So after months and months of reading post I finally think I'm going to have surgery with Dr Garcia at the end of September!!! Yay!!! I'm am going alone, do you think it will be ok?

How does the pre op diet work and will they send me that information once I've paid my deposit?

Has anyone been through alighter me?

I'm so friggin excited, I just can't wait!!!

I am having surgery with Dr. Garcia on August 9. I went through alighter me and has a terrific experience. I will also be going myself and think that I will be fine. They send pre-op information after you have booked and paid your deposit. I know that same excited feeling -- the anticipation is what's keeping me focused on the journey!

I am having my surgery tomorrow with Dr Garcia. If you go to Ready4AChange.com and request info, Alma will call you and answer all your questions. She is fantastic and also responds very quickly to my emails. After your deposit they will send specific diet instructions and general information. I also like the fact that they use the Marriott:)

I went alone, it was fine! Good luck!

I'm having surgery July 31

Well, seems like no one actually answered your question, so here goes.

The pre-op diet is not mandatory, some surgeons request it, others do not. I would HIGHLY recommend you do one. The pre-op diet just starts your caloric restriction before the operation and also limits you to a liquid or very soft food diet. The thinking here is manifold. For one, it will potentially reduce the size and fattiness of your liver, this makes the operation safer as it physically shrinks the size of your liver so the surgeon has more room to work and therefore lessens the chances that they may nick it during surgery. The liver is just PACKED full of blood vessels and it can bleed profusely from the slightest cut or tear.

The second benefit is that it will lighten the load in your intestines post-op. MANY people become constipated post-op due to the shock of surgery and anesthesia, and believe you me, it is mighty uncomfortable to have to bear down to move your bowels post-op.

Thirdly, it jump starts your weight loss. All of us can keep on a diet for a few days or weeks, especially with the specter of surgery looming over us. Starting a "crash" diet can help you start off by shedding a few pounds pre-op.

I'm sure there are many other benefits but these are the ones I am most familiar with.

Well' date=' seems like no one actually answered your question, so here goes.

The pre-op diet is not mandatory, some surgeons request it, others do not. I would HIGHLY recommend you do one. The pre-op diet just starts your caloric restriction before the operation and also limits you to a LIQUID or very soft food diet. The thinking here is manifold. For one, it will potentially reduce the size and fattiness of your liver, this makes the operation safer as it physically shrinks the size of your liver so the surgeon has more room to work and therefore lessens the chances that they may nick it during surgery. The liver is just PACKED full of blood vessels and it can bleed profusely from the slightest cut or tear.

The second benefit is that it will lighten the load in your intestines post-op. MANY people become constipated post-op due to the shock of surgery and anesthesia, and believe you me, it is mighty uncomfortable to have to bear down to move your bowels post-op.

Thirdly, it jump starts your weight loss. All of us can keep on a diet for a few days or weeks, especially with the specter of surgery looming over us. Starting a "crash" diet can help you start off by shedding a few pounds pre-op.

I'm sure there are many other benefits but these are the ones I am most familiar with.[/quote']

You make a good point about constipation! When my surgeon orders it, I'm going to make a good effort and comply.

We used Alma at Ready 4 A Change was our coordinator and Dr. Garcia the surgeon for my daughters VSG. Both were fantastic and the hospital clean with great nurses. Depending on you BMI will determine your pre-op diet and the coordinator will tell you. The lighter you are the less pre-op diet ttime. You'll do fine alone they take good care of you. Know that the people in TJ know your kinda scared about going there alone and having surgery so they really cater to you and make you feel comfortable and safe. You'll love Garcia. Such a nice sweet man with lot's of experience.

Thank you all, you've made me feel a lot better about going alone, my family is freaking out though!! Sooooo excited!!! I wish you all the best with your journey!!

I have BCBS of Alabama but I hope to go to Mexico in October :-)

August 9th with Lopez went through A lighter me. Choose him because the husband wife team both bring bariatric surgeons it's like two docs for the price of one. Also I hear their anestesiologist is also good which is important to me since that is the person that technically keeps you alive during surgery.

August 9th with Lopez went through A lighter me. Choose him because the husband wife team both bring bariatric surgeons it's like two docs for the price of one. Also I hear their anestesiologist is also good which is important to me since that is the person that technically keeps you alive during surgery.

Are you going to Mi hospital with Dr. Lopez in TJ? If so, we will be there at the same time!

I am pretty sure I will be at INT but we will probably be at hotel at the same time.

Tijuana Marriott?

Yes I wonder if we will all be on the same floor like a bunch of patients at a hospital. The whole concept is really strange to me but I am going with it. How did you decide on Garcia? Lord I hope I made the right decision. I am starting pre- op diet tomorrow so I did it up today with food. All of my favorite things.

I'm not sure. But it would be nice to have people to recover with between naps! Haha. I chose Garcia because of the research I did. I liked that I he posted his licensing numbers online and I could easily cross reference his credentials. I am starting to worry now because I can't find the travel assistant info that I had previously found and I'm wondering what's going on. I told my family about my on site contact as that person and it's like she disappeared now! I'm just kinda trusting I'll be taken care of at this point. I started my pre-op on July 26, so I'm almost a week in and ten lbs down. I binged for two weeks before I started pre-op though! Just the thought of not having ice cream for so long was sad to me, so I had to have lots! Haha. I'm not finding pre-op too bad because it's simliar to the Ideal Protein diet that I tried earlier this year. I think clear liquids will be killer though!