Howdy!

Well, it's been a long journey. I don't have many threads out there because it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride. But the wait is over. I have my sleeve done 3 days ago with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I was planning on going to Dr. Husted, but as I mentioned it took him a long time to get privileges and I was working with a short window of opportunity. By the time he got his priviliges, I had toured Mexicali, met Dr. Aceves and came home to make a decision. It took me two days to decide, and a week later, here I am in Mexicali. The doctors are awesome, the nurses are caring and attentive. The hospital is clean and beautiful. I am perhaps a little sorer than most since he had to do a lot of work as there was a lot of tissue to get through. Today I am getting my drain pulled as I have passed my third and final leak test. There was some pain waking up the recovery room and the rest of the first night. The next morning I had a rough morning with a little more pain from the gas, but feel hugely better once I started passing it and was flying around the room like a balloon. IV out, only needing occasional pain tablets. And I've already had several BM's. Going home tomorrow! Handling Clear liquids well. Had one bout of nausea yesterday morning, no vomiting. All in all..so far so good!

I was never one to have considered Mexico as an option, but after lots of research I found the hospital here to be an excellent option and at less than half the price of the practice I was considering in the US. And everything, I mean everything is included. If you live within strking distance of Calexico, you might want to come down and make a dry run, meet the docs and get a tour. I am sure you will be as impressed as I was.

Wasabubblebutt came down with me and my and husband and has been a great help. I met BlackberryJuice and one other sleeve sister, and we're all doing well. If you're thinking about Mexico, think Dr. Aceves in Mexicali!!!

GeorgieGirl1957

Edited August 14, 201015 yr by GeorgieGirl1957

Glad to hear everything is going good for you. I also had my surgery done in Mexico and feel great! Only one problem...if you call it one, my clothes don't fit anymore....Need to go to Goodwill! As you start to lose weight, don't buy clothes at the stores, go to goodwill or St. Vincents for a bit until you know what size you need. Have a great journey!

Hi GeorgieGirl! I was the other sleeve sister you met in Mexicali! Isn't Dr. A wonderful, and the hospital/staff were great too. I'm now 7 days out (surgery last Monday), doing great. Never had much pain, though I usually take a pain pill in the late afternoon because I feel so good I'm doing more than I should, I think. No nausea, able to get in my protein and liquids with no problem except burpiness, which has gotten better but is still with me. SO glad I had this done, only wish it had been available 30 years ago, I'm now 60 and plan to LIVE during my remaining years, instead of just exist.

-Kathy

Four months out . . . still burping!!! LOL!

Congrats! Wishing you a speedy recovery over here in NYC. Take care of yourself. I hope to updates in the future.

thanks all for your well wishes and support. To my sleeve sisters in Mexicali...you all rock and we should have a reunion in a year or so for our follow up visit!

hugs,

g

Sorry no posts. Have been getting down a lot of fluids but losing them via diahrrea still. I have a fever of 101.2 Just sent a note to Dr. Aceves' office. Otherwise I feel good. Just tired.

gg

Hey lady, it's April!! How are you doing?? I'm doing pretty good...just VERY HUNGRY!!! Lost 14 pound so far though

Congratulations! I hope you are over the fever and diarrhea soon.

Lily

Well, thanks for the well wishes. I had a little detour on the road to recovery. Unfortunately I had a complication that is one of the normal surgical risks. Let me preface by saying I was a premie and have low volume crappy lungs, asthma, and sleep apnea. Even though I got up and walked that evening of surgery, used my incentive spirometry tool, I managed to get a partially collapsed lung on one side and pneumonia on the other. So, I made a trip back to Mexico yesterday because I felt like absolute doggie doodoo. We did a turn around and came back. As for the diahrrea, it had stopped by Tuesday. I guess that's just what my system was doing with all those clear liqs and when I get to fulls it should stop. In the meantime, I don't wander too far from a bathroom.

But here is the really cool part of the events of yesterday....

I called my PCP because I felt pretty certain the problem was in my lungs. But as soon as she heard I went to Mexico for surgery, she wouldn't even talk to me. She said to contact my surgeon. (Good thing I wasn't having a heart attack.)

I contacted the Mexicali coordinator and told them I felt something was wrong. Not sure if you remember, but I don't have any insurance. Anyway, they told me to come down. We drove for 3.5 hours. Dr. Aceves' sister met us on the US side of the border and drove us to the hospital. Dr. Campos (Dr. Aceves' assistant) met us at the door. He immediately did a fluoroscope to check my sleeve. It was perfect. He then did chest X-ray and made the diagnosis. He sat us down, wrote out a treatment plan and prescriptions, said I could stay the night if we wanted to but that it would be fine if I didn't. We really wanted to get back home, so we elected not to stay. 2 hours from the time we got to the hospital we were back across the border and on our way home. Cost of the trip: 1.5 tanks of gas, $35.00 cab fare for the return across the border, $3.00 parking lot fee on the US side and $80.00 for meds. Peace of mind: PRICELESS. I am sure the US bill for yesterday would have been in the thousands.

Talk about URGENT care. We left our house at noon and were back home by 10pm. I have waited in ER's longer than that. We were completely impressed with the rapid and competent care. In retrospect, I think I should have stayed because the contrast material they gave me for the fluoroscopy restarted the diahrrea so we had to stop a lot on the way home. (And there's not a lot of bathrooms in the desert.) I also could have used a bottle or 2 of IV Fluid. But I wasn't thinking too straight yesterday.

So now I am taking my meds and using my spirometer and nebulizer to get my lungs open and clear again. I slept pretty well last night and feel a little better today.

So that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

gg

PS....

Wt loss prior to surgery (April-August) 40 lbs.

Wt loss since surgery (1 week) 11 lbs.

GG...I guess I now know what your complication was. When you mention the doc having to go through a lot of tissue, what do you mean? High bmi? Just curious. And I can't believe it didn't hit me you were in Phx, too. We'll have to meet in a year or so and rock our successes!

Well, thanks for the well wishes. I had a little detour on the road to recovery. Unfortunately I had a complication that is one of the normal surgical risks. Let me preface by saying I was a premie and have low volume crappy lungs, asthma, and sleep apnea. Even though I got up and walked that evening of surgery, used my incentive spirometry tool, I managed to get a partially collapsed lung on one side and pneumonia on the other. So, I made a trip back to Mexico yesterday because I felt like absolute doggie doodoo. We did a turn around and came back. As for the diahrrea, it had stopped by Tuesday. I guess that's just what my system was doing with all those clear liqs and when I get to fulls it should stop. In the meantime, I don't wander too far from a bathroom.

But here is the really cool part of the events of yesterday....

I called my PCP because I felt pretty certain the problem was in my lungs. But as soon as she heard I went to Mexico for surgery, she wouldn't even talk to me. She said to contact my surgeon. (Good thing I wasn't having a heart attack.)

I contacted the Mexicali coordinator and told them I felt something was wrong. Not sure if you remember, but I don't have any insurance. Anyway, they told me to come down. We drove for 3.5 hours. Dr. Aceves' sister met us on the US side of the border and drove us to the hospital. Dr. Campos (Dr. Aceves' assistant) met us at the door. He immediately did a fluoroscope to check my sleeve. It was perfect. He then did chest X-ray and made the diagnosis. He sat us down, wrote out a treatment plan and prescriptions, said I could stay the night if we wanted to but that it would be fine if I didn't. We really wanted to get back home, so we elected not to stay. 2 hours from the time we got to the hospital we were back across the border and on our way home. Cost of the trip: 1.5 tanks of gas, $35.00 cab fare for the return across the border, $3.00 parking lot fee on the US side and $80.00 for meds. Peace of mind: PRICELESS. I am sure the US bill for yesterday would have been in the thousands.

Talk about URGENT care. We left our house at noon and were back home by 10pm. I have waited in ER's longer than that. We were completely impressed with the rapid and competent care. In retrospect, I think I should have stayed because the contrast material they gave me for the fluoroscopy restarted the diahrrea so we had to stop a lot on the way home. (And there's not a lot of bathrooms in the desert.) I also could have used a bottle or 2 of IV Fluid. But I wasn't thinking too straight yesterday.

So now I am taking my meds and using my spirometer and nebulizer to get my lungs open and clear again. I slept pretty well last night and feel a little better today.

So that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

gg

I am glad that everything is working out for you. I just sent you a private message right before reading this topic. Sorry that you didn't get to have Dr. Husted, but it seems as though everything is working out for you in the end. I hope you have a speedy recovery and will be on your new journey with the weight loss that you hope for. From Mountain_Lover

I am glad that everything is working out for you. I just sent you a private message right before reading this topic. Sorry that you didn't get to have Dr. Husted, but it seems as though everything is working out for you in the end. I hope you have a speedy recovery and will be on your new journey with the weight loss that you hope for. From Mountain_Lover

I noticed after I posted to you, that I did not have a profile picture, so I put one on here that was taken on New Year's Eve. I weighed 213 pounds in this profile picture. I will have to update it later, because now I am at 182.6 pounds. If you go to my profile and click on my photo albums you will see how I looked before surgery. Thank you for sending me the private message about my 9 month post op and Dr. Husted.

I am glad that everything is working out for you. I just sent you a private message right before reading this topic. Sorry that you didn't get to have Dr. Husted, but it seems as though everything is working out for you in the end. I hope you have a speedy recovery and will be on your new journey with the weight loss that you hope for. From Mountain_Lover

I noticed that I did not have a profile picture so I put one on here of me on New Year's Eve. I weighed 213 pounds and now I weigh 182.6, so I will have to update my profile picture soon.