Today is Sunday, September 4 and I am in the Holiday Inn Express in San Diego with my daughter, 48 hours after being sleeved.  This is my “sleeve” experience and I must say some of this was shocking to me - but perhaps it will not be to you.

We flew to San Diego from North Idaho and stayed at the Hampton Inn as recommended.  The next morning we met at the Jet Blue terminal and discovered several others waiting for the same ride.  There were 4 sleevers, 2 lap banders, and one lifter.  We all met - took a few pictures and talked about our procedures etc.  There were 3 guests that accompanied their respective person.  We stood around for about 45 minutes for the van to arrive.  We all piled in - our luggage got stowed and off we went.  It took about 20 minutes to get to the border and the houses and shops are quite shocking to someone who has not experienced this type of poverty.  We were definitely passing by a very poor area of San Diego.  We laughed at a sign along I5 that said “GUNS ARE ILLEGAL IN MEXICO”.  Arriving at the border, there are lots and lots of people packing guns - so expect it.  We got through pretty quickly and the next twenty minutes made me look up and thank the good Lord that I was born an American.  I cannot describe the shacks and shops that were put together seemingly with any leftover construction material.  As we moved closer to “town” it became less shocking and before you know it there was a COSTCO and a Office Depot and we were there - Jerusalem Clinica.

So here’s the part that bothered me before..but now I suppose it wasn’t that big of a deal.  I just wished someone had described the waiting game.  Here it is.

You get unloaded from the van and all the smokers and guests remained outside chatting and puffing.  There were 6 patients that turned in our passport to be copied and placed with our “medical info” on a separate clipboard.  The reception area is VERY small - a couch for 3 and a couch for 2 and a bathroom that is not 30” wide….really.  So we sat around for about 30 minutes wondering who would be first and what was next etc.  Finally they started calling us in behind the auspicious door “hospitale” and we had our blood drawn.  Then about every 15 to 20 minutes they took someone “away”.  I later found out that away was upstairs in a very small lobby much like the one we just left - with two small bedrooms (2 beds each) and another small bathroom.  We met Juan (pink shirt - always) - paid our balance, signed a document all in Spanish…I could have just enlisted in the Mexican Armed Forces for all I know.  We got dressed down in either the bedroom or the bathroom, sat out on the couches - men - women together - total strangers in a sea of “WTH” have I done?  Then they again had us go into one of the bedrooms and stick your legs in the air to cover with ace bandages and who cares if someone else came in to ask the nurse or doctor something - your business…I guess was anyone’s business.  Then we had an EKG by an elderly (really old guy) cardiologist and were basically told at this point who was first, second etc…  I was third in line so Ava went first followed by Gem and then me.  So from this point - the experience is all mine.

MY turn - I walked back downstairs to the O.R. making sure I wasn’t flashing my ample cheeks to anyone (the gowns are about a size 5X or bigger) and mine was hanging quite low.  Anyway I walk into the “restricted” in Spanish doors and there is the table.  OK.  Don’t panic when you see that the fake naughtier is rubbing off of the side things that come out to hold either your legs or your arms.  I smiled, climbed upon the table and said - bring on the happy juice and they did.  I don’t remember another thing…it was that fast.

So I wake up in one of the bedrooms upstairs (I didn’t know there were two more downstairs and only ONE has a lazy boy chair and a single bed. ) Sorry to all of you who got to see the video with that room because like me you assumed your guest would have a place to sleep.  Katie and another guest - slept out on the upstairs lobby couches with the TV on all night long. (TAKE EARPLUGS!!!)  I was told I walked up the stairs after surgery but I have no memory of that or of them getting me into bed.  I was not in pain but I woke up and recognized that I was uncomfortable…like maybe something had happened to my stomach.  YEAH!!  I slept fitfully that night partially because I had to get up and go potty 5 times and felt bad about my daughter sleeping on the couch but just as much because my roommate Eva or Ava and poor Gem had the dry heaves all night.  They looked pretty sorry in the morning…but stay tuned…they did get better the next day.

In the morning _ I assumed we would ALL be going to recovery house and so Katie and I packed up our suitcases and so did Celestine.  (We got up at 6 just because we wanted ICE CUBES - anything.  They brought us these ice cubes that were GIANT - I mean 1.5 inches round!) Still we didn’t care.

And then we hear, Sorry…only two people can go to Recovery House. (To be continued!)   Reb