quints

I'm doing wonderful, better then expected. I've always been pretty healthy, but averaging 25 lbs extra weight and a (chain) smoker. Then a few years ago I quit smoking and gained 50+ lbs. I have been yo-yoing ever since. I finally decided to do the sleeve but had to find a place I could afford since I'm self pay, unfortunately the states is out of reach with the malpractice insurance being so high, so I had to find an alternative. That's when I found Nina and Mexico. I am thrilled with my decision and when I go back for some cosmetic in a year or two, I will be going to Nina's again. I'm surprised at some of the sleevers on here who ate a big meal the night before their surgery? I was on a low fat, carb free diet for 10 days prior to mine along with the last 2 days of just Water, clear broth (chicken boullion), tea, and yogurt, and I didn't have any gas pains after surgery at all. I bought along some DISSOLVING gas-x strips with me just in case, but I ended up giving them to the other patients since I didn't need them. You might want to bring some along just in case. I lost about 6 lbs prior to surgery and I'm down another 10 so far. My goal is to loose 65 lbs, but I'll take a 100 if my body lets me. I'm glad your sister is going with you. My daughter came with me and we went out a day early so we could see San Diego for a whole day, so we spent 2 nights at the Hampton inn. It's a nice place, but there is a train right behind the hotel that sounds a horn every 10 minutes.. For the same price you could check out the Marriott on the bay, they run specials all the time. Ask for a high floor. Check out expedia for your flights now and buy early so you get a cheaper rate, also get two aisle seats across from your sister instead of together. Easier to get in and out for bathroom breaks and to walk around. Buy compression socks to wear home. I have to go..talk later.

Thanks everyone. I'll wait another 4 weeks. p.s It was a soft one and I felt okay, but, I know I have to wait

WoW I'm excited for you! I'm so glad you got in touch with Nina. I think the recovery house is just as important as the hospital/clinic if not more so. We only stay overnight at the actual clinic - the rest of the time we are at a recovery house, so the nicer the better, and Nina's house is by far the nicest. I also liked the fact that she lives there so she is with you every step of the way! Just make sure you have your passport or card to cross back into the U.S. also give yourself at least 4 hours to cross the border in all the bumper to bumper traffic to make your flight home, that way you'll have plenty of time to check in and go through security at the airport and maybe grab a cup of tea and relax a bit. Tell Nina quints say's hello and please keep me posted on your big day.

Thanks you too!

Yes I went to Jerusalem and Dr. Almanza was my surgeon. My coordinator's name is Nina and I highly recommend her. She has had the surgery herself, several months ago as well as some cosmetic procedures, so she can answer any and all questions with experience. She also moved from Ca to Tijuana so she could have a place of her own for her patients to stay, where she can take care of you. Her home is by far the most beautiful recovery house, very large, I believe it has 5 bedrooms, with a beautiful backyard patio and fountain, a fireplace as well as a bbq grille, it's a 10 minute drive into town for shopping on Revolution Dr, which the nurse takes you to whenever you want to get out, and I felt very safe staying there. I bought my daughter along with me and we stayed in the same room with 2 twin beds. The price for vsg at Jerusalem is the same, unless you go for plication, then it's $5000. I'm including Nina's web page so you can express your concerns directly to her. She will call you if you want to talk by phone or converse through email. Whatever you feel comfortable doing. I was told from Nina that we have staples, sutures and glue. I have been home and back to work for a week now and I'm doing very well. My primary saw me on Wed and took out my stitches for me, I have no infections and everything looked good. Good luck in your decision. Anything else you'd like to know just ask, I'll try to answer as best I can. http://www.bariatricinmexico.com/index.php

I'm starving! I was sleeved on April 4th, it'll be a week come Monday since my surgery, and I feel like I could eat a sandwich! I don't have any of the symptoms I've been reading about on here. I've been staying on the liquids, tea, yogurt, broth, and I pureed some lite vegetable soup yesterday and got 2 meals out of it, but I feel more bloated then I do full. The only discomfort I have is from my outside stitches tugging and feeling itchy, but they are due to come out on Wed., and walking, I walk slow because of all the liquids, I get a cramp in my side if I don't. My stomach is not bothering me at all, even after I pureed the soup, I don't know if I can last another week on just this type of diet. I'm beginning to wonder if they took out half my stomach or missed and took something else? lol.. Is anyone else feeling like this? Has anyone started adding soft foods to their diet, like soup, in the second week without having to puree everything? What foods can I eat without causing any damage to my stomach?

I'm starving! I was sleeved on April 4th, it'll be a week come Monday since my surgery, and I feel like I could eat a sandwich! I don't have any of the symptoms I've been reading about on here. I've been staying on the liquids, tea, yogurt, broth, and I pureed some lite vegetable Soup yesterday and got 2 meals out of it, but I feel more bloated then I do full. The only discomfort I have is from my outside stitches tugging and feeling itchy, but they are due to come out on Wed., and walking, I walk slow because of all the liquids, I get a cramp in my side if I don't. My stomach is not bothering me at all, even after I pureed the soup, I don't know if I can last another week on just this type of diet. I'm beginning to wonder if they took out half my stomach or missed and took something else? lol.. Is anyone else feeling like this? Has anyone started adding soft foods to their diet, like soup, in the second week without having to puree everything? What foods can I eat without causing any damage to my stomach? Weight Loss Center is your best free resource for [link=http://www.weight-loss-center.net/]weight loss[/link] [link=http://www.weight-loss-center.net/weight-loss-tickers.html][image noborder]http://www.weight-loss-center.net/weight-loss-tickers/uploads/tickers/99331d038db6923.gif[/image][/link]

Loved it..hahaha Good luck to you~

I'm so happy for you!!!!!

Best of luck to you..

Good Luck to all of you!

Thank you, and good luck with your weight loss!

Thank you and best of luck to you..

I just got back yesterday from my sleeve in Tijuana with Dr. Almanza and also had a good experience. I'm posting Nina's website here. I wouldn't use anyone else! http://www.bariatricinmexico.com/

Flying into San Diego early Sat night, staying 2 nights instead of one so I can spend the whole day Sunday sight seeing in California. Then Surgery on Monday April 4th, 2011. Anybody else going to be there the first week in April? Excited. Nervous. Anxious. Scared. Unsure. Certain! All normal from what I've been reading up on. Counting the days..

I just got back yesterday from my vgs surgery in Tijuana, I am doing great. No pain, gas, dry heaves, vomiting, or cramping. Everything went very well. I followed the liquid/soft food diet for 10 days prior to the surgery, and the last 3 days I had nothing but clear broth and water. My coordinator was a God send, her name is Nina Mehrabani, and she was by far one of the best people I came in contact with. She recently moved to Tijuana from Orange County CA, so she could use her own private residence as a recovery house for her patients, and it was absolutely beautiful! She had her housekeeper who is also trained for our medical needs, take us shopping in Tijuana on Tue and Wed if we were up to it. I went Tue, but not Wed. The only thing I didn't want to do was take a shower, I was afraid of showering in water with open wounds, that nobody will even drink. Better safe than sorry. So I just came home as a dirt ball but healthy! lol.. The surgery went very well, we arrived on Monday morning at 8 o'clock at Jet Blue terminal where we were picked up in a club van from Jerusalem hospital/clinic, there were 4 of us, two women in their 20's and another woman closer to my age, early 50's. My daughter came with me. The clinic is very small and in a strip mall, lol, but clean. We were then taken in and had blood work done, after about an hour we were taken upstairs where we were checked in and had an EKG, then we were taken into surgery one at a time. It was a small room with a table bed in the middle, I was given anesthesia in my iv and I was out in a matter of a minute or two. I was in for about 45 minutes to an hour. I was woken up, then walked upstairs to my bed, where we stayed overnight. The next day, Tue, they took us to our recovery houses where we were allowed to do what we wanted, some of us went shopping, it all depends on who your coordinator is, so I have to mention Nina again, her home was by far the nicest! The clinic picked us up again on Wednesday and gave us a 4 ounce bottle of purple water to drink and took us for an x-ray. When we got there we had to drink a clear liquid that tasted like alka seltzer, it was awful, then they took an x-ray to check for leaks, but with titanium staples, surgical sutures, and glue, I can't see how anything could be leaking lol. They gave us a copy of our x-ray to bring home with us and sent us on our way. Since 2 of us were leaving very early on Thurs. morning, we went back to the clinic and had our ports removed, we were then given a bag of medicine- Aluminio y Magnesiuo for gas, naproxeno 250 mg for pain, and ciproflozacino Bacproin 500 mg for antibiotic as well as instructions to keep the wounds clean and a diet to follow for the next 8 weeks. We then went back to our houses, and did what we wanted until it was time to leave, Nina took us to a grocery store where we bought some goodies to bring home. We decided to leave at 3 am to catch our flight from San Diego at 7:10, and I'm glad we did. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get through the boarder, and by the time we got to the airport, checked our bag, and went through security, we only had about 45 mins before our flight. All in all, I had a great experience and would do it again as well as recommend it to anyone who needs it but can't get it done here in the states for any reason. I'm including a link to Nina's web page because I wouldn't use anyone else! Take care everyone and if you have any questions please feel free to ask me. Bariatric Solutions in Mexico - Developed by: Roberto Solorzano .com

If you go to http://www.successfullyslimmer.com/ it has everything about any of the procedures performed in Mexico hospital/clinic including prices, pictures, and cosmetic surgery's as well! It's a great reference! I was going to have the plication sleeve but changed my mind and am having the vertical sleeve instead, because, they are a lot alike, except with the vsg they remove the part of your stomach that produces the chemical called ghrelin, which is what causes hunger pain, which is what got me in this mess to begin with..so rather then take a chance of still having hunger pains and stretching out my new stomach, I decided to just have it removed. I'm leaving for San Diego tomorrow, and my surgery is on Mon, April 4th!!!!!! Best of luck to you.

If all goes well that's the day I leave... I'm booked on an early morning flight so I probably won't get to meet you, but I hope everything goes well for you also. Good luck!

Abington Memorial Hospital Institute for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, PA http://www.amh.org/services/bariatric-metabolic/index.aspx Excellent hospital

haHaha.. so true!

I I Love everyones answers!!! My only add is to be able to fit in a booth at a restaurant without it pushing up against me as if I were siting in a high chair. Yes, I'm very excited for everyone. I leave Sat for TJ my surgery date is on Mon! Anyody else going to TJ on Monday the 4h?

Lot of luck to you and your husband!

I saw on here a lot of people swear by gas-x pills, have you tried anything like that?

Oh Nooo, sorry to hear your in pain. What is going on? My surgery is next Monday in TJ. I'm from Phila