"I had my vertical sleeve gastrectomy on May 12, 2011.
This was a long thought out decision that I took my time with and did many hours of research.
In Sept 10, 2007 I had surgery for a lapband.
I did not do an extensive amount of research on this procedure because of all the commercials and advertisements I had seen.
I thought it was going to be my answer to being obese.
I was Wrong and I had it removed June 15, 2010.
It was not my answer.
I wasn’t able to eat anything healthy.
Everything that was healthy for you like meat, fruit & vegetables got stuck in the band. I chewed until the food was basically pureed in my mouth (gross) and swallowed, only to have that ut-oh feeling. The one you have when you know it didn’t go down and it was coming back up.
I was down to eating soft things like chocolate, and highly processed foods; they seemed to be the only thing that went down without discomfort.
I can’t tell you how many times and how many different situations I have been in that were horrible.
I’d leave a restaurant and have to pull over in a parking lot somewhere and throw up. Gosh I hated that. How humiliating.
It got to the point where I didn’t know what to eat.
When in a public situation where eating was taking place, I’d have to hold my food that was coming up in my mouth until someone left the bathroom. Hoping for a handicap stall so I could wash up. I never wanted to throw up in public toilets…others germs, so I’d use the sink, and then I’d have to clean it out. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.
I’d go see my Doctor for a fill and they were never right. One weekend I couldn’t even swallow my own spit. I called they said can you wait until Monday.
He’s say; well eat only fish and rice. Well if I only ate fish and rice in the beginning then I wouldn’t be obese in the first place.
This column is filled with clients who have had fabulous experiences and I am one of them.
I became very emotional once I entered Dr. Alvarez’s office. There were three of us there and I was going to be the last one going in for the consultation. While waiting in his exterior office my eyes opened up like the floodgates. I couldn’t quit crying. I tried and tried. It got worse. My surgery buddy was trying to help, but I couldn’t stop it. I didn’t want to cry in front of him in his office but I did. They did everything they could to make me feel okay and the time and space to pull myself together.
I choose to go to Mexico because of being a self-pay, however self-pay or not, Dr. Alvarez is the RIGHT CHOICE.
It is scary dealing with the unknown, that’s why there are forums and letters of references like this.
The process is so thought out that you literally just have to get there and they take care of you and the rest. No worries about anything.
The hospital was spotless and the nurses were very good. Some of them didn’t speak English but it didn’t matter. They knew what they were doing. They were kind and professional.
I spent lots of time searching for surgeries that went wrong with Dr. Alvarez and there weren’t any.
I feel happiness in my heart when I read a story about someone who is in there twenties and going to see Dr. Alvarez. I know they will have a lot longer to enjoy a good quality life.
My journey is just beginning, and I now have the tools to make it happen.
Thank you Dr. Alvarez & Dr. Rosales and your entire surgery staff, thanks to Rosie the transporter who you felt very safe and secure with from the moment you met her and thanks to Cristina & Jessica all the nursing staff and special thanks to Susan, the patient coordinator, who answers all your questions when you need them.
Robin
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