Cody's mom

Congrats, I did mine Sept 14, 2014 and it was an easy, positive experience. I personally would recommend them to anyone. I also told my doctor here in Canada that even if I was offered the choice of doing it here in Canada that I would still have gone to Tijuana, and have more faith in the physicians there than I do here with this specific procedure. I felt completely safe at all times, and enjoyed my little holiday at the same time. It was funny, I remember waking up thinking "that's it, I'm done, really, okay lets walk". Wishing you nothing but luck, it will be so worth it.

It's hard, but the worse thing you can do is lose faith and give up!

I'm almost three months and have only lost 20 pounds, and yes it is frustrating I agree. But you haven't gained anything either. I don;t know, maybe that's it, but I am still thankful for getting the sleeve as I'm not out of control anymore. I had hopes and dreams of being slim again, and maybe it's not to be. I lost 10 in my pre-op, fifteen the first month after surgery and five these last two months. I am hopeful!

I admire you, you fell off the wagon and are brave enough to get back on. I truly believe that many of us are addicted to food, it's probably the most important relationship some of us have, and the thought of losing that strong bond and love is scary. I too was scared to lose that best friend, but at some point you look at it and say what is more important.. I wish you nothing but the best of luck, this is something you can do, never give up, you've come so far already. Take it one day at a time, don't look back, look ahead!

I was 185 pounds and 5'1 and I was sleeved in September. Since the start of my pre-op diet I have lost 30 pounds (13 weeks). It's a tool to help you control your eating, it's not a guarantee you lose a certain number of pounds, and you don't automatically wake up and you're thin. Its work, just like a normal diet, it's a change of life, it's not a miracle but it's a damn great tool. I was told I would have lost more weight by now, and it didn't happen, so don't rely on things people say as to how much you'll lose, everyone is different, and every body will lose at a different rate. You might only lose 50 pounds, you might lose more. Even thou I haven't lost as much as I would have liked by now, I haven't gained, and that is very important to me!

I lost nothing in my second month, not an ounce! I lost 10 pounds on the pre-op diet, 15 pounds my first month, nothing my second month and I'm two weeks into my third month and have lost two pounds. I can't tolerate any of the Protein shakes or powders so it's harder for me.

food, food, food, I love food, and I got lazy, lazy, lazy. Then I just gave up and said tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow I'll start to diet and exercise. I had every excuse in the book, and I wrote a few myself. I layed blame on everyone and everything but myself.. And when I finally looked at myself and was so ashamed and embarrassed that I just wanted to hide, I got the sleeve. My only regret is not doing it sooner, but then again, I had an excuse for that too! But now I'm on the slow road to a happy and fulfilling life, living not eating, and living is so much more important than eating. For some people eating is more important than living, and loosing their relationship with food is more important that loosing their relationship with life! Just my thoughts!

@@Kindle, Yes, I truly enjoyed my journey to Tijuana and I trusted my doctor more than I would ever trust one here at home. It was a great experience and I look forward to my next adventure there (and the shopping). I enountered such nice people everywhere I went!

I love Mexico, the safety guy I work with just got back on Wednesday and had several teeth pulled and replaced with new beautiful teeth, they look amazing. I have a girlfriend there now having two caps put on and her teeth whitened, and I'll head there next year to have surgery to have the lose skin removed. Again I LOVE MEXICO. What scares me more than anything in Mexico, is what happens in my back yard, the rapes, murders, and abuse. And did you see what happened in Ferguson? NOW THATS SCARY! You have to do what's right for you, but traveling the world, I have yet to see anything near as dangerous as people report. I had my sleeve done recently in Tijuana and loved shopping the streets and going for long walks (on my own). Felt as safe there as I do in my own city.

I'm ten weeks out and have only lost 17 pounds so I'm thinking your doing well. The faster you lose weight the more loose skin you'll have.

Off work 10 days, could have gone back sooner. Cleaned house and did laundry after six days, worked my horses after seven days, drove eight hours after nine days. Everyone is different, I can't lay around doing nothing, so was happy I was fit enough go shopping after two days and well enough to get on with my daily routine shortly after.

I love beef, so it was either steak or prime rib, I had chicken occasionally, but not often as I'm not a big fan of it.

@@shizwiz, I completely understand. I to this day still can't drink protein either in powder or in liquid form. Ronda is the patient care person, she'll send you your meal plans. Good luck!

Oh my, you're trying too hard and stressing too much. Get in what you can at this point, I think I was lucky if I got 8 oz of Water down the first few days. Good luck!

@@Scarlett72, they do cut it out, but you'll still crave. I pretty much always crave Chinese food, and I give in, luckily I can only eat a few bites and I'm good. Right now I'm hungry and craving perogies. I never really stopped craving food, the difference is I'm not obsessed with food any longer. You can eat what you want, just really small portions, and you can control it. I talk to everyone that had surgery on the same day I did, and we all still crave certain foods, and it's okay as it doesn't rule your life any longer. I thought losing my relationship with food would kill me, but I haven't lost anything but the ability to eat more than everyone I'm sitting with. Good luck!

@@shizwiz, believe me, you won't need tears, you'll be able to eat what you want in no time, but unlike before, you'll be happy with just a few bites instead of a few plates (or I was at least). I do have the meal package that a lighter me sells for after surgery that I am trying to give away for nothing more than reimbursment of the postage. If you would like I can send it to you, the only thing in it I used was the protein powder, the rest is all there. It was $300 and the thought of throwing it away does not make me happy.. It gives you packages of food you can eat for the first month post op. I had offered it to someone else but they haven't sent me their address and I'll be in the US next week and can mail it from there, if not, it's going to go in the garbage. I had my surgery in September, so it's still very fresh! As for the pre-op diet, if you are too strick with yourself you might just scream and give in to temptation. Speak to Ronda, she said a salad with protein (chicken or steak) with a low fat/calorie salad was just fine. I split mine in two and had a portion for lunch and part for supper. I too thought the pre-op diet would kill me, and although I did lose like 5-10 pounds on it, I did it the best I could, and didn't throw in the towel if I deviated from it a little bit.

@@Elode, that's funny!

@@clautxs, I agree, tell her thank you and good bye. You are an adult (I'm thinking). Even after open heart surgery they get you up and moving as soon as possible. If you can't win this battle, how will you win the battle against food, and fight against going back to where you came from. Time to stand up for yourself I think, you're going to have to do it when people try to convince you to eat or eat more.. No better time than now! Good luck!

I went shopping in Tijuana two days after surgery, and again three days after surgery. When I got home from Tijuana (four days after surgery), I did my laundry and went grocery shopping, the next day I worked my horses, cleaned my truck and loaded it to leave for work I also did all the dished and vaccumed so I didn;t ocme home after 16 days in the bush to a messy house. I also drove nine hours to work a week after surgery and continued on with my normal life. You didn't have a heart or liver transplant. Get out of the house, go for a walk, go grocery shopping.

Goodness, run to Tijuana and have a sleeve done, then you're in control and not jumping threw all the hoops for others. Your decission and opinion is important, do what you need to do to have a quality of life that you enjoy. Just my opinion.

@@wantingabetterlife, it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be. Good luck!

Incredable, keep going, I'm two months (eight weeks) and only down 15 pounds, so you're doing somehting right!

There is actually a girl on this forum that was a contestant on the Biggest Loser and lost all her weight. She wouldn't reveal her name, only that America watched her lose it all and there was no way it could be kept off with a regular life, so she opted for the sleeve. I can't remember her name on here, but where ever she is, I hope she's finding happiness and success with her sleeve.

Although everyone is different, there were four of us with him on the same day, and not one of us had any issues or any real pain afterwards, one of the ladies had her gal bladder removed at the same time, and she was doing just as well. We were all up and walking shortly after surgery, and out shopping the day we were discharged from the hospital.. Good luck, be positive!

Dr. E. Ortiz in Tijuana. @@bams1220