TijuanaPlication

Sounds like you're suffering from the dreaded week 3 stall in week 4! Search this forum for week 3 stall and you'll find lots of posts on it.

We didn't talk to anyone at the Tijuana barrier as our driver dealt with that. Aftercare at Angeles Health is hopeless. I realized they'd not given me the slide of my post op barium swallow the same day I left the hospital. I phoned up and they said no problem and that they'd email me a copy of it. I then rang them every couple of days until I was 2 weeks out from surgery at which time I was told that they throw away all information like that 2 weeks post op!! Were they joking... I'd been repeatedly been told that they were emailing it but they clearly lied. I didn't need to contact them about anything else and I certainly wouldn't bother given the treatment. BTW there was no misunderstanding as I speak Spanish and I was told on numerous occasions that they'd be emailing me my scans. I knew not to expect much in the way of aftercare but I wasn't expecting out right repeated lies!!

Dr Lopez Corvala must have done ~200 plications by now as he was on 150 when I went to Mexico back in November of last year. Dr Lopez did Zanthina's plication.

Keep us posted on how you get on.

Maybe you'll get sleeved?! I know it's a pain to have to recover from that, but hopefully you'd be done with surgery after that. Sarah Elsekhawy who got revised from GPS to VSG due to insufficient weight loss said it didn't hurt any more than the GPS. She posted that on VST nearly 2 weeks ago when she was only a few days out of surgery. I hope they manage to sort you out soon though. All the best!

Interstingly there are a few DSers getting re-sleeved over on OH, here's an example http://www.obesityhe...4352103/page,2/ They're further out than most people on here. The main difference between the 2 sleeves is that with DS they remove 75% of the stomach whereas with VSG they remove 85% and you have to hope that extra 10% help avoids or at least delays the need for re-sleeving.

Hi Meggie, yes your understanding of GPS is correct. But this post from Dr Watkins on grehlin is interesting http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7413-id-like-to-share-my-experience-after-2-weeks-of-gastric-plication/page__st__60 Below is an extract from his post : "Ghrelin is reduced by pressure on the gastric wall. You do not have to remove stomach to reduce ghrelin. Ghrelin is a feedback hormone meaning when the gastric wall is stretched, ghrelin levels are reduced. The reason ghrelin levels are lower in sleeve gastrectomy patients is due to the smaller size stomach, not from removing stomach tissue. The sleeve that remains still produces ghrelin and levels are reduced by pressure. " So I believe, from what I've read, that levels of grehlin increase for all of us, just more slowly for VSG than GPS.

It's also worth searching against that doctor's name on somewhere like verticalsleevetalk as it has a wealth of info (this can be done at the top right of the screen on both sites). Read all you can and then draw your own conclusions. It's probably worth Googling them too, searches like 'Dr García complications' (BTW I don't know if there's a Dr García doing WLS - I just picked that name coz it's a common Spanish one).

I think I'd go with the VSG if I had to do it again. If I were heavy enough I'd go with the Duodenal Switch (which is a VSG plus intestinal re-routing for calorie malabsorption). You get more weight loss with the DS and better long term results (80% Excessive Weight Lost versus 70% EWL with the VSG), you have to be seriously committed to getting in 100g of protein/day and getting in around 30 Vitamins a day though. I was scared of having a leak with VSG but the risk on a virgin stomach is actually just 1%. The good thing about VSG is that you can subsequently revise to DS in a relatively straight forward op (I mean straight forward in that they don't have to undo anything and you're already half way there). Note that 2 part DSs are likely to result in slower weight loss though. See here for details http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4375541/Unproven-hypothesis-about-why-2-part-DSs-are-less-effective/ I definitely wouldn't go with a bypass (RNY) as you only malabsorb calories for 2 years (which is why people like poor Carnie Wilson gain it all back), you can NEVER take Non Steroidal Anti Inflamatories (ibuprofen, etc) and who knows if you'll need it in the future. Also 40% of RNYers experience dumping (check out clips like this on youtube they look like they're dying). While you only malabsorb calories for 2 years you malabsorb nutrients forever so you still have to stay vigilant with those as with DS.Plus this RNY article is another of the many reasons to not go for it www.lenoxhillhospital.org/press_releases.aspx Revisions from RNY can be VERY complex but you do find people revising from RNY to DS due to regain. HTH.

Hi Kristie, there are possible complications with GPS. Lena9800 went with OCC and had a complication - see here for details http://www.sleeveplicationtalk.com/topic/60-to-the-emergency-room/page__p__363__hl__lena9800__fromsearch__1#entry363. They've deleted her posts on her complications in the OCC forum. Also Zanthina had a complication, details of which are here http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12850-unexpected-complication-from-plication-surgery/page__p__110251__hl__%2Bunexpected+%2Bcomplication__fromsearch__1#entry110251 My experience in Mexico was fine. I stayed in hospital for 3 nights - I was having a hard time getting in enough liquid so wanted to stay on the drip longer, I've not had any complications since (I'm 7.5 months out) apart from not losing much weight. I also stayed in the night before surgery, so I had 4 nights in hospital. The reason I went with Angeles Health is below: "Angeles Price Assurance : The cost for any complications that may occur during your procedure and while you are at the hospital will be absorbed by the hospital." [at the bottom of the link below] http://healthtraveltechnologies.com/htg/ahi/AHIFaqGastricSleevePlication/ A driver sent by Angeles Health picked me up and dropped me back off at San Diego airport. I was taken door to door from the airport to the hospital, so I didn't really get to experience Mexico. The hospital was OK, although I found the nurses to be slow at coming sometimes even though they'd say I'm coming right now over the room intercom. Some people have commented that the nurses English isn't that good although I have to say I've not read any of these comments recently. I can't substantiate that, as I speak Spanish and therefore this wasn't an issue, but you may want to learn some key words like pain=dolor and it hurts=me duele. HTH

I think you can have a sedative if you want one. I've always refused them if offered, although some hospitals that know me better just don't offer me them (probably seen on my notes that I don't have them). Good luck for your surgery.

You quit smoking... that's gotta be tough. I've never smoked, but I'm sure that's making things 10 times harder. Maybe you could try some SF gum. I know that's kind of a no no for people that have had WLS, but you could just try for a day and see what difference it makes. If you find you swallow a lot of air you'd have to re-consider, but I think gum is a bit like the straw debate and I think it's more down to personal choice at the end of the day. HTH.

Hmm... I hadn't noticed aoa's post first time. The DSers over on OH are reporting that once they're a couple of years out they can eat pretty much what they did pre-op and they suffer if they have too many carbs (so it's incentive to try and keep the carbs low). Most of them once they're eating normal quantities credit the malabsorption with their weight maintenance. I guess VSG is newer procedure than the DS so we haven't got as many vets on here.

It's tough when you're on liquids only, so hopefully things will get better for you when you're allowed some real food.

Oh dear, may be it'll help the other 2. Some VSGers just don't lose their hunger. It appears to be a bigger problem among GPSers though - me included!

Are any of you using the pill or depo injections for contraception? They increase hunger and depo increases fluid retention, so you may want to re-think your birth control if you're on it.

You def want the broth to be heated!! I didn't have a pre-op diet, but I was borderline for a BMI of 30 and if I'd lost weight I wouldn't have qualified for my op. Your pre-op diet sounds like the week one post diet I had - clear liquids! I also had Miso soup which is easy to make up (you just add hot water to it). They normally don't recommend carbonated drinks post op, so Crystal Light is great (I really enjoyed the peach iced tea flavor). All the best.

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time. How far out are you?

Hi Lauren how did you do? You've not posted anything recently.

Congrats!

I've not heard of your doc, anyway good luck for Friday!

"I mean, can you loose 44 pounds off your fingers, feet and boobs?" That's funny Kathy!

Stay off the scale for at least another week!! I know, you're feeling sore and you want to see results, but give it another week!

BTW I wasn't banded as this was my first WLS.

I've not done well at all with GPS weight loss-wise (I just don't have much restriction), but if reflux is the main issue then it should help as this is a variant of the fundoplication which is specifically for reflux. I never had reflux post op (or pre op) and I haven't vomited once since surgery either. You check your surgeon WRT GPS and reflux as I don't know how far it varies from the fundoplication (I guess you end up with a smaller sleeve).