I have been watching this site getting helpful information for months and just haven't signed up. Welp...I got my surgery date today with Dr. Aceves. I will be going to Mexicali to be sleeved on Sept 28th and I'm super excited~! This site is awesome for people who don't have a very strong support system at home, thank you so much I had a consult with a local surgeon but decided to cancel and be self pay because Dr. Aceves appears to be a much more experienced surgeon.... Can anyone tell me what to expect as far as pain and pain management?

Congratulations! on getting your date. I had surgery with Dr. Aceves July 14, 2012, he and Dr. Campos, the anestesiologist and the rest of the team are great and will take good care of you. I think pain may be a very individual thing but I can tell you my experience involved some discomfort but no real pain. When I asked for pain med in the hospital 2x I would describe my pain as being a 4 on the chart. The pain/discomfort I felt really came from my drain tube area which came out the second day. The gas pain that people describe can be very uncomfortable and for me I believe was minimized greatly by walking. As soon as you can get up and walk once you are out of recovery the better off you will be. My husband was a slave driver making me walk every hour and every 2-3hrs in the night. But I thanked him for it. I was sent home with pain med (Sucradol (?)) and picked up extra and the Pharmacy there just around the corner just in case. I also bought a 3 month supply of the PPI (Pantezol) at the Pharmacy around the corner. They will also send you home with a month's supply.I wish I had bought more because I am taking it morning and night now and will run out before the 3 months that I need to take it is up. It is cheaper there and in a little packet that you take instead of having to crush a Nexium or Prilosec or something.

I really haven't had a need for any pain meds since I've been home, except on day when I've over done it with my walking.

Don't be afraid to ask for pain med when you are in the hospital if you need it. Better to get up and walk the gas out then lay in bed with pain. Happy to answer any other questions you might have about my Mexicali experience. Best Wishes. Jennifer

Congratulations! I didn't have any real pain at all, but I was doped up really good for the first two days through the IV. No nausea or vomiting, either. The CO2 pain in my shoulder hurt the most and was helped by a heating pad that I brought with me. Walking also helped. I mostly dozed and slept until day 3. I had a little pain that day and was given sublingual Supradol that worked well. The doc will give you a box of it to bring home, I think I took one before my plane left and one the day after I came home, and then never needed anything else for pain. You'll do fine and he makes a lovely sleeve.

Congrats! I am having surgery with Dr Aceves on 8/31.

JenC,

Do you need a prescription for the PPI you got at the pharmacy you mentioned above? And how much was it so I can bring enough money with me. Thank you, Amy

I am getting my sleeve on the 25th w Dr. Aceves! I will leave on the 28th. Good luck with your surgery and maybe we will see each other wandering around

Praying for you all!! GOD BLESS...my surgery is the 21st in the States. I started day one of my two week liquid diet today....ROUGH! We'll get through it all...LORD willing!

Thanks everyone, I feel better about going (I am going alone which makes me a tiny bit nervous). Is anyone going the end of September?

Hi Amy, I want to say the PPI was $18 a box for 28 doses. There are two pharmacies, one across the street that you can see from the ER entrance and one on the same side of the street around the corner from the main entrance. The pharmacy on the same side of the street is less expensive by a few dollars and you can use a credit card there or US dollars. Dr. Campos will write it down for you if you like but no prescription is required. I walked around the corner on day two to get it...so I was glad to have a track suit with me so I didn't have to wear my pj's.

I agree with Jen. I had surgery with dr aceves on June 30th and he also repaired a hiatal hernia I had no pain it was more discomfort from drain but I was up walking 2 hrs after surgery I had to go to bathroom lol you walk very slow but I pushed myself I went alone and felt very safe and I'm going back for him to do my follow up. Its cheaper for me to fly to Mexicali than pay my copayment in California I even found out Almater hospital is blue shield approved.. But for $150 I get all my labs and upper gi and barium swallow. It just gives my piece of mind to see everything working good. Oh and if you want something stronger for pain ask the dr because all the nurse gives you is a dissolvable pill for pain but if dr orders you something stronger they have to follow his orders. The pain pills are Supradol 30 mg there is only 4 pills in a box when you go home. I bought 6 boxes. And the ppi is pantozol 20 mg I also bought 6 boxes plus I bought my husband thyroid medicine is so much cheaper I think I spent $60 total.

The pantozol ppi is a 28 count box.

I'm about a month and a couple days out and I have lost 30 pounds so far.. And gabby emails me once a week and I talk to dr aceves regularly. I just luv them

Thanks everyone, I feel better about going (I am going alone which makes me a tiny bit nervous). Is anyone going the end of September?

Hi, I'm going alone but was lucky enough to find a sleeve sister from this site who is going at the same time I am. Check out the Mexico forum at the bottom if you haven't already. Or maybe Nina can help?

Thank you all for the suggestions, it is much appreciated