Don't Hesitate - Just Do It!

I like most of you have had difficulties with weight off and on. But, I got really heavy for me in the last 3 to 5 years. 260 pounds and I am only 5 ft. 1 inch. I didn't want to go places, especially vacations where one would wear a bathing suit. I just wouldn't wear one! or participate in an activity that required one in a public place. I wouldn't change my clothes in front of my husband. It got so bad that I couldn't bend over to put socks and shoes on without loosing my breath, and traveling on a plane I had to ask for a lap belt extension, how embarassed I felt. Going up and down stairs or walking in the store was painful for my feet and I would get pretty short of breath. So, my husband very kindly and gently approached the subject of lap band surgery with me because he was worried about my health. So I began reserching it. I talked with my doctor and to the people in the personnel benefits office at work. That quickly became discouraging. I had to attend a 6 month class and they only took 4 or 5 people in each class, the next one didn't start for 3 more months. I am a nurse and have been one for more than 25 years. I felt that I didn't need to go to a class to tell me how or what to eat. I've had nutrition classes as part of my nurses training. I've lost weight several times before, so I knew about the benefits of exercise, etc. Besides, if I could have lost the weight on my own, I would have done so. So, a friend of mine gave me a number of web sites to look up information on lap bands. I looked at several of them. The first one I looked at was one in Mexicali. I knew of 2 people in the small town I live in who had had weight loss surgery in Mexico and were very successful with the weight loss postop. I wrote down a lot of questions and made contact with one person that had had the lap band done just 4 months prior. I didn't know it at the time, but the person I was going to talk to had gone to the exact one that I first looked at and that was Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexicali Mexico. I read his patient testimonials and was very impressed with all of the great things that his patients had to say about him. I was able to see the hospital, the rooms, the operating rooms where the surgeries are done, etc. I was Very impressed. I also liked what I saw as far as Dr. Aceves' credentials. He has credentials up the wazoo! He is even a credentialed Dr. in the U.S. When I was reading all of the testimonials I thought to myself Mmmmm, how could anybody be that good and have all positive comments like that?! Surely there's someone who hadn't had a great experience. I talked with my friend Robin to ask her all of my questions, before I made any committments. She gladly answered all of them and she herself told me again nothing but positive things about Dr. Aceves. So I made arrangements to go down several months later (this is just the time frame that was best for me. They could do the surgery in 2 weeks if you needed to or wanted to). My husband had a conference to go to in January 2008 in San Diego just prior to when I scheduled my surgery. So, we had a great trip. Their driver comes in a van from Mexicali and picks you up at the airport in San Diego and any other people that are also having it done. You then drive to Mexicali (which is about 90 minutes away). They take you directly to the hospital where you have preop testing done and talk as a group with the Dr.s'. They tell you everything you will need to know and answer every question. One of the things the Dr.s' will tell you about is that the Lap band is just "a Tool" to help you. It by itself won't make you loose weight. It helps you with your weight loss, but you have to be the one to eat right, diet right, eat the right foods, make the right choices, walk for exercise, etc. But, the lap band makes all of these things easier, helps to train you to eat to live, not live to eat. You will get to see and touch the lap band device. Then they will drive you to the hotel. You can go out to dinner where ever you would like to have your "Last Supper" (as Dr. Aceves calls it). You can have whatever you want and as much as you want. The next morning they come and get you and you are admitted to your private room. There is a couch in the room also so that a family member or friend can stay with you. You see the internist and the anesthiologist, etc. before going to surgery. The surgery only takes about 50 minutes and then you are in the recovery room for about an hour or so. You then return to your room. The next morning you go to xray for a barium swallow, where you see for yourself on the xray machine the liquid go thru and see your lap band and how it functions. The next day you are free to go home. This is a Real Hospital, not a clinic and you don't go home the same day. I cannot begin to tell any of you how Wonderful Dr. Aceves is. All of the testimonials on his web site are absolutely true in what they have to say about him. He is so very knowledgeable, so very patient, kind, and caring. I don't know that I (as a nurse and a patient) can say that I have ever come across such a wonderful Dr. and man as Dr. Aceves. You will be in Very Capable, Kind, Caring, Compassionate hands when you have your surgery done by this man. Also Dr. Campos who assists Dr. Aceves is a wonderful Dr. and I would say the same wonderful things about him. They have done literally thousands of successful weight loss surgeries. All of the nurses, assistants, dietician, respiratory therapists, the floor nurses, etc. they are all wonderful too. But, you might want to take a spanish dictionary with you. Most everyone speaks english very well, but, there are a couple that this would be helpful in communicating your needs. The hospital is Great! Your rooms are private. It has got to be the most clean, spotless, modernly appointed hospital I've ever seen. You couldn't find a better hospital, Dr.'s, nurses, staff, etc. and the kindest, most compassionate people in the U.S. if you tried. I am an R.N. as I've told you, and I've worked alot of places and I've been a patient in alot of hospitals. I'm not saying that there aren't wonderful Dr.'s, nurses and hospitals in the U.S. But, if you go to Mexicali and to Dr. Aceves, I can without the most tiny of doubts in my mind tell you that you would not be sorry that you went and had your surgery done by him in this hospital. I am SO Glad that I went to him. When you need your fills done, Dr. Aceves will do the fill for Free, for the rest of your life if you need them. The Hotel Lucerna where you stay in Mexicali is also a wonderful and beautiful place. I guarantee you that you will feel like you are the Queen and King of the castle. They are all So Kind and service oriented that if you need something or ask for something they will get it and do whatever needs to be done to see that you are pleased. We had decided to stay at the hotel and xtra couple of days after the surgery just to make sure everything was ok before heading back home. It was absolutely not necessary. I could have easily gone home no problem. But, the hotel was wonderful and each of the 3 or 4 restaraunts have Dr. Aceves' postop menu - apple juice, chicken broth, jello and cammomille tea. Staying an extra couple of days was very pleasant and restful. Dr. Aceves' people will make every arrangement for you. You don't have to worry about a thing. I went onto my preop diet 2 weeks before. Everyones preop diet is a little bit different I think. And, I lost 7 pounds before surgery. My friend Robin had a different preop diet and started sooner before surgery and she lost 50 pounds. Her surgery was last June (2007). She's now lost a total of 150 pounds. She started at 380 pounds. So, she's doing great and is Very Happy. On May 14th it will be my 4 month anniversary of my surgery. I started walking on my treadmill everyday (or most everyday) since one week postop. I started walking VERY SLOWLY and have gradually over time worked up to now about 2 1/4 miles in about 60 to 70 minutes. We have my treadmill in front of the T.V. downstairs in our den. Everynight I get on it, my husband, the dog and the cat come with me and we all watch the news or other t.v. programs while I walk, before we have dinner. Exercise/walking was always a dirty word to me, but it is so totally helpful to your weight loss, burning extra calories, increasing your metabolism, and it TOTALLY takes your mind off eating if you are hungry (or think your hungry) or bored. So as of this morning, two days shy of 4 months I have lost 63 pounds. I've gone down 2 pants sizes, and 4 top sizes. I am having So Much Fun buying new clothes "off the Rack"!!! And giving away my old baggy clothes. I'm almost (12 pounds shy) half way to my target weight. Everytime I meet a small goal I get So excited and jazzed up that it only encourages me more. There are times that you could get discouraged, like when the scale seems to be stuck in one position, but DON't get discouraged. You can also go by how your clothes are fitting. And, keep in mind, am I obeying all the rules of the diet, am I walking, etc. Am I (truely) hungry before 4 hours or just bored and if the answers are all correct, then maybe it's time for a fill. That would kick you off of your plateau. Again, I cannot tell you how happy and how positive of an experience it was to have gone and had this weight loss procedure done, let alone to have had it done by Dr. Aceves and his staff in their Great hospital in Mexicali. And, I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos, All of the nurses, All of the Staff - Nina, Gaby, Yolanda, Karen, and the hospital. All of the positive testimonials on his web site are ALL True. None of you would ever go wrong or ever be able to have such a wonderful experience as you would if you went to them in Mexicali. And I cannot urge you enough to go have this surgery done. It will be the beginning of a new life for you. It will literally CHANGE YOUR LIFE. You will be SO HAPPY that you did it! So, Don't Hesitate - Just Do It! Blessing to You All and Good Luck, Jane****kins Florence, Oregon