My Sleeve With Dr. Lopez In Tj @ Mi Doctor, Booked Through Alighterme... And Complications.

[Amber'sJourney 14]

I didn’t think it would take me so long to sit down and write out my experience/review, but here it is finally! I am currently 4 weeks out. I began my pre op at 216 and on the day of surgery weighed 206. I am now 188. So at 4 weeks I have lost a total of 28 lbs. I think I would have lost more if not for my complications. Yes, I said the “C” word!

After researching Dr. Lopez and Dr. Osuna, I decided to go with them. I could not find any negative reviews. I confirmed that they were both Mexico Board Certified Surgeons. I reviewed multiple forums for complaints, complications and results. I was confident in my choice.

I scheduled with A lighter Me, they were having a ‘special’ and I paid 4500. I spoke with Ronda and then later after booking, Janese. I’ve always received a timely reply.

I chose to go to Mi Doctor Hospital as it was the main hospital Dr. Lopez does surgery at in Tijiuana. The other option was INT which was also 500 dollars more. Mi Doctor is a Bariatric Hospital, but it has a lab, blood bank and 2 OR’s and a small ICU. They have a cardiologist as well. Mi Doctor hospital is about 2 years old. The 3rd floor is where all the patient rooms are and the OR.

The morning of my flight, I received a phone call from Abraham (Driver and host with a lighterme.) He confirmed my flight information, asked me to save his phone number and gave me a description of the van and asked me to call him after landing. It was comforting to not have to worry about pick up!

I flew out with my sister and we arrived late in San Diego, Abraham was there to pick us up and he was pleasant and friendly. The drive was less than 30 minutes to cross the border (no stopping), and to get to the Hotel. We got checked in and were given instructions for pick up in the morning to go to the Hospital.

The morning of the surgery I was nervous... Abraham picked up my sister and I at the Hotel and off to Mi Doctor we went. Abraham stayed with us until I was all checked in. Upon checking in at the Hospital, they took blood work for labs, I received an EKG and met with 4 different Drs. The hospitalist, the anesthesiologist, Dr. Lopez, and the assistant surgeon Dr. Ortiz. Each Doctor went over my personal history and the procedure. I found Dr. Lopez to be intelligent and sincere. His english may not be completely fluent, but he did have a translator present to help with any language issues. I felt very comfortable going through with the surgery. NOTE: I do have lots of medication allergies and they did not give me any type of allergy Bracelet like they do here.

I would like to point out that Dr. Osuna was not there. Another surgeon Dr. Ortiz was there to be Dr. Lopez’s assistant for my procedure. I did not fully research Dr. Ortiz as Aligherme had told me clearly that Dr. Osuna was going to be my surgeon along side Dr. Lopez. Dr. Ortiz’s name was never mentioned to me.

I was the ONLY surgery of the day and was very pleased about that. I was rolled back to OR, sat on the table and I remember lying down and then its gets hazy... next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. Yes, I was in pain, but the good news is that by the time I was in my room I was no longer in pain, but I could remember having been in pain.

I almost immediately got up for a walk to help with the gas pains. I would describe the gas pain as severe discomfort and pressure on my chest. But I wouldn’t really say that it is true PAIN. My sister was there with me to walk the hall alongside me and I was still groggy from the OR so that was a good thing. Throughout the time in the hospital I never had to call for a nurse. They were often in my room injecting my IV with meds. I can’t tell you what they were because of the translation of meds etc. They would just tell me its for pain and nausea. Btw I never felt any nausea. They would offer something ‘to help you sleep’ which I was hesitant about because I didn’t want any sleeping medication. But after some effort I realized it was a liquid muscle relaxer, which I had no problem taking. I mentioned earlier having allergies. They are all to antibiotics. No life threatening side affects though. I was given one of the meds I was allergic to. I mentioned several times my allergies. Of course the name of the med was in spanish but on the second day I looked at it and realized the name was very similar to one of my allergies. They unhooked it immediately. (IV antibiotics.) At discharge I was given oral antibiotics as well. And yes the same med that I am allergic to. I brought it to Eduardo’s attention and he made some calls. Dr. Ortiz brought me the correct medication before I left. I was also given a ‘goodie bag’. Chapstick, Maalox, Antibiotics, chest xray CD, gatorade, Water etc.

On the table they do a leak test before you ever leave the OR. It’s a purple dye and I hear that some people throw it up in recovery, but I did not. Later, I was given blue barium to drink, this is another leak test. I drank it, no it wasn’t yummy but it could have been worse. If the blue dye goes into your drain, then its a sign of a leak. No blue in my drain Next I was given a chest xray. They wheeled me to the testing area and then I stood up between the xray machine and was given a clear liquid to drink which I found extremely gross. I could see on the xray my new stomach- it was tiny! No leaks.

My sister was a trooper during the 2 days in the hospital. She brought books, but there was of course a TV in our room and wifi. I was able to Skype with my family back home! My husband called several times a day on the 1-800 number. No, my cell did not work there. I was glad I did not go alone, but if you do, you’ll be just fine. We visited with other patients and never felt really alone.

After 2 nights in the Hospital we went back to the Hotel (Marriot), which was lovely, clean and I can’t say enough about how comfy the bed and pillows were! Of course there was wifi and a 1-800 number so that my husband could continue to call me and I skyped there as well. You are given 2 bottled waters, 3 bowls of chicken broth and 2 popsicles per day which is plenty. They had watermelon popsicles when I was there... and they were... gross. I don’t recommend those! My sister ate at the hotel some very yummy looking food! I loved the chicken broth, it was flavorful.

Once we were at the hotel Eduardo took us shopping with some other patients to local souvenir areas. Had fun but definitely overpaid on some things. I just didn’t have quite enough energy to worry about that, I just wanted to get a few souvenirs for my family. I sipped on Gatorade through the day and water. He also took us to a restaurant and I had some beef broth and my sister had yummy cheesy looking enchiladas.

On the second day at the hotel my sister and I went to the local shopping plaza (this time it was Abraham’s turn to take the patients shopping but we didn’t want to go to the same place a second day. He dropped us off at the Plaza.) And again I watched the sister eat. LOL. I wasn’t hungry but the food did look good. We also went to Walmart and there was a Casino next to WalMart and we went in for about five minutes and I won thirty bucks! We took a cab back to the Hotel. (4$) Later that evening my sister wanted to go to a pharmacy. Eduardo or Abraham made a special trip to take her there. (I can’t remember which one of them it was that time- lol).

The day before we left Dr. Ortiz came to take out my drainage tube and I will be honest- it hurt! It took about 10-15 seconds. Once it was out there was a great relief! Whew. He answered all my questions etc. BTW, Dr. Ortiz is completely fluent.

The morning we left for the airport, Abraham helped me with my bags. We crossed the border in good time. There is opportunity as you cross the border to do some last minute shopping as peddlers will approach the vehicles etc. I had some lime sorbet- which I ate less than 1/6 of a scoop and felt quite ‘full’. My sister had some tacos, which later came to haunt her! Warning folks, bring some pepto tablets for your guests and have them eat one before eating from the street vendors.

I was told that I didn’t really need a passport to cross the border. I brought all my documents, DL, BC, expired passport, marriage certificate, and my receipt for my passport card that I recently applied for. I realized that morning we left that my birth certificate was missing. I have no idea when it disappeared or how. I had all my documents together and it was the only one missing. I knew I had not left it at home because I had showed it to my sister sometime during our trip. So I presented my DL and expired passport that was in my maiden name. The border agent asked me which name was mine? I answered that one was my maiden name the other my married name and offered my marriage certificate to him, but he shrugged and didn’t really look at it. He handed me back my documents and that was it. We were waved over the border. NOTE: About a week and half after I got home I received my birth certificate in the mail with no notes or letter from: the state department. I can only assume it was turned in etc.)

So once at home, things were going just fine. I started to have a pain two days after I got home. Its low to the right, near that incision. (The only incision on the right side.) I’d rest a couple of days and the pain would get better. Then I would get up and pick up around the house and the pain would come back just as strong. I searched the forums and google and found an accurate description of what I was feeling. A burning, tearing pain in my abdominal muscle. Ok... likely caused from a pulled stitch. The only fix: rest. I emailed Janese and she contacted Dr. Lopez who said for me to take some pain medication like tylenol or tordol (that they sent home with us.) I used all the tordol already and so I took some percacet I had at home. But I only had a few and let me tell you they didn’t really touch the pain. A couple of days of rest and I felt I was getting better. However it went back and forth. Get out of bed for a day pain would return. On October 17 the pain was so extreme I thought I might pass out. I could not get out of bed. Eventually I had to (bathroom) and it took my husband ten minutes helping me for me to get off the bed. Two days later I went to the ER because the pain was so extreme and I felt like it wasn’t getting better and I was afraid that I could have a hernia. On arrival my HR was 144 (result of pain), they gave me a CT told me it showed inflammation likely from a slight tear to my muscle. They also gave me a shot of morphine which finally helped with the pain, my HR returned to normal. I also got one bag of IV fluids. And yes I was extremely dehydrated on top of everything else... I mean you try to sip anything while lying flat in bed... it’s not happening. (It was only in the past few days I realize: chew ice.) They prescribed rest. Sigh. Also gave me liquid pain med and zofran for nausea that often accompanies pain med. Two days later I was finally feeling a little improvement- meaning I didn’t feel like passing out! Then I threw up. Yep. The liquid pain meds finally caught up with my tummy, made me nausea and yes I was taking the zofran. I took a couple of steps back in recovery from that. Today is day 11 of being in bed. You would be amazed at what your abdominals do.... I’m tired of bed. I have a five, four and three year old and they miss their mommy. My husband has been doing everything on his own, while I lie here in bed. Yes, its getting a little depressing. My weight loss has been slower of course since I am basically inactive. BUT I am still losing, slowly. So I take comfort in that...

Also, I was not given any instructions post op to take an ant-acid from Dr. Lopez. I was having terrible acid and wrote to Janese who advised me that she had been on one since her surgery and that I might try it. I did and it made an amazing difference. Why didn’t Dr. Lopez suggest that? I don’t know. I wish he had as a part of post op instructions.

Overall would I do it again? Yes. I haven’t weighed 188 in 6 years. I’m still obese but I have a taste of being a healthy me again! I had complete confidence in the surgeon, Dr. Lopez. If I had had any misgivings or lack of peace, I was determined to walk away, even losing my deposit and airfare etc. I’m not healed from surgery yet. I am still dealing with a torn muscle. Sigh. I know this will heal. It just takes time, I have read anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months.

I do think that my discharge instructions could have been more detailed. I was told explicitly DO NOT lift more than 20 pounds and take it easy, rest. I think I should have been told NO bending, stooping or twisting. If I had... I don’t think I would have pulled and then tore an abdominal muscle. I was not prepared for this complication. I’m younger and I have young children, I think more often patients tend to be older with grown kids or younger with no kids. So ‘rest’ means something different to each of those groups.

[920amy 409]

I fly out on the 2nd for surgery on the 3rd, your story was very detailed, thank you for sharing! It sounds like you are a real trooper, I have to say I will probably be terrified and think the worst if i have any pains! I can't thank you enough for sharing your experience! I hope your torn muscle heals well, and you feel more 'normal' soon!

[Earwood 136]

Sorry to hear of the problems you are having and hope you are feeling better soon. FYI...you had to send your birth certificate in with your passport card application and then the state department sends it back in a separate mailing from that of your card. I got my birth certificate back a couple days after I got my card.

Keep us posted on your recovery and good luck on the rest of your journey...

[Kaylee 13]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I also am booked with Dr.Lopez & Dr. Osuna through Ronda and A Lighter Me. My mom and I are going for surgery mid December in TJ, Mexico. We will also be staying at the Marriott and our hospital will be Mi Doctor too! ....Although we are paying ~$250 more than you did (the prices seem to fluctuate on a monthly basis?!)

So excited and so nervous as this day approaches. Its nice to read about someone at the same starting weight as I am, sometimes I feel maybe it's too low to consider surgery, but I can never seem to jump that 200 mark and keep it of on my own. Reading your experience really puts my mind at ease about what's to come! Plus, knowing that I need to be extra cautious with bending/twisting afterwards is great advice that I wouldn't have known the repercussions of before reading this.

I'm sorry for the allergy scare that you had to go through there, and I hope that you recover from your tear quickly so you can get back to your family

[Amber'sJourney 14]

Sorry to hear of the problems you are having and hope you are feeling better soon. FYI...you had to send your birth certificate in with your passport card application and then the state department sends it back in a separate mailing from that of your card. I got my birth certificate back a couple days after I got my card.

 

Keep us posted on your recovery and good luck on the rest of your journey...

 

Thank you Confused on the BC. I know I had it with me because I showed it to my sister and she saw it when we were in MX. *Shrugs* That's the only reason I know I wasn't crazy... but who knows!

[Amber'sJourney 14]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I also am booked with Dr.Lopez & Dr. Osuna through Ronda and A Lighter Me. My mom and I are going for surgery mid December in TJ, Mexico. We will also be staying at the Marriott and our hospital will be Mi Doctor too! ....Although we are paying ~$250 more than you did (the prices seem to fluctuate on a monthly basis?!)

 

So excited and so nervous as this day approaches. Its nice to read about someone at the same starting weight as I am, sometimes I feel maybe it's too low to consider surgery, but I can never seem to jump that 200 mark and keep it of on my own. Reading your experience really puts my mind at ease about what's to come! Plus, knowing that I need to be extra cautious with bending/twisting afterwards is great advice that I wouldn't have known the repercussions of before reading this.

 

I'm sorry for the allergy scare that you had to go through there, and I hope that you recover from your tear quickly so you can get back to your family

 

I would write to confirm that Dr. Osuna will be there. Also, I would recommend researching Dr. Ortiz in the event that Osuna is not present. I had no problems with Ortiz and liked him. That being said I would have preferred to be able to research him as well! This was something that could have influenced me to walk away but I felt peace about it so I went through with the surgery.

 

Immediately after surgery while walking the halls, I did think to myself, Oh my, maybe I could have tried a little longer (to lose) before doing this... (It was the discomfort speaking!) Now as I watch the fat melt away, even with the complications, I'm so glad I did it! I can totally identify with the 200 mark you mentioned. I had lost and gained the same stupid fifteen pounds for the past 4 years! Now, I'm down 28- woohoo! Good luck to you!

 

Amber

[Amber'sJourney 14]

I fly out on the 2nd for surgery on the 3rd, your story was very detailed, thank you for sharing! It sounds like you are a real trooper, I have to say I will probably be terrified and think the worst if i have any pains! I can't thank you enough for sharing your experience! I hope your torn muscle heals well, and you feel more 'normal' soon!

 

Thank you for your well wishes and good luck to you on your surgery! Yay!

[Amber'sJourney 14]

Take a look Dr. Lopez use to be at the top of http://www.mexicowei...osssurgeons.com, but he dropped down? Does anybody know when the rankings changed?

 

I've heard he is doing too many surgeries a day, that I heard his staff is too small to accommodate his patients?

 

I looked at the website and the highest rating that site gives is a 4 out of 5 stars. Dr. Lopez had 3.5 stars and his wife had 4 stars... I wouldn't say that is low compared to the other ratings. BUT that being said it depends who runs the website and who they are trying to promote. I tried to gather my information from reviews on forums and not promotional websites.

 

Also, as I was the ONLY patient of the day I cannot agree with the statement that he does too many per day! The day before he had a full day with 4 patients. The day after mine, I believe he had 3.

[Geminidrive 389]

Wow $4500 and that includes hospital and airline fees? I would have a problem with anyone who needed an interpreter to communicate with me for such a critical operation. Glad you are ok.

[Amber'sJourney 14]

Wow $4500 and that includes hospital and airline fees? I would have a problem with anyone who needed an interpreter to communicate with me for such a critical operation. Glad you are ok.

No, it did not include airfare That was the cost of all tests, the surgery, hospital and hotel stay and on ground transportation.

As for the language, I did go to another country It was something I was willing to do. And Dr. Lopez had, (at least with me during our consults) had

the interpreter present but he never actually used the interpreter. He spoke to me in english. If he faltered on an english word I think the interpreter would have piped in. I speak spanish but I didn't tell anyone that... sometimes you learn more by being quiet and just listening :ph34r:

[920amy 409]

I talked to Ronda this afternoon, and she said they are having some issues with the website right now regarding one of the web masters. My husband does computer work, and all of it seemed very plausible and I was glad she took the initiative to call. I also did all of my research from several different sites. Yes, the price was one of the things that I took into consideration, i.e. was he TOO cheap, but after all of the positive things I read, I did research into his background as well. I also researched his license, his death rate (0 btw), his complication rate (.05%), and I talked to many people who had done the surgery with him. Ultimately, the choice for me was his price point, he has done more than 3,000 sleeves, he does 3 leak tests (many others I researched only did one or two), and the fact that he operates in a full hospital which has a complete trauma center and blood bank. I also have found both Ronda and Janese, at least for me, to be very attentive to my needs. They have both been very responsive and in my opinion, caring. I have obviously not been sleeved yet, but my experience thus far with ALighterMe could not be a better one. Again, this is only my opinion, but I feel great about my choice, and am excited about what is in store for me!

[ready4newme 3]

I didn’t think it would take me so long to sit down and write out my experience/review' date=' but here it is finally! I am currently 4 weeks out. I began my pre op at 216 and on the day of surgery weighed 206. I am now 188. So at 4 weeks I have lost a total of 28 lbs. I think I would have lost more if not for my complications. Yes, I said the “C” word!

 

After researching Dr. Lopez and Dr. Osuna, I decided to go with them. I could not find any negative reviews. I confirmed that they were both Mexico Board Certified Surgeons. I reviewed multiple forums for complaints, complications and results. I was confident in my choice.

 

I scheduled with A lighter Me, they were having a ‘special’ and I paid 4500. I spoke with Ronda and then later after booking, Janese. I’ve always received a timely reply.

 

I chose to go to Mi Doctor Hospital as it was the main hospital Dr. Lopez does surgery at in Tijiuana. The other option was INT which was also 500 dollars more. Mi Doctor is a Bariatric Hospital, but it has a lab, blood bank and 2 OR’s and a small ICU. They have a cardiologist as well. Mi Doctor hospital is about 2 years old. The 3rd floor is where all the patient rooms are and the OR.

 

The morning of my flight, I received a phone call from Abraham (Driver and host with a lighterme.) He confirmed my flight information, asked me to save his phone number and gave me a description of the van and asked me to call him after landing. It was comforting to not have to worry about pick up!

 

I flew out with my sister and we arrived late in San Diego, Abraham was there to pick us up and he was pleasant and friendly. The drive was less than 30 minutes to cross the border (no stopping), and to get to the Hotel. We got checked in and were given instructions for pick up in the morning to go to the Hospital.

 

The morning of the surgery I was nervous... Abraham picked up my sister and I at the Hotel and off to Mi Doctor we went. Abraham stayed with us until I was all checked in. Upon checking in at the Hospital, they took blood work for labs, I received an EKG and met with 4 different Drs. The hospitalist, the anesthesiologist, Dr. Lopez, and the assistant surgeon Dr. Ortiz. Each Doctor went over my personal history and the procedure. I found Dr. Lopez to be intelligent and sincere. His english may not be completely fluent, but he did have a translator present to help with any language issues. I felt very comfortable going through with the surgery. NOTE: I do have lots of medication allergies and they did not give me any type of allergy Bracelet like they do here.

 

I would like to point out that Dr. Osuna was not there. Another surgeon Dr. Ortiz was there to be Dr. Lopez’s assistant for my procedure. I did not fully research Dr. Ortiz as Aligherme had told me clearly that Dr. Osuna was going to be my surgeon along side Dr. Lopez. Dr. Ortiz’s name was never mentioned to me.

 

I was the ONLY surgery of the day and was very pleased about that. I was rolled back to OR, sat on the table and I remember lying down and then its gets hazy... next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. Yes, I was in pain, but the good news is that by the time I was in my room I was no longer in pain, but I could remember having been in pain.

 

I almost immediately got up for a walk to help with the gas pains. I would describe the gas pain as severe discomfort and pressure on my chest. But I wouldn’t really say that it is true PAIN. My sister was there with me to walk the hall alongside me and I was still groggy from the OR so that was a good thing. Throughout the time in the hospital I never had to call for a nurse. They were often in my room injecting my IV with meds. I can’t tell you what they were because of the translation of meds etc. They would just tell me its for pain and nausea. Btw I never felt any nausea. They would offer something ‘to help you sleep’ which I was hesitant about because I didn’t want any sleeping medication. But after some effort I realized it was a liquid muscle relaxer, which I had no problem taking. I mentioned earlier having allergies. They are all to antibiotics. No life threatening side affects though. I was given one of the meds I was allergic to. I mentioned several times my allergies. Of course the name of the med was in spanish but on the second day I looked at it and realized the name was very similar to one of my allergies. They unhooked it immediately. (IV antibiotics.) At discharge I was given oral antibiotics as well. And yes the same med that I am allergic to. I brought it to Eduardo’s attention and he made some calls. Dr. Ortiz brought me the correct medication before I left. I was also given a ‘goodie bag’. Chapstick, Maalox, Antibiotics, chest xray CD, gatorade, Water etc.

 

On the table they do a leak test before you ever leave the OR. It’s a purple dye and I hear that some people throw it up in recovery, but I did not. Later, I was given blue barium to drink, this is another leak test. I drank it, no it wasn’t yummy but it could have been worse. If the blue dye goes into your drain, then its a sign of a leak. No blue in my drain Next I was given a chest xray. They wheeled me to the testing area and then I stood up between the xray machine and was given a clear liquid to drink which I found extremely gross. I could see on the xray my new stomach- it was tiny! No leaks.

 

My sister was a trooper during the 2 days in the hospital. She brought books, but there was of course a TV in our room and wifi. I was able to Skype with my family back home! My husband called several times a day on the 1-800 number. No, my cell did not work there. I was glad I did not go alone, but if you do, you’ll be just fine. We visited with other patients and never felt really alone.

 

After 2 nights in the Hospital we went back to the Hotel (Marriot), which was lovely, clean and I can’t say enough about how comfy the bed and pillows were! Of course there was wifi and a 1-800 number so that my husband could continue to call me and I skyped there as well. You are given 2 bottled waters, 3 bowls of chicken broth and 2 popsicles per day which is plenty. They had watermelon popsicles when I was there... and they were... gross. I don’t recommend those! My sister ate at the hotel some very yummy looking food! I loved the chicken broth, it was flavorful.

 

Once we were at the hotel Eduardo took us shopping with some other patients to local souvenir areas. Had fun but definitely overpaid on some things. I just didn’t have quite enough energy to worry about that, I just wanted to get a few souvenirs for my family. I sipped on Gatorade through the day and water. He also took us to a restaurant and I had some beef broth and my sister had yummy cheesy looking enchiladas.

 

On the second day at the hotel my sister and I went to the local shopping plaza (this time it was Abraham’s turn to take the patients shopping but we didn’t want to go to the same place a second day. He dropped us off at the Plaza.) And again I watched the sister eat. LOL. I wasn’t hungry but the food did look good. We also went to Walmart and there was a Casino next to WalMart and we went in for about five minutes and I won thirty bucks! We took a cab back to the Hotel. (4) Later that evening my sister wanted to go to a pharmacy. Eduardo or Abraham made a special trip to take her there. (I can’t remember which one of them it was that time- lol).

 

The day before we left Dr. Ortiz came to take out my drainage tube and I will be honest- it hurt! It took about 10-15 seconds. Once it was out there was a great relief! Whew. He answered all my questions etc. BTW, Dr. Ortiz is completely fluent.

 

The morning we left for the airport, Abraham helped me with my bags. We crossed the border in good time. There is opportunity as you cross the border to do some last minute shopping as peddlers will approach the vehicles etc. I had some lime sorbet- which I ate less than 1/6 of a scoop and felt quite ‘full’. My sister had some tacos, which later came to haunt her! Warning folks, bring some pepto tablets for your guests and have them eat one before eating from the street vendors.

 

I was told that I didn’t really need a passport to cross the border. I brought all my documents, DL, BC, expired passport, marriage certificate, and my receipt for my passport card that I recently applied for. I realized that morning we left that my birth certificate was missing. I have no idea when it disappeared or how. I had all my documents together and it was the only one missing. I knew I had not left it at home because I had showed it to my sister sometime during our trip. So I presented my DL and expired passport that was in my maiden name. The border agent asked me which name was mine? I answered that one was my maiden name the other my married name and offered my marriage certificate to him, but he shrugged and didn’t really look at it. He handed me back my documents and that was it. We were waved over the border. NOTE: About a week and half after I got home I received my birth certificate in the mail with no notes or letter from: the state department. I can only assume it was turned in etc.)

 

So once at home, things were going just fine. I started to have a pain two days after I got home. Its low to the right, near that incision. (The only incision on the right side.) I’d rest a couple of days and the pain would get better. Then I would get up and pick up around the house and the pain would come back just as strong. I searched the forums and google and found an accurate description of what I was feeling. A burning, tearing pain in my abdominal muscle. Ok... likely caused from a pulled stitch. The only fix: rest. I emailed Janese and she contacted Dr. Lopez who said for me to take some pain medication like tylenol or tordol (that they sent home with us.) I used all the tordol already and so I took some percacet I had at home. But I only had a few and let me tell you they didn’t really touch the pain. A couple of days of rest and I felt I was getting better. However it went back and forth. Get out of bed for a day pain would return. On October 17 the pain was so extreme I thought I might pass out. I could not get out of bed. Eventually I had to (bathroom) and it took my husband ten minutes helping me for me to get off the bed. Two days later I went to the ER because the pain was so extreme and I felt like it wasn’t getting better and I was afraid that I could have a hernia. On arrival my HR was 144 (result of pain), they gave me a CT told me it showed inflammation likely from a slight tear to my muscle. They also gave me a shot of morphine which finally helped with the pain, my HR returned to normal. I also got one bag of IV fluids. And yes I was extremely dehydrated on top of everything else... I mean you try to sip anything while lying flat in bed... it’s not happening. (It was only in the past few days I realize: chew ice.) They prescribed rest. Sigh. Also gave me liquid pain med and zofran for nausea that often accompanies pain med. Two days later I was finally feeling a little improvement- meaning I didn’t feel like passing out! Then I threw up. Yep. The liquid pain meds finally caught up with my tummy, made me nausea and yes I was taking the zofran. I took a couple of steps back in recovery from that. Today is day 11 of being in bed. You would be amazed at what your abdominals do.... I’m tired of bed. I have a five, four and three year old and they miss their mommy. My husband has been doing everything on his own, while I lie here in bed. Yes, its getting a little depressing. My weight loss has been slower of course since I am basically inactive. BUT I am still losing, slowly. So I take comfort in that...

 

Also, I was not given any instructions post op to take an ant-acid from Dr. Lopez. I was having terrible acid and wrote to Janese who advised me that she had been on one since her surgery and that I might try it. I did and it made an amazing difference. Why didn’t Dr. Lopez suggest that? I don’t know. I wish he had as a part of post op instructions.

 

Overall would I do it again? Yes. I haven’t weighed 188 in 6 years. I’m still obese but I have a taste of being a healthy me again! I had complete confidence in the surgeon, Dr. Lopez. If I had had any misgivings or lack of peace, I was determined to walk away, even losing my deposit and airfare etc. I’m not healed from surgery yet. I am still dealing with a torn muscle. Sigh. I know this will heal. It just takes time, I have read anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months.

 

I do think that my discharge instructions could have been more detailed. I was told explicitly DO NOT lift more than 20 pounds and take it easy, rest. I think I should have been told NO bending, stooping or twisting. If I had... I don’t think I would have pulled and then tore an abdominal muscle. I was not prepared for this complication. I’m younger and I have young children, I think more often patients tend to be older with grown kids or younger with no kids. So ‘rest’ means something different to each of those groups.[/quote']

 

 

Thank you do much for sharing your story! I am going to the same doctor hospital and everything as you except my husband is going and we have been concerned with talking to our kids back in Texas. Knowing about bending and medicines and everything else will help not only me but others as we venture down the same path. I am sorry that you are going through all of it though! Again thanks!!