Suzannesh

Hi, I happen to agree with you about her bashing doctors in Mexico. Sometimes people beleive everything they hear and see on the Media or nothing more than gossip and they do not take the time to educate themselves before the open their mouths. I went to Dr. Aceves 3 years ago. And I found out sooooooooooooo much about him before I went there. He has had 1 leak and that was because the paitent did NOT follow his directions about what to eat and how to eat. But, he fixed it for her too. So I am like you, I am so sick and tired of people talking about someone that they know so LITTLE about them. Thanks for speaking up too. Hugs Suzanne

Hi Evenyone I am reposting this because I have been asked a lot about what I ate and what Protein drinks I like. I have been asked so many times on this board about what Protein Drinks are good and some sample meals that I used during the first month and things I did after the 1st month. These are very valid questions and I know when I first started out I had all the same questions. Again this is long so please print this out if you would like. Protein Drinks. My all-time favorite is: Premier Protein Drink. It comes in 11 oz. drink boxes already mixed. There are 30 grams of protein in each box, 160 calories per box, 1 gram of sugar and 5 grams of carbs. The flavor I buy is Chocolate—that is all I can find at costco. I get mine at Costco and I understand that you can get them at Sam’s Club too. You can order these on line at Costco and Sam’s club. They are also available at this Web Site. Breakfast and nothing else and it has been almost 3 years since my “sleeve surgery.” The next Protein Drink that I have tried is called: Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookies made by Syntrax. You can check this out on this Web Site. nectar, variety pack, you get 13 single servings in a variety pack. The cost is $22.95. This is the Web Site and they are made by Syntrax also. Isopure. It does NOT taste good to me—I know that some people like it. I call it Isopuke, and it reminds me of pond scum. I have been told if you buy it at a GNC and don’t like it and still have your receipt they will refund your money if it hasn’t been more than 30 days since you purchased it from them. I guess they will do that with protein powers too—ask before you buy what their policy is about returning something if you don’t like it. So if you want to try it remember this. There always seems to be a GNC in most Malls. This 1st month after weight loss surgery is going to be the hardest one to do. You just get tired of what they want you to do. It is for a reason—the doctors know what they are doing. You need to let your new stomach heal from a major surgery, so that is why you have to do these things the 1st month. You should try to keep your calories at 800 per day and no more than 20 carbs a day if you want to lose weight. The 1st month you really don’t eat a lot. So in the following months keep track of everything you are putting in your mouth. You can track what you eat on this site. I found it to be very helpful to write down EVERYTHING I was putting into my body. If I didn’t write it down I was going over 800 calories per day and would not know I was. It does take time to keep track of it—you are worth the effort, but once you get the hang of it you will know what 800 calories really are. When you exercise this site helps you figure out the number of calories you have burned and that allows you to eat more than 800 calories. It is an easy site to use and it if FREE. broth. I used and love “Better Than Bouillon.” It comes in a jar and it is like a paste. I like it because it tastes great and you can make single servings. It is located with bouillon cubes and Soups in the grocery store. I had chicken and beef. I also made some home chicken Soup and strained everything out of it and just had the chicken broth. I would try to have ¼ of a cup of it for part of my meal, but sometimes it was just too much for me. Remember you have a new smaller stomach and it is swollen and can only hold about as much as the size of your thumb. Jello-- sugar free. I might have 2 tablespoons of Jello. That was something I had fixed and ready when I got home from the hospital. I tried to drink 64 oz. of Water and sometimes I could get it in and sometimes I couldn’t. Do the best you can, and just sip it all day long. I would add Crystal Light to the water—it made water taste a whole lot better. Apple juice, white grape juice, sugar free sports drinks, decaf hot tea, also decaf ice tea. Veggie broth or the broth from French Onion soup. Sugar Free Popsicles if my stomach was upset this really seemed to help. The 2nd 10 days. This was much easier to do. If I didn’t mention it, it was difficult for me to swallow my medication so I would crush the medication up and mix it with about 1 tablespoon of applesauce and some Equal and mix my meds in the applesauce and take my medication that way. You will have creamy foods the next 10 days I loved so many of the creamy soups. I used regular Campbell’s creamy soups that they had. I was only having about ¼ cup or maybe a few tablespoons of soup. Jello was still good for me. Sugar Free pudding, maybe 2 tablespoons full. Yogurt a few tablespoons of it. Frozen yogurt. Applesauce a couple tablespoons. A little cream cheese. Sugar Free Fudge Cycles. Premier Protein chocolate Drink mixed in blender with about 4 ice cubes and 1 cap full of Miralax. When you have a lot of protein you get constipated and Miralax works for that. It is tasteless and blends really great in the blender with the protein drink. I use the Miralx daily and it is NOT habit forming. Soft boiled eggs or soft scrambled eggs—eggs didn’t work that well for me. Low fat Chocolate milk. Cottage Cheese. Sugar Free Popsicles Creamy Peanut Butter. The 3rd 10 days and final part of the first month. Yeah the 1st month is almost over. I could eat mushy food. This was more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Mashed sweet potato or mashed yams with a small amount of butter on it. Mashed up chicken noodle soup. Mashed up homemade veggie soup. Eggs that were soft boiled or soft scrambled. Applesauce. Cottage cheese. Premier Protein Drink with miralax blended in the blender with 4 ice cubes. Mashed up steamed carrots Mashed up and blended a little tuna with a small amount of mayo. Blended chicken breast with no skin on it. Ham blended with a small amount of mayo. Water with Crystal Light Jello with fat free cool whip. Yogurt and frozen yogurt. Sugar free pudding. Protein Bars chewed up really well—I could never eat a whole one—just a few bites. Mashed potatoes and cream cheese mixed in with them. Mashed black Beans they have a lot of protein in them. I would have about 1/4 the a cup and that is about 9 grams of protein Sugar Free Popsicles Hard Boiled eggs made into egg salad. If I went out to eat I found that a cup of soup was about the best thing I found that I could eat. I also felt like I was on display sometimes because family and friends would watch me eat. It used to bother me, but not anymore. I watched them eat and I thought to myself. “Oh my gosh they inhale their food and they hardly chew it.” I was always the last one to finish eating. That is OK too. At first I actually mourned the loss of food. Later on I was thrilled that I had the restriction of a sleeve because I was losing weight. I found that chicken and fish were easier to chew and I liked them a lot more than red meat. I said that chicken was one of the main sources of protein for me. I found Kirkland (Costco brand) grilled Chicken breast strips. It is already cooked and I would put one bag (1 pound) in the freezer and use the other (1 pound bag later.) It is really handy to have around and a quick meal to fix if the chicken is already cooked. We also ate more fish. I would buy Halibut or Sole—a mild fish. I would marinate it in OJ or crushed strawberries or blueberries all day. I would also marinate it in law calories Italian Salad Dressing all day. I would cook it in a pan with Pam spray and put garlic or rosemary in the pan when I was cooking it. I don’t eat a lot of red meat and I used to be a real red meat lover. For me it took too much chewing and it just didn’t taste as good as it used to. I will now have a small hamburger and only eat 1/3 to ½ because it just is too much food for me. Ham was something that worked well for me too. I found I could get a large think slice of from the grocery story deli and I would have it for a protein—I would slice off about 2 oz. of the ham. I also enjoy a Taco Salad and I make mine with chicken instead of beef. I love Shrimp and lobster too, so those are my treats that I reward myself with. A typical meal I ate starting the 2nd month after WLS. Breakfast: Premier Protein Drink with Miralax and 4 ice cubes in the blender. Lunch: 2 oz. of chicken or ham with a small amount of cheese melted over it. I would have a bean salad—it has 4 different beans in it. Snack: I would have about 10 dry roasted almonds and maybe 10 dried cherries Dinner: 2 oz. of Chicken or Fish, steamed veggies of some kind. Sometimes my husband and I would split a small baked potato I put a teaspoon of butter and sour cream on it. Snack: Some type of fresh fruit or a Protein Bar. Carbs and what to eat and what NOT to eat About the 3rd month after WLS I would add a little bread in my diet—I could only eat about ½ a slice of bread or ½ of a hamburger bun and they are the “thin” buns that they have out now. They also make a thin bagel. You just have to look when you are shopping in your local grocery store for these things. Try to find Whole Grain carb products and if you can’t the do the whole wheat. Try to stay away from WHITE carbs. They are white refined carbs and that is how we got fat eating a lot of them. Rice should be brown rice and only a small amount—NO white rice. Pasta comes is Spinach or Whole Wheat and you can have only small amounts of it. banana – Medium size has 27 Grams of carbs—I stay away from the banana, and I love them, but I just don’t want to spend all my carbs for the day on a banana. I use a Mexican soft flour shell made of spinach or sun dried tomatoes for making a small sandwich too—you know they call them wraps. Beverage: They do not want you to drink something when you eat—you need the room for the food so that you can get your protein in firsts. During the day I would have water or decaf tea for my liquid after I ate or all during the day. As I said the Crystal Light Individual packs and different flavors worked well in a bottle of water. It seems like it took me forever to eat and drink all the things I was supposed to be eating and drinking. I was always sipping on the protein drink and water. supplements you should take. It is important that you take a multi-Vitamin. I had a difficult time trying to swallowing large pills. Look for an Adult Chewable multi-vitamin. I also have the Chocolate Chewable Calcium that I buy at Costco. As time goes on it will get easier to swallow larger pills. Do NOT take the multi-vitamin on an empty stomach, it may make you sick. My Primary Care doctor was very helpful and after I had been home 2 weeks from WLS, she had me come into for an office visit. She ran a full blood panel and made sure all my levels were ok. I knew my potassium was low when I left Dr. Aceves in Mexicali—they ran my blood test before I left and gave me a very detailed report about my surgery to give to my doctor here in the US. Dr. Aceves told me to have it watched when I got home. I now take a potassium tablet prescribed by my doctor and work on eating food high in potassium. Starting the 3rd month I started to eat more salads about here. I had a favorite and still eat it. It is Fresh Spinach, with slices of almonds, feta cheese, dried cherries, or fresh strawberries, a tablespoon of bacon and Paul Newman’s Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing on it. I sometimes add some of my Kirkland (Costco) Grilled Chicken breast strips to it and then it is an entire meal in one bowl. Chef’s Salad is a great one meal in a bowl thing to have and I just use any kind of dressing I want on it. This salad has lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, turkey or chicken, and some ham sliced on it with some cheese. REMEMBER make this in a much smaller bowl than the normal Chef’s salad comes in. Sometimes I will add a small amount of Whole Grain dinner roll or some bread with it. Stir Fry is a great way to get meat and veggies all in one meal too. I have a pan that works great on the BBQ grill and I do a stir fry on the BBQ in the summer time. Have a sense of adventure and take some of your old recipes and see if you can convert them into a healthier recipe. Use veggies that you have never tried. Try some “rubs” on you meat located in the spice section or the grocery store and try to marinate some of your meats all day before cooking them—it really changes the taste of them. Desert I don’t want you to feel deprived. I learned that sometime just a bite or two of a desert really satisfied my need for it. Instead of the WHOLE piece of cake or pie, just a sliver of it worked for me to satisfy my need for it. When you want a cookie have just one small cookie and not the entire bag OK. Sugar free pudding with a small amount of Fat Free Cool Whip is good too. Use Splendia to make a desert that you like. So everything in moderation works. Exercise I was never a fan of exercise until I started to walk and I found out how much I benefited from it. Now I try to exercise 5 days a week. Find some form of exercise that works for you and do it. Start slow and then add more until you are comfortable with it. I am sure I have missed a few things, and I will write those down as I think of them and make a Vol. 2 if I needed too. These are just my suggestions, spice them up and make your food interesting and don’t get in a rut. This is not a diet, you will learn to adapt it and find things that work for you and that you like eating. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Make it work for you. You have the tool of restriction now use your new tool to your advantage. The fat doesn’t just melt off of you. It does require work and effort on your part. Stalls—No weight loss for a period of days. Be prepared you may have periods where you lose NO weight. We call those “Stalls.” You will panic and think for sure that you are the “one person this is NOT going to work on.” I know I was sure that was me. NOT true at all. Our bodies just do this. Mine lasted for 9 days—no weight loss at all. Just keep doing what you are doing and the weight will start coming off again I promise you. I can tell you not to panic but most of you will anyway—that is pretty normal too. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds.

Hi, I agree this is not a time to price shop. But I will disagree that the USA is only place to find a great doctor. I believe that there are many fine doctors in Mexico, India, Europe and other places that do not charge an arm and a leg for excellent surgery. My surgery was done in Mexico and my doctor is rated in the top 25 BEST WLS doctors in the WORLD. Wow the world. I think there are some pretty bad doctors in the USA too. The hospitals have a higher % of infections in the US than many of the hospital in Mexico. I know there are some bad doctors in Mexico too. So please before you make the assumption that you should have your surgery done in the US and to save your money to go to the doctor in the US. Look at the total picture help people find an option for the that will work. I am so happy that your insurance paid for your WLS. NOT ALL of us had that option. I did have the money to have it done in the US, but I did a lot of research--6 months, and found a doctor who had more experience and was rated higher than most of the USA doctors, so that is why he was my choice. Yes, he is from Mexico. I have never had the kind of care I received from my doctor in Mexico from any USA doctor. I was seen 3 times a day by two different doctors. Take care, Suzanne

Hi, Please pay attention when they are warning you that he is not a safe Doctor. There is a reason the price is so low. The surgery is done in a Clinic--NOT a fully equipped hospital. You are sent to a recovery house and they are not staffed with medically trained staff. Here is something I want you to consider when it comes to your life and good health. I have been thinking about some of the things that many of us have talked about on this board. We have talked about price shopping and I have said “this is not the time to price shop” This is about your health and what is best for you. I had a lovely lady write and tell me that $5,000 was about all she could scrap together to have the surgery and she was going to take her “chances” and go to one of the doctors who charges less. She was single, had children, and was sick and tired of her back hurting and just didn’t want to spend another day being fat. Believe me I heard everything she said and honestly knew right where she was. I had a time in my life where I was a single parent and was trying to make it on my own, I do know how hard money was to come by. I have been there working 3 jobs at one time and had very little time for me and had to do what I could only afford. This is what I can say about my choice to go to Dr. Aceves. When I made my choice, I was 63 years old; I didn’t have any serious medical problems –only high blood pressure. I wanted to become healthy so that I could enjoy the rest of my life. My back hurt most of the time, and I had an awful pain in my leg. I had already experienced one bad experience in the USA hospital and that was when I went in for one procedure and came home and a 3 days later had to return to the hospital because I had a serve infection that I got at the hospital—they told me that when you go to the hospital you run the risk of an infection. Well, I was one who got the infection from the hospital. So when I was doing my research I learned that many people do get infections while having surgery in a US hospital. Infections were one of the things I was looking at when I was making my choice. Almater Hospital utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. They have less of an infection rate than any US hospital. Well, that caught my attention. I can tell you while I was there they were cleaning everything in this hospital including the sidewalk out in front of the hospital 24-7. They cleaned my bathroom 3 times a day. My rooms 3 times a day, the halls and anything people were touching in the hospital. Almater Hospital has state of the art equipment and technology -Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Complete X ray Unit capable of performing CAT Scans, Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy, and other X-ray tests. Almater Hospital strives to keep updated with equipment of latest generation available. They have Hemodynamic surgical room -where they perform open heart surgery and catheterizations surgical suites (with recovery room). So many of the doctors who charge less just do not have all these things. They are using a clinic to do the surgery, they are not fully staffed and I am worried about where they send you to recover. This is how they can afford to charge less for their surgery. I also wanted a HIGHLY qualified doctor who had an enormous amount of knowledge when it came to “sleeve surgery.” I checked on the number of surgeries that Dr. Aceves had done, and he was rated as a highly qualified doctor who had only one patient who had developed a leak. I also understand that the “one” patient who did develop the leak was because she did NOT follow the directions given to her about what she should be eating the first month. There are many qualified doctors who do “sleeve surgery.” And I can’t speak about any experience other than what I had. I wanted more than just a qualified doctor. I wanted a HIGHLY qualified doctor who had a team of highly qualified doctors and nurses on his staff who would be taking care of me. That is just what I found in Dr. Aceves and Almater Hospital. I also know that I had the highest quality of staples and surgical materials used in my surgery along with have a staff of nurses 24-7 there during my recovery. I know that many doctors are charging less for “sleeve surgery” and if you only have a certain amount of money to work with that is why you are looking at these other doctors. Give this some thought; you can get loans for the balance of the money. You know we never stop and think twice about making a car payment when we need a new car. Well, how about making a new “body payment?” You are worth it. This is ALL about you and no one else. I have sat here on these boards for 3 ½ years watching and listening to all of this. I can only say what was best for me. I know that there are other doctors who do this surgery and they are OK. I wanted more than just OK. I want you to be very successful at your WLS and your journey to a new and better life along with great health. I wish you all the success in the world. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask away. Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds

Hi, ALL the feeling and emotions that you are having are VERY NORMAL. I have had all of them. I was scared, excited, want to have the surgery, asked myself a 100 times was I doing the right thing. So depression, excitement and anything else you are feeling is really very normal. I did the Adkins Pre-op diet and that worked best for me. Do the best you can, don't make it a big thing. What is important is that you are going to have the surgery. The day of surgery I was very clam, because I had the opportunity to see everything and I felt very safe. It is the unknown that is driving you nuts. I woke up just fine, and about 2 hours after my surgery, I was up and walking around. I had very little pain. I went alone and it was really good. I could sleep when Wanted and I could get up and walk around if I couldn't sleep. You will be fine. I don't know much about your doctor, since I had Dr. Aceves and loved him. I hope that helps you some. I am always out here if you have more questions. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, by now you have already had your WLS. Yeah, and now the best is to come. All your feelings were very normal. You are in excellent hands. Please make sure you ask for anything you want. They will make every effort to meet all your needs. If you have ANY pain tell them. Tell my dear friend Dr. Aceves Hi from Suzanne. Just remember when you go home you are going to have all kinds of questions. I had this surgery done 3 years ago, so I really have traveled down your road. I have all kinds of answers for you. So just remember you can ask anything you want. We talk about everything here. The 1st month as far as food will be your hardest month you will ever have to do. It isn't a lifetime.....only 30 days. You can do anything for 30 days. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I highly recommend Dr. Aceves. Please take the time to call at 1-888-344-3916 or send her an E-mail. She is the patient coordinator and she has ALL the answers you are looking for. nina@gastricsleevesurgeon.com You will not find a better Doctor that Dr. Aceves and his entire staff. He is the top of the line doctor who really cares about his patients. His hospital is beautiful and modern and so very clean. I wish you great success with hae WLS. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, I want you to know that you are going to be in excellent hands. Dr. Aceves and his staff are just fabulous. I have always said I wished I lived closer to Mexicali, Mexico. I would make Dr. Aceves my PCP. This is the best thing I ever have done for myself. If you are there right now and reading this, make sure you tell Dr. Aceves that Suzanne says Hi. Sit back and enjoy the adventure you are about to take. It is very normal to have all kinds of feelings and emotions before you go. You are scared, excited, can't wait to do this, not sure this is the right things to do, want it over, can't imagine that it is going to work for you. Trust me. I had all these same feeling too plus a whole lot more. It works I am living proof that it works. I lost 105 pounds 3 years ago and have kept it off. If I can be of any help or you have any questions please feel free to ask away. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone I was reading in “Budget Travel” magazine a very interesting article written by Fran Golden. I thought some of this might help some of you who are sitting out there reading these posts trying to make up your mind about having WLS and how safe is it to go outside of the USA. 1.6 Million –The estimated number of Americans expected to travel abroad in 2012 for medical procedures. Now these are NOT all WLS. They include Heart Bypass, WLS, and Cosmetic, Dental, Orthopedic, and Cardiology procedures. This is what Fran Golden says “If you wouldn’t drink the water in some foreign countries why would you consider going overseas or to Mexico for a risky procedure—with a doctor you’ve never even met?” I know that is what so many of you are thinking because I thought the very same thing. Here is her answer, and I learned a lot from this article. “First of all, we’re not talking backroom surgery here. More than 400 health-care organizations in 47 countries are accredited by the international division of the joint Commission, the same nonprofit that accredits U.S. health-care facilities. In addition many top American programs have aligned with international clinics: Harvard Medical School Dubai Center is a prime example. In general it isn’t all that hard to find a doctor overseas or Mexico who follows U.S. standards and if you’d prefer who was trained at a medical school in the U.S.” Check out MTA Medical Tourism Association: www.medicaltourismassociation.comHere are some examples of the cost of surgery in the US vs. Overseas and Mexico LASIK Eye Surgery US both eyes $4,400 Outside of the US $500 both eyes Heart Bypass Surgery US $144,000 Outside the of US $5,200 Hip replacement Surgery US $50,000 outside the US $7,000 Knee replacement Surgery $50,000 Outside the US 12,297 Sleeve WLS US $25,000 to $35,000 outside the US $8,700 Please be careful— the MTA website lists 33 medical-travel facilitators also knows as Brokers, Agents or concierges. They all earn a fee. Be careful of the. You want someone who is a Patient Coordinator. They get NO fee and work directly for the doctor and they will honestly answer ALL your questions. That is what I had and felt like I was getting the honest answers I wanted and need. Many large companies are actually self-insured except for the most catastrophic medical costs; they typically pay the first several thousand dollars of an employee’s claim, with the insurance provider picking-up the rest. It’s obviously very much to the company’s advantage it its employee gets his surgery done outside of the US where the costs are a LOT less. Sometimes this large company pays for air travel for the patient and a companion says David Boucher, the president of Companion Global Healthcare which is a subsidiary of BlueCross Blue Shield of South Carolina and works with the companies and individuals to set up medical-tourism trips. Some insurance companies have not only waived your deductible fee and the patient gets to pocket 10% of the savings. NOW NOT all insurance companies are doing this. I think this is very rare. So many of you worry about AFTER you have had the surgery outside of the US and what will you do. Please consider how long they give your to recover in their facility before you fly home. The length of the flight is something else to consider. Surgery does increase the risk of blood clots. You can help this also by getting up about every hour and walking while flying. Most Doctors who do your surgery will NEVER allow you to fly home until they feel it is safe for you to fly. So that is part of asking questions and finding out what kind of a facility you are having the surgery in. Where will your recovery take place? PLEASE do not have surgery in some Clinic because it cost less—you will go to a Recovery House and most of the time they do NOT have the Recovery House staffed with anyone that is medically trained. “It is particularly important to see your doctor at home before you get on the plane both to make sure you’re fit for the trip and to inform him/her that you’re undergoing surgery. You don’t want to be in a situation where you arrive home and have to confess: “Guess what Doc?!” You will want them to be aware of what you are doing and if they are on board with what you are about to do. If they aren’t then you need to find a doctor who will be supportive of what you are doing. Many of us do not have the luxury of having our Insurance Company paying for our surgery. I am always encouraged when I hear that someone has been approved to have WLS by the Insurance Company. To me that means that these Insurance Companies are finally getting it. For me I feel so very blessed that I didn’t get mine paid for. I found the perfect doctor for my WLS, who had so much more experience than many US doctors. I wish you get success with what every kind of WLS you are going to have. Protect yourself ask a TON of questions and expect nothing but the best for you. There are some doctors out there that are NOT that great. Always check out the doctors credentials of the surgeon. Ask about his/her record with the type surgery you’re considering. Check his/her ability to explain things in English on the phone to you and get a clear understanding of services and what your expectations are. It is also a good idea to contact some of his/her former patients for testimonials. Read all the posting you can on the WLS Boards about this doctor. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi I am so glad that it will help you. I looked for something like this when I was going through this stage and so after I made it through it; I started to write things down. I am no expert but willing to share what I know. I wish you great success with your WLS. Hugs Suzanne

Hi, To all of you, make sure you follow what your Doctor's schedule is for what you are eating. This is what Dr. Aceves had me do and I had a "Sleeve." Some things are different from other doctors and depending on what kind of surgery you are having or have had. They ae my suggestions and worked great for me. Hugs back at all of you. Suzanne

HI, I forgot I used to worry about what if something goes wrong when you get back home--I NEVER DID. Contact your PCP and talk with he/she and tell them what you are going to do. See if they are on board with you. If so they will manage and take care of all your needs. I have never heard of anyone having any problems when they went home if they used Dr. Aceves. I have heard of plenty of problems with they used some of the other doctors--infections. All my doctor ever did was run blood panels to determine how I was doing. Then she started taking me off the meds I no longer needed to take. If you PCP is NOT on board with you going to Mexico, you DO NOT want or need this doctor. Find someone who wants to see you lose this weight and become healthy. I hope this helps. If anything happens to you they are required to take care of you and so is your insurance. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Hi, OH, yes he does the sleeve. I believe the cost is $8,750.00. This does not include your air fare--that is something I paid for myself above abd beyond the surgery. Start watching Southwest Airlines, they have some great air fare. The $8,750 includes them picking you up at the air port in San Diego. 1 1/2 hour drive to Mexicali, all your tests the day you get to the hospital, one night is a beautiful hotel and they take you there and pick you up the next morning and take you back to the hospital for the surgery the next morning. A private room in a state of the art hospital-that has a better record for the least infections than any US hospital. Nurses that speak English and take excellent care of you. You have a private room, and they clean this room 3 or 4 times a day. Your surgery, all your care for 4 days and you go home on the 5th day. This includes all the doctors and nurses that take care of you. And medication that you need while you are there and they send medication home with you when you get home, your drive back to San Diego airport with Ernesto who always makes sure you get there safe and sound. Ernesto is the person who picks you up--he has also had a sleeve. He fcan answer a lot of questions for you and he is really a nice man who makes the drive easy for you and the other that he is picking up. Nina is Dr. Aceves patient coordinator who doesn't charge you a thing to set this all up and always answer all your questions. This is her E-mail nina_eguia@yahoo.com please contact her to ask her any questions that you might have. She really is great to talk with. Tell her Suzanne sent you she and I have become friends over the last 3 years. She will always answer any question that you may have. I am also out here to help you with anything you get scared about our want answers for. This is also the Web Site that you should be looking at for Dr. Aceves and the Sleeve. http://www.gastricsleevesurgeon.com/ I hope this has been helpful for you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, You have made the best choice of your life, by having Dr. Aceves. I went there 3 years ago and had sleeve surgery. If you ever have any questions or need help with anything, just let me know. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, I know that there are some of you sitting out there and are thinking "OK when the Holiday's are over and at the 1st of the year I am going to do something about my weight and being fat." Yeah you are thinking in the right directions. It is pretty normal to sit out there and read a LOT of posting on a lot of different sites. I sure did. I know I checked out 3 or 4 sites because I KNEW that I needed to make some choice--it was now or never. I had after a little time pretty much made a choice to go to Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico. I just had to prove to myself that he was the "one" I wanted. So I started to read about a lot of other doctors too. Some things I learned were NOT all doctors and hospitals are equal nor is their care. I learned that many do their surgery in a CLINIC not a hospital. They send you to a RECOVERY HOUSE not a Hospital to recover--and many of those so called Recovery Houses DO NOT have anyone there with medical training. They do not use the best staples if you are having a VSG--they use low quality. There is a reason why they charge less. You are getting what you are paying for. I do know it is a big step to pay for your own surgery and you might price shop around. Honestly this is the ONE time in your life I would like you NOT to price shop. Your life and health are on the line here. There are places that will give you a loan for this surgery. We are willing to make car payments--why not make "body payments." You are worth it and you deserve to have this surgery. So Please ASK a LOT of questions when you are Going to have WLS. Read all the posts you can find to make sure you are comfortable with your choice. I am always out here if you have any questions. I want you to be safe and be successful with your health and life. By the way I had Sleeve WLS 3 years ago lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. Happy Holiday's Suzanne

Hi, I do not know much about A Lighter Me but I want to you ask a lot of questions such as where do you go for recovery? NEVER have surgery where they send you to a recovery house. I have NOT heard good things about them. Please do not have surgery in a Clinic--you want a hospital that is fully equipped for your protection. If it is about price, please remember that this is your life and good health and you want the BEST possible doctor and HOSPITAL that is out there-- DO not have surgery in a Clinic. I know it is hard to make a choice when so many people are telling you a lot of different things. There is a reason why they charge you less for surgery. Like most things you get what you pay for and if it sounds too good to be true it is! If you have any questions I am always out here. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, I know for many of you the stress of Thanksgiving is really a hard thing to deal with. I had WLS in 2008 and my 1st Thanksgiving was about 1 month after my sleeve surgery. I have learned in the last 3 years how to deal with Holiday's. I never feel deprived. I have learned sometimes just being able to taste something really does help me. So I look at all the food that I think I want to eat. I take about 2 Tablespoons of what I want--NO more than that. Then I sit down and have one bite of anything that I want to eat. If I think I want more then I have another bite. You will be amazed at how well this works. Save room for a bite or 2 of some dessert too. You have NOT overeaten. You have had a taste of what you wanted. And it is just one night. If the dinner is at your home, try to send the left over foods home with others that you feel might be a problem for you. Keep the turkey if you had turkey, it is a great source of Protein. If you are really worried about any of these foods and no one will take them home, you can donate them to some local homeless shelters--they can always use your food. You be in control of the food and do not let the food control you OK. Remember this is something that is manageable. We now have learned that we can taste things, but we do NOT need to overeat to be happy and feel satisfied. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Enjoy yourself and Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I went by myself and it was really much better. I didn't have to worry about anyone being in my room. I slept when I wanted, walked when I wanted, and there were lots of new friends to talk to when I wanted. You, will be very safe and there is NOTHING to worry about. I know you will worry, but honestly, you are going to be in great hans. I am sending this on to you. It might be helpful. It is only a suggestion. Here is what I took and you might want to have when you pack for the Weight Loss Surgery with Dr. Aceves. 1. Gas-X because you will have gas after the surgery and they don't have Gas-X in Mexico. They (the nurses and doctors) will ask you are you passing gas? It is nice to have this on the plane ride home too after the surgery. I bought a box (of 36 tabs) of Gas-X (thin strips) that you just put the strip in your mouth. It tastes good and it is easy to take--no Water required—nothing difficult to swallow either. 2. A comfortable bra & panties--nothing very tight (cotton is nice—what ever you like to wear) to wear home on the plane or if you want to wear these items in the hospital. Everyone was pretty relaxed with what they slept in or wore around the hospital. I didn't bring a robe at all--Just T-shirts and comfortable pants. Maybe a sweatshirt because the air conditioner makes it cool sometimes and then there are times when the air conditioner isn’t working that well. Bring some extra T-shirts in case you spill on yourself. My IV came out and I got blood on one of my T-shirts. I just washed it out in the sink and hung it up in the shower to dry. 3. Drawstring pants or pants with elastic waist—nothing tight around the middle section. I had some Nike walking pants and they were very comfortable—or short, or pants you would wear to relax in. I also had some that I wore to sleep in, walk around the hospital in and wore them home on the plane too (a pair for each day you are going to be away from home). Sweatpants work great too. I was there in Oct and so the air conditioning was going and sometimes it was cool at night when I was sleeping--so I brought some warm socks along too. But in some rooms the air conditioning wasn't working so well in their rooms and they were warmer than some of us were. If it is too warm or too cold tell one of the nurses they will help you with anything you need. They are excellent when you need something—don’t be afraid to ask. 4. A heating pad--I was so glad I had mine (someone had suggested I bring one) because it felt good on my stomach area. When my feet were cold at night I used my heating pad on my feet. Also when I was there with a friend for her surgery in April 2009 I found out at the nurse’s stations they also had heating pads—so if you don’t want to bring your own use theirs. 5. Some kind of slip on shoe for the plane ride home and something to wear in the hospital (I had some flip flops for the hospital and some clogs for the plane ride home. Flip flops didn't take up a lot of room in your suitcase. I also carried on the plane my tote bag carrying some things like, meds, change of underwear—in case my suitcase got lost, a snack so I could eat something after the tests that first day you arrive—because they will tell you not to eat a few hours before you get to Mexicali because of the tests you are going to be having upon arrival at the hospital in Mexicali. Sometimes you have to wait for everyone to have their test before they take you to the hotel and your are soooooooo hungry because you haven’t eaten anything all day long because most of us are flying into San Diego, so bring a snack that you can eat after your tests while waiting to go to the hotel. I brought along some packages of trail mix—bring what you like. 6. Only one (1) small or medium sized suitcase with wheels is really great because you will have to deal with your own suitcase at the airport (coming and going). I also brought along my laptop computer so I could stay in touch with my friends and family—I carried that on the plane too—don’t put it in a suitcase—too much stuff has been stolen out of suitcases. 7. Please be aware if you use your cell phone in Mexicali they will charge you roaming fees to CALL OUT. For me if people called me from the US to Mexicali and they were calling my Cell Phone there were NO ROAMING charges because they called me from the US. Most all cell phones work in Mexicali; I think they said Cricket was the only Carrier that they had problems with. I didn't have anyone come with me for the surgery, and they were so nice as to call someone (in the US) for me after surgery and let them know that I was doing great. I brought my own favorite small pillow with me (almost sofa size). It was nice to have it while I was in the hospital and on the plane ride home. 9. As far as money someone suggested I bring about $45.00 to $50.00 in one's so that I could have them for tipping—they all accept US money in Mexicali. I tipped Ernesto $25.00 who picks you up and takes you to the hospital, takes you to the hotel, takes you back the hospital for surgery and then back to the San Diego airport. He takes such good care of everyone and I tipped him at the end when he took me back to the airport to go home. I also tipped the hotel guys for taking my bag to my room, and when I had dinner that night at the hotel. I would also bring along a small gift for 4 or 5 nurses or give them a little cash—I understand they really don’t make a lot of money and they might appreciate the cash as a gift. I would suggest that you take enough money or Credit Card or Debit card to purchase the medication that you will need after the surgery. There is a pharmacy about 1/4 block from the hotel--anyone at the hospital will tell you where it is—it is a easy walk. The Nexium that Dr. Aceves suggests you take after surgery for acid reflux for about 3 months cost a lot less —don’t forget they will negotiate over the price of medication in Mexico –even when it is at a pharmacy-they will give a price and then ask them “if I buy 4 boxes will you sell it to me for—ask for a lower price. This medication costs a lot less in Mexicali than in the US—so don’t forget to buy it while you are there. I also bought Prilosec because some people had told me that Nexium did work for them—as it turned out I was one of those people that Nexium didn’t work that well on and so I was glad that I purchased Prilosec. 10. Do not take any jewelry with you or wear any. All I took was my watch. Leave ALL other jewelry at home. 11. Be prepared that Ernesto will be late picking you up--find a place to sit down in the baggage area where they said he would pick you up. Make sure you can see people walking in that area and he will come walking down through there with your name on a sign holding it up. He will have you back at the airport on your return trip home in plenty of time to catch your plane ride home. 12. Bring a camera along to take some pictures of yourself in the “before stage” and maybe a group picture of the other people who are going to have the surgery the same day you do. I have kept in contact with them. You will be so glad you have done this. Take lots of pictures. People really do enjoy seeing the pictures if they are considering doing this surgery. 13. Don’t forget the personal things like toothbrush, shampoo, soap that you may want to use in the shower, a razor, cream rinse for you hair—maybe a hair curler and hair dryer if you wan I don’t know if you want to bring make-up—I did, because I wanted to look ok going home on the plane. Yes, we used their water to take a shower—it is ok for showers… they do give you bottled water to drink. 14. I brought along a book I wanted to read along with my Ipod, so I could listen to my own music. You may or may not get a lot of reading done because you might want to take some nice naps too. Getting up and walking around is good for you and it makes you feel a lot better too. 15. Bring along some chap stick for your lips—they dry out and it is good to have something to put on your lips. If anyone else can add anything please jump in here and help me out! I know you are worried about a few small things and I can tell you not to worry because we all have been where you are. Just keep posting to the web site-- anything you want to say or ask. We all understand and have been where you are right now. I wish you GREAT success and it will be a life changing event and in about 2 months you will be saying the same thing too. Also Linda adds that when they make you drink the vile stuff to make sure your new stomach has no leaks don’t for get to ask for chips of ice. It numbs your taste buds because they are so cold and you can drink their YUCK stuff. She did it and it worked great for her. I didn’t know about it and I wished I would have. I think they do this on the 3 day before you go home. Hugs, Suzanne This is what someone else added to what I put on my list--you never can have too much help or information I wore and underwire.....so I didn't get that message! I also brought a robe...for sure and maybe flip flops or slippers for doing lots of walking after the surgery. They give you those hospital gowns, but the day after the surgery, I was in my own pjs that were button down the front and elastic band capris...something easy to slip in and out of. Suzanne says-- I put my on PJ’5 on after the surgery when I got up to go to the bathroom. I would definitely take a comfy pillow for on the plane ride too. Just don't over pack! You will need very few things....one outfit for the day you arrive and one for when you leave and just the PJ’s for comfort. You may need to have something on the plane ride....maybe some tea from Starbucks or get some hot water and add some chicken broth to the hot water--(take Chicken broth packets from Top Ramen Noodles works great for the Chicken broth. You most likely won't be hungry at all....but just in case......a clear broth with water works. I realized that most of the stuff that I brought, I didn't even need.....so pack light! You will mostly be walking the halls of the hospital! The best of luck to you! You will do great!

Hi, Great choice. Dr. Aceves did my sleeve surgery in 2008. I know you are excited and have all kinds of feeling and emotions going on inside of you. That is very normal. You are going to be very successful. Just remember I am always here to answer ANY questions you have about any of this. You will receive excellent care. You will find out all the things we say about Dr. Aceves are so true. His staff are excellent and the hospital is so very clean. I am here for anything you might need. Tell Dr. Aceves that Suzanne said Hi. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Right now for the first 10 days after surgery just do the best you can. It does take time to get the liquids in. If you are getting Protein drinks in that is wonderful. Each day it will get easier and easier for you. I always say the 1st month is the hardest month you will ever do. It is a all day job, just keep sipping what ever liquids are drinking ALL day long. Hugs, Suzanne

What are you thankful for after having WLS? · The first thing I am so thankful for is Dr. Aceves. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe this wonderful gifted doctor who did my surgery. · I still am shocked when someone calls me skinny—I thought who me skinny no way? But, it was me they were calling skinny. · I am so thankful for my great healthy. · The best part of about this weight loss surgery is that I NEVER feel hungry. I have to remind myself to eat. · Hold on to your hats because this is going to be the ride of your life. · I know I will never be fat again in my life. I thanked Dr. Aceves for what he did for me and he said “I only gave you the tool to achieve your Weight Loss, give yourself the credit for making it work.” I still want to say Dr. Aceves you are the BEST! · I take only about 10% of the meds that I used to take before WLS. · I love walking in to any clothing store and knowing I can buy clothes that will fit me.:wub: · My family is so proud of me for doing this.:angel_smile: · When someone doesn’t recognize me because I have lost 105 pounds!!!I love it when then figure out who I am—then they have a million questions for me as to how did I lose the weight. · After 2 ½ years to have people say WOW you still look great and have not gained anything back · Most of all being able to support new people who are thinking about WLS and telling them about my journey and answering their questions. Talking with them about their fears. And then seeing them have great success like I have had :heart: :cheer2: .

Hi, Everyone I hear so many common threads here. Most of all it is about our health and feeling good again. Have more energy, loving where we are in life now. I smiled when one of you said you could tie your shoes again--I hear you on that one. Other things I hear are that we are in control of food instead of food controlling us. Welcome to my world. I am so lucky to be in this place and have so many of you in the very same place with me. We are the survivors!!! Happy Thanksgiving to ALL of you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Everyone, I had WLS 3 years ago and I want to talk about some of the things I have learned and what helped me along the way. The first thing I had to learn was I this was totally ALL about me and no one else. I had to put my energy into myself. You may be lucky and have a lot of support. I had a lot of support at home. My two kids who do not live at home were not supportive at all—they were sure I had made a huge mistake and would suffer medically. I now know that they were just scared and did know a lot about my “Sleeve” Surgery and had the wrong information. It is still hard for them to compliment me on my weight loss. My husband was fabulous when it came to my support. As I started to lose weight and my friends could see that I had lost a lot of weight. My eating habits had certainly changed just like yours have. My friends would watch what I ate when we went out to eat. I am sure they thought I was going to starve myself—LOL. We all know that is NOT true at all. If you do not have a sleeve, you can’t possibly understand or know that we are eating is just what we need unlike how we used to eat. This is NOT a diet; this is a lifestyle change that I will do the rest of my life. Three years later I can eat a little more than I did the first year. I was sitting eating lunch today and thinking about how I chew. At first it was difficult to chew a tiny bite 30 or 40 times or until it was like a liquid in my mouth. Now I don’t think about it. I have learned that I don’t have to chew it that much to swallow it. Then I got to thinking about it, it really is much better to take the time to chew it 30 or 40 times. It takes me longer to eat when I chew my bites 30 or 40 times and I honestly try to listen to my stomach that says it is full. If I go back to just shoveling the food in like I did in the past that isn’t good either. So it is important that you keep using the skills that you are learning when it comes to eating. I want you to become creative when it comes to meal planning, and don’t eat the same things over and over. You will get bored and start looking for the wrong things to eat. Try something new at least once a month. These weight loss support boards have a lot of great recipe ideas. I bought a book on how to cook chicken a lot of different ways. Find foods you like and use them in a lot of different ways. I recently learned how to make apple crisp that is so yummy, and I make it for dessert. It is healthy and something my husband and I have and we do not feel guilty about what we are eating. I want you to be successful and if anything I learned along the way helps you, then this is good news. I started this journey after a lot of research. I took the time to find the best surgeon I could. My surgery was done by Dr. Aceves. He and his staff have ALWAYS answered ANY questions I had before and after the surgery. I can’t say enough good things about him and his entire staff. I was given the tool—my sleeve so that I could be successful at weight loss and keep it off for ever. I had a fear of regaining, but with my new tool and my lifestyle change that will never happen to me again. I struggled like so many of your trying to make up my mind about should I or shouldn’t I have WLS. Then I realized I had a disease and this was going to be my cure for my disease. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It takes more courage to have WLS than just sitting there doing nothing. http://images.obesit...y/msn/cool2.gif It isn’t about will power and pulling yourself up by your boot straps and getting serious and doing a diet and exercise. Do you know how many times I thought “Well I should be able to do this on my own” If that honestly worked, you would have lost weight a LONG time ago, because you have tried to diet and exercise already.http://images.obesityhelp.com/_shared/images/smiley/msn/shrug.gif I am willing to bet you have done the Yo, Yo thing—lose it and gain it back. It just feels so GREAT to be healthy again after many years of being unhealthy and fat. I wish you great success with your WLS journey. If you have any questions about my WLS or why I picked Dr. Aceves please send me an E-mail and ask your questions. http://images.obesit.../lovestruck.gif Hugs, http://images.obesit.../msn/party4.gif Suzanne

Hi Everyone, So many of you are newbies and have just had WLS or you are sitting out there thinking about having it. I used to be one of you. I had my sleeve surgery done on Oct 21, 2008. After 6 months of research and asking a lot of question from tons of people on different boards and checking on the Internet, I made the choice to have Dr. Aceves do my surgery. So if you ask me who would I have do surgery, I will honestly admit he is the “top of the line doctor.” Yes, I am very prejudice about him. This is the only thing I have to judge by. I had excellent care in a top of the line hospital by and extremely skilled group of doctors and nurses. I saw 2 doctors 3 times a day while in this very clean hospital. My point is that yes quite a few doctors do advertise on a lot on different web sites and they do cost less than Dr. Aceves. I don’t honestly think when it comes to my health that I want to shop around for the best price—think about it. If it were clothing or something for my home, I will always shop around for a good price, but when it comes to my health and the rest of my live I will NEVER shop around for a price. I want the very best doctor I can find. Please check these doctors out. So many of them are doing their surgery in a clinic—no more than an office and then they send you to a hotel to recover or what they call a recovery house. This is dangerous and not anything I would want for myself. I know if you are a self-pay it is difficult to come up with this much money. There are places that loan money for these types of surgeries. They charge a higher interest rate. You are worth every dime you are going to spend. Consider it body payments. We make car payments, why not body payments? Weight Loss Surgery it a BIG step to take and you have been thinking about it for a long time or you just had it. I want to say congratulations for making this step. There are a lot of emotions and changes that scare you and excite you all at the same time. These are really normal feelings to have and to have them all at the same time. Just remember that there are a lot of great people on this board who can answer your questions and help you out. All you have to do is ask. We got support from others when we had out WLS. I can’t say it ENOUGH times. The 1st month after WLS is the hardest month you will ever do. It is a time for relearning—and when I say than, I mean it is time to let your brain know that from here on out you are in charge. Your old brain will want what it used to having—all the foods that made you fat, and when you don’t do it, it honestly will try to convince you that it is going to starve if you don’t give it to them. We call this “head games.” Or “head hunger.” And you will be convinced that you are not getting enough to eat even if you feel full or know that you are full—that is that ugly brain working on you. You are going to need to make some BIG lifestyle changes. These things are doable. And in time you will love your new lifestyle changes and becoming healthy. I am not saying you will never have something that you love to eat, but in small amounts and not all the time. I NEVER feel deprived at all. There are a lot of things to think about. None of us are hero’s we are just regular people who wanted to lose weight and we did or are in the process. You can do this, and I have no doubt you are going to be successful at it. If you have any questions or just need to talk I am always an E-mail away. I have NO regrets at all, only I should have done this year’s before I did. I just had to have my head in the right place to make it work for me and it did, I lost 105 pounds. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, Thanks so much for the nice things you have said. I am always working at making my life better. I want to live to be 100 and being healthy is a big part of that. I have learned so much about my relationship with food and I now eat to live. I used to live to eat the next meal. I ate a lot of the wrong things and way tooooooooo much of it. My sleeve has changed my entire life. Hugs, Suzanne