LL1982

Has anyone ever gone to ALO Bariatrics in Tijuana, Mexico? I’m interested in having the modified duodenal switch. Just wanted to know what your experience was like there. Any issues with the hospital? Did you feel safe having your procedure done there?

For some reason my comment posted twice. Anyway, let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you Linda72. You’re surgery will be here before you know it!!!

I had a strong reaction to the anesthesia. What should have been 1 night turned into 2. The anesthesia slowed my bladder function down. I wasn’t able to pee on my own, so the had to catheterize me. Just remember, this is NOT the norm. I had a more complex and invasive surgery in 2013, and came out of anesthesia feeling pretty good. Whatever they used this time just knocked me out.

Hello everyone. Had surgery on the 30th, feels good to be on the other side of things. I was so afraid of surgery. It wasn’t without pain or discomfort, but all in all it hasn’t been that bad. I’m relieved to have gotten the hardest part over with. My stomach feels like I’ve done a thousand sit ups. I have absolutely no pain where they removed my stomach, and I’m even lying on my left side at night when I sleep. Really, everyone is so different. I didn’t have major gas pain, but the inflation of my stomach caused pretty bad left shoulder pain which fortunately only lasted about a day. I feel hungry, but I’m not starving. I have to take my sips slowly because if I sip to quickly and too much I start to feel nauseous. I think once the pain is gone and my energy levels are back up I will feel more excited about having the procedure done. For now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. If any of you have any questions please feel free to ask. Wishing you all the best.

Yup, I was sleeved on Friday the 30th, and woke up feeling hungry. My nutritionist was surprised, but my reasoning is that I haven’t had any solid food for over 2 weeks. I’m not bothered by it as I trust the process. I am actually quite relieved that I can’t eat whatever I want to. For the first time I looked in the mirror today and felt a true sense of hope. Don’t know if this helps, just wanted to share my experience.

Thank you, thank you, thank you😊 Surgery is tomorrow! Yikes!

How has it been for you with regard to drinking/eating? Does it hurt when it goes down? That's part of what I'm afraid of.

Thank you, I needed to hear this. Just 3 more days away. I'm scared! Like I said before, the whole 80% of my stomach being removed just creeps me out. I have a friend though whose 2 years out and she eats what seems like normal amounts of food. Anyway, thank you again.

I'm scheduled for the 30th and starting to really dread this. Glad to know you weren't in all that much pain. How are you feeling now?

I'm on a clear liquid diet. Sugar free sports drinks, water, low sodium beef broth, sugar free Jello, and sugar free popsicles. I'm also allowed protein drinks and blended vegetable soup every other day, though I have to stay away from the soup 2 days before surgery. I can't believe it's almost here. I had my pre-op labs and EKG done this morning at the hospital I'll be having surgery at. It's getting real. I'll definitely keep you posted and let everyone know how surgery went. Wishing us all an easy and speedy recovery.

Hello everyone, OK, so technically I'm not a September sleever. My surgery date is August 30th. Not much went on with the August thread, so I decided to post on here as well. This weekend I was feeling really excited, today, not so much. The fear is starting to sink in. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing about everyone's journey. By the way (I know I can only speak for myself), but the 2 week liquid pre-op diet hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. I've just gotten used to it.

Hello everyone, I got my surgery date last week and was beyond thrilled. Fast forward to this week, and my excitement has turned into a lot of fear. My surgery date is scheduled for August 30th, and I'm really nervous and scared, and doubting my decision. I just need to hear your guys' experiences, and to know that the recovery is not all that bad. I'm going to go through with it, I'm just so anxious and scared right now. Plus, the idea of having a 3 ounce stomach just freaks me out. How are you all doing?

If any of you are new to the process, and have to go through the 6 months of mandated nutritionist and doctor's visits due to insurance requirements, TRUST ME, the time flies so quickly. In the beginning I absolutely hated the waiting period. My first visit with the surgeon was March 5th, and tomorrow I find out if my insurance will approve the surgery. Can't believe the time flew so quickly. It may feel like you have to wait an eternity when you first start the process, but trust me, it goes by so quickly.

How are you feeling at this point? I might be sleeved in a month and I'm starting to get scared. How is the recovery process going for you?

It’s exciting, yet at the same time I’m really scared. I often wonder if I’m making the right decision. I never thought I’d have bariatric surgery, I never thought I’d get this big. At the same time I’m tired of being miserable, which makes me want the surgery. I wish you the best of luck. I’ll definitely ask you how it went😊

No, I see my surgeon for the last time before surgery this Thursday. I can’t believe it’s almost here. I get what you mean about the co-worker thing. Mine aren’t exactly decent either. My sister-in-law went back to work one week after having gastric bypass. My surgeon told me that if I couldn’t get 2 weeks off from work, that I could go back to work in a week. If you’re not feeling your best, you could lie yet again and say that you contracted a virus in Mexico😋 Best of luck to you!!!

Hello everyone, I've heard and read that with the VSG one can expect to lose between 60-70% of their excess body weight. Anyone here who lost more than that? I'm hoping to lose 80-90% of my excess body weight, and was just wondering if any of you had any words of wisdom or advice on how you got to that point. Mind you I'm about 5' tall and weigh about 210 lbs., and will probably have the sleeve done in September. Thanks much.

Thank you for your support. I've been to physical therapy and didn't see any major results. I really am hoping that the weight loss will reduce the pain in my foot, and maybe then I can return to physical therapy. But I love what you said about improving in small bits. I have a recumbent bike at work, and I've made it up to 10 minutes a few times without pain, though most days I only do 5 minutes. But I only do this a couple of times a week, if that. However, even if I just do 5 minutes a day, then increase to 6 minutes the next week, and so on, it's at least something. It's SOME form of exercise. I haven't been taping my foot like I used to, so thank you for the reminder about that as well.

Hello everyone, I’m in need of some guidance and support. I’m looking to be sleeved in September. My surgeon has told me that unless I can do cardio 40 minutes 6 times a week within the first 3 months, my surgery may not be worth it. I have chronic foot pain and chronic plantar fasciitis, and even the recumbent bike flairs it up. I don’t know how to swim. I’m going to have to rely on chair exercises for a while. I’m hoping that the weight loss with help resolve my chronic foot pain, and that eventually I’ll be able to up my cardio. At any rate, I just wanted to know if any of you were able to lose weight without the regimen of 40 minutes of cardio my surgeon has prescribed. I’m worried that I won’t lose weight if I can’t exercise the way my surgeon wants me to.

Sorry, didn't realize you quoted me until just now. I plan to tell people that the initial weight I lost from the "hiatal hernia surgery" motivated me enough to start exercising, eat right, and work my butt off. Who knows, maybe down the road I'll just be honest and tell people I had the surgery done. It'd be nice to get to the point where I don't care at all what other people think. Best of luck to you. When do you have your surgery? Or did you already have it?

Hello everyone, Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my post. I guess one of my biggest concerns is the fact that for over 2 years I've had chronic pain in my left foot that doesn't allow me to do much. I don't know how to swim. I can go for a 10 minute walk or do about 10 minutes on the recumbent bike right now. I can also work out to some chair exercise videos, but that's about it. I'm hoping beyond hope that the weight loss from surgery will relieve the pain in my foot, allowing me to up my exercise/cardio. At the same time I'm scared that my foot won't heal, thus preventing me from losing the amount of weight that I want to. I've been to physical therapy, I have customized orthotics, and have received countless cortisone injections in my foot. Anyway, I was just wondering, how intensely did you all work out? Did you find that sticking to the proper diet was more effective for weight loss?

What do you attribute to your success?

Yay!!! Congratulations and best of luck to you.

How soon after surgery did you start exercising? How often were you exercising, and what kinds of exercises were you doing?