In Mexicali!

[marymoon 18]

Again, I would *LOVE* to see where anyone said this story shouldn't be shared and discussed. My only concern is that it is scaring pre-ops who do not share Renee's medical dx and since that played a HUGE part in her experience, I think it needs to be kept in mind. Most people don't understand how one's body changes while on narcotics for daily pain management and it's a game changer when it comes to any surgery, let alone an elective one. Personally, I think Dr. Aceves & his staff should have been more prepared if presented with her complete drug history and certainly more understanding of fibro/cfs.

[meggiep 57]

Ok, I have kept pretty quiet about this from the get go. But now I'm starting to get ticked off. Not once did anyone mention that Dr. A was a bad surgeon, not once did anyone say that the hospital was a bad hospital. All Lynn and Renee and Sarsar are relaying was their experience. People come here to be informed and informed is what they are getting. It sucks a big one that Renee went through what she went through and it serves as a reminder to anyone who is going to go to Mexicali for their sleeve that has her conditions that additional steps need to be taken. Like she said it was sugar coated here and I have no doubt that it was a terrifying experience to go through, it was her experience and no one should chastise her account of that experience. On the other side of that Sarsar was there at the same time and had quite the opposite experience. When I had my sleeve here in the states, I was puking blood for two whole days because of internal bleeding, and not once in my wanderings did I read anything about that happening to anyone. I am sure I wasnt the only one. I posted my story so others would be informed that this could also happen. In a perfect world there are rainbows and unicorns and fairies and such, but hey people we are here on earth and not everything is perfect.

Renee I am glad you are on the mend and dont let anyone or anything stop you from your main goal, getting healthy.

I agree. Renee has said over and over that she has the greatest respect for Dr. Aceves as a surgeon. However the fact remains that she fully disclosed her medical history, both before her surgery and again at the hospital. She was lied to by her coordinator about her situation and several aspects of the care she would receive. She was told by her surgeon that fibro was all in her head and to "stop it" She experienced ghastly pain without relief, and then when she was given "enough pain medication for a horse" (sic) she was left sitting up alone in her room and fell off the bed and injured herself.

Her experience belongs here just as much as all the gushing raves and wonderful experiences. I also feel that it is not JUST people with her history that should be very careful in approaching their surgery- anywhere. I thin it is good to find out exactly how pain is handled- including the names of the drugs, and which drugs are used at which phase of recovery, as well as what is available if sever pain becomes an issue. As you foud out when you vomited blood- sh** happens! A person who never has had surgery may discover they have a very low pain threshold and they need to be managed well.

I know it took a lot of courage for Renee to post because she was afraid of being picked on for scaring other, etc. I applaud her as she may have helped someone greatly with her story. As I told her today- girl you got a sleeve from a great surgeon- it is in the past and now lets start healing and looking towards a wonderful skinny future!

Again, I would *LOVE* to see where anyone said this story shouldn't be shared and discussed. My only concern is that it is scaring pre-ops who do not share Renee's medical dx and since that played a HUGE part in her experience, I think it needs to be kept in mind. Most people don't understand how one's body changes while on narcotics for daily pain management and it's a game changer when it comes to any surgery, let alone an elective one. Personally, I think Dr. Aceves & his staff should have been more prepared if presented with her complete drug history and certainly more understanding of fibro/cfs.

Yes indeed. It seems that her history was ignored- perhaps because of the lack of belief in her condition-and I have to say that ignorance of a very real disease bugs me. It also seems like there is a lot of conflicting info- a doctor saying they do not use narcotics- others saying they do use it. I certainly know it is used in Mexico- my own sister had surgery for internal bleeding and broken knees and wrists and was beautifully pain managed. She had an absolutely fabulous experience. Including yummy homecooked meals (no tiny tummy for her!)

I think communication is the key here- better communication about the procedures and what to expect, and perhaps even , hard as it might seem, the odd person who cannot truly be accommodated should be turned down.

Ultimately as surgery in Mexico is a blessing for many who could not possibly have it otherwise, I believe anything we can contribute to help make it a better experience is only a plus.

[Raine 170]

Again, I would *LOVE* to see where anyone said this story shouldn't be shared and discussed. My only concern is that it is scaring pre-ops who do not share Renee's medical dx and since that played a HUGE part in her experience, I think it needs to be kept in mind. Most people don't understand how one's body changes while on narcotics for daily pain management and it's a game changer when it comes to any surgery, let alone an elective one. Personally, I think Dr. Aceves & his staff should have been more prepared if presented with her complete drug history and certainly more understanding of fibro/cfs.

I believe she has kept it in mind by sensoring what was written. As she said it was much worse that what was stated. Regardless of pre-ops getting scared if her situation doesn't apply then it doesn't apply and they will read it for the information. If it does apply well then they have a better understanding and knows to take further precautions. From what I have read Dr. A's team was informed, not if, of her complete history.

[Disney 20]

I haven't seen anyone say you shouldn't share your experience here. But it does need to be made clear that Renee is a special case. There are people already scheduled to go to Mexico that are now thinking about canceling their surgery because of this thread and IMO that's a HUGE disservice when MX might be their only option. Comments that one was lied to by someone they trusted need to be explained and put into context.

Also, future fibro/cfs patients on narcotics for pain management need to be sure they consult with their own pain docs and get them in the loop as much as possible to eliminate any further suffering, no matter what doc is chosen.

I agree, and this is exactly what was said in my posts.

To Renee, I did not call Lynn (even in a round about way) a liar. You stated that you were telling YOUR experience as it happened to you. I was stating MY experience as it happened to me. I know for a fact that they do administer opoids at Almater. Now whether you got a nurse that could not understand you, or Dr. Campos or Aceves misunderstood you, I am telling you I, and many others I have talked to had them while there. It is just a fact that I was stating. Maybe Dr. Campos was saying they don't administer as much there, I don't know. I don't call people liars. And I am not running to Dr. Aceves' defense. I had a good experience while there and I will share that as often as it comes up.

and to Lynn, no one, including myself said Renee should not share her story here. In fact, quite the opposite. I have said that her story is a good example for other patients in her situation to maybe think twice about going there if they are in need of heavier doses of pain meds. Where do you get that anyone wants you to hide your story? Y'all are being defensive for no reason. You keep saying that everyone should be free to express their opinion, good or bad, and I am assuming you are talking about Renee, yet you get defensive to me and others when we share what happened on our visit there, which just happened to be good.

I will not post again on this thread, I have said all I have to say, and obviously more than you wanted to hear. You have stated your position and it is unfortunate that you had such a hard time. Most others have not, and this is the reality. But, AGAIN, no one is saying or ever said Renee should not share her story. So, in closing, even if the few that keep getting mentioned (including those that contacted some here via "private message" at times) had horrible experiences, let's just round up and say 5, well that would be a pretty safe bet in my book for Aceves' track record.

Have a great recovery, Renee. You deserve to be happy.

[ybnormal 21]

Forgive the shortness of this post...I just woke up and am tired still. My problem isn't really the fact that I had a horrible time of it after surgery, this can happen to anyone, anywhere and with any doctor. My problem was that I was assured that most patients have an epidural when they wake up to ease the pain and nausea and that I would be one of those. This was not only told to me, but also to Lynn. I sent my medical records and specific problems via email. I also filled out all the customary forms AGAIN once we got there. Lack of communication? I have no idea. This could have been an isolated incident, again I'm not sure. I know I was not the only one very sick and in a lot of pain, in fact Sara was the only one that didn't experience either.

I was assured, as well as Lynn, that fibro was not an issue there and that the doctors had experience with it. This was a major concern of mine and I asked many many questions because I was terrified of a flare. I'm seriously just tired of all of this now and I don't much care anymore. Dr. Aceves IS a wonderful surgeon, his skill was never in doubt. Dr. Campos IS a wonderful doctor that cares about his patients, again this was never in doubt. I have stated this repeatedly and I'm tired of bashing my head against the same wall.

As far as being defensive, yes, maybe I am a bit because I feel like everyone that has surgery has expressed their experience and I should have been no different. It shouldn't have been a debate and my medical conditions should never have really been an issue or come up at all. I chose to tell the whole truth because maybe it will help someone else ask more questions, although I don't know how that would be possible. Dr. Aceves never lied to me, not once. He told me exactly how he felt and I appreciated his honesty even though I don't agree with him.

I am absolutely done defending myself and Lynn over this, it's draining me and upsetting to me. To anyone going to Dr. Aceves, know that you are in extremely experienced hands and there is a VERY low complication rate. I would ask to speak to him PERSONALLY or Dr. Campos before scheduling surgery and know he has a very pronounced accent and speaks very softly so he may be a bit hard to understand, but do it anyway. Don't take anyone elses word for anything except the doctors and know going in that most of the nurses there do not speak english, at least during the time we were there.

Renee`

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

To anyone going to Dr. Aceves, know that you are in extremely experienced hands and there is a VERY low complication rate. I would ask to speak to him PERSONALLY or Dr. Campos before scheduling surgery and know he has a very pronounced accent and speaks very softly so he may be a bit hard to understand, but do it anyway. Don't take anyone elses word for anything except the doctors and know going in that most of the nurses there do not speak english, at least during the time we were there.

Renee`

I wanted to highlight this very important note from someone who's experiences reflect this very heavily. Everyone's experiences of this surgery with any Dr. from anywhere in the world will always be different.

Renee I am very sorry to hear you struggled so much, that makes me very sad. You have every right to come here and express everything that happened to you, and I think you and others who have posted in your stead have done very well and very respectfully.

I hope you continue to get better every single day, and I really hope that someday your results from your surgery will outweigh (no pun intended!) the negativity you went through to get it.

XOXO

[Lynn Byard 0]

My goodness, just realized that this thread got moved.

[Griselda 7]

Just want to add that I hope Renee is recovering well and that I am sorry that her experience was not great. I too was worried about pain management when I went to Mexico. I had read over and over in posts that the doctors do not use opiates, also that they do or that you could get them. I made it a point to find out exactly which medications would be given to me and for what purpose. I also called and spoke to my doctor personally to ask about pain management because I take tramadol for ankylosing spondylitis on a regular basis and have had toradol (which is what the doctor uses) at times and I was afraid that I would have a tolerance for it also. Dr. Kelly advised me that he would make sure that my pain was controlled. He stated that in his experience, the toradol was very effective at controlling pain, but if for some reason it was not, he would offer alternatives which may include opiates. His reason for not using opiates is because in his experience, they delay healing (one doesn't feel like walking around, too 'woozy' and pain that we should be aware of might not be felt, so he wouldn't know about complications). I also know that my co-sleevie was concerned about this aspect. We both talked at length about taking extra medications that we had in our own stash and also taking extra money to pay for opiates if we needed them (such was our concern). Now, in our case, Dr. Kelly was correct and we did not require any additional doses of medication or alternative pain meds. He might speak to 100's of patients who all feel they need more meds, but he finds that they usually don't. It was nice to know that the option was available and that he listened and was aware of the medicine I was on, and my condition and the very real possibility that I might have too high a tolerance. This may be what happened with Renee, the doctor's may have thought "oh, all the patients say they will need more pain meds", but in Renee's case, she really did and because she did not get them, this was a terrible experience for her. I don't think anyone is saying don't go to Mexico, but be prepared. The next 99 people who go may not require anything in addition to the normal pain regimen, but why chance it? Ask and be sure that there is a pain back up plan, I think this is all that Renee is saying.

[ybnormal 21]

Yes! Thank you so much! That's what I was trying to say but I just never seem to say things right....thank you!

xoxo Renee`

[Elle31 1]

I appreciate your story. I liked seeing the good and the not so good experiences when I was searching for a surgeon. It really does help when making a major decision about surgery. I had a pretty good experience while in Mexicali and having surgery done by Dr. Aceves. I am a very quiet person and did not ask that many questions. Dr. Aceves explained most of the information to me after surgery because he asked if I minded if he waited to explain everything the next day with another patient that was coming in..I didn't mind and really I didn't have any questions. I felt like crap at the hospital- mostly felt a lot of nausea- I felt this for about 5-6 days post op. I really don't have the same experience with Dr. Campos that most have. I have nothing bad to say, but he was short and to the point with me. Now, Sergio the nurse on the other hand, was the sweetest and so kind. He is the one I remember the most- He was great! The nurses didn't really understand much of anything I was saying, but they did understand nausea- Which was good for me!

Now..my experience after I got home has not been the best. I found out I had cellulitis from an incision site in my belly button a week or so after getting home. I have been battling with this ever since (my surgery was in late April). I was told by my Dr. here in the U.S. that cellulitis can develop after any type of surgery. I just would not wish this on anyone- I had a lot of pain and drainage from my belly button- I had to go my local Dr. every other day for 2 weeks and had to have a CT scan done- this was not fun being only a week out and having to drink barium. I could barely get the barium down. I sat at the CT imaging center for 2 hrs and only got a little less than one bottle down- thank goodness they did not make me drink the 2nd bottle! The cellulitis went all the the way down to my abominal wall. My admonal area was very painful and made it very difficult to even walk. I was on 5 meds (my Dr. here kept switching them). Some of the meds were covered by my insurance some were not). I had a very difficult time taking liquid antibiotics. I vomited many times from the meds (not fun). They tested the drainage from my belly button and it came back Streptococcus. I finished the meds and went to my final Dr. appt and it appeared to be cleared up. Well it has came back now. I am back on meds (luckily in pill form now) and my Dr. is treating me for fungus as well. I have spent over $600 on co pays, medications and testing since I have been home. They tested the drainage again and I am waiting to hear back about that. I am a little over a month out and things have gotten much better. I am okay with my decision to have surgery (I do not think I would have lost weight any other way). I am down 30 lbs and feel a lot better about myself already.

We never know going into surgery how our bodies will react- we are all different. But, knowing that there could be complications after a major surgery is very important. I appreciate you sharing your story and I hope you continue to feel better each day. I am sorry you went through what you did. Take care.

[ybnormal 21]

Elle I'm so very sorry that a) it took me so long to see this and that you had a horrible experience. I'm recovering nicely and now that I'm well out of my fog I know that most of the things that happened in my case could have been prevented by my asking the right questions ahead of time. Hindsight is 20/20 you know LOL Miscommunication on my part was kind of my downfall I think and maybe the reason I fell through the cracks. They TOLD me to bring all my medications with me but me being totally out of it, didn't remember to take them and no one realized it until I was experiencing withdrawl symptoms. No ones fault, it just happened, ya know?

To be honest, I remember VERY little about my time in the hospital and have had to rely on others to tell me most of what happened. Anesthesia is NOT my friend! I remember being very happy to be at the hospital and meet and hug Sarah, then they gave me 2 pills and that was it. Just little snipets of foggy memories. Sarah and Dr. Campos apparently spent over an hour with me trying to get through the fog that I was in and Dr. Campos finally managed it but it took getting literally eye to eye and speaking very slowly and calmly to me to get through. All he wanted me to do was drink some juice (a leak test) so that he could give me my medications to stop the withdrawl symptoms but I was way out of it. I remember thinking that the nurses there were so beautiful but I couldn't tell you what any of them looked like. In fact, spending an hour or two nose to nose with Dr. Campos and I still wouldn't be able to pick him out of a line up lol The only thing I remember about Dr. Aceves (this was after those two little pills!) was thinking "huh...he has 4 eyes, this must be why he is such a good surgeon, he must see everything..."

I remember Nina coming to meet me and my being so happy to see her! Her mom, Yolanda was just like a mom to me, pinching my cheeks and saying "stay out of that sun! Look at your red cheeks!" but I remember this because she was nose to nose with me, the before and after that is foggy, she was just so sweet that it reminded me of my mom lol

At any rate, my experience was unique and it was really no ones fault at the end of the day. Miscommunication on my part is mostly to blame and I own up to that. I wish I'd been coherent enough to remember to take my meds because the whole thing would have probably been avoided and I would have had a wonderful experience like everyone else!

Just adding an update here to clear it up because I wasn't lied to, I misinterpreted some of what was told to me, that's on me and no one else. I didn't take my medications when I should have, that too is on me, not on them. I just don't want anyone to be afraid of going to a really great surgeon because of something that I posted here and possibly missing out because at the end of the day, he's an amazing surgeon and you owe it to yourself to have the best surgeon perform a life changing surgery. Dr. Campos is amazing too and he was kind and took time to get through to me when no one else could so don't be afraid to go to mexicali, just bring your medications with you and TAKE THEM! lol

Renee`

[MoreThanAPrettyFace 0]

Glad you are doing so well, Renee. I am one week out from having my VSG with Dr. Aceves and can totally picture Dr. Campos nose to nose with you. He was such a sweety. I must admit, your experience scared me to death and I nearly backed out, but am so glad I didn't. Everything worked seamlessly for me and I am so thankful! He truly is a great surgeon with a fantastic team that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.

Thanks for the update! I had wondered how your recovery was after such a rough post op. So happy to see you are doing well.

Let's rock these sleeves

Erin