"RESLEEVED:
On December 10, 2020, I was RESLEEVED and had a HIATAL HERNIA fixed with Dr. Wilhelmy at the Mexicali Bariatric Centre (MBC). My experience with Dr. Wilhelmy was FANTASTIC.
HISTORY:
I had a vsg in January of 2014 and enjoyed being 150-156lb for about 5 years. By year 6 post-op, I noticed that the pounds were creeping on, slowly but surely, and they coincided with a laxity of restriction. It was obvious my restriction was barely there any more and I weighed 20lb more by year 6.5 post-op. I also noticed a change in my ability to swallow. I noticed a difference from all the years before, which was that sometimes food would get "stuck" a little and I felt pressure. It wasn't a huge problem, it was just a little thing that I noticed. But, even so, I decided to get resleeved in order to nip all of it in the bud: my weight gain and a possible hiatal hernia. And, I chose a resleeve because my new life with my sleeve had been so smooth. I wasn't interested in more invasive surgeries nor rearranging my insides. I just wanted a "tune-up".
APPOINTMENT FOR RESLEEVE:
I emailed Nina at MBC. She answered all my questions and asked me how much of a sandwich I could eat. I tested it out, and it turns out I was able to eat an entire sandwich (white bread, turkey, mayo, lettuce) in one sitting. She gave me the go-ahead, and I made an appointment to be resleeved with Dr. Wilhelmy.
PRE-OP RESLEEVE:
I was picked up at my hotel in San Diego and driven across the border to the hospital. Dr. Campos (he's also sleeved!) was there to greet me upon arrival, do some blood tests and a barium swallow. Dr. Campos suspected I had a hiatal hernia, and the barium swallow confirmed it. It was also pointed out that my stomach was bulging on the lower end. That would be fixed, too. I met with Dr. Wilhelmy (he's also sleeved!) and he was sweet and kind and answered all of my questions. I felt ready for the surgery, no anxiety or fear.
POST-OP RESLEEVE:
The surgery happened, I woke up groggy but fine. I was tired, but no pain. Dr. Wilhelmy came to see me to say everything went well. Dr. Campos checked up on me. The nurses checked up on me. I was constantly being looked after in every way. And had no problem with anything. No gerd, no pain, no nothing. I had a great experience with no issues and felt like I was in very experienced and caring hands. I went home and went through the different food stages, about 1.5 weeks for each, but couldn't eat steak until recently.
3-MONTHS POST-OP:
I've been back home now for 3 months. I have no problem swallowing and no pressure, which makes me very happy. In terms of my restriction, it has not returned to how it was after my vsg. But, it is more than what I had in year 6.5 post-op. For the purposes of conveying as clearly as possible how much I can eat, I made pasta today -- something that I rarely eat because it's not my favorite food and it's not a food one should eat very often; but, visually it's helpful and because pasta is heavy, you will get the idea better. On an empty stomach, I can eat a salad plate of rigatoni with basil pesto (basil, olive oil, pine nuts), parmesan cheese and salt in one sitting. And I'm full and content, not bursting. And FYI, my go-to lunch every day, on an empty stomach is a salad plate of lettuce, cucumbers, feta cheese, olive oil, half a can of tuna and a hardboiled egg in one sitting.
RESLEEVE RESULTS:
In these 3-months post-op resleeve, I've lost about 20lb. I will say that the weight loss is slow and depends 100% on my food choices. I get in about 32-40 ounces of water every day. I have not been exercising, except for long walks. But, I will bump up my exercise very soon.
THOUGHTS:
You can't go wrong with a surgeon who has had the surgery you're getting. He has the technical expertise and the practical and emotional experience. He knows what you're going through and how you feel. How many doctors do you know who are just book smart and ignore your feelings and your experience? I avoid those kinds of doctors and will always head for the Dr. Wilhelmy's of the world. I recommend Dr. Wilhelmy 100%!"
