AngelNP

Dr. Louisana Valenzuela is also a trauma surgeon as well as bariatric surgeon. See if you can find a guy named Jaime. He is awesome. He is American who lives in TJ and is bilingual. He will get you whatever you want/need within reason (Legal..etc). LOL Great guy to get you sips of drinks, wash cloth, etc.

Bea, I was at the same hotel and had the same surgeons. He works with Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela. They are both awesome. Yes, I'm biased. Good luck and God Bless. Your time there will go fast!

Oh, I have 2012 research on WLS...if you want a copy..let me know.

ABSOLUTELY. When I was first sleeved, it was "swollen" which is normal. I puked and my surgeons gave me IV methoprednisol...like infusing Jesus! Poof, I was all better. I'm 7 months (will be 8 months on 08/07), s/p surgery. My blood pressure has normalized. My cholesterol is awesome, and 20 more lbs to go and I'll be non-diabetic. My Hbg A1C was 8.5 (lost 47 lbs) went down to 6.5 (under 6 is normal). My goal is 20 more lbs to lose so my HbgA1c will be about 5.5. I did this surgery to save my life! I was a ticking bomb and didn't know it until I looked at my labs. I have so much energy...like a jack rabbit on crack (like I did was I was in my 20's). I'll be 50 y/o in January. I know I don't look like it and now don't feel like I'm 92. LOL I can do all my activities like I did years ago...especially dancing. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. My sister says the same. She was sleeved 4 months before me, and we both went to Mexico to have it done. I hope that helps! Good luck on your journey. I will bet this will be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.

I usuallyweigh myself once a week, i keep forgetting to measure myself. I'll just have to remember to do it on Mondays.

I am proud of u too!

Believe it or not, movement is best for arthritis to keep the joints lubricated. Warm water is ultimate exercise. If you have swelling on your knees, talk to your PCP about prescribing Voltaren gel1%. My arthritic patients love it. As long as u r not allergic to NSAIDS...true allergy.

Couch to the 5k is great for starters. Also, giving up the 20 oz coffee will be of great benefit as it increases cortisol levels (stress level also worsens cortisol levels) that increases abdominal adipose tissue (fat cells). BarNone, do you have anyone that can give you a break from taking care of your parents 3 or 4 days a week for a couple of hours? This will help you mentally as well as physically. Sometimes care takers need a break. Good luck to both of you! I'm rooting for both of you!!! wooot woot..LOL

It will. I just referred one of my male pain patients to them today.

She's also a trauma surgeon who worked in San Francisco. I was a trauma flight nurse on a helicopter and fixed wing (airplane) for a year. With both Dr. Valenzuela and Dr. Ismael Cabrera, they have over 5, 000 surgeries performed with no deaths.

Awesome! Please tell her hello for me.

I like to tag onto Jiggly's post too. In the Mexico Trip Tips document, it gives all the stuff including safety pin to pin the drain to your gown or clothes so it does not pull. Also, at MiDoctor's hospital, there is a Mexican/American guy named, Jaime who will get you almost anything (within reason and legal..LOL) I was provided towels and wash cloths when requested. There is free internet access. My girlfriend brought her computer, and I brought my IPad. I guess that is similar to Kindle? I know you can read books from it, but not sure if you can access internet. Oh, know the hours of the café when they are open. My girlfriend got stuck missing meal times; however the staff was unbelievable and gave her on two separate occasions free dinner. I was so envious...cause I couldn't eat...LOL just sip, sip, sip. My girlfriend and I visited neighboring patients. On our floor, we were all medical people. There was one gal who was by herself (traveling etc). We visited her often and my friend was also her advocate when she needed something. It's a great bonding experience. If I think of anything else...I'll post it.

Lol...goes to show I don't keep emails. Glad you got them and are helpful to you.

Are you drinking and eating appropriately? If it's hot weather and you're thirsty, you're already behind the 8 ball (dehydrated). It's hard to catch up. I got heat exhaustion from being at the fair and not drinking enough fluids (I know better but didn't do better). I paid the price and still trying to recover from it. My mum has a saying on her kitchen wall, "Learn from the mistakes of others, you can't live long enough to make them all yourself". Sure....LOL Hope that helps.

I have a Mexico Trips Tips document that I give people that has great info. My drain was taken out just before I left in the hospital. I hope I answered your question. LOL

I'm not taking anything personally. Was asking questions to clarify your statements. Regarding hearsay, I was referring to whatever that woman told you. It was really unfortunate what happened. I too would have felt bad for her (you seem to be a very companionate person); however it is the patient's responsibility to give the surgeon all the information up until prior to arrival. That's what I meant about that woman maybe not providing you with hence what didn't make sense. Could she have been approved based on information she provided initially? Maybe she didn't provide accurate information in the surgical application. Somehow, when she got there, the surgeon (s) found that the information she provided (that got her approved) was no longer valid and was not able to do the surgery. It does suck...but she is alive and with a standing ovation clapping, Dr. Valenzuela did the right thing and not perform surgery if it could be dangerous to the woman's life. I tend to ask questions (professional habit-medical field and being a retired police officer/Deputy Sheriff-Coroner)...to seek to understand. I appreciate you telling the story. It does not have anything to do with Dr. Valenzuela's ability of being a bariatric surgeon...other than proving she is competent and will do the right thing regarding the safety of individuals versus taking money and doing an unnecessary surgery. I did state earlier that I was biased because she was one of my surgeons, and it was the research that I did and the company I went through (Medical Tourism- USA based company) to provide top bariatric Mexican Surgeons. Sincerely, Jen

@ Jiggly puff, I have a few questions. Regarding the 65 y/o woman, what was her BMI? How tall was she and how much did she weigh. Be careful regarding rumor, opinion, and hearsay, due to these being the lowest forms of information and does not mean it is a fact. What was her BMI when she applied for the surgery? Did she lose weight prior to the surgery IE pre-op diet? Did her BMI change after she applied for surgery and prior to arriving? These are key factors. You see, I went from BMI 35 to 33 and notified them immediately. I was cleared for the surgery again prior to flying. "Something's wrong with this picture" that you've described. When you "met this woman in the hospital", was she going to have surgery by another physician? It sounds like the woman wanted the surgery really bad and when she arrived, for safety reasons, the surgeon (s) would not operate. This is not a bad thing, this is a competent deal. How do you know she wasn't pissed because she wanted it so bad and then told no. It is very clear in the paperwork what the guidelines are. Oh, and FYI, she will be refunded her money if the surgery did not occur and not due to her backing out because of changing her mind. I know this FIRST HAND because I was one of her patients and received the paperwork. So, I'm curious on your answers, then it will either prompt me with further questions or give me more information to comment further. I believe there's more to this that you are either not providing or the woman wasn't telling.

Dr. Louisana Valenzuela & Dr. Ismael Carbera Garcia are out of MiDoctor's Hospital, TJ, Mexico. Nice hospital/great surgeons. Yes, I'm biased.

Dr. Louisana Valenzuela & Dr. Ismael Carbera Garcia are out of MiDoctor's Hospital, TJ, Mexico. Nice hospital/great surgeons. Yes, I'm biased.