Hello everyone! So I had the Surgery on March 12th and everything went well. The first two days were really rough due to the gas pain and pressure but I was expecting that from all the stories I've read on here. The Star Medica hospital was REALLY NICE..almost like a hotel room! My surgeon, Dr Jose Rodiriquez was great and his assisting surgeon Dr. Elmo Aramburu was phenomenal.:thumbup: Dr. Elmo visited and checked up on me at least twice a day. I think I was "favored":blush: a bit due to my BFF Melissa who was an "after" of their team and she showed the entire staff her before pic and she has lost 180 lbs and looks fantastic. They want us to submit before and after pics together once I get to where I want to be.

In terms of my surgery I felt like I was in great hands the whole time. The staff was great. My anestisiaologist was an angel I swear. One minute I was like "This is it!" and the next I was knocked out while she held my hand and I remember her telling me that everything was gonna be just fine. :001_wub: And it was~

After the first couple days moving onto the liquid diet is like MANNA FROM HEAVEN! Not that I was hungry but GOOD LORD the beef broth made me feel like I was eating a sirloin steak! YUM! Never knew how much I'd love broth!:drool5: LOL

Another reason I love my experience is because when I mentioned to Dr. Elmo that I'd like to get some Nexium in Mexico bc it was cheaper he actually DROVE my friend to the pharmacy in his Volvo to get it which was like 6 blocks away. At first she was a bit freaked out that he offered to do this bc this is UNHEARD of in the states...(UM..if I'm not back in 2 hours he has my kidney!:scared0:) but he was so kind and sincere and was just being helpful so that she wouldn't have to go alone. So nice of him.

So all in all this was a great experience. I'm home. :biggrin0: Feel great. Can already sleep on my side and the medicince is working fine to keep me comfortable. I recommend Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Elmo Aramburu and the Star Medica hospital with flying colors! Even though the first couple days were rough pain wise overall this was a FANTASTIC experience and I hope that the days that come will prove that I have reason to LOVE my SLEEVE MORE AND MORE! Thanks to you all for kind words and support!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Good for you. This is so exciting. I'm glad is was such a positive experience for you, and I hope your recovery continues to go super smoothly!

Welcome to the losers bench! I'm glad things went well and you can share this with all of us. Keep us posted as you progress...and remember to walk, and sip frequently.

YAY YAY Tina, I'm so glad all is well with you, and that you are home recovering.

Take care of yourself, walk, sip and rest.

Congratulations

I've only been a member here for a couple of days but you all are making me feel so positive about the future and your all a wealth of information. Thank you for the update.

John

YAY!!! I'm so happy that you're home and resting comfortably!!

Glad the surgery was a good experience..I'm only 9 days ahead of you and it just gets better and better. Follow Dr's orders and all will be well.

I am so happy to hear your story. I am going to see Dr. Rod on July 12, 2010 and I have a question for you. My sister is coming with me and I was wondering how your friends stay was. Is there Internet there? Did your phone work? Will she have to leave for food? Did you need extra cash for anything besides meds? Please anything advice would be welcomed!