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Made it to Mexicali, surgery in the morning



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Thanks for the update on your tummy. Makes me feel good about going. You are moving right along. I am so excited for you. Now get your arm healed!

I know it can get a little stressful before; especially if you are going out of the country. But I'll be totally honest with you, Dr. Aceves and his staff are FANTASTIC!! They see to every detail. They make sure you understand everything that will happen pre and post surgery. The Docs come in your room several times EVERY single day to see how you are doing, and to discuss any questions you have. If you are in any kind of pain, they will take care of it. I just was so amazed at how wonderful the hospital and the staff are. I've emailed their office with questions several times since I've been home, and they ALWAYS respond right away.

I would recommend Dr. Aceves 1000% without any hesitation. Hope that makes you feel more at ease with your decision. :)

And thanks, I'm working on getting this clot situation done with.

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I know it can get a little stressful before; especially if you are going out of the country. But I'll be totally honest with you, Dr. Aceves and his staff are FANTASTIC!! They see to every detail. They make sure you understand everything that will happen pre and post surgery. The Docs come in your room several times EVERY single day to see how you are doing, and to discuss any questions you have. If you are in any kind of pain, they will take care of it. I just was so amazed at how wonderful the hospital and the staff are. I've emailed their office with questions several times since I've been home, and they ALWAYS respond right away.

I would recommend Dr. Aceves 1000% without any hesitation. Hope that makes you feel more at ease with your decision. :confused1:

And thanks, I'm working on getting this clot situation done with.

I whole heartedly agree, you are in good hands with Dr. Aceves.:blushing:

Brenda

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I'm not concerned about going out of the country. I live very near the border.

I was mostly concerned about getting enough to drink in the beginning. I am used to drinking a lot of Water each day.

I do appreciate all the positive feedback about Dr. Aceves. I will pass it on to my naysayer friends. LOL The few people I have told think I'm nuts for getting WLS and for leaving the country.

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I'm not concerned about going out of the country. I live very near the border.

I was mostly concerned about getting enough to drink in the beginning. I am used to drinking a lot of Water each day.

I do appreciate all the positive feedback about Dr. Aceves. I will pass it on to my naysayer friends. LOL The few people I have told think I'm nuts for getting WLS and for leaving the country.

Firefly,

Give yourself a couple of days after surgery to get in the swing of things. We put so much pressure on ourselves. It took a few days for me to figure it out but by day 3 or 4, I was getting in all my fluids and Protein. You'll do fine. :crying:

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Thank you! Now I am really ready. I may start packing tomorrow. :biggrin2:

How is your arm?

Well, My arm felt pretty good for a few days and then today it hurt like heck and swole up again. Its's very discouraging because I just don't know what else to do to help it along. I'll just keep doing the hot compresses and pray for the best.

Thanks for asking. :laugh0:

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Hang in there! I'm sorry this has happened to you... and I hope you feel better soon! :smile:

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Thanks, Brenda! I've actually been to Dr. Aceves (and Campos) before... for my band removal. I was supposed to get a revision to sleeve at that time, but unfortunately my band was very eroded, so I was not able to do that. I think knowing where I'm going, and the procedures, etc, I'm much more comfortable and calm this time than the last time I was down there. I am excited, but I must be 100% honest, I'm very freaked out as well. Got my cashier's check today, bag is in the process of being packed... I'm on my way. I wish I was able to go tomorrow, I hate waiting until Sunday, but it will come soon enough I suppose. :smile:

How are you doing and how are you feeling? How are your incisions healing? I had a bit of trouble with that last time, so I'm hoping all goes smoother this time...

Anyways, thanks for the cheers, and I hope to hear how you are doing! :thumbup1:

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Thanks, Brenda! I've actually been to Dr. Aceves (and Campos) before... for my band removal. I was supposed to get a revision to sleeve at that time, but unfortunately my band was very eroded, so I was not able to do that. I think knowing where I'm going, and the procedures, etc, I'm much more comfortable and calm this time than the last time I was down there. I am excited, but I must be 100% honest, I'm very freaked out as well. Got my cashier's check today, bag is in the process of being packed... I'm on my way. I wish I was able to go tomorrow, I hate waiting until Sunday, but it will come soon enough I suppose. :smile:

How are you doing and how are you feeling? How are your incisions healing? I had a bit of trouble with that last time, so I'm hoping all goes smoother this time...

Anyways, thanks for the cheers, and I hope to hear how you are doing! :smile:

I'm feeling great, down 20lbs. Insisions are healing well. I went back to work yesterday, I was tired by late afternoon. My clients were glad to see me back.

I guess it would be aliitle more comforting to know the Dr's although any surgery can be alot scary.

Brenda

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Yes, congrats Brenda! Sounds like you're flying right through this! :smile: I'm glad to hear everything is still outstanding down at Dr. Aceves. This makes me feel a bit less nervous, and happy for my decision.

Barbara - how is the arm? Hope it's getting better!

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Brenda,

I have some questions that I hope you can answer. I saw my PCP today and told her about my surgery and going to Mexico. She remained objective but had some concerns. What was your experience with your PCP? With your complications that you have had with clotting, how did the hospital and your PCP react? My PCP's biggest concerns are if I have complications, that no one in KY would touch me and I find that hard to believe and of course there is the concern that the insurance company will not cover anything since I had the surgery done in Mexicali. Her other concern is when she does my follow up bloodwork, what does she do if it comes back abnormal? Can you possibly relay your experience for me? I am all set to send out my deposit but now she has me a little freaked out!

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Tonya,

I have a LOT of experience with this question, due to my band. First, it is against the LAW (Federal) for a hospital NOT to see you for any reason... not for lack of insurance, not for having surgery out of the country, not for being "illegal", not for ANY reason. Period. You can and will get assistance if you need it, regardless. Sometimes I had to reiterate this to the people at Urgent Care, but they shut it once I let them know the deal... Second, your PCP being at least somewhat objective sounds like a relief. I never told my PCP when I got the band, and I only told ANYONE at my medical group when I had complications. I am NOT recommending you do this. I have told my PCP person I have now that I am getting surgery, about my previous surgery, and he was like "ok". His non-verbals didn't seem to LOVE the idea, but he didn't react badly in the end. As for insurance, I am not an attorney, so don't take my advice as gospel, but I think it depends on what your insurance contract says about what they will and won't cover, for what reasons, etc. MY insurance says they will pay up to $5000 (for LIFE) on complications of Bariatric Surgery, but only in 50% increments (meaning for me, a bill for $100 would only be paid by them at $50, up until the $5000 is exhausted). However, I was lucky in that the PCP and the Urgent Care people never "coded" my problems as Bariatric related, so my $15 copay covered everything when I had complications of my band (I still couldn't get any docs here to help me with removal, they wanted like 10k to do that, WITH the insurance part, so I had to go back to Mexico). At any rate, when I had problems, they HAD to help me. They didn't have to LIKE helping me.

On a side note, one guy at the Urgent Care bitched me out so bad, that I told them to put a note in my record that I do not EVER want to be treated by him again, and they said that is my right... When he got all up on my case I asked him, "If I was a foreign-national with this problem, would you tell me I shouldn't have gone to Germany (or France, or Mexico or wherever) for surgery or medical treatment? I mean, if I was from there, you would be saying the same things?" He got really pissed about that... and told me we weren't going to discuss it further, did I want help or not? I said clearly I did, and that I don't want to debate this right now... That was the end. (On a side note, I looked him up on the medical group website AFTER I saw him... guess where he went to medical school? OUT OF THE US. What a jerk!)

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