back from Mexicali (sorry...long!)

[shrinkinggrl 0]

posting the same in both this forum and obesity help:

Surgery went fine, though I was not one of the lucky people who had no pain and easily walked to the pharmacy and back, etc.

Recap:

I drove in to Calexico w/ a friend. The Mexicali Bariatric Center's driver was supposed to pick us up just before crossing the border and forgot. So there we are at 1:45 p.m. waiting and waiting (he was supposed to be there at 1p). We got upset and confused and scared, so we decided to call the hospital. We kept dialing and all we got was "Thank you. Press 1 to return to the main menu" over and over in a loop. And here I am looking like an A %S%S to my friend after assuring her everything was all researched and in place. So we took a taxi across not knowing what else to do and got raped for $40 US for the 5 minute ride.

When Sergio came out to get me and asked how I was, I burst into tears and blabbered out about the taxi and feeling taken advantage of and why the hell didn't their stupid driver pick us up?!!!:001_wub:

They were VERY apologetic. Turns out the driver was chatting up all the San Diego airport people and just plain forgot us. He dropped them at the hospital and went back for us, but of course we had already left.

So now I am having all sorts of 2nd thoughts and very nearly called the whole thing off thinking if they can't even do a simple thing like remember to pick someone up at the border, what the heck else would they be forgetting?

But Sergio was just way too nice and apologetic and soothing. Testing went fine and when the driver arrived to take us to the hotel he was quite sheepish, hat in hand. "I'm thinking you don't even want to see me right now," he said with such chagrin that I was unable to stay angry. :thumbup1: Of course, it didn't hurt that the bariatric center kindly gave me the $40 US taxi fare back to make up for the mistake.

I was somewhat bummed out that I was last in line for surgery. I'm not sure why or how they make those decisions, but I was. It gave me all that much more time to ask what the heck I was about to do to myself.

But by the time they gave me the happy stuff I was ok. I remember a woman wrapping my legs up for the surgery and them poking me for the IV. After that I don't remember anything until waking up again. They were amused because up until then I was too rattled by the whole taxi thing to remember any spanish but started asking groggy questions in spanish:

Que es el tiempo? Donde esta mi amiga? Dios mio...Tengo dolor!!!!! Me duele. Me duele.

Hee hee.

They gave me pain meds...probably to shut me up. And then they made me lift my legs and all that. They took me back to my room. Scooting into bed sucked royally. And the bed sucked royally. I don't think I slept two hours from the night before surgery until Tuesday night. My friend left to spend Tues and Wed in San Diego....I gave her my blessing on that because I knew she'd be bored and I was able to trust the hands I was in again. So I took the sofa around the middle of the night Tuesday and kept on for Wednesday. I just had way too much trouble getting out of bed.

I am puzzled because NO ONE came to check on me the first night at all. I'm accustomed to several temp/bp checks in the night and I was definitely not asleep....yet no one came. I had no way to call for the nurse....no cord and the button on the bed that I thought was for the nurse bruoght no one. But I am a take charge sort of person so I managed to get out of bed although the resulting pain was atrocious. And I shuffled up and down the halls and breathed into the little thingy without anyone telling me to do so.

Dr Aceves and Dr Campos visisted several times a day just as people have said. Dr Aceves always happened to catch me in bed so he was careful to ask if I was walking. In some cases I had just finished a walk and told him so.

It wasn't until the drain came out that I turned the corner and started REALLY feeling better. Now that I am home I am sure the improvements will continue. I just walked to the mailbox and back, and it is some distance down the street from my house. I am worried that I am not getting enough nutrients and am dismayed to see the "fluids gain" that everyone talks about.

But all in all I do not regret the trip to Mexico. And though I may have made it sound otherwise, I do feel I was in competent hands once I got to the hospital. Despite everythng I am considering going back there in 3months for the follow up. We'll see.

[DougNichols 124]

Wow I can't believe that nobody came to check on you. Great story, thanks for sharing!

[peatie 4]

I'm sorry to hear they dropped the ball in picking you up. I'd feel exactly the same way too! It sounds like you're moving along as expected tho and I wish you a quick healing to make up for a lousy start. :thumbup1:

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

Hey,

Maybe we can go together for our 3 month check!

gg

[shrinkinggrl 0]

gg

hee hee. that would be fun! Not sure when exactly I can even go... i have very little vacation time left for the year. yargh

[mp8btpc 33]

Shrink,

Sorry for the rough start I know it is unnerving either way to be going for surgery in a foreign country then the added stress always makes it feel even more foreign. I am glad your home and in your own space and whatever you are feeling right now will get better by leaps and bounds very soon. Your going to do great just take it day by day and realize that everyone has the ups and downs....the scale downs will make it all worth it and things will normalize!

[Mary Gordon 3]

in the end all went well, so that's what is important....good to hear you're doing well and you sound happy as well. best of luck.