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I am officially sleeved!



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May 28, 2015 at 1 pm I woke up a sleeved woman! Finally this step of my journey is behind me. 12 hours into my new life and my biggest issue has been torrential hiccups. Dr. Altimirano had to place a JP drain, which he explained is rubbing against my diaphragm when I move around, stimulating it to spasm causing some pretty miserable hiccups. They are very uncomfortable and last from 5 to 10 minutes before abating. I'm a RN and understand the importance of walking after surgery but as of right now getting out of bed and going to the restroom is almost more than I can bare (which is every hour due to IV fluids and my pea sized bladder). I have also had some pretty wicked nausea, which have been the pits, but honestly other than the pain during my hourly hiccup episodes, surgical and gas discomfort have not been so bad.

I am very satisfied with the care that I have received so far. Yeah some things are different compared to my state side surgical experiences. Dr. A, Bariatric Pal MX Team and The Oasis of Hope Hpost-234344-1432889188121_thumb.jpgospital staff have treated me more than great.

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Back at home. A little tired, but full of nervous energy. I definitely don't feel like I just had 80% of my stomach removed. Pain is maybe a 2/10. Of course tummy is a little tender. Absolutely No Appetite! My biggest issue is making myself drink. It seems impossible to get in 64 oz at this time. No big deal though, I will just sip on fluids throughout the day and I'm sure this will get better everyday.

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Thank you????

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Congratulations! I posted on another thread you were on. My surgery is scheduled August 13th with Dr Altamirano. I can't wait!

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Congratulations! I posted on another thread you were on. My surgery is scheduled August 13th with Dr Altamirano. I can't wait!

Are you having a revision? I'm scheduled for revision on Sept. 7 with Dr. A. Looking forward to following your progress.

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Yes, I'm having a revision with Dr. A and can't wait for August to arrive.

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Dr Altimarano was great. We had a meet and greet via FaceTime about 10 days before my surgery, he was at the recovery house when arrived. I have been an RN for 15 years, never have I come across a surgeon with such an awesome bedside manner. He answered all of my questions, even held my hand as they were administering the anesthesia. I'm so glad that chose him to perform my surgery.

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Yes, I'm having a revision with Dr. A and can't wait for August to arrive.

That's awesome, can't wait to follow your progress. I had a band 7 yrs ago and lost 117 lbs, had some issues (not from the band) and the emergency room emptied it :( 2 yrs later I have gained 80 lbs and my fill center has closed down. I can't get a Doctor around here to give me fills because I got my band in Mexico. I couldn't even find a Doctor to remove the band here in the States. I can't tell you how grateful I am to Bariatric Pal and Dr. Altamirano and his team for giving me a chance to correct these issues and get the life back that I had previously work so hard to achieve.

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Dr. Altamirano on September 5th. I'm also a nurse, in Phoenix, AZ. I'm glad to hear you are doing well and the experience was good!

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
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      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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