zenoosh

Please do your homework before you shoot off your mouth about something of which you obviously haven't investigated... There is an entire industry built on medical "tourism" and those locations are not in the middle of crime ridden sections of countries... There are NUMEROUS people on this board that have had their surgeries South of the border with absolutely no problems...

For me I started my Pre-op last Sunday and for the first 3-4 days it was easy, until the headaches started. I thought they were hunger headaches, but if I drank more Water they went away. The headaches were in the front (forehead area) really intense, all I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep. My attitude sucked at times, but as the day went on it got better and so did I. By the 4th morning the headaches went away.
My 10-14 day pre-op consists of
3 Protein shakes 15g or more of Protein
Morning, lunch and after dinner
dinner I could eat a salad with lean protein
and of course plenty of Water.< /p>
I bought the crystal light packets to flavor the water and only add enough so that I can taste the flavor. Putting the whole packet in gives me this gross taste in my mouth...Yuck!
Yesterday, I did slip and ate a chicken salad sandwich (2)slices of bread. Felt bad for cheating, but I'm back on track. Not sure what I've lost yet, but my clothes around the waist fit looser and I no longer feel bloated.

I see more problems and complications from doctors here in the states than the docs in Mexico.... Just sayin

Hi everyone! Just wanted to post some VGS in Mexico support/advice. I had my sleeve surgery Sept 17th in Tijuana at Hospital Angeles with Dr Corvala. My experience was fantastic honestly! I swear the hospital was way cleaner than any US hospital I've ever been too. The nursing staff was great. My call light was always answered right away. Some of my nurses spoke very little English so if u don't speak Spanish I recommend learning the basics ( bathroom, nausea, pain, thrist) just in case. Doctors were so attentive my surgeon, cardiologist, and general MD saw me daily. Pain was minimual and my incisions look good. Remember Mexico hospitals want you have a good experience and they work harder to ensure your happy because they depend on your good review for business. Anyways there are my 2 cents. Good luck to u all!

Oct 8
auggie Dr Ortiz, TJ
Lilly'sjourney, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 9
sacharliem, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 10
ready2bskinny, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 11
gottaloozit, Dr Aceves, Mexicali
Lil'Lo, Dr Alvarez, MX
Oct 13
mango 926, Dr Aceves, Mexicali
Oct 19
Diamondeyed, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 22
DebinAZ, Dr Ponce, TJ
Oct 25
Muffintop, Dr Garcia, TJ
Robbino, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 27
zenoosh, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 30
theNEWME! , Dr Garcia, TJ

Okay, here's what we got so far:
updated 9.25.2012 12pm
Oct 8
auggie Dr Ortiz, TJ
Lilly'sjourney, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 10
ready2bskinny, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 11
gottaloozit, Dr Aceves, Mexicali
Lil'Lo, Dr Alvarez, MX
Oct 13
mango 926, Dr Aceves, Mexicali
Oct 19
Diamondeyed, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 22
DebinAZ, Dr Ponce, TJ
Oct 25
Muffintop, Dr Garcia, TJ
Robbino, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 27
zenoosh, Dr Garcia, TJ
Oct 30
theNEWME! , Dr Garcia, TJ
I'll try to update every day or two, when we have new additions...

Zenoosh don't freak you will do great I have already had my revision with Dr Garcia on Sept 10th and he is awesome! The nurses will take good care of you. FYI: ask for a pillow top bed at the Marriot, I got one without and it was hard as a rock!

Hey there! I want to start a thread of sleevers who are going to Mexico in October. I have found a couple people who have their surgeries scheduled and it's really nice to be in contact with others who may be there around the same time. I'm going to Tijuana for surgery with Dr Garcia October 27. I'll be staying at the Marriott for 3 nights total with 2 days at Mi Doctor Hospital for the actual surgery and recovery. If there are others going to Mexico , but not in October, feel free to post also: I've found it so helpful to find others in the same boat as myself...
I'll make a list if there are enough people to generate one. Good luck! We're gonna rock this thing

Thanks muffintop...i AM awesome, but I did get the idea from you.....so I think that makes you even "awesomer"!!!
I figured id open it up to all the Mexico Octosleevers, cuz otherwise it'd just be a couple of us with Dr Garcia. Im sure there'll be others scheduled that aren't on this site yet, but at least we can connect with the peeps that are!
I am totally having a few freakouts, but I know this is the right thing for me.
Muffintop: one month to go for you! Counting the days :-)

Well Hello there...(said all sultry like)...
Anywho Im set for October the 25th with Dr. Garcia. I booked through A Lighter me, my coordinator is the lovely Janese:-) . I arrive on the 24th and leave on the 29th! Back to work on the 30th! ps...isn't zenoosh awesome!

Thanks so much, made2beme. I've been reading your posts for a while now, and I gotta say, your experience was one of the ones that solidified my decision to go with Dr Garcia and Ready4Achange. I completely agree with the points you've made and I cannot wait to add my own experience.
Again, thanks for keeping us posted. Its great to know you're doing well and that you continue to be an advocate for Dr. Garcia and his team. :-)

For those still wondering and asking questions about Dr. Garcia and the different coordinators. I went through Ready4Achange and had an excellent experience with them and everyone at the hospital from Melissa, Rosie, all of the dr's ect.
If a lighter me charges more it is because THEY are making more. I had a sleeve sister at the hospital with me, surgery the same day, staying in the same hotel, we both had Dr. Garcia...there was nothing different about our details but she was very disappointed with a lighter me (I am just speaking from the experience I had...please dont jump on me). I received a bag full of necessities, Gatorade, Water, lip balm, cards, tape and gauze, etc. She received NOTHING (literally) because the "coordinator" that she went through did not provide that as part of their service. Rosie brought me even more gauze and tape the day before we left to make sure I didnt have to worry about purchasing any as soon as I got home. I gave some of my supplies to my sleeve sister because again, she got NOTHING!
I paid $300 less than she did and received better customer service. Now, the care we both received AT the hospital from surgeons, nurses, etc was exactly the same....that does not depend on what coordinator you go through. I felt more like I was part of a family....she felt like nobody was there to really answer her questions.
To adorableintx.....I truly feel like (my opinion) that the coordinators that tell you if you go with a "cheaper" doctor you will not get the same care simply want your money! They are trying to convince you, manipulate and use your desire to have surgery and be in the safest, cleanest place to get you to spend more. I say this because Mi Doctor Hospital was extremely CLEAN! It is small, but honestly I could care less about that and I feel like that may be why we are able to pay a little less. It has the necessities, the care, the cleanliness, the greatest Dr's and nurses all for thousands less than some of the others. I am not knocking any surgeons that charge more, but I am saying that I know for a fact I could not have gotten any better care and my experience and outcome would not have been any different, much less BETTER if I had spend thousands more.
My husband is a huge skeptic about everything, he went with me and was VERY impressed my everything I mentioned above. My experience was truly like a mini vacation. The day of surgery.....I was a little tired, out of it, had some minor gas but the rest of it was fantastic. We went shopping on Revolution street, we walked, we sat out by the pool at the Marriott (which we loved by the way) everything was great.
Speaking of the vehicles, the van Samuel used to pick us up in seemed very new, maybe not brand new like months old....but it was a perfectly fine, newer model, clean, dependable van. Samuel was great, very nice and professional....we talked the entire time. Picked us up on time and got us to the airport to leave on time.
I believe sometimes we can be super critical (although I understand because I was there too) of things like "oh, it was an older vehicle, kind of junky, etc" come on guys....LIFE happens. Maybe their company vehicle broke down, maybe they are buying a new one, things happen.....people have bad days. Maybe one patient got a visit or call 1 more time than another one did.....people are human. I think we tend to forget that.
All in all, I would recommend and have Ready4aChange, Dr. Garcia and Mi Doctor hospital to friends and family any day of the week! My experience changed my life forever....it was the beginning of a new life for me. Even since being home (a little over 7 wks) Alma has contacted me just to check on me, see how I am doing and make sure I do not have any post op questions. It continues to be a great experience I dont regret and would not change one single thing!
Good luck to all of you making decisions. I suggest you keep doing research.....be weary of those that KNOCK other docs and hospitals. Honestly, I have had some discussions with Alma about the other coordinators, docs ect and she is VERY careful to only give the facts/truth and not to put down or degrade any of them. There is no "we are better than they are" attitude with Ready4aChange.....they simply want to give you the best care and experience and help change your life.....not drain your pocketbook just because they can!!!
Just sayin.....

No prob, angeleyes...im sxd Oct 27. Ill post as soon as im able to get to my phone...
There have several people who've had surgery w/ Dr Garcia recently. I haven't heard one bad experience with the doc or the hospital. I was a little nervous about the language barrier as one poster mentioned, but I spoke to Alma, and she said there's always an English speaking nurse on the floor, and there are cards/posters with pertinent english/spanish translations in each room. Im not concerned about going to MX. They'll treat us very well, considering they get most of their referrals from word of mouth. I chose MX specifically because they do this type of surgery WAAAY more than any US docs. In fact, I've been researching and scouring the boards for months, and it seems complications are more common with surgeries stateside. It makes sense, when you think of how few surgeries our docs do...the cost here is prohibitive for most patients, and insurance makes us jump thru too many hoops. That will change as more of us request it, but for now, I think MX is the best place fur those of us with crappy or no insurance. Im a healthcare professional, and MX is very popular with nurses and docs from the US. As a matter if fact, Dr Garcia did surgeries in August on a doc and several nurses from here. I am STOKED! Counting the days!! I will totally keep you posted. Good luck :-)

Hey everyone! So I finally got sleeved on 09/19 and omg! I can say that those initial 3 days were hands Down the worst days of my life! I'm just so thankful that I am alive and that evrything is ok. No complications occurred , but those gas pains were out of this world!!! I have a question for you all, thankfully I am feeling much much better , but, I've noticed that when I drink I feel very strange inside. It feels warm, bubbly , and somewhat painful , in a matter of seconds it's gone . It feels like heartburn but it occurs right below my breast, not the chest area .I was just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them.. If so, please share some info with me thsnks

It sure is getting real, peeps...im so glad we've got this big group of sleevers here. It really comforts me to know there are so many others doing, thinking, feeling, analyzing, the exact same crap as me!!! This site has been so helpful and informative during my process, and it'll be even more valuable as time moves forward... Good luck to all the OctoSleevers. Cheers (with a low carb Protein Drink, of course) to our new lives/journeys/experiences and victories, big and small.

It sure is getting real, peeps...im so glad we've got this big group of sleevers here. It really comforts me to know there are so many others doing, thinking, feeling, analyzing, the exact same crap as me!!! This site has been so helpful and informative during my process, and it'll be even more valuable as time moves forward... Good luck to all the OctoSleevers. Cheers (with a low carb Protein Drink, of course) to our new lives/journeys/experiences and victories, big and small.

It sure is getting real, peeps...im so glad we've got this big group of sleevers here. It really comforts me to know there are so many others doing, thinking, feeling, analyzing, the exact same crap as me!!! This site has been so helpful and informative during my process, and it'll be even more valuable as time moves forward... Good luck to all the OctoSleevers. Cheers (with a low carb Protein Drink, of course) to our new lives/journeys/experiences and victories, big and small.

No problem. It's my OCD at its best (or worst???) . Good luck everyone. Just 7 days & a wake-up for the first round of OctoSleevers!! This is really getting real!!!!!

Thanks for the count Susan! There are 17 of us on 10/1!

Hey Chad,
Congrats to you bro. Great to see another guy on here in the OctoSleevers group (no offense ladies, you are all AWESOME!!!)
My surgery is 10/25. I need to be under 350 but I hope to actually be under 340 by then. Best of luck. And you're right: We CAN do this!

No prob, angeleyes...im sxd Oct 27. Ill post as soon as im able to get to my phone...
There have several people who've had surgery w/ Dr Garcia recently. I haven't heard one bad experience with the doc or the hospital. I was a little nervous about the language barrier as one poster mentioned, but I spoke to Alma, and she said there's always an English speaking nurse on the floor, and there are cards/posters with pertinent english/spanish translations in each room. Im not concerned about going to MX. They'll treat us very well, considering they get most of their referrals from word of mouth. I chose MX specifically because they do this type of surgery WAAAY more than any US docs. In fact, I've been researching and scouring the boards for months, and it seems complications are more common with surgeries stateside. It makes sense, when you think of how few surgeries our docs do...the cost here is prohibitive for most patients, and insurance makes us jump thru too many hoops. That will change as more of us request it, but for now, I think MX is the best place fur those of us with crappy or no insurance. Im a healthcare professional, and MX is very popular with nurses and docs from the US. As a matter if fact, Dr Garcia did surgeries in August on a doc and several nurses from here. I am STOKED! Counting the days!! I will totally keep you posted. Good luck :-)

Zenoosh reading your posted just got me more excited;)
 
Sent from my ADR6400L using VST

No prob, angeleyes...im sxd Oct 27. Ill post as soon as im able to get to my phone...
There have several people who've had surgery w/ Dr Garcia recently. I haven't heard one bad experience with the doc or the hospital. I was a little nervous about the language barrier as one poster mentioned, but I spoke to Alma, and she said there's always an English speaking nurse on the floor, and there are cards/posters with pertinent english/spanish translations in each room. Im not concerned about going to MX. They'll treat us very well, considering they get most of their referrals from word of mouth. I chose MX specifically because they do this type of surgery WAAAY more than any US docs. In fact, I've been researching and scouring the boards for months, and it seems complications are more common with surgeries stateside. It makes sense, when you think of how few surgeries our docs do...the cost here is prohibitive for most patients, and insurance makes us jump thru too many hoops. That will change as more of us request it, but for now, I think MX is the best place fur those of us with crappy or no insurance. Im a healthcare professional, and MX is very popular with nurses and docs from the US. As a matter if fact, Dr Garcia did surgeries in August on a doc and several nurses from here. I am STOKED! Counting the days!! I will totally keep you posted. Good luck :-)