Well, I am back home from my trip to Mexico. I am going to try and give an honest review of my experience there and my thoughts about Having the Gastric Sleeve in Tijuana. I Arrived and called the coordinator about being picked up at the airport. I was picked up by the driver in a large black Cadillac Limo. Isn't that the way to go....Fancy. No wet bar, however. Joking. He took me directly to the clinic to do my EKG and get blood work. My first impressions, yes this is Tijuana, yes this is a strip mall with a porno shop and office max, and yes it is small. These are things I knew going in. Following the clinic I was told my pre surgery instructions my pick up time and taken to the Hotel in down town. It is a nicer upscale place. I will come back to that later. After a rough nights sleep due to jitters and all I got up showered and started waiting. I decided to go down to the lobby early to wait for my ride and I met another patient and her companion. I traveled alone, and I will say more about that later. We headed out to the clinic and got prepped for our surgeries . I got to be second that day. Honestly, I was scared and I nearly backed out up until the very end. But, if I wasn't worried and scared about something like this no matter where I was I would be crazy. Just think about it. I woke up in recovery feeling sore and groggy and knowing after this it would be all down hill. I was taken to my room to rest. Which I did with intervals of sitting up, coughing, gagging, walking and so on. Word to the wise here. having worked in a hospital, coughing is really important to help clear your lungs following sedation. Hold a pillow to your abdomen while coughing, vomiting, sneezing ect.. to avoid popping your stitches or staples. Besides your abdominal muscles are weakened. Do this at home also. I ended up staying an extra day as there were no surgeries scheduled so we got an extra day of IV fluids and This whole thing can go well in my honest opinion if you can advocate for yourself. Ask questions, Ask questions, ask questions. What is in my IV, what medicine are you giving me. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Now the clinic......it is clean, they are cleaning all the time. Have you ever heard of a cleaner called Fabuloso? You may want to familiarize yourself with that smell as they use that to clean. Some people are not affected by smells but once you have a gastric surgery you might be. There is an air freshener they use that can also bother you. Prepare for this. Most of the nurses are male there is one nurse, her name is Lupita and she is great she drew my blood with one stick and I admit that I am a hard stick. She started my IV with one try too. I hate being poked. However, most of the people taking care of you will be male. Learn a few useful phrases in Spanish it will be valuable to you n the long run. I and my group where taken to the hotel and shown to our rooms and I will tell you my one fear. I was afraid to eat or drink anything in Mexico because I did not want to get sick. I have heard of people getting sick from something in the water. I did bring bottled American water to brush my teeth with and drink. Maybe that's just me. The restaurant is adjacent to the lobby of the hotel and I could not stand the smell. There is a nurses station with a direct line and you can call them with whatever you need. Such as changing your dressings after you take a shower or if you need pain medication or if you have any questions. I almost forgot the leak test. They give you this tasty blue fluid to drink and then off to the radiology center where they hand you a cup of barium to drink, that stuff was terrible. But no leaks.

Where did you go??jerusalem Hospital?? Glad you are doing well. Do you have to take off work? I am trying to go back ASAP

Yes, I went to Jerusalem Hospital and Dr. Almanza performed my surgery. I decided to take a little time off work, but I work in an office and I don't have a lot of physical demands on me at my job. Taking the stairs more though.

I went to TJ...but with Dr Rodriguez.... Hospital Angeles. Wonderful treatment...2 nights there and home by plane. If I'd wanted I could have stayed at a hotel one more night part of the package. I just wanted to get home to my bed. My experience was amazing. Everyone was great, the staff mostly spoke english to a more or lesser degree. My incisions are almost gone visibly... he used surgical adhesive. All my tests were included. I did pay the pharmacy for my take home meds... $50... nothing more. It is so different for each of us who go to MX, still we don't know how it'll go till we get there. glad you are doing so well.

I went to TJ...but with Dr Rodriguez.... Hospital Angeles. Wonderful treatment...2 nights there and home by plane. If I'd wanted I could have stayed at a hotel one more night part of the package. I just wanted to get home to my bed. My experience was amazing. Everyone was great' date=' the staff mostly spoke english to a more or lesser degree. My incisions are almost gone visibly... he used surgical adhesive. All my tests were included. I did pay the pharmacy for my take home meds... 50... nothing more. It is so different for each of us who go to MX, still we don't know how it'll go till we get there. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> glad you are doing so well.[/quote']

I appreciate hearing how people are doing in MX, my day is fast approaching, Oct.17 Jerusalem hospital!!