BellaItaliana

That is true, some of the nurses at Almater were definitely young, but the one who put my IV in was an older lady with lots of experience. I have tiny veins, and she had a young nurse behind her observing... but the older nurse did the IV and got in on the first try. And we both know that the bathrooms at Almater don't look like that. lol

You should stay away from asparagus (as I guess you realized). It's very stringy and the stringy vegetables are hard to digest.

No, broth and jello needs to be in addition to protein shakes. You need to get protein from somewhere, or you won't be able to do the liquid diet. If you don't like the shakes you were given, tell your doctor and get some other ones... there are plenty out there that should qualify, and some taste better than others. Broth makes you feel better because of the sodium in it, but you still need that major protein in the shakes.

Same here.... 18 days from surgery, haven't lost in 8 days. Even though I know it's just my body trying to catch up, it's extremely frustrating, I agree.

I'm so sorry you had that experience... it sounds like it was VERY stressful. However, it does go to show that all Mexico surgery experiences are not equal. I went with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, and you spend three days after surgery in the hospital with them. The hotel (the night before surgery) was very nice, and the hospital itself is modern and extremely clean and comfortable. I can honestly say I've never seen better in any American facility. They changed my bed at and mopped my room least once a day, and were so considerate they basically waited until they saw me up, doing my daily walking around the halls, and would run in there then to change sheets... all so they could keep everything clean, but disturb me as little as possible. As weird as this sounds, I was actually a little disappointed to be leaving, because I had been so comfortable there. The main reason I chose Aceves was the three days in the hospital after surgery. I did NOT want to be turned loose, either to home or a hotel room while I was still getting my bearings after a major surgery. I really think this made all the difference for me. I think Aceves charges the most of all the Mexico surgeons, but it was worth it to me, b/c I was scared beforehand, but everything I saw when I got there made me feel more and more comfortable about my decision instead of making me feel like running for the hills (which I was prepared to do if necessary). Anyway, I really hope that getting home and in your own bed makes you feel more comfortable and on the road to recovery.

Yep... my doctor wants everyone on it for the first three months, minimum, and then as individually needed. It should help you.

Ha!! I just posted the exact same thing on another forum. I actually said "As I feared, I think I'll be the one person who doesn't lose weight with only 15% of a stomach." So, I can't tell you a success story (yet), but I can commiserate. I was sleeved on Aug 17th, lost 16 lbs in the first 10 days and nothing now for 7 days. I'm still on full liquids. I am also getting adequate protein and fluids in, so I'm just praying that this stall breaks soon so I don't go crazy. No matter how much I prepared myself for stalls (I've been dieting all my life, I know they happen), it is still really frustrating when you're in the middle of one!!

Are you on a PPI? It sounds like acid reflux to me, especially if it was helped a little by Tums. Acid can really feel like hunger.

That's pretty interesting. I wish I had asked my doctor to take a picture, cuz I'm constantly wondering what's going on in there. So, what's the part that's left inside? Just that strip to the left?

Chewing food and spitting it out is a slippery slope...you should try not to do that again. Also, I'm on full liquids right now too, so I understand and believe you that it is "real" hunger, because I feel it too.... however, read your own words... you are "craving" certain things. Cravings are mental, and controlling them is part of the very hard part of getting used to this new lifestyle. If you feel true, stomach hunger, then eat (or drink in our case).... but right now it's so important to get a mental upper-hand over cravings. Today it's chicken, four months from now it's ice cream. I'm trying hard to learn the difference between what my body needs and what my emotions want, and it's not easy... but I think it's necessary to be successful. Oh, and a side note: Gamergirl, I made your shrimp bisque and it was great! :-)

Hi, I'm on full liquids starting tomorrow, and I plan to make this. Just one question: The bottle of clam juice- is it 8 oz? I think that's all I saw in the store, but wanted to check. Thank you.

My doctor was Aceves. But there are plenty of Garcia patients on here, so you should get a response from somebody. You might want to re-post this in the Mexico forum. :-)

What doctor are you going to? I went to Mexico too. I'll try to answer some of your questions below: 1. I'm not a smoker, so someone else has to chime in on this one. 2. No, two weeks is WAY too soon for a serious workout. You can do light workout (walking, swimming, stationary bike, etc) for the first several weeks, but nothing like weight lifting until at least 6 weeks out. 3. You seem young enough and with not a huge amount to lose.... it's ultimately genetic, but you may be able to get away with very little to no loose skin. 4. Everyone likes different shakes... it's very much a taste thing. Right now I am drinking this one from GNC called AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 - chocolate. I like the taste of it. At first you will have to mix it with Water... you can't be drinking really thick things. But after a while you can mix it with milk, or whatever, blend some fruit in... whatever you like. 5. The first day when you wake up from surgery you probably won't be feeling much b/c you are still under the morphine or whatever they give you... at least I was. I found it hard to stay awake that first day... kept dozing off, waking up, dozing off.... there is some pain the next few days, but they should give you something for that. Overall, mine was a very easy recovery. The pain was nothing excruciating or unbearable. More like just being really sore. If you happen to have my same doctor, I can give you more specific info of what to expect. Otherwise, good luck!! :-)

Sounds like you're having numbness all over, if it includes your face. You need to go to your regular doctor and start exploring what it is.... I really doubt it's related to the sleeve.

Get your doctor to prescribe you a PPI. My doctor requires it for patients for 90 days at least.

Hahaha.... no, it was just a regular steak. Very good, though! Oh, and also shrimp bisque and brownie dessert that I was too embarrassed to post! LOL.... those days are over. :-)

Well, I had my surgery yesterday, and today I am sitting in my hospital room feeling really, really good. I'm actually surprised at how well I'm feeling right now (knock on wood). When I was still pre-op and researching as much as I could, I really appreciated the people who wrote about their experiences, especially those that went to my doctor. Knowing what to expect was SO helpful for me. So, I promised myself I would do the same thing. I'm only one day out from surgery, so I will continue to update, but I can tell you this much: What everyone says is true. The hospital is small, clean, modern and ALL the people are nice and helpful. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos each come in and talk to you separately for as long as you need (before surgery). They have each come and checked on my afterwards also. My anesthesiologist was amazing also (Andre?). I had surgery two years ago and woke up with severe nausea and dry heaving. I told this to Andre, and he said he would do his best to control that, and he did. I didn't wake up with nausea and I haven't felt any yet (and I started drinking clear liquids a few hours ago). My mother is staying in the room with me, and there is plenty of room. There is a couch in the room that she sleeps on. I am going to try to post some pics here. That's about it for now.... very happy to be on the other side of this surgery and SO excited to get started with my new lifestyle!! :-)

Ha! He hit the nail on the head.... I'm sure my brain signals are broken when it comes to food and hunger! I've been really curious about this too, and can't wait to see what "hunger" feels like when I'm out of this clear liquid stage. I'm only 6 days out from surgery, so I expect nothing to feel totally "normal" at this point. I'm guessing that the hunger comes later.... when on soft or solid foods? I'm truly hoping something feels different than it did before, and that my brain signals start to get with the program.

I agree with everything you said, however I'm not totally convinced what we are hearing is the true story. As you said, there are many stories floating around from "dependable" sources, with no other information but that. There is also the added layer of coordinators in Mexico that start rumors or twist stories just enough to make rival doctors look bad. You're right.... my personal opinion and experience with Aceves is nothing short of excellent. There are many small details in the various stories that we are placing huge judgement on, and none of us on this board knows the real truth. In my opinion, we stop now. If there really was true negligence by Aceves and his staff, it's up to the family to bring that out legally. Anything else is not our business to speculate at this point, anymore.

I'm counting the days until I can make this. Thank you!

It's a good thing tomorrow is another day! Feel guilty for a minute because you know you shouldn't have eaten all that, but then SHAKE IT OFF. Start new tomorrow. You sound pretty dedicated overall, and we are all human and imperfect. Just make sure those "imperfect" days are VERY minimal! You're going to do great, in my opinion. :-)

You have the cornstarch on there twice. :-)

In case anyone is considering surgery with Dr. Aceves, and would like a visual of what to expect, (facilities, etc), I have posted some pictures here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/gallery/album/6176-experience-with-dr-aceves/ I know seeing any pics or videos really helped calm my nerves when I was pre-op, so I hope these help someone.