Thank you to everyone for their support.

I took a 6 hour flight to CA on 3/31 and arrived in San Diego at 11:30 "their time". The driver, Ernesto, was waiting for me at the baggage area and put my luggage in the van and drove me, and another passenger, to Mexacali. This drive was about 2 hours long.

I was taken directly to the hospital where they were waiting for me and had blood work, urinalysis, EKG, chest x-ray, and then an esophagram to evaluate and completely unfil my band. The last stop was meeting with the coordinator to get pre and post-op instructions and to pay the balance for the surgery.

I was told I could have anything I wanted to eat (was on a 30 gram/day carb diet for the week prior to surgery) and driven to the Lucerna Resort which is beautiful. As I worked the night before, I elected to have the sandwich and protein bar I brought with me, showered, and fell asleep. I took the antibiotic they gave me before I went to sleep but did not take the ativan.

At 7 AM on 4/1, I was picked up and taken to my room in the hospital. I was seen by a medical internist who reviewed my tests (all good), an assistant surgeon (who was sleeved the day after me), an anesthesiologist, and finally, by the surgeon, Dr. Aceves. All questions were answered and I was the second sleeve of the day.

I got dramamine and versed to take 30 minutes prior to the OR and that knocked me out. LOL. My IV was inserted in the OR and I had spinal and general anesthesia. The spinal dramatically decreases the amount of general needed. Since I don't do well with general (severe nausea), I elected for the spinal too and had NO problems in the recovery room.

All I remember about the recovery room was being asked if I had pain... nope, and being told I was going back to my room. I got some IV pain medication at @ 4 AM and then had sublingual (under the tongue) toradol @ 1 PM. For me, this surgery was a lot less painful than the band.

At noon, I had to drink small sips of water. An hour after that I drank apple juice with a blue dye in it. This is the second test (first done in OR) for leaks. I have a drain near where the port was and the hope is that no blue color comes through to the bag. I passed. After that, I was brought hot tea, tang OJ, and apple juice. My IV was taken out this evening.

Tomorrow morning, I go for the last leak test and will have to drink a radiograffin substance. If I pass that test (and I have no doubt I will), the drain gets removed at noon. I will leave the hospital at 5:45 AM on Saturday to make my flight in San Diego for home. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience. As a registered nurse I was very watchful and am impressed with the care, cleanliness, and professionalism I observed.

Being allergice to milk, the soy slender really got me through to the soft diet phase. I still have that for lunch when I'm on the run.

I've been on an unrestricted diet since 5/2 and today was my first time having lunch out with friends I have not seen in a few months. They picked a place where you basically could get anything to eat... a restaurant chain called Franks Steaks or Steakhouse.

They all ordered an appetizer and I passed. I worried they would ask why I passed but nope, the conversation just flowed. I don't eat beef/pork/lamb so I went to the seafood part of the menu and selected broiled flounder. It was a small piece that came with 2 baked clams, a ton of rice pilaf, and broccoli. Everyone else ordered steak (duh! it was a steak place - lol).

I ate nearly all the fish, passed on the clams, and could not eat the rice or broccoli. The rice I scattered on the plate. Again, I worried something would be said about me leaving so much food but we were so busy chatting that I don't think they noticed. The last step was dessert. I ordered coffee and said I was too full for a whole dessert but would sample from others. They all ordered a dessert and I took a taste of the cobbler (teaspoon) and the same amount of one other dessert and then nursed my coffee.

It took me the same amount of time to eat as it did everyone else but I ate less. WASA gave me the hint about moving stuff around on the plate so it made it look like I ate more and that worked. The conversation and being with friends is what took center stage. I worried needlessly.

I am glad you had a nice experience going out to eat with your friends. It's important that our lives don't change so much just because of the surgery.

I am glad you had a nice experience going out to eat with your friends. It's important that our lives don't change so much just because of the surgery.

Tonight is my "test run" for a first dinner out. My niece is getting her RN pin and we're going to dinner before the ceremony. This time, it's all family! They know I am always trying to lose weight so I plan to follow the same routine as for lunch.... no bread/butter, skip the appetizer, spread the entree around the plate (thanks, WASA), and take a taste of someone elses dessert. I'm also going to skip lunch and just have a soy slender drink so my stomach is as empty as I can get it. LOL.

Tonight is my "test run" for a first dinner out. My niece is getting her RN pin and we're going to dinner before the ceremony. This time, it's all family! They know I am always trying to lose weight so I plan to follow the same routine as for lunch.... no bread/butter, skip the appetizer, spread the entree around the plate (thanks, WASA), and take a taste of someone elses dessert. I'm also going to skip lunch and just have a soy slender drink so my stomach is as empty as I can get it. LOL.

Hi all,

I am in St Croix doing a 13 week contract. I went out to eat with some other traveler's I met here. This was my first "test run" with eating out and with eating with people who don't know I had the surgery. I perused the menu with trepidation, thinking it would be like when I had the band: one or two bites then the inevitable choking on anything solid and not dripping with sauce.

The menu had shrimp with fries where you get four jumble, and I mean jumble shrimp. So, I ordered that. I was able to eat three of the shrimp and two french fries. The other two ordered, we ate talked and had fun. No one paid any attention to what I was not eating, (but after all, who eats all their french fries?). We all asked for to go containers, and I ate my one shrimp and four french fries for lunch today. :mad2:

Hi all,

I am in St Croix doing a 13 week contract. I went out to eat with some other traveler's I met here. This was my first "test run" with eating out and with eating with people who don't know I had the surgery. I perused the menu with trepidation, thinking it would be like when I had the band: one or two bites then the inevitable choking on anything solid and not dripping with sauce.

The menu had shrimp with fries where you get four jumble, and I mean jumble shrimp. So, I ordered that. I was able to eat three of the shrimp and two french fries. The other two ordered, we ate talked and had fun. No one paid any attention to what I was not eating, (but after all, who eats all their french fries?). We all asked for to go containers, and I ate my one shrimp and four french fries for lunch today. :mad2:

Excellent! It's funny how we stress out about what others might think only to find they couldn't care less.

For me, the best thing is just the fact that I can enjoy dining out with friends and family again. I haven't been able to do that in three years without the inevitable race to the bathroom to choke up my food!

For me, the best thing is just the fact that I can enjoy dining out with friends and family again. I haven't been able to do that in three years without the inevitable race to the bathroom to choke up my food!

I know, isn't it great! But initially, since it was a trial run, I could just envision myself choking, then pbing right there on the beach, ( because I hadn't scoped out where the restroom was), in front of everybody, ruining everybody's appetite. So glad those days are behind me! I was so abused by my band, I still need reassurance that this time it's different.

Elizabeth, on another thread you told me to get my blood checked. Didn't Dr. A check everything with all the bloodwork they did?

I have 1,000.00 deductible on my insurance, and after spending all that money getting my sleeve, I don't want to run up a big dr. bill

Hi Cyberfriends.

My ins does not cover the sleeve but i did learn alot here about the procedure, can't thank you all enough for sharing your experiences.

My band still has to come out, i am not well. Ins covers that as well as the RNY BUT my bmi is 39 at this time and they require 40 for approval as medically necessary. Has anyone gotten approved anyway that was so close?

Hi Cyberfriends.

My ins does not cover the sleeve but i did learn alot here about the procedure, can't thank you all enough for sharing your experiences.

My band still has to come out, i am not well. Ins covers that as well as the RNY BUT my bmi is 39 at this time and they require 40 for approval as medically necessary. Has anyone gotten approved anyway that was so close?

You can try the Standard of Care approach. The Standard of Care in the US is to do the revision in one surgery when possible. There is little need to do two surgeries. The Standard of Care is also such that depending on the procedure if you have a history of MO you don't need to be a 40BMI for surgery. I had my revision with a 20.8 BMI. Granted, I was self pay but it's still the same SOC regardless of Ins or Self pay.

Understand, I don't think that is going to work but you can try.

thank you, thank you so much Wasa. I've heard of that before and just didn't think of it.

Elizabeth, on another thread you told me to get my blood checked. Didn't Dr. A check everything with all the bloodwork they did?

I have 1,000.00 deductible on my insurance, and after spending all that money getting my sleeve, I don't want to run up a big dr. bill

Most MDs only check ferritin, iron, and iron saturation if the hemaglobin/hematocrit are abnormal so it's not part of routine blood work. If you get yearly check-ups with your medical MD, you could ask to have it done.

Right, but that would fall under my thousand $$$ deductible. I can go to the dr. and pay a co pay but any tests come under that deductible.

Right, but that would fall under my thousand $$$ deductible. I can go to the dr. and pay a co pay but any tests come under that deductible.

Well, you have no problems now so make sure you take the 2 multi-vits a day and see how it goes.