I was sleeved at the Florence Hospital in Tijuana on Monday 4 August by Dr Fernando Garcia, and I can only say that my experience was PERFECT.

Dr Garcia, his team, Dr Velazco, the nurses, Eduardo, Irene and Samuel from Ready 4 A Change - they all worked to make this a truly trouble free and excellent event all round. The Florence Hospital is nothing swish but it's very clean, and all the staff are helpful and very pleasant. Everything that happened was explained to me beforehand so I was never left in any confusion. I travelled alone and felt completely okay about it.

I was the only patient scheduled for Dr Garcia that day, so the morning was taken up with pre-op tests, a medical history and exam with Dr Velazco and a visit from Dr Garcia. He is so nice and reassuring. I was given my 'relaxing pill' - and whatever it was it was good stuff - and got wheeled happily to the OR at about midday. Victor, the anesthesiologist, did a bang up job. There was no counting backwards from ten - one second I was on the table, the next second, or so it seemed, I was back in my room, waking up and sliding back onto the bed. Ten minutes later I was up and walking.

I had no pain, no nausea, no vomiting or heaving, no problems with gas - a couple of ladylike burps and one discreet fart and that was it!

Post-op the nurses were very attentive, frequently checking on me and adding meds to my iv fluids - anti-biotics, pain meds, anti-nausea meds and something 'to protect your stomach' - don't know what that was but it worked. Dr Garcia came to check on me and advise about the post-op diet.

(He recommended I do 3 days on clear fluids, then on day 4 add protein shakes. (Just the shakes, not other full fluid items.) This is to prevent my body from using muscle tissue as a protein source. I had a Premier shake this morning, very slowly, and it went down fine. I don't know if he makes the same recommendation to everyone, though.)

I had one pre-op and one post-op night at the Marriott Hotel and was extremely comfortable. The staff really go out of their way to make your stay as pleasant as possible.

All in all I feel so fortunate and blessed in my choice of Dr Garcia and the Ready 4 A Change company. If anyone is considering surgery in Mexico, I wholeheartedly recommend Dr Garcia. My whole experience just couldn't have been better.

Update: I only just got around to taking a detailed look at the written post-op diet instructions - it's in very pale type and I found it difficult to see without a strong light! Yes, Dr Garcia does say to add protein shakes on day 4.

Edited August 9, 201412 yr by SwanRose

Glad you are doing so well and had such a positive experience! How far did you have to travel when you returned home? I'm having my surgery with Ariel Ortiz on Sept. 1, but not returning home until September 5. I'm a little concerned about traveling post op. Did you run into any issues?

I'm really happy there are so many surgeons doing excellent work in Mexico. It really offers a great opportunity for those of us who have to self pay.

@JamieLogical I didn't have any issues travelling home yesterday - which was 3 days post-op. We live in San Diego County, so it wasn't a long journey.

The R4aC driver picked me up from the Marriott Hotel at 8am, and we had a very slow crawl of a drive to the border crossing. It took about 2 hours to get back into the US! After that it was a quick run to San Diego airport where he dropped me off at the pre-arranged spot and shortly afterwards my husband arrived to pick me up again. We had just under an hour's drive home but stopped half way so I could walk around for a little while.

I felt fine and didn't have any physical problems on the journey. I had water and Gatorade with me so I could keep sipping on the way. If you're flying I shouldn't think there would be any problem either, as you can get up and move around as much as you need to. I wore flight socks on the drive, just to be on the safe side.

I'm sure you will be able to travel without any difficulty. Best wishes for your surgery, I hope you have a really good experience too!

PS Yes, thank heavens for the Mexico surgeons! Self pay would have been impossible for me in the US, and I didn't want to spend the next year at the mercy of an insurance company.

Edited August 8, 201412 yr by SwanRose

Congratulations on your surgery and well recovery. Welcome to the club, I was sleeved on 7/28 and its going well so far.

This is such an awesome post.  It made me feel much more relaxed about my surgery.  I go on September 15th and have Dr. Garcia as well! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

 

Jas~

@jasmomo I'm glad you found the post helpful. You will be in very good hands, that's for sure. Good luck for September 15, I hope everything goes just as smoothly for you.

@@SwanRose, thank you for the post.  I am scheduled with Dr. Garcia on November 22nd.  Being self-pay, I could have scheduled it sooner, but with kids in high school, I planned it for the week-long holiday during Thanksgiving so I would not have to worry about arranging travel to/from football practice, school, etc.  It helps to allay my mother's fears (and my own) when I can point to another person's good experience!

Glad you are doing well!!! I am almost 14 months post op and 4 pounds from my goal weight. I also went with Dr. Garcia and would not have changed a thing!! He, and his staff, are exceptional. I still struggle daily with getting in my water and protein, but that is because my restriction is still great. Even 14 months out I can still only eat about 3oz at a meal and that is being FULL. My boyfriend and I have a running joke when we talk about what to make for dinner...my response is usually "5 bites of anything".

Hope you continue to have great success!!

@pgerik Best of luck with your sleeve. You will be in excellent hands. And if it helps a bit more - I'm now almost four weeks out and have had absolutely no post-op problems - apart from finding I've become lactose intolerant, but Lactaid takes care of that. Haven't needed a single painkiller, and although I was expecting to need to sleep in the recliner for a week, in fact I was back in bed on my first night home and have been sleeping like a log. Totally smooth transition to phases of the post-op diet.

I really hope everything goes just as well for you. Let us know.

@bulldog1973 So glad to hear that you've done so well! And so close to goal - must be thrilling!

When I think about how hungry I used to be, and how big my appetite was - Dr Velazco told me I would be amazed at how little it would take to fill me up, and she was right.

Just wanted to say so happy for you swanrose!! I have been thinking about going to dr. garcia for about 2 years...and i am scared, mostly about safety in Mexico, cause I just dont know how it will be down there. But, I am realizing I really need to just do it! So happy for everyone that has gone there and been able to change their life!

How are you feeling now? I'm so happy to see a recent post about Dr. Garcia. I'm having my sleeve done by him on Nov 8

Hi Everyone,

I'm really glad that reading about my experience with Dr Garcia has been helpful. I'm now just over 5 weeks out from surgery and 30lbs down (10lbs on the pre-op diet and 20lbs since surgery). This may be a bit slower than for others, but I'm very happy with this rate of loss. My restriction feels good but not extreme.

For instance, for breakfast this morning I had 2oz ham and 1oz of rice crackers and felt very full, and still don't feel any hunger now at 11.30am. I'll have a protein shake blended with protein powder and some milk, divided between lunch and an afternoon snack. This evening I'll be able to have a slightly larger meal, maybe 3oz of meat and a half cup of vegetables. If I need another snack at any point during the day I'll probably have 1oz of cheese and another 1oz of rice crackers (from Trader Joe's, very good). I'm adding in new foods gradually.

This might be more than some sleevers can eat at this point, but it's far, far less than I used to eat with my gigantic appetite! So I'm happy with that.

Once again I can report that I've had absolutely NO ill effects from surgery. From the time I woke up and took my first walk I've felt completely fine - no pain, no nausea. Lactose intolerance and a bit of constipation are easily dealt with.

I have so much more energy now. I walk my dog twice a day, do pool aerobics three times a week and use a stationary bike and elliptical exerciser most days. Planning to do a 5K walk on Thanksgiving. The difference that the last five weeks has made is almost beyond belief! And all thanks to Dr Garcia.

So, all of you who are booked with Dr Garcia in the next few weeks - you are in the best hands and will have really excellent care. And anyone considering going to Dr Garcia - based on my experience I can't recommend him highly enough. Good luck to everyone.