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June 24th 2007 I checked into the Mexico? Well My insurance would not pay for the VSG, called it experimental and after considering the RNY I was just not comfortable with the procedure, especially the various complications associated with it. I was convinced the VSG was for me and was even willing to pay the 17K the LAPSF doctors were asking for. Problem was I would have to wait, I began to investigate Tijuana was drivable from my home (about 6 hours) and I liked all of the recovery time in his clinic, time to figure out that everything was ok. It all made sense to me. I have the procedure, goes fine. The night before I am to leave (about my 5th day there) Dr. H gives me all my meds to take home...he runs to the pharmacy that evening to pick them up. liquid Pain meds, check...Liquid Antibiotic, check....Liquid Gas meds...negative, he hands me a capsule and tells me to dissolve it all in my mouth...what? Ok so I make my great attempt to let it dissolve, swallow down some extra Water and then experience the most excruciating pain of my life. Doctor gets the morphine (which they do not use in sleep a few days before the promised test. I had been praying, reading my bible faithfully and trying to hear from the Lord. I finally heard Him loud and clear..."If Dr. H does not give you the test he promised, you need to leave and go to San Diego." The day arrives and I am told by him that we need to wait. He is afraid to do the X Ray in case it opens up the leak. That was it, I told him I was leaving. He was upset, he tried to convince me to stay (as if going to San Diego was the worst medical decision I could have made). He even sends in his office girls to try to convince me to stay and let him take care of me. His once gracious and beautiful wife glares at me when she sees me. He even calls my husband and tries to have him talk me out of leaving! His driver takes me to San Diego, Scripps Mercy Hillcrest. On the way out of Fluid in my abdomen. I am told the surgeon on call is the best in the hospital (he also was the Chief of Surgery and a Bariatric surgeon_ Dr. George Zorn became my LIFESAVER). They give me Morphine I am knocked out and do not even wake up before surgery. The Results: I am septic....this is an infection combined with lowered blood pressure...this will kill you. They open me up (I have a 7 inch scar down my abdomen), and remove TWO LITERS of puss out of my abdomen. The surgeon said once he opened me up I had a 50/50 chance of living. It is like removing spaghetti sauce from noodles. I am in the ICU for three and a half weeks fighting for my life. I am kept in a coma like state, sedated to keep me from removing all the tubes and given amnesiacs so I will not remember the Hell I went through. My family and friends live 6 hours away, they come down over those weeks to see me, hold my hand, pray for me. I remember none of it. My husband runs his business during the day, church members watch our kids and at night he plays mom and dad. Weekends come he comes down to be by my side. I am in the woods for about two weeks till my temperature finally begins to lower and the five anti-biotics continually pumped into me begin to fight the infection effectively. I was intubated for two weeks, and then they put a trach in me, otherwise I would damage my vocal cords. They begin to wake me up and I find out what has happened to me. I am one blessed woman to have made it through. The nurses and doctors continually tell me they are amazed that I made it, I must have a strong will to live, No I have a God who decided it was not time for my children to be without a mother, and I have people praying for me all over the country and the world. I spend the next week and a half trying to get my strength up to be able to go home. It feels like five trucks have run over me. Everything is difficult and the leak is still there. They said it was an inch and a half long and would not close with sutures. It was at the top of my stomach. The pill did not cause the leak, but probably irritated it thus causing all the pain that led us to finding out that I had the leak. The surgeon assured me the leak could have happened anywhere, it was how they handled that was wrong. They should have not done endoscopy, that puts air in the stomach and probably made that tiny hole much larger, and they should have NEVER REMOVED THE DRAIN. The drain is what keeps the infection from becoming so bad (draining out the puss and stomach fluids). They sent me home with a feeding tube, a drain in my side and the abdominal incision still healing from the inside out. Nothing to eat or drink. Basically I was on a three month fast! At home I could be with my children, but even that was difficult. I was exhausted. Showering made me tired. My niece came to take care of me and my children, I needed the help. It was a tough time but I made it through. The drainage tube then lodged itself into my stomach...a mixed blessing because that meant it need to be removed and I could begin eating, even with the leak not completely healed. Dr. Zorn said it would close up eventually and the tube from the drain created a tunnel that the fluid from my stomach would travel out of until it eventually closed. September 12, 2007 or so I went back to SD, he took out the tube and the site did not completely heal till about the beginning of December. Five months for the whole thing to heal. It is now the beginning of January 2008 and I feel just about normal...they told me It would take a full six months to get back to normal. I was also told that IF I HAD STAYED ONE MORE DAY IN Mexico, I WOULD HAVE DIED. I don't think they were exaggerating. I never received one phone call from Dr. Huacuz to see how I was doing. We called him recently to tell him all about it, he minimized everything we shared with him. If you are considering him for surgery please reconsider. He does his surgeries in the evenings after working at another hospital all day long. This defies conventional wisdom. Wouldn't you rather your surgeon be fresh from a good nights sleep? I saw him go into surgery about six at night and then perform five lap bands. Another guy went into surgery at about nine at night and had a lap band removed, the VSG done and several hernias repaired. He was in surgery for about six or seven hours! It was two in the morning before they came out, all these people had worked the entire day before. Is this safe medicine? You be the judge. June 2, 2009 - It has been almost two years since this has happened. Upon posting this story on my Obesity Help profile page I received a TON of response. Mostly supportive. I also received a lot of backlash from former patients, specifically patient coordinators of Dr. Huacuz. This man is extremely dangerous. He has further ruined the lives of several other patients, including the most recent death of a loved husband and father. This man has no business performing ANY medical procedures on people. If you count up the number of complications that I alone know about that have taken place in a matter of two years, practicing part-time in his own clinic, I am sure his complication rate far exceeds the common 1-2% of most surgeons. It probably looks more like 20-30%. If you are considering Dr. Huacuz or know someone who is please I BEG YOU ...DO NOT ALLOW THIS BUTCHER TO PERFORM SURGERY ON YOU. It is not worth the chance you are taking, there are plenty of other good surgeons in Mexico, don't risk your health or your life with this man. I am warning you, he is a VERY charming man and he has blinded many with his good looks and warm nature, he is a snake in the grass...be cautious PLEASE! Please feel free to contact me with any questions...for the record I am doing fine now but I do deal with terrible scar tissue from the major Laparatomy that I had to save my life. This is painful and I deal with pain on a daily basis. I am getting ready to have a Hysterectomy and my doctor and I will have a chance to see what kind of mess there is in my abdomen with adhesions probably attatched to my bowel. Manwhile I am happy and have enjoyed my second lease on life...you never know what may happen, only one life to live WOW HOW SAD

Hi, I'm McButterpants and I'm a coffeeholic. I was self-pay, so I have a surgeon and what I call my local doc that is a bariatric surgeon that is providing my aftercare. The two are polar opposites when it came to reintroduction to food - the local doc being much more conservative than the surgeon. My surgeon required me to be caffeine free when he operated. I struggled with caffeine withdrawal, but go thru it and 2 weeks before surgery I was caffeine free. My local doc said no caffeine for 2 months, then we would address it. The reasons she gave me for no caffeine directly after surgery is the diuretic affect of the coffee, so you can get dehydrated quickly - a real issue right after surgery. Also the acid on caffeinated coffee can upset your new tummy. I honestly had one cup of real coffee per week before my two months was up - coffee helped me with some mild constipation and it always worked when other things didn't. At my two month meeting with the local doc she approved ONE cup of real coffee per day and made me pinkie promise to not go back to my old habit of 3-4 cups per day. It was a good compromise. Most days I only have one cup of real coffee. Best of luck you to you my fellow coffee-lover! Bean on.

I used Acadiana Bariatrics in Lafayette. Dr Gachassin very good, very caring personality. My surgery was at Lafayette General Hospital.

This might be late information to this thread, but hopefully it will help someone in the future. If you're from Ontario, Canada you can check out all the information at http://www.ontariobariatricnetwork.ca Just have to get your doctor to refer you into the registry, then you'll get a letter in the mail about 1-2months later telling you when your orientation date is... from there you're on your journey! There are bariatric centres in Hamilton, Toronto, Guelph, and Ottawa that you can have the surgery at. The bypass & sleeve surgeries are both covered by OHIP!! So rejoice!! I sure am!! :purplebananna: :not_ripe: There's a and shares some of the out of pocket expenses she had, so this might help you as well when saving money for this surgery. Hope this helps my fellow Ontarians! :cornut:

Thanks for replying, RDK and all the rest. I'm not Orthodox, but I do keep glatt kosher (I'm not shomer). I also did a huge amount of research before I was banded to find good tasting kosher certified Protein powder and vitamins. As RDK says, they are clearly available, but not in many of the sites that the bariatric centers guide patients to. Also, there are places to purchase these things online where they will send you samples much of the time. That is how I knew I would be able to enjoy my protein "shakes." My sister, who had gastric bypass, has found that there aren't any protein powders she can take, but I want her to try mine. I can't drink milk or use soy products. I found a kosher certified powder that is whey protein but lactose free, and I use rice milk with it. (chocolate - Yummy!) I did ok during the HH this year. I get my fills on Thursdays, and only passed on challah once (I don't consult a Rabbi on this, sorry). I'm pretty good at liquifying challah in my mouth, even on the second day after a fill. Growing up my Orthodox rabbi, who was very well known, always told us that if you couldn't fulfill a mitzvah or law because of a health issue, that your health came first. I take that to heart. I consulted with my doctors about fasting on YK, and they asked me to stay hydrated. I didn't have to have my protein or vitamins for the day. I only sipped Water two or three times during the entire day and only when I felt I was truly dehydrated. This year I was in bed with a heavy head cold and fever during YK, so that probably helped. Has anyone started to think about what to do during Pesach? I know I can go a couple days without the protein, but don't yet know whether I will be able to eat enough to get sufficient protein for the full eight days. Now THAT is a concern for me. I can live without a Vitamin or Calcium supplement for a week, but am not yet sure about the protein. I may be anticipating a problem that doesn't exist, but it is something I'm thinking about now, well ahead of time so that I can plan what to do. Especially because I follow Ashkenazi tradition for foods I can eat. I'm really enjoying this process overall. I hope everyone has a wonderful Shabbat and a successful outcome with your bands. B'shalom,

I attended our bariatric support group today and we had a guest speaker talk about ways to relieve stress in under 5 minutes, including: Relaxed Breathing. (See Exercise #2 here: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html) Creating. Laughing. Being still/meditating. Unplugging. Saying "No". What are some easy ways that you relieve stress on a daily basis?

I woke up in a grouchy mood this morning. Thought you were trying to stir up some trouble :-) We normally delete all topics that are posted for testing purposes. Your definition of innocuous is definitely different that mine lol. I was cleaning up threads that went off topic. I hope so as well. You are very welcome! Gasp! I TOLD you I am behaving! So much so, it's snore city. As for clearing threads that go off topic? Really? Isn't that the nature of forums? Discussion rather that point blank question/answer? I'm sorry to hear that, seriously. Discussion is what builds community and fosters relationship. Otherwise, it's just a bariatric web not-md. Kisses! Go back to bed and get up on the OTHER side. It's all groovy.

you know you are a bariatric patient when you look at a "normal" plate of food and calculate how many meals this will be for you !

I have the same reaction to Tylenol 3 and Tylenol 4 - my bariatric surgeon chalks it up to an increased sensitivity to Tylenol. What about straight hydrocodone or oxycodone, or even dilaudid or morphine? I'm not sure what the culprit in Tramadol is, as I take it PRN for herniated discs and a shoulder injury and have had no issues with it. Does it help to "sandwich" pills in some cheese or yogurt? Take a bite of the food and swallow, take the pill, then take another bite. I did that in the past while taking anti-depressants, since they can cause minor stomach irritation and I have had problems with ulcers (TWO emergency perforations; and two ulcers in between - I have bi-annual EGDs to keep track of them, and am on lifetime prescriptions of Protonix and Carafate).

Don't know if you posted in the wrong section or not... But I going to do the same thing because I am getting tired of all the runaround through my insurance company. It looks like one year before I am qualified to have the surgery. I have been thinking of doing bariatric surgery most of my adult life. I don't think I need to see a psychiatrist you tell me I'm mad, I don't need to see a dietitian tell me I don't eat right. So I am skipping the bureaucracy and doing this on my own. I just need some (a lot) guidance. I hope this is the place.

Keilsnikof besides my husband, my 5 silblings all live in different states 2 years ago on Thanksgiving we all got to together i told each one seperately my news noing my weight "issues" over the past many years, - they all were very happy for me after WLS and people were seeing "less and less" of me - they started asking how i lost the weight the first time my neighbor asked me, i replied i was eating better, healthier excersizing et al by the time i fininshed the sentence i found myself telling her - "oh, i also has bariatric surgery" she responded in the positive she then proceeded to ask me about the surgery from then on, i immediately told people i had bariatric surgery it was a load of my shoulders that i was being open I was lucky that i never heard any negative responses kathy

I decided in the very beginning that I was going to be very open about what I was doing. I've always had a personal philosophy that it's usually better to be open about things (assuming you are the kind of person that can handle any negativity that decision might bring... it's definitely not the right decision for everyone) because you never know who might be struggling with the same problem and feel like some kind of freak or need someone to talk to about it and not know where to go. Being open about my surgery is already paying off in big ways, in my opinion. Benefitting myself in that I've been having some challenges, and it's much easier to miss work to deal with them since my boss and coworkers know exactly what's going on. There is no chatter in the background that I'm somehow taking advantage of our leave or FMLA policies. More importantly, though, the other day, a friend at work brought another one of our coworkers down to me to talk about what she's going through as she's trying to navigate all the decisions she needs to make as she decides to have bariatric surgery. I was really pleased that I was able to provide help and camaraderie to someone else that is going through this. I feel that being open about it was just the right decision for me, and it feels good that my being open might help someone else.

I have read on this forum from numerous people that the Protein powders are awful and they just have to choke them down. I got a sample packet from my bariatric surgeon's office and I have to say...it is GOOD!!! It is chocolate Splendor and is rather tasty! Now, with that said, many people have said that what you can tolerate before surgery may not be the case after surgery. So I am wondering what do I do to prepare for after surgery? Should I go ahead and buy the product now or wait?

Hi everyone! I just started a NEW Youtube Channel for Bariatric Beauty and Fashion Tips and Tricks. I'm a professional makeup artist with 17 years experience in the industry and also a Gastric Bypass 10 year post op! Let me know if you're interested in other videos!!

She has returned my calls but it does take awhile and I am antsy and excited to get it done and over with as well LOL!!!! I think we will be in good hands and I have done a lot of research on Dr. Tom and I'm pretty satisfied with blossom bariatric, the scoop was better at blossom than was at the last place I went. However, I understand the concern of wanting to be in the best of hands!!!!! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

My paperwork should be submitted to BCBS any day now. Waiting on my Bariatric coordinator.

Although I agree insurance companies try to save money, I completely and respectfully disagree with this statement. Some people have physical and mental issues which prevent them from ever being good candidates for bariatric surgery. The process is in place to make sure the right people are chosen, and to provide those people with the tools necessary to be successful long term.

How did you decide on a surgeon in Mexico? I went to the site to verify certifications and a lot of doctors I see reviews on and whose website says they are board certified are not even on the list of Mexican board certified surgeons. Only one of my top 3 were actually board certified in bariatric surgery. There are 88 bariatric board certified surgeons in Mexico and I only recognized maybe 4 names on that list from reading reviews and watching youtube. So I was curious what made you choose the surgeon you chose? I am still undecided but have strong contender.

Hi everyone! I am so excited and scared at the same time. I am sure I am among the thousands who feel this way. I started my journey 1 1/2 years ago with aquiring and insurer who would pay for bariatric surgery. I talked with the people at Bariatric Treatment Centers and they told me BCBS would be the best insurance for me to get. So I did. I had to wait a minimum of 6 months before doing anything. So I did. I went to my evaluation, meeting and consultation. They told me I was in. Then I broke my ankle in 3 places and was a mess. On top of being a single mom with a house hold of animals and a full time job I now was barely able to get around even on crutches. My one year anniversary is 2/19 of my slip and fall. I needed to recover from that to go forward with the surgery. Then 2 months later when I was feeling better but still in a cast I recieved a letter stating they were no longer excepting my insurance. Well I was extremely dissappionted but wondered if it was meant to be that I did not have surgery. So I kind of forgot about the idea. Thinking about it but realizing maybe my life was at risk if I did it. I met a nice lady who had the lap band surgery in November 2003 who had the lap band surgery and had lost 111 lbs. in a little over a year. She told me it was a much lower risk and less time in recovery and reversible if I didn't like it. I had looked online in the past about this surgery and liked that it was done laproscopic but had not done much about it. Feeling like I could do it on my own. But I am and have been unsuccessful in removing the unwanted pounds for years. The more I diet the more I eventually gain. So I went to the seminar about 10 days ago and did my phyc evaluation before the seminar and yesterday took care of consultation, blookwork, insurance and I am scheduled for surgery Monday 2/2/2004. I am so excited. Please wish me luck and I so hope to join the ranks of all of your success stories! Terri

I would definitely consider Mexico. Tijuanna has a top notch facility dedicated to bariatric and plastic surgery only. Just remember if you have a complication like with your gallbladder for example, you might have to return. Although your insurance here will likely cover gallbladder stones. Mexico is a great choice.

I was given a manual created by the team at my Bariatric Care Center in our local hospital that spells it all out... Every stage of eating. There is a RD as part of this team and I take her advice over the office nurses, who don't have degrees in nutrition and give conflicting advice. For instance, Nurse said I could take all 4 Vitamins at once. Nutritionist said to take 2 in am and 2 in pm to get full absorption. See what I mean? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

I liked the idea of dumping too, but it really doesn't happen for me. I can overeat (slightly, I still have a pouch after all!) sugar and carbs, and while I don't feel great, I wouldn't call it dumping. But I'm not that disappointed, although I do need to be more responsible for my eating now that I'm two weeks away from being two years out. It can be a struggle, but when I get back to basics, it's much easier! I have to be honest and say I have been far from perfect and even had weight gain. I'm learning a lot more about why I eat, things I'd never considered before. I admit this is something I've been working on for 30+ years but hey, I'm a slow learner!! And yes, I know I should have done that pre surgery, but I thought I had. Then I had to go back to work after a year of not working (nine months after surgery, and at my goal weight) and it took me a year of being back at work to realize how the compulsive urge to binge is directly related to work stress. Stick with the basics for as long as you can, and if you ever stray or have regain, just get back to basics again. Most importantly, no liquids with meals or 30 minutes before or after (or at least 15 minutes), meet your protein and liquid goals (whatever yours may be) and eat your protein first. That's the rest of your life. I might not be the right person to answer this because I'm still taking two steps forward, one step back getting back on track, but I do know the rules, even if I don't always follow them!! Bottom line? You absolutely have to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. I wouldn't recommend following my path but if you do, don't beat yourself up. Just pick yourself up, and get back to basics asap. And stay plugged in to groups. Socialize with other bariatric patients, in all stages of the journey. You can do this!!

There are vitamins called bariatric choice at a store call Sprouts (I'm not sure where you live). They are specifically made for people that have bariatric surgery. It's a chewable multivitamin, and it doesn't taste half bad. They are also available online through Walgreens.

I personally did not find that any of the three nutritionists I consulted with offered anything I didn't already know. They were mostly coming at the consultations from a background of consulting with diabetic patients. Although one was more intelligent than the other two, I didn't think they were very well prepared to work with bariatric patients. The best nutritional advice I've received has been from my surgeon's physician's assistant who is extremely well educated about all things bariatric. Her best advice was not to eat so little during the weight-losing phases that I wound up having to eat very little to maintain my weight long-term. She was right -- I now average 1,800 calories/day to maintain my weight of 135 pounds. Ultimately, you have to learn a LOT about nutrition (macronutrients, calories, Vitamins and minerals, trace elements, etc. to learn how to feed yourself. For me, this has been one of the best things I've done to sustain my health long-term.

Drink tons of water since you are already prone to problems. After your body adjusts to . . . . renewed activity, you will probably be less likely to keep having problems.