drain. Both are very, very light and are not noticeable at all.
I think their care and staff was very good and their follow up is as well. I still email Ana with questions and she answers right away. I also went alone and never felt scared at all. My only complaint was Dr. Ponce not taking time to see me. Otherwise I’d totally recommend. I’m a lower BMI so I know the weight will come off slower but I’m down 22 pounds since my preop diet.
Go for it and good luck!!!

Im only telling one person my spouse! The only reason he knows is because he has to pay for it! 🤣😂 I respect the people who do and don’t tell. Remember were not obligated to do either. If you feel happy about telling people then go for it. But If it gives you any stress or any kind of negative feelings then respect that. Your kids, parents and friends have no exclusive rights to know. You have the right to share what you feel comfortable with end of story. On that note I’m so happy my friend shared her vsg journey with me or I wouldn’t have known the surgery existed! That being said Im still not telling her about me getting it done! It may not make any sense to anyone else. But it makes perfect sense for me 😊
Ps. I think when you tell just a couple ppl and they promise not to tell, plan on multiplying that by 10.

Thanks so much for this. I’m scheduled for the SILS TOMORROW!! I’m also in Tijuana, Mexico but I scheduled with Dr. Ponce. You really helped prepare me. God bless and great results! 11 pounds in 14 days! Keep it up and please keep posting. Hopefully when I’m done we can compare notes.

It's lengthy, but I hope this helps someone.
Hi everyone, I am 11 days post op and wanted to share my complete experience in hopes of helping others since I couldn't find much info on Dr. Perez or the single incision gastric sleeve (SILS). SILS is where they only make one incision through your belly button and use a port to do the surgery. Less scarring and better recovery. I started at 191 lbs and a BMI of 35. My doctor was Dr. Hector Perez, hospital was Oasis of Hope in Tijuana Mexico. I did as much research as I could, even verifying licenses, board certifications and checking for malpractice claims. The doctor had great reviews, as did the hospital. I booked through Renew Bariatrics. My coordinator was Stella. She was knowledge and generally responded within 30 minutes of a call or text and still responds even though I'm post-op.
I decided not to tell anyone but my best friend about this procedure. I was sure of my decision, but just wanted it to be private. I arrived by myself in San Diego and was picked up by their driver. He allowed me to take a pic of the vehicle plates and his identification to send to my best friend. There was another American patient. Driver took us to the hospital in Tijuana, which was a 25 min drive. Hospital is small by American standards, but very clean and modern looking. It is a fully equipped facility. Looks like a normal hospital but with tan nurses. There were also many other patients there for cosmetic, cancer and other treatments. The room itself was large. There was a hospital bed, futon, side table, closet and marble tiled bathroom. Room came with ROKU tv and free calls to US. The staff was incredibly nice and gracious. Like you've never been treated this good at a hospital before. Their English was good and I never had a problem (I speak Spanish but demanded that all convos are in English, since that's my natural language).
Pre-op screening was labwork, physical exam, EKG and x-rays. There is a dietician on site, as well as a coordinator. I had an allergic reaction to something they gave me. My whole lower body got incredibly itchy. The response time was quick. I had a team of nurses and doctor at my side within a minute, literally a minute. After that they made sure to take extra care of me.
Day of surgery started with a visit from Dr. Perez. He answered all of my crazy questions and took his time with me. His English is perfect and he is very personable. I was taken into the pre-op waiting area outside of the surgery room. It was a small section. I was a little annoyed with the surgical assistant and nurse flirting in Spanish feet away from me, but small issue. Anesthesiologist talked to me. They rolled me in a wheelchair to the OR and had me get up on their table. I did get a good look at the ER. Looked like an American OR. Then I was out. When I woke up, I was in recovery. Since I was alone, the coordinators did a great job of keeping my bestie informed through the whole process. So thankful for that!
Recovery was tough, no joke. The pain wasn't so bad, but the gas discomfort was severe. So much that I almost regretted it. Pain killers don't work for that. You have to get up and walk. So I did, as much as I could. But boy oh boy was it terrible. That day was horrible. I had these terrible uncontrollable rapid-fire vomit burps. Pain and nausea were there and controlled with meds just fine. They kept me well hydrated. It took about a day and a half for the God awful gas to go away. I stayed in the hospital two nights and had a couple leak tests and diagnostics there. I had a drainage tube on the side of my abdomen. It was a yucky feeling getting it removed on day 2. Wasn't happy thinking it would leave a scar but it was so small and looked like a scratch and now its completely gone.
The third night, they put me up in a very swanky hotel in Tijuana. Then our driver took us back to the airport the next morning. Took 3 hours to cross into the US! I decided to walk very slowly through the airport. I needed to walk anyway. I had packed super light and had a very small under seat bag with wheels, so no lifting needed. I put on huge loose fitting dresses and comfy shoes. Remember, comfort over style! I hung out in the AIrspace lounge before the flight, comfier seats and away from the crowds. I flew first class so that I'd be more comfortable. Flight was fine, no issues coming back other than I really wished I could've enjoyed some of that first class drinks and lunch they were serving! I managed to slowly walk through the airports just fine.
I was very nauseous for the whole week after. I had my surgery Saturday and was back at work Wednesday. Not ideal, but didn't have the time to take off. I have a desk job and would just lay down in my car during breaks. After work, I just rested and nothing else. First week is tough cause you're nauseous and still hurt. Also I had some smelly gas which I was told is normal. I'm back in Houston and still get daily texts/calls from the coordinator checking on me. I have the doctor's email and personal cell phone as well. I've skyped with him.
Now I'm 11 days out and down 14 lbs already. Holy smokes I can hardly believe it! My underwear even fit again! Ha! Diet has been ok. I do wish I could eat solids but I'm terrified of causing a line leak so I'm patiently waiting.
And in case you're wondering.....I have NO visible scars. My boyfriend has seen me naked and didn't even notice anything different about me. I'm pretty sure I could wear a bikini and no one know I had this done! It was a little scary going to Mexico to have an organ amputated. But overall, the doctor, hospital and staff were great. The recovery was tough. The gas discomfort was extremely horrible, but only lasted less than 2 days. All I can say, is walk, walk, walk, walk even if it hurts. It's the only way. I'm pretty much back to normal at this point, just still on the special diet and so looking forward to the new improved ME

@mtgirl Welcome glad to find someone in here with similar stats my BMI at start was 32 and I am very short 5’2. They put you in a diet before surgery to shrink the fat surrounding your liver so when they are in there doin their job it’s Easier for them to work around your stomach. I only did one week before the diet for Breakfast and lunch I will have a Protein Shake and for dinner I will have a regular meal. Dr was proud of my Diet he said I did a good job he showed me my liver he said it looked grate in my opinion I don’t think you need to do a very long diet but always listen to your doctor <3

Im only telling one person my spouse! The only reason he knows is because he has to pay for it! 🤣😂 I respect the people who do and don’t tell. Remember were not obligated to do either. If you feel happy about telling people then go for it. But If it gives you any stress or any kind of negative feelings then respect that. Your kids, parents and friends have no exclusive rights to know. You have the right to share what you feel comfortable with end of story. On that note I’m so happy my friend shared her vsg journey with me or I wouldn’t have known the surgery existed! That being said Im still not telling her about me getting it done! It may not make any sense to anyone else. But it makes perfect sense for me 😊
Ps. I think when you tell just a couple ppl and they promise not to tell, plan on multiplying that by 10.

Im only telling one person my spouse! The only reason he knows is because he has to pay for it! 🤣😂 I respect the people who do and don’t tell. Remember were not obligated to do either. If you feel happy about telling people then go for it. But If it gives you any stress or any kind of negative feelings then respect that. Your kids, parents and friends have no exclusive rights to know. You have the right to share what you feel comfortable with end of story. On that note I’m so happy my friend shared her vsg journey with me or I wouldn’t have known the surgery existed! That being said Im still not telling her about me getting it done! It may not make any sense to anyone else. But it makes perfect sense for me 😊
Ps. I think when you tell just a couple ppl and they promise not to tell, plan on multiplying that by 10.

I just had my sleeve done on 20/JUL/2018 (last week) and was in a similar situation. I am 5'6" and weighed 190 when I scheduled my surgery, 187 (BMI: 30) when I had it done, and am now 180 one week post-op. I have struggled with binge-eating since I was young; my father basically being the perfect role model for B.E.D. I reached my highest weight after getting married and battling depression; 230 lbs. I managed to lose 40 lbs naturally and keep it off for 5 years, but I was still overweight since I should be somewhere between 130-150. My ultimate goal is to get to 130, but I would be happy with 145 if I have defined muscle mass. My other goal -that is just as important- would be eat healthy 95% of the time. I too assumed that the sleeve would force me to eat smaller portions (one of the reasons I gain weight so easily is because my satiety signals are late/absent). Have you had many binge phases post-op? How have you dealt with them?

Hi all,
This group is pretty buried within the forums, so I can see how I missed it until now (and I can also see why it's pretty inactive). I would have really liked to read a story like mine from someone else while I was researching the sleeve surgery.
So, here's my story and I hope it helps someone. I would love to hear from anyone and try to pump some life into this forum! I'm a newbie, just 12 days post-op, so I am still learning everyday and ask the veterans dumb questions all the time. But I still think my experience just coming to terms with knowing the sleeve was for me might help another low BMIer in a similar situation.
I'm 31 years old, 5'6" and started at 180lbs (29 BMI). I had a lot of backlash from friends and family when I made my mind up to go forward with this, but ultimately everyone ended up being supportive after they realized there was no talking me out of it and the surgery was done. For low BMIers wondering if the sleeve is too drastic for them, I'll tell you it's a personal choice and a lifelong commitment.
That being said, I was a major yo-yo dieter. I binged on food for weeks, gain 35 pounds, then went vegan cold turkey (cold tofu? Lol). Lost 30lbs. Then went on a binge, gained 40lbs, then did Atkins (extreme difference from vegan), lost 35lbs. I've been repeating this cycle of bingeing then dieting (insert any fad diet here: HCG diet, Orange Theory obsession, phentermine, personal trainer 3x, vegetarian, back to Atkins, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers...) since I was 12 years old. Anyway, the highs got higher and I never made it back to my pre-binge numbers.
I got exhausted from dieting. Frustrated with myself and my lack of impulse control. I looked into WLS. My mom is the same as I am, just add another 100lbs. I went with her to a weight loss seminar and learned about the sleeve. I was ready to sign up then and there; finally, I found something that could be a real tool to help me maintain a healthy weight for life - you can't binge if you can only eat a half a cup of food at a time!
Unfortunately, the US healthcare system wanted me to be a 35 BMI to get the surgery. And, if I wanted to waste a couple years of my life, I guarantee I would've made it there, and I would have brought along my new friends diabetes, high BP, and joint pain.
Instead, I researched getting the sleeve in Mexico where I could pay a fraction of the cost of surgery in the US, and they were willing to do the surgery within 2 weeks of my filling out paperwork and a deposit for just about anyone BMI 28 or higher.
I went w/ Dr. Ortiz at OCC. I was THRILLED with the entire experience. When I arrived in Mexico I began having doubts, but the staff and the other patients put me at ease. There were several very low BMI patients with my same issues. An interesting fact the surgeon told me is that once you gain 30 pounds the likelihood of you losing the weight and keeping it off without surgery is 10%. I already knew I didn't fall into that 10%. So I did it on 7/22/16. After my pre-op diet (which was absolutely the hardest part of this entire process!), I weighed 173 pounds on date of surgery.
I'm 12 days out and weigh 163lbs now. I really think that being low BMI and healthy were 2 major reasons I had such an easy surgery. Aside from a little nausea caused by the anesthesia (I never threw up, just felt icky for about an hour) and getting the gas out, I had no complications. My incisions are all tiny. I have no pain in my abdomen. I'm a stomach sleeper and can sleep on my stomach. I was only on pain meds a couple days past surgery (and I just took what I was told, not sure I even had any pain ever).
Getting 64oz of liquid in the first 2 days didn't happen for me, but as soon as I could introduce the Protein Shakes, this process became totally workable. I'm currently drinking 3 Premier Protein drinks p/day and get 90g of Protein per day. I drink 48oz of regular Water and 16oz of Vitamin Water. I enjoy Tomato Soup with almond milk and yogurt drinks (the yogurt adds another 12g of Protein, bringing my count up to 102g) as my Snacks. I mix my Vitamins with the Soup and the yogurt, because I'm not supposed to take them as pills yet.
The biggest issues for me are mental. At this point, I haven't had solid food yet, so I just miss eating. I get to start my pureed phase on 8/5, so I'll let you know how it goes. I'm very excited for cottage cheese, poached eggs and the ricotta bake!
My dr's goal for me is 150lbs, because that puts me in the healthy BMI range, but my goal is 130lbs.
Here's my before shot, I'm going to update it on the 22nd of each month:


Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My surgery is August 31st! So scared and hope Im choosing the right surgeon and procedure. I’m a low BMI (30) with years and years of Yo-yo dieting and pre diabetes. Ive weighed as much as 229 down to 128. Its insane! Anyone going to Dr. Ponce at INT around the end of august first of September? My pre op diet is yogurt and Water for 3 days. Does that sound normal?

About me: Female, 33, BMI between 27 and 30 my whole life, yo-yo dieting, slowly creeped to BMI of 35. My doctor and I talked about the sleeve, and as I have excellent insurance we got the ball rolling. Immediate denial. All I had to do was gain 50 pounds or so and pick up some sleep apnea or prediabetes and then they would. I'd been researching the sleeve for close to a year. I was disappointed and didn't want to pay out of pocket, so I said, "Never mind then! I can do this myself!" and began dieting and exercising hard for about 6 months, losing a total of.... 11 pounds. Defeated, I started researching self-pay and Mexico again.
Earlier in 2013 I'd liked the traffic and reviews Dr. Quinones was getting, but then by the time I was looking again this fall he seemed to have died off in forum popularity. I started focusing on Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela and liked the number of surgeries she had done. I'd really done my research and so when I finally brought it up to my husband the discussion was informed and I was able to diffuse his fears as I had done my own. We originally were planning on going together, but I have more PTO than he does. "I'll go alone!" I said. "I speak Spanish, they drive you everywhere, and then you don't have to be bored. Let's save your PTO for somewhere beautiful when I'm more photogenic." He protested but agreed. I was in an excellent place mentally and was like, "I've got this. I'm going to bounce back."
I went through MBC and booked my date a month later. Only once did I get such cold feet from reading forum posts about bad nurses that I went to cancel everything, but changed my mind because Delta would charge me $150 to put my miles back. It gave me pause, and then I talked myself back into it.
Flight to San Diego: No problem. Pickup by Victor, who chatted away all the way to the hotel and coached me on how things would go on the way back into the States. Checked into the Marriott. GORGEOUS. Giant comfortable beds with fluffy pillows. scale in the beautiful bathroom. I knew I had until 11 p.m. to drink my last (hospital coordinator called and reminded me of it). I've donated plasma plenty of times in the past, and I know the powers of hydration. I chugged and chugged and chugged so that I would have the best veins possible for the hospital the next day. The hotel gift shop has many delicious and cheap drinks, and the minibar has a few Gatorade in there too (as well as Nestle Crunch and booze). A few hours of nice sleep (with the help of Xanax) and then I bolted awake. My shower didn't work, and I ended up standing underneath the equivalent of a stream of pee Water pressure to try and freshen up before heading over to the hospital. Oh well.
In the van I met 2 others having surgery that day. We were excited and nervous. At the hospital, we were very early and waited around in a lobby for what felt like an eternity but perhaps was an hour before we were taken to get our blood drawn. The woman who draws blood is very gentle and very accurate, and one of the female hospital coordinators translated to her that she's a bit famous on the Internet forums for being so good. She smiled and laughed and was pleased.
DISCLAIMER TIME: I'm a chicken. I have a very low pain threshold. I'm afraid of needles. As my story progresses, keep in mind that we all handle it differently and that my pain, while real, could register on your threshold differently.
We got assigned to our rooms. We went up to a certain floor to get weighed and measured, and there were dead-eyed women walking with IV poles across the floor. "Obese zombies!" I thought. "I'm excited and ready to do this. My head is in the game." When we went to Floor 4 and I went into my room, next was the EKG. In all my research I never read anybody giving details about the EKG. Two women came in and pulled my gown down to put the leads on my chest. I was okay with this until one repeatedly lifted up my flabby boob to get the suctions on the underside of it. Then I stared at the ceiling and started giggling. Check your dignity at the door, because later on the drain-emptying nurses got to see cash and prizes. They see it all day, but I blushed anyways.
The IV woman came in and hit my vein in 1 try, and it stayed in and strong for the duration of my hospital stay. This is where I feel again that hydration was important and might have helped me out, as Van Friend #1 had 3 IV sticks and Van Friend #2 was on her 4th IV by the day of discharge. My needle fears over, I was elated. The worst was over in my mind. Now I just go to sleep and wake up to a lovely drug cocktail and stroll around a few days.
They came and got me about an hour later. On the surgical suite floor, I could see them working on somebody already. I suppose that's normal, but I don't want to see it. Pull a curtain around the working team or put a shade on the door. So I wandered into the appropriate empty surgical suite, and hopped up on the table to stare at the big lights and shiver. The anesthesiologist put my arm out to the side and said, "I'm going to give you something to make you sleepy." OUT. With my gallbladder, I got some slow drip on the way to surgery in my gurney and cried the whole way until the anesthesiologist got tired of me maybe and pushed the plunger.
GALLBLADDER SIDE STORY: I had my gallbladder out almost 2 years ago, and that has been my only surgical experience to compare this to.
My next memory is of coming awake and feeling a bonfire in my left upper quadrant. I wrenched off my oxygen mask, clutched my guts, and took in a loud, sharp gasp of breath before exhaling it hard and shrieky like I was in Lamaze. I did this over and over every 3 seconds, unable to even cry I was so focused on the pain. Next to me, Van Friend #1 was panting in pain as well. (I asked her about this later and she did not remember anything until her room postop.) The doctors were around me asking questions. "Are you nauseous? What kind of pain is it? What can we do to help you? Will you open your eyes? Will you bend your legs and move to this other bed?" But I never broke from my sharp inhale and painful gasp exhale. It could have been 1 minute, it could have been 10. They grabbed the sheet around me and moved me to my other bed, and I groaned with unhappiness. I felt pain medication going through my veins but it wasn't working. Finally, a voice said, "I'm going to give you something to make you sleepy," and I nodded. I got jabbed in my upper arm like I was in a psych ward, and then it was lights out.
I woke up again in my room and immediately went back into gut-clenching misery. The nurses came and asked me my pain scale, and I said 6 or 7. I got medicine, and an hour later was still staring at the ceiling clutching my guts and gasping. (I didn't ring the nurse call one time during my entire stay. I don't know why not.) They told me it was too early for more medication. Eventually, Dr. Altamirano on Dr. Valenzuela's team (a ridiculously good-looking man, seriously) came in and I told him whatever we were doing wasn't working. So I got Toradol (anti-inflammatory which does not get you "high" with relief) and IV tramadol. I might have gotten a shot of Psych Ward tranquilizer again or maybe some morphine, because things were warm on the way in. Moderate relief, no more gasping. It was determined that I did not have gas pain but that I had drain pain and that my tubing was squashed up on my diaphragm, so every breath in was painful. I did get gas pains once or twice during my stay and recognized the difference. You can walk out a gas bubble. You can't walk out a knife in your diaphragm. Others saw me walking and I could see in their faces how I looked. The anesthesiologist grabbed my face as he walked by and said, "Smile!" and I just stared at him. Who was the obese zombie now?
GALLBLADDER SIDE STORY: When I awoke from surgery, I was in the PACU with perhaps a dozen other people in a very large room. I was sleepy and perfectly quiet, and intently watched the nurse watching me. I also gave them no help moving me bed to bed, and was moved in my sheet to the bed. I groaned unhappily. What was supposed to be a 45-minute laparoscopic surgery ended up taking 3 hours due to some tricky and odd anatomy, and I was puffed up a long time. I felt zero gas pains when I came to, only numbness and pressure. I was not encouraged to walk unless it was to the bathroom, and then I needed a nurse.
Back in Tijuana, Day 2 was better. I had a wretched throb in my left upper quadrant, but the rest felt okay. It's very hard to sleep in the hospital, because the traffic is loud all day and there was construction going on inside. The walls are thin, and you can hear the crying and vomiting of those on your floor. Bring earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. I grabbed my IV pole and did laps frequently, stopping at the nurses' desk to say hi and to get ice. I had packed several hair clips to clip up the back of my gown so as not to flash anybody. It had been almost 10 hours since I'd gotten pain medication, so I pooped out and went to bed. I told a nurse I had pain and she said "You have gas. You should walk." I was laying in bed when a doctor came and did rounds. I told him I had drain pain. He felt my stomach and listened to it, and then pressed on my drain. Tears started pouring out of my eyes. Those of you who had drains for a week or more, you are mental and physical warriors. He left, and in came my surgeon and her very hot sidekick. She's like, "Are you crying?" and I just burst into tears. I pulled the sheets over my head and wailed. "It's *sob* so much *eh-HEH-HEH* better than yesterday *sniff*." She squeezed my hand and talked to me, and hot doctor got another bag of tramadol up on the IV pole, but it wasn't enough. I think this was the night I felt well enough to shower, and a nice young nurse helped redo my bandages.
GALLBLADDER SIDE STORY: My doctors were slow on getting pain medications to me the first evening after surgery, and after a few narcotics by mouth I said, "Am I in a Saw movie? Are you trying to see how much I can take?" After that, it was Dilaudid and Toradol. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, overflowing the pee measurer in the toilet. It was oral and IV pain medications every 2-4 hours.
Back in Tijuana, Day 3 was "get the drain out." I'd read that people gave one big inhale and one big exhale, and it came right out. I had to inhale and exhale 4 times and let out a bizarre howl as my innards shuddered in revolt. After about 10 minutes, I hopped up and took a stroll in the hall to a chorus of "You look SO much better. No offense, but you looked like *&$% and we were scared for you."
Back at the hotel, I wondered when people would be calling to check on me. My U.S. coordinator through MBC said that she would be checking on me "constantly." I remembered stories of drivers showing up to take people shopping or for ice cream. Nothing. The day ticked by with bad TV and broth (it tastes way better after days of starving) and Gatorade. They showed up with a few medications that the pharmacy had. I remembered some people being charged for this, but I wasn't. Probably because they didn't have them all.
I had been texting with my husband nonstop pretty much. The Wi-Fi in the Marriott is very patchy, and on top of that the Viber app they encourage you to use would drop out for 45 minutes at a time. Get Skype or pay for a brief time of international on your phone plan. I walked laps around the hotel floor with Van Friend #2, and met another person who had surgery the same day. She had a split forehead and 2 black eyes. She woke from surgery and immediately blacked out, smashing her face on the way down. They took her back to surgery and she had a blood clot. She ended up with a transfusion and a bill that was $500 higher.
***SIDE CHAT OF INSPIRATION*** I had read of people who had a hard time, or a bad time, or a leak, and they were always like, "Totally worth it!" but it never really hit home until this woman told me the same thing. "I'm so glad I had it done." You don't think anything is going to happen to you, but it can and does and you can power through it.
A few hours before trying to go to sleep (there is a karaoke bar on the main level of the Marriott and clubs around it, and it sounds like a ghetto blaster block party from like 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Bring. Your. Earplugs!) my U.S. coordinator called and asked how I was. Uh, fine thank you, bye. The smoke detector in my room needed new batteries and beeped every hour or 2, but when I called the front desk they never managed to get somebody up to change them. This room at least had a working shower with tons of Water pressure and it was mahhhhvelous.
An uneventful border crossing and long flight home the next day, I was met by my sweet husband. Here's a tip right now: DON'T GO ALONE. I was so sure it was going to be no problem. I didn't want to bore him. The first time I needed him was after surgery to hold my hand while I gasped through a painful night. The second time I needed him was to help with dignity. You need somebody to help you pull your panties on, to help you shower, to hold your drain while you try to lower down to pee. The third time I missed him was when I heard the story of the woman with the blood clot, and I was very afraid that I'd die alone in my hotel room.
A few days later I wrote an email to my U.S. coordinator, my surgeon Dr. Valenzuela, and the hot doctor Carlos Altamirano. I gave them a rundown of a few things that I thought could go into play when they were brainstorming. I did write that I had a positive experience, and for the complaining and fright that you read in this story it is a positive thing.
***RAMBLING****
I emailed about the pros and cons of the hotel. I praised the nurses I had and named several. (They still don't have name tags, but the younger the better, it seems. Less jaded and they really want to help you be comfortable/pain-free/hydrated.) I complained about dozens of holes in my sheets and towels that would wrap around your head but not your body in the bathrooms. I have been swapping emails with several staff at the hospital to make things better for you, the future sleevers of Tijuana!
****TO THE PRESENT****
I've felt amazing right out of the gate. I get my Fluid and Protein in every single day without breaking a sweat. I went to followup and my doctor said my incisions looked great, except for one that was a little gnarly because it was healing "inside out." It had a blackish scab in the middle of the wound and then was a bit open, held by a suture on each side. I saw him on Friday, and Sunday night I rolled on my side and felt a burning. My incision had completely come open and was full of pus. The infection had been in there waiting, letting me be smug and think things were so great. My husband took one look and said, "We're going to the urgent care." I managed to get in fast instead with my doctor again and he cultured it, swabbing again and again while squeezing a handful of fat around the incision to express the pus. I'm now on heavy-duty antibiotics for weeks while we figure out what all it's going to grow out.
*****RANDOM THINGS******
My postoperative diet paperwork instructions are not consistent. One set told me full liquids for 2 weeks, one set said Clear Liquids for 1 week and then full liquids for 1 week. Then the instructions begin with 3 weeks out of surgery. What was I supposed to have between the end of week 2 until the beginning of week 3?
The other Valenzuela patient I became acquainted with was refusing her pain medication because it was so painful for her to receive it. She asked me in the hotel the morning we left, "I know your answer, but do you have any regrets?" And I sat there silent for like a minute and hemmed and hawed. I do not regret the gastric sleeve. I do not regret choosing my surgeon. What I do regret is the pain, the fear, the inconveniences, the side effects that don't quite count as side effects, and not saving up more money to be babied somewhere nicer.
Of the group that I met personally, all having surgery the same day we have....
Van Friend #1 with 3 IV sticks but a fair recovery off into the sunset.
Van Friend #2 with 4 IV sticks, nausea, a ring bruise from a too-tight tourniquet, and gagging on movement and the G2 they offered. I also feel badly because she was using these Gas-X chewables she really liked and I gave her Gas-X strips but didn't tell her you can take up to 4 at one time. She only took 1 I think and didn't have relief. I personally LOVED the Gas-X strips and felt relief with them, even though the anesthesiologist told me they wouldn't help me at all. They were also nice to have because of the mint to help get that dead animal taste out of your mouth.
Valenzuela patient #2 with a painful IV but otherwise riding into the sunset.
Blonde lady with blood clot/blood transfusion/head wound/black eyes.
Canadian with superbug infection in 2 of her incisions and pneumonia.
Myself with constant drain pain while there and now a gaping pus wound in my abdomen, taking antibiotics and praying to dodge the hospital. What are the odds? I'm trying not to think those mean thoughts, but what's happening here?
I read the risks, benefits, side effects and signed my name. You just don't anticipate that things could actually go poorly for YOU. And yet, all that said, just like the others I would do it again. The weight loss has been effortless (I know that changes fast) and I would rather be on antibiotics with a frightening memory than be dead in X years from obesity.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy journey. Cross-posting this to the "other" forum as well.
Photos include:
"After" is my open wound. Do not click on it if you are squeamish or eating.
34 is of the top half of my bed. Count the holes in the sheets!
35 is of the woman with the blood clot. The bad bruising is from heparin shots. I didn't get a picture of her face.
36 is the view from my hospital window. It's a decapitated Spider-Man.
37 is my drain. I had a picture of it attached to me, but I needed more clothes in the picture.
38 is my favorite.... Breakfast! Antibiotics, digestive aids, and pain medication.
39 is the scabby scratch where they dragged the needle across my arm before stabbing me in the meat Psych Ward style. The bruise doesn't show well in this picture.

Apologies in advance for my "brain dump" but there is a LOT to consider as you research surgeons in Mexico. Everyone who has posted on this thread have very specific and valid personal reasons they have selected their surgeon. Based on their high level of research, I have every confidence they will have a great experience because they know what to expect before they arrive. And that is what I hope for ALL of us, we do the research so we can have a good experience.
When I began to consider Mexico as an option for weight loss surgery, I learned a lot. There were several factors important to me in selecting a surgeon:
1. A surgeon who has performed a lot of weight loss surgery.
2. Member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery (i.e. I wanted to be able to verify their credentials)
3. The doc should have a lot of positive internet “buzz”, or testimonials on weight loss surgery forums so I could contact those and get some independent feedback.
4. Would like to go to a part of Mexico WITH NO TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS from the US State Department
5. The icing on the cake would be if they were at an International Center of Excellence as designated by the Surgical Review Corporation – same body that designates US bariatric Centers of Excellence
6. Oh, and I wanted to contact the surgeon DIRECTLY, not through a surgery coordinating company
THE SHORT LIST
1. Dr. Guillermo Alvarez in Piedras Negras http://www.endobariatric.com/doctor.htm
2. Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexicali http://gastricsleevesurgeon.com
3. Dr. Pompa in Tijuana http://www.limarp.com/en/dr_liza.php
4. Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana http://www.obesitycontrolcenter.com
I checked prices. I spent a great deal of time on each website to understand the process, review photos, verify
credentials, etc. Both Dr. Pompa and Dr. Ortiz are practicing at International Centers of Excellence. And I liked the fact Tijuana does not have a travel warning from the US State department.
Dr. Alvarez wrote a book about the sleeve. I purchased his e-Book. It’s an easy read and provides a great deal of information about the sleeve procedure, how he performs it, and what you need to do pre-surgery and post-surgery for diet.
Ultimately, I selected Dr. Ortiz. Why?
• He has a TON of YouTube videos available. I watched many of them and learned a lot about the surgery, recovery, diet, his philosophy, got to see the surgical team working together, pictures of the facility, etc. Also, he has a great video about the difference between healthcare in the US vs. Mexico and was spot on. This video actually made my decision for me. (He even addressed the sombrero issue. I’m in! Ha ha!) Check the video
• Confirmed they are a International Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate/cmcoem/
• Confirmed Dr. Ortiz is a member of the American College of Surgeons http://web2.facs.org/acsdir/public/DetailMember.cfm?CHKDGTS=88010816878
• Confirmed Dr. Ortiz is a member of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery http://asmbs.org/member-search/ (search for last name Lagardere, as in Ariel A. Ortiz Lagardere)
• Tijuana is in Baja California, the only Mexican border state that does not have a travel warning from the US State Department. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5815.html All other border states have a “defer non-essential travel” warning
My hope is that you find a surgeon and location that are right for YOU! Just by being on these forums and becoming educated on your options - I have a feeling you will have GREAT results.

Wow Im so happy I found this forum and topic!! Im a 30 BMI 5’ 3 170 and have dieted since I was 12. A few years ago I reached my highest weight ever of 229 but that was pregnant. my skin has been stretched out terrible. I lost 70lbs after losing the baby weight of 29lbs. So I got down to 130. But of course Im back up again. My pre diabetes keeps coming and going depending on my current weight. I honestly can’t handle it anymore. I eat 80 percent paleo not sugar or breads. No soda. I mean CLEAN!! But the scale keeps creeping up. I can’t work out like I use to do some health issues and joint pain. I don’t dare tell anyone because of the shame I feel about getting this done. I wanted to be a health coach and now Im having surgery. Its hard to explain. No one knows but my husband. So I have you guys to talk too. Im headed to Mexico next month to have surgery with Dr. Ponce at INT. Any advice on pre op and post op would be most appreciated. Im afraid of getting hypoglycemia after surgery. Also will I be able to work out hard like running and stay hydrated down the road? Im worried about throwing up and having acid reflex the rest of my life and regretting my decision. My doctor wants me to do 3 days before surgery of just yogurt and Water. Is that really necessary? Also 10 days liquids. That freaks me out!!

Hi I am super happy I found this forum. Just got my sleeve JUN21,2018 yeiiiii with a low BMI 32 in Mexico as well started at 177 my highest weight was 197 5 Years ago. I have 2 kids now and my lowest weight was 140. Like y’all I tried everything and i will lose 3 pounds and gain 5 back :( I panic and I started my research and here I am Sleeved I am very very glad I found this app and people with years of experience.

If your looking for people to talk to me through this journey then you came to the right place! I told my family and my two bffs but it’s still nice to have a group of people that are planning on going through, currently going through, or have gone through the same stuff. Now with that being said, the more you read people’s post the more you realize everyone’s experience is different. For instance I see a lot of people who had surgery the same month as me have a hard time drinking Water or find it hard to tolerate. I have been super lucky in the sense that the taste of water didn’t change for me. I still love it and I can drink up to 4 big gulps at a time and only have to wait about two minutes in between taking another drink..... so I think on the hydration side it will be easier for someone like me than for someone who has a hard time tolerating water. About the hyperglycemia I would definitely ask your dr. Because that could be a factor in what type of surgery is best for you.
I had a million questions just like you and like a lot of people going through this your not alone. My dr. Has a YouTube channel where he answeres tons of questions for normal concerns that sleevers have. I definitely recommend you check it out I watch so many of his YouTube episodes that by the time I went in for surgery I felt super at ease as to what I may or may not expect. You can look him up on you tube under “Ask Dr. A Show” his name is Dr. Alvarez with Endobariatrics. His Q&A’s are awesome. Hope they help!

I was a 33 BMI I think. I didn’t think about what anyone else’s opinion was. I was 27 and only gaining more. I decided to take control of my diet so I could live my best life. I didn’t feel judged at all by my surgeon office/staff—in fact, my surgeon said I was an ideal patient due to my age and lack of major comorbidities. I also wanted surgery to prevent those too!