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One week and I will be on my way to Mexicali Bariatrics in Mexicali MX. May 13 surgery. Anyone going to this site?

Any one going or have gone to Mexicali? I went for a consultation with the doctor and barium swallow. Since I had the sleeve in 2016. The hospital was really nice. My surgery is May 13

I used Dr. Suggs with Alabama Bariatrics in Huntsville, AL. My cost was $8995 in total. Outside of that I had to cover my hotel stay and transportation there.

I am also in FLorida. I did mine at the baptist bariatric center in Jacksonville, FL. I got the sleeve. It was roughly $18,000. My insurance would not cover it. I thought about mexico. Wanted to get it done at the ENDO hospital and their cost is under 10K. but me i just wanted to be near my house when i got surgery and did not want to travel.

I did a taste test with samples from different protein powders and flavors this week in preparation for my pre-op diet (starting May 18) where I do 4 shakes a day with one "sensible" meal. Surprisingly delicious was Bariatric Advantage HPMR Banana flavor when it was ice cold. I also liked their chocolate flavor. I shook it up and let it sit for a bit and it thickened to a nice texture. Still need to try the cinnamon. Vanilla wasn't as nice but it was room temp, so I think that was a big factor. They have a "sample kit" of shake flavors that was a good purchase for me because I hate to commit to a whole bag/tub of protein and then realize the flavor is off. Unjury meal replacement shakes also has a sampler of flavors and unfortunately the texture is a little grainy for me. The flavors I tried were also a little sweet. But that may fit the needs of someone else. My WLS clinic sells Optifast products which are the yummiest shakes to me but unfortunately are individually packaged and $3/shake which is much more expensive than everything else. And only available via MD. Hope my taste testing and $$ spent can help someone else! Please share if you guys have tried anything good!

I agree with using all the other tools that helo those of us with weight loss surgery to include a nutritionist and a bariatric therapist. Sometimes I wonder how much of it is that and how much is the actual surgery since most of us do not do those two options until we are forced to in order to get the surgery. They are both VERY big components that contribute to success and they could help you without surgery as well.

Did either of you end up going to Renew? I’m thinking about going there would love some insight

I'm not sure if you will get any responses right now about Renew Bariatrics, but if you use the search tool here on BP you can find threads from the past, which might give you some insight about your topic... Best wishes. https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=renew bariatrics

I spoke to their coordinator and she is lovely! Certified docs. Etc etc. But when I googled Bariatrics in Tijuana a few deaths popped up but it didn't disclose which exact establishment. The coordinator advised it def wasn't their location but I'm still nervous bc anyone can say whatever they want lol

My bariatric center required a psychological evaluation before surgery and if you failed then you needed to take counseling classes until they feel you can get the surgery

Hi everyone! I'm a little late to the convo but am happy to meet some fellow June sleevers. My last pre-op appointment is June 6th, and my bariatric coordinator said the surgery would likely be 3-4 weeks after that (putting me at end end of June/first of July).

So i am in Florida. My insurance (any insurance from the Affordable care act) wont cover bariatric surgery here in Florida. So i ended up paying about $18-19,000 for my surgery at the Baptist Bariatric Center in Jacksonville, FL. Surgery went great. So far no issues. I thought about going to Mexico but i just wanted to be near home. If i would have done it in mexico i would have done it at Endohospital that is literally within walking distance from the border (but they pick you up and take you back) The Surgeon there is American trained at universities here. and this place only does sleeves. Beautiful location. here is a link to his youtube channel and a video of the facility. I think their rate is just around $10K.

Hi everyone! My surgery is projected to be in the first couple weeks of July (my last pre-op appointment is June 6th, and the coordinator of my bariatric center said the surgery is usually around a month later, barring limited issues with insurance). I currently live in Florida and am considering flying to Pittsburgh the week of Labor Day to attend a football game of my undergrad alma mater with friends and visit family. However, I’m hesitant to book the trip because I don’t know how I’ll feel 6-7 weeks after surgery. I know everyone is different but I would love to hear from you all about your recovery experiences. Would you have been able to fly, stay outside for 3+ hours, be social for a weekend (:D) approximately 2 months out? Thanks in advance!

Have you tried cauliflower rice? It is one of my favorite foods because I feel like I’m eating rice (which many bariatric patients do not tolerate well) but I’m actually eating vegetables. It’s also really quick and easy to prepare; I buy the frozen stuff and just dump some in a bowl and microwave it. FWIW, I am almost 2 years post op and I eat tons of raw vegetables without issue. I eat salads all the time and have a daily snack of raw carrots, celery, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and peppers (with Walden Farms ranch dressing as a dip).

So I’m almost to my surgery date for RNY. I’ve had a high normal or slightly higher than normal hemoglobin and hematocrit for years. This is due to overall metabolic/hormone issues associated with obesity/PCOS.  I’ve had the work ups and that is all it is. I’m ordering Vitamins and while they recommend Iron for all bypass patients I’m wondering if anyone has been in this situation where they were slightly high before and didn’t need replacement afterward? I don’t want to overuse it but don’t want to be anemic either. The recommend 45mg of iron standard and when I mentioned it to the bariatric nurse she said for sure get the iron. Just wondering if anyone had this same experience?

Thank you all for helping me- I will try all these ideas. I have been doing soup often too - it seems to feel better. I have bariatric chicken broth with added protein. I think it may be a thing with consistency. I have tried eggs-tuna-chicken-lean ground meat-Turkey lunch meat….and it was difficult….just a few bites. Maybe my stomach is still healing. I am managing to get my protein allotment but more through liquids. Perhaps my stomach is not ready for Phase 4 soon and believe me it not from lack of effort. I am so glad I have this forum and people who understand.

I really want to jump on the smoothie train with protein powder in it but I'm so terrible at making good smoothies. They always end up weird and fibrous. But I could give it a try - that might be the veggie boost I need. What are yalls favorite bariatric friendly smoothie recipes?

You’ve got this! I’m 67, 40 BMI, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, high cholesterol…I’m sure I’ve forgotten something. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I would love to lose 100 lbs and that is my goal. I didn’t think of this sooner, because I considered bariatric surgery something that 700 lb people did…not 220 lb people. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Who knew? I’m hoping for a surgery date of June 9th or after…I’ll be out of school by then. I see my surgeon for my results visit in 2 weeks. I had a lot of pre-procedure testing. My insurance company should have made a decision by that visit and I can get a surgery date. Today I started the liver shrinking diet per doctors orders. He wants me on it for 2 weeks when I see him so he can gauge my progress. I survived today with only one moment when I thought I would cave. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and there is food everywhere…but I did fine. Shakes, Greek yogurt, lettuce salad with broiled chicken for dinner. I’ve almost had my 64 Oz of water and I’m under 750 calories. I do well with structure so following these eating plans is good for me. Good luck to you and welcome!

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 💗

Thank you so much for the reply and sharing. Congratulations on your revision. How is your recovery going? How did you decide that the SASI is the best procedure for you? I am confused and don't know what procedure would be best for me. I have been going back and forth between the mini gastric bypass and the full gastric bypass. I reached out to Renew a few days ago , yes it seems like the intake prople do not know much about the procedures. Did you get to speak to your Dr. via a video call for a consultation? Does the staff at Renew speak English? Was ths hospital clean? Are you satisfied with the care they gave you at the hospital and the surgery the Surgeon performed on you? Thank you again for your input, I terrified going back to Mexico to new facility and new surgeon. I need to do all my do diligence before I make the final decision and book my surgery. People on this app can be a lot more helpful and honest than people on Facebook. Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

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.

I'm in Denver, too! I'm having mine with Dr John Weaver at the Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery!!

I am looking into renew too. Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm hearing a lot of people are having nausea with the bariatric vitamins. I wanted to share the BEST news. My surgeon recommended patch vitamins. He said the Patch Aid multivitamin for bariatric patients is all I need. I have been using them for a week and I feel great. No nausea at all! I wear one patch a day for about 8 hours and I have not experienced any side effects. The patches are less expensive than the chewable ones and a lot less of a hassle! The website is PatchAid.com. Give them I a try!

Yes! I’m on here as well as a support group for my surgeons office and additionally a Bariatric support group for where I actually live (my surgery is 3hrs away from home). So good to have a variety of resources!