Sleeved 1/7 w/Dr. Aceves -- Just Got Home

[Kris 78]

Hi all,

I remember how many questions I had about the surgery experience before I got sleeved so I am writing down all I remember now that I am home from the hospital. I do want to note upfront that I was sleeved in Mexico and I expect that there are variations among surgeons/hospitals for how these procedures are handled. Also I want to note that since I was operated on, my memory is not 100% reliable on all things. I am sure I am leaving things out that I just don't remember because I was sleeping or kind of out of it. My Mexico surgery adventure lasted five days and went by really, really fast.

1/6 (Thursday) -- I flew into San Diego with my husband and arrived by 9:30 a.m. We got in earlier than the other patients so waited about 80 - 90 minutes at the baggage claim. The driver who would be taking us to the hospital found us and then found the other patients. There were 3 of us, and 2 of us brought our spouses. (BTW, I would say at the outset, if there is any way you can bring your spouse or a relative or a friend to spend at least the first night, do that. My husband knew me well enough to know when I was having problems before I could get out of my fog to communicate. It helped tremendously. Plus it was very comforting to know someone was looking out for me. However, I did meet several other patients who went alone and they were handling everything fine, so this is more of a personal preference of mine than a necessity.) The driver (Ernesto) drove us from San Diego to Mexicali, about a 2 hour drive. As soon as we crossed the border he took us directly to the hospital.

At the hospital, nurse Lucy was waiting for us. She greeted us, gave us each a plastic cup to pee in, and showed us to the restroom to donate a urine sample. Immediately after that, one after another she took a blood sample from each of us, then had us get a chest X-Ray, then had us meet with the anesthesiologist, Dr. Garcia (ooh la la, he could've been in a TV show playing a Dr., he was so cute!). Dr. Garcia made sure we understood what he would be doing. After meeting with Dr. Garcia, Ernesto drove us to a nearby hotel (Crowne Plaza) to spend the night and have a final dinner before surgery. It was a nice experience -- the hotel was expecting us and checked us in immediately. We were given a sleeping pill and an antibiotic to take in the evening before bed. One of the other patients and her husband had dinner with me and my husband, so time passed quickly and I felt I had made new friends. And dinner was tasty and a great value (thanks to the exchange rate!). We were told to have nothing to eat or drink after 10 pm and up until surgery the next day. No problemo. The sleeping pill worked well for me.

1/7 (Friday). Up at 6:00 am to shower, dress, and pack up our belongings to take to the hospital. At 7:00 we all brought our luggage downstairs and met Ernesto in the hotel lobby and he drove us to the hospital. We were shown to our rooms (we each had a private room with its own bathroom, including shower, and either a leather sofa or loveseat in the room next to the bed). We were asked to change into hospital gowns and all 3 of us patients (and spouses) met with Dr. Aceves. He spent about 30 minutes going through the surgical process, and emphasizing that he was only doing part of the work and we had to do the rest. He said he was doing surgery on our stomachs, not our heads. He cautioned us to not cheat on our diets and to take advantage of the first few months of quick weight loss. Eat Protein first, carbs next (in lesser quantities) and fats sparingly. Pay attention to calories (reminding us that Starbucks frappucinos have 800+ calories and go down easy and you can blow your diet easy with drinks like that). He told us how we will be eating from now on and to pay close attention to how much food we eat to be satisfied. He told us to stick to our post op diets and not deviate them so that our new sleeves can heal properly. He warned us that many people overeat especially at first, and it can be physically uncomfortable, and pay attention to how many bites it takes to be satisfied and use that as a gauge. He said a lot of other things along that vein, and I have handouts of information for future reference. Then he told us he would start surgery with the first person immediately, and the other two would be given a sedative and wait until the previous patient is done. Lucky me, Dr. Aceves said I would be the first patient to be sleeved!

Dr. Aceves left for the operating room and I was asked to lie on a gurney and had a few seconds to say goodbye to hubby, before I was wheeled into the OR. The nurses were all very kind. I had my IV line placed and then they must have pretty much immediately put me under anesthesia because the next thing I knew, I woke up in A LOT of pain (let's say 8 or 9 on a scale of 1-10) and groggily saying, "Por favor, tengo dolor," in a very pathetic voice I'm sure (hey, if you are going to Mexico and only learn one phrase, let it be "tengo dolor" which means "I'm in pain" and they will respond to that quickly). Somebody must have heard me because the I zonked out again almost immediately and the next time I woke up I was back in my room with my husband sitting nearby.

The rest of the day and night really went by in a blur. Basically it was sleep, wake up, pee into a urinal, swish a little Water in my mouth to help with dry mouth (the 1st day/night of surgery I was strictly on IV fluids), shuffle groggily around the room to get a little exercise, try to do the damn breathing exercise where you have to suck on this contraption to make little balls float in the air so your lungs keep working like they should, ask for a pain shot, and back to bed. I vaguely remember having my blood pressure and temperature taken a few times, but again it was all pretty blurry.

1/8 (Saturday). More sleeping and waking to pee/walk/breathing exercises and sleeping some more. I had several bouts of nausea -- basically every time I sat up from the bed I felt queasy and one time actually nearly vomited -- that was pretty awful. But the nurses quickly gave me anti-nausea meds in my IV and I felt better soon. I took a big long nap and woke up around 2:00 pm and didn't feel nauseas anymore (and not since, thankfully). Had my first beverage to sip -- grape juice. They used it for a leak test but it tasted good. In the afternoon I started feeling significantly better. I was able to walk more, and by then they had me sipping hot tea and water and gatorade, so there was something going into my tummy. All kinds of weird sensations. Hard to describe. Let's just say you definitely know something major has been done to your stomach! Hubby went off with another patient's hubby for a fabulous dinner and came back a happy guy. Which is good because he had to sleep on a loveseat for 3 nights, and that can't have been any fun!

By the evening I was feeling perky enough to go visit some other patients I had met through VST who were staying on another floor. They were being discharged the next morning and looked really good. It was a nice chat. Back up to my room, goofed off for a while, and then went to bed. By this point I was no longer required to use the urinal, which was a relief, and able to use the toilet like a regular person.

1/9 (Sunday) -- Woke up feeling pretty good. Only a little discomfort, not actual pain. Had my xray leak test and got to see my new little tummy -- no leaks, of course. Very cool. Once back in my room, I took a shower and that helped me feel even better. I was able to put on a bra for the first time and my own pjs and was very cozy in all my own clothes (I'm not a fan of hospital gowns). On this day they introduced a new beverage -- warm chicken broth. Umm, good. I really loved that. But the nurses kept bringing me far more things to drink than I could manage. They would bring a tray with a bowl of broth, a cup of chamomile tea, a cup of gatorade, a cup of apple juice, and water. I was never able to do more than take a few sips of various beverages. But it was psychologically nice to have such a wide variety of things to sip on.

One of the kindly nurses removed my drain and made a stitch or two to seal the drain port and that was a little uncomfortable. I was given a sublingual (under the tongue) pain pill and that helped. I decided to take another nap to sleep off the discomfort.

By the afternoon I was really feeling good and so another patient and I and our hubbies walked to a nearby pharmacy and bought our nexium and OTC pain meds (the hospital gave us some meds to take home but encouraged us to stock up while in Mexico as the prices of the meds are less). Back in the room, I was ready to settle down for one last evening. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos each came by for one final visit to make sure I was doing OK and knew what to expect after going home. The nurses bought more fresh things to sip on, took bp and temperature, dispenses meds, and so forth. Hubby had another great meal out at a local restaurant and was in a happy, mellow mood. By 9:00 I was ready for bed and fell asleep with no problem.

1/10 (Monday) -- Up at 6:00 a.m. in order to be showered and dressed and ready to go by 7:00 a.m. Ernesto met us in the lobby, got our bags loaded in the van, and took us back to San Diego with no trouble. Took about 3 hours and 15 minutes altogether. Ernesto dropped us off at our terminal and we said goodbye. Flight home went well and was home by 4:30 pm.

Other things to note -- Dr. Aceves and one of his team of physicians, cute & sweet Dr. Campos, visited me every day while I was at the hospital to make sure I was OK. Also I had numerous visits by others on his team (Sergio the nurse, Yolanda the patient coordinator, Joaquin the nurse, and numerous other nurses bringing fresh bedlinens/towels, beverages, meds, etc.). The hospital was always kept immaculate and there was always someone manning the nurses desk just outside our rooms. We felt very safe and well cared for. I have not one negative thing to say about the whole experience. I really didn't know what to expect as far as pain after surgery, and while it wasn't a cake walk, the staff do what they can to eliminate or minimize your pain as quickly as possible. I was feeling really fine within 48 hours after surgery. I probably could have gone home on Sunday afternoon but am glad I had one extra night to continue to recuperate. The trip home was long and I would advise anyone who needs to travel more than a few hours to consider maybe breaking the trip up over a couple of days rather than jam it all into one day. My 9 hours of travelling with a new tummy was just about the outer limit of what I would want to go through. I still am passing gas 4 days after surgery despite having numerous gas-x strips. Most of my gas is coming out through burps not through the back end, thankfully. And I didn't have any really horrible gas pains, for which I am thankful.

Also, I wanted to note that like others who have had the surgery, I have not had any hunger pains to speak of since having surgery. Food is of little interest to me right now. I am happy with my broth and juice and that's hopefully going to be the case for the next 6 days or so I need to stay on Clear liquids. It also takes me a LONG time to finish anything. Warm beverages get cold and cold beverages get to room temperature before I can finish them. I can handle about one sip every several minutes. I just had some broth for dinner -- only able to have about 6 spoonfuls, then was done even though there was plenty of broth left over (and by the time I had my last spoonful, the Soup was cooling fast).

Sorry this is so long but I wanted to share as much as I can if it helps anyone else prepare for your surgery.

Overall my experience was better what I expected, and even the worst times were very bearable. I am so excited to have a new tiny tummy and am already looking forward to some fun activities I can do once I lose a decent amount of weight.

[AutumnLily 77]

Thank you Kris! Gives me a whole insite into what I should expect in Feb.

[Cinderella 2]

CONGRATULATIONS, Kris!!

I enjoyed reading your very interesting and detailed post, and before I got sleeved in the USA, I had considered Mexico, but ruled it out as too risky. After reading about your good experience, I would have been happy to know about Dr. Aceves, and cute Dr. Campos.... sounds like they have a classy setup going on down there in Mexicali.

BTW, one question.. what with all the bad press about the Mexican drug murders, did you and your hubby at any time feel unsafe in Mexico? I went to Cancun a few years, and felt totally safe.... but Mexicali is much closer to the border. Just curious.

You are on your way to an amazing experience... welcome to the club of the shrinking people!

Cinderella

[Mariah 0]

Kris: Thank you so very much for posting your experience. I am so grateful for the time you took to enlighten those of us who are just starting our VSG journeys. I have just mailed my surgery deposit to Dr. Aceves so there's no chickening out now!

I know someone once mentioned getting a spinal block when they went in for surgery with Dr. A. I'm curious - is that something you had to go through? The thought of that kind of freaks me out!

Thanks again for sharing.

Mariah

[shaundra 5]

Thank you for this post!!!!!!!

[pneal 5]

Thank You for the info. I go Jan.20th. Very helpful!

[time4me 1]

congrats, looks like you had a good experience and are doing great. I had my sleeve 7 days ago and can't wait to see the weight come off but no scales around for now!

good luck.

[SouthernSleever 228]

Sounds just like my experience! The A team is wonderful huh? Come sit on the loosers bench with us now!

[Kris 78]

CONGRATULATIONS, Kris!!

I enjoyed reading your very interesting and detailed post, and before I got sleeved in the USA, I had considered Mexico, but ruled it out as too risky. After reading about your good experience, I would have been happy to know about Dr. Aceves, and cute Dr. Campos.... sounds like they have a classy setup going on down there in Mexicali.

BTW, one question.. what with all the bad press about the Mexican drug murders, did you and your hubby at any time feel unsafe in Mexico? I went to Cancun a few years, and felt totally safe.... but Mexicali is much closer to the border. Just curious.

You are on your way to an amazing experience... welcome to the club of the shrinking people!

Cinderella

Hi CInderella! My husband and I walked around the area of Mexicali surrounding our hotel on our first afternoon. There wasn't a whole lot going on. We were approached by 2 separate panhandlers, but they immediately backed off when they understood we had nothing for them. There were instructions on our hotel room door to keep the door locked and don't admit strangers, but I have also seen that type of instruction in US cities and other foreign countries I have visited. I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe in the hotel. I don't think I would have been comfortable walking around Mexicali at night, but heck, I can say the same thing about parts of downtown Seattle, Washington DC, New Orleans, etc., etc.! Once inside the hospital I felt 100% safe, no worries at all.

I know that the drs in Mexico are very concerned about the perception of danger and know that people won't come for surgery if they are frightened, so they take reasonable precautions to make patients feel comfortable, and I really did. If I end up needing plastic surgery to tighten up parts of my bod after surgery, and my health insurance won't cover it (most likely they won't, stingy as they are), I definitely will look at going to Mexico for the plastic surgery.

So glad to be on the losers' bench!!!!

[Kris 78]

Kris: Thank you so very much for posting your experience. I am so grateful for the time you took to enlighten those of us who are just starting our VSG journeys. I have just mailed my surgery deposit to Dr. Aceves so there's no chickening out now!

I know someone once mentioned getting a spinal block when they went in for surgery with Dr. A. I'm curious - is that something you had to go through? The thought of that kind of freaks me out!

Thanks again for sharing.

Mariah

Hi Mariah (love your name BTW!),

I didn't receive a spinal block as part of my surgery. Thank goodness; that would have scared me! I don't think it is standard procedure. Definitely ask your patient coordinator about this if you are concerned about it. Nina was good about answering all my questions (and I had plenty!).

Best wishes to you on your surgery with Dr. A. and to a great 2011!

Kris

[Disney 20]

Thank you for such a detailed account of your experience. Since I am self-pay, I have decided on Dr. Aceves and this is exactly what I wanted to hear!

DH is somewhat worried about going to Mexico with all the cartel violence, etc. I explained to him that Mexicali is not in the same area as some of the cities having so much trouble. He is still iffy about it, but will go with me anyway, he knows I want this more than anything at this point. I am sure he will change his mind once we arrive. (However far away that might be)

So glad you had a good experience and I hope you have a continued successful recovery and weight loss.

[ginginkid86 0]

Thanks for sharing, i got Sleeved 1/3/11 YAY!!! GO US! i havnt had much trouple just missing being able to gulp down so cold Water you know... look forward to hearing about your journey

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Wow fabulous post!! It definitely brought back many GREAT memories of my experience with Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos and the rest of his fabulous team!

I will also go with Dr. A's suggestion for plastics in Mexico. Besides have you seen those great looking ladies on the TV? They're really good about surgery there... LOL

Just to clarify, I did have a spinal block with Dr. Aceves. Not sure why I would and others not... but I did. Would be a good question to ask Dr. A or Yolanda - or perhaps the Anesthesiologist, whoever here that might have that question, prior to being having surgery.

Anyway, you will love you sleeve. Dr. A makes a great one, and it WILL do it's job. All the best as you continue to recover!!

[justdance 0]

Loved that post even though I will be doing it in the u.s. but it really helped me with the whole process because everyone is wondering about that pre op. Thanks so much

[educationrulz 18]

Great story. Glad you had a good experience. I would definitely have gone to Dr. Aceves if my insurance had not paid.

Congratulations!