Quesodip251

Have you moved up to full liquids yet? I was very weak on the clear liquid diet from a lack of calories.

He said the same amount was taken out as a sleeve patient. This was my first WLS. There is a charge for a revision-maybe an extra $500 or so. I only know bc a revision patient there told me. I have no idea why he chose it. I’d definitely try to get a consultation with a Dr. and don’t listen to the coordinators, lol

The mini will have one anastomosis (connection) vs 2 for RNY bypass which gives you less risk for complications of leaks and dumping syndrome. It’s also simpler and quicker procedure for the surgeons. The cost was the same for both where I’m at. I’d go with the mini if the price is the same, otherwise go with the cheaper one!

My recovery is great! I had bad acid reflux the first week but it’s all but cleared up now. I’ve received several emails on nutrition since then and reminders, etc. In your case, it won’t matter which of the MGB or RNY bypass you do since you already had the sleeve. The mini can cause more reflux with the remnant stomach backing up into the pouch, but since yours was removed with the sleeve you shouldn’t have that issue. Statistically there’s less risk of complications with the mini outside of that but for either procedure it is very low. My Dr. didn’t tell me he was doing the mini until afterwards. There’s a lot of communication breakdown there but it’s not like they screwed up the surgery or anything. Be very careful with that. The coordinators don’t know anything about the procedures more than we do via google. The renew staff does speak English but they’re a parent co so you won’t necessarily see them 24/7 like you do the nurses. My stomach was partially removed (which makes it a SASI) to decrease ghrelin levels and reduce reflux risk since I already had GERD. They use CER hospital, which is only 7 years old and pretty nice. My bathroom there is nicer than the one back home! One family member/friend is allowed to come with you and stay the night at no charge and if you choose so you get a “suite” which gives an extra space and bed for said friend. The doctors there all speak English well but the nurses speak only a little so google translate helped a lot, lol. Some of the nursing practices are a little dated but I fixed anything that seemed off (I’m an RN). They were very attentive with wound care though I will say. As far as cleanliness goes, it’s the cleanest hospital I’ve ever seen! Sheets, towels, trash, etc are changed daily. I didn’t even use all of my towels bc I didn’t need that many. One week of meds for after surgery is given to you at no charge which is nice. Getting to know the other people in your cohort was the coolest part bc you all go through it together and support each other! I didn’t receive a video/Skype call from the Dr. beforehand but if you request it I’m sure they could do it. All bariatric procedures are done in the afternoons so he’s free in the mornings (cosmetic procedures are done in the AM). 1 night stay at The real inn hotel is part of your charge and it’s really nice and modern. I actually got mine for free bc one of the coordinators wrote down that I was waiving the hotel for the optional $100 reduction when I wasn’t, so they charged me $100 less but ended up comping the room anyway for me (I told you the coordinators don’t know what they’re doing.) I do wish there was better communication before the procedure so if you can get a Skype call with the doctor beforehand that would be great as communication is the main problem there. If you can get Dr. Green (you better book wayy ahead) then go for it bc everyone loves him. He even takes pics of the sleeve patients’ stomachs and gives them a copy, lol. Sometimes I wish I had him! I’m a lower bmi patient like you-my bmi was 31 when I signed up. I was the smallest one there but no one cared. Overall, it’s a good experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat 💗

Only I didn’t know any of this until the day after surgery. That was the issue. He never talked to me about the procedure until after the surgery even though specifically requested it. By the time of surgery I had forgotten about it. I hope no one treats drs as Gods. I work with them daily and tell them what to do most of the time, lol.

Yeah, if they had just told me ahead of time would’ve been happy as I get less reflux, less ghrelin hormone, and a decreased risk of gastric cancer now. I’d still do it all over again I’d just bypass the coordinators who don’t know what’s going on!

I used Dr. Armenta with Renew Bariatrics in Tijuana. He’s a hottie, I ain’t gonna lie. A lot of people use Dr. Green there but he’s so popular that he’s booked up 2-3 months out. Mine was a week ago so can’t comment yet on results. I had the SASI (mini gastric bypass plus sleeve removal) Cost was $5600 but is $5800 now. Make sure you ask tons of questions of the surgeon bc the coordinators don’t know what’s going on. It was all Americans in my cohort. The hospital policy is 30+ bmi but I’m not sure if they would make an exception for a revision. Worst case scenario is you could gain 10 lbs and then have it.

First off, take a deep breath in and out. You’re still early on in your journey. A couple more weeks and you’ll be able to eat whatever you want again just in moderation (like we’re supposed to eat). This will pass. Change is hard. Many of us are able to lose weight on our own but that’s not what the surgery is about. It’s about “maintaining” it and removing the potential for many health comorbidities that could kill us without early intervention. Heck, I got down to a size 2 on my own but couldn’t maintain it and gained it all back plus some. God gives us blessings in ways that we won’t know until the future but it’s all apart of his plan. My own father had WLS but didn’t follow the rules and gained it all back and passed away of a heart attack a few years later. Don’t let these temporary early weeks push you off the bandwagon. You only have one life to live. It will get easier I promise! With love, Quesodip251

Apparently they don’t do it often in America so it works out that I went abroad! My insurance co won’t cover the mini gastric bypass itself nonetheless an updated version of it. We’re behind the times 😆

Update: I went back and forth with one of my surgeon’s coordinators today and I had the Single Anastomosis Gastric bypass (aka mini gastric bypass) plus the gastric sleeve which together is the literal definition of the SASI procedure, so it appears that’s the name for it!

My reflux is getting better by the day! My gums aren’t bleeding anymore.

I went back to work 2 weeks after having my child. But I was 22 years old and broke lol

I was self pay GB in Mexico. Was $5600 plus a $399 flight vs $26k locally. As acopas said, a passport isn’t required in Tijuana as it’s a border town within the 20km limit. Only birth certificate and DL is required. It’s mostly Americans there too.

I’m also an ICU nurse and also off for 10 days! I’m only missing 3 days total though due to how I lined it up.

I’m having a lot of bloating as well but I know some of it is constipation. I’m taking Miralax now and my body still is not giving it up lol

It’s good to hear you’re doing well!

My surgeon also prescribed a gel antacid called Magaldrato Dimeticona that I started mixing in my drink. Hopefully it helps

It’s cheaper for me to buy the prescription version at 40mg than OTC at 20mg. I think it’s $5/month for me. I’m blessed to have good insurance.

The surgeon never came by to talk to me about surgery at all-that’s the issue. I told the nurse beforehand that this isn’t appropriate informed consent procedure and she grabbed a different doctor who said the surgeon would be by to talk to me about it but never did

I’m a nurse, so am well versed in these drugs. As everyone else has said, Nexium is Esomeprazole. I tried it in the past but it didn’t help. All PPIs end in -azole so they sound similar. Omeprazole (Prilosec) is the gold standard-I’ve been taking 40mg daily for years. I either temporarily need a higher dose or something stronger. My old GI mentioned there’s something stronger but didn’t say what it was-possibly an anti-ulcer medication.

Aww! Thank you sweetie!

I’ll let y’all know when I hear something. The SASI one sounds like the best technical description for what was done. I’m off to bed. Goodnight everyone!

They gave me Omeprazole, which I already take daily anyway

My acid reflux is bad still from surgery but otherwise I’m doing a lot better! Not much appetite at all