HI Everyone,

I had my surgery this past Monday by Dr. Pace.....boy is he a character! I had some issues with vomiting up blood and there was so much swelling in my stomach and esophagus that I couldn't get 2 medicine cups of water down in an hour...It would just keep coming right back up.

At first, I was really scared and started to think I had made a HUGE mistake.For the first 3 days I was completely miserable and so, so sick. My Sleeve Buddy only had to stay one night and I'm very happy to report that she's been doing and feeling great. I had to stay 3 nights but as the swelling went down...so did the water.

It was a hard first 3 days but now I'm almost finished day 5 and happy to say that I'm feeling so much better now. A lot of the swelling is gone down and though I feel like I'm 7 months pregnant, my mobility is awesome. No real soreness or discomfort and the staples are doing just fine...get them out on Good Friday!

I now have to keep reminding myself that I just had surgery and shouldn't be doing half of what I am. I've got really young children so its hard to remember to slow down and take it easy. And if you haven't had your surgery yet and you have small children....make sure you have someone there with you at all times to help take care of them. Doing too much with my son, an incision started to bleed.

Sometimes I think I'm WonderWoman and I try to do it all but then I'll buckle over in pain for a second because I'm not suppose to be lifting more than five pounds. My Mom has been great and there to scold me anytime she thinks I'm doing to much but its really hard when your child wants you and only you will do....Especially after spending 3 days away from them in the hospital of all places.

The hospital is a sad and depressing place. I was wait-listed for a Private Room like everyone else. It was a waste of time to even stand in line for 20 minutes at the Cashier's Office to make the deposit. Every woman in the room with me were also on the waitlist...one lady had been there 15 days and still waiting!

Its really hard to spend 3 days and nights with 3 very sick women in one little room. I wasn't ready for that and I think that's what I found the hardest. I spend my days with children...laughing and playing and enjoying the best of them. I found it hard emotionally for me. 3 wonderful women I got to know and 2 are dying and the other was a burn victim who had over 85% of her body burned and was in from St. Anthony to have some surgeries so she could live comfortably in her remaining skin.

At first, I tried to keep to myself, close my curtains and just try to rest. But on the first night as I move in discomfort, I hear someone sing out from across the room "How ya feelin' my duckie....I got a kettle. Are you well enough for tea?"......

I couldn't help but think.... how typical of a very old, born and raised Newfoundlander...on her death bed at that! I was new to the room and as sick as she was, she still had to be that caring, nurturing person that she had been her entire life.

I sing out "No thank you, I'm not allowed anything to drink or eat for 24 hours." Then another voice sings out...."You poor dear, I got a heatin' pad here to help you through the night and some fresh tea buns for when you're feeling up to it!" I kindly decline and thank her and she asks me again in the morning. lol

These old ladies are really lonely,far from home and love a good conversation.Sadly, their first conversation and main topic is their declining health and its really hard to hear someone say their dying and talk about their very dim future. I listened, and I tried to be as cheerful and as positive as I could, but it was really hard. And feeling as sick as I was but knowing it was nothing compared to what these ladies were going through, it was a very emotional experience for me.

And to top it all off...I'm Catholic, but not religious! I don't go to church, I don't put ashes on my head and I...well...No...I don't eat meat on Good Friday or my Grandmother would kill me!.lol  

Before you get admitted, they ask you more than once if you would like to see the clergy before or after surgery, etc. etc. I said "NO" every time but yet when I woke up in my room for the first time, the first person to greet me was a priest...and he knew my name!

I had to give myself a shake for a second and get my bearings! First thing that came to mind was....Did I really make it to heaven? lol....Why on Earth would a priest be coming to see me? Then I instantly went into panic thinking that something had happened to one of my family members.

I almost jumped off the bed when I realized he was a priest. He put his two hands on my shoulders and had this big ****ty smile on his face...like he had seen this reaction before as many patients wake up and glanced at his collar!

With the smile on his face he "shhhh'd me" and said everything was just fine and he was there to see how I was feeling. I had to ask..."Do you do that with EVERY patient here"? He laughed and kind of whispered in a chuckle "No...Just the special one's." And by the "Special One's" I think that just might be the one's with "Catholic" highlighted on their files...lol

I'm not particularly a pleasant person on a good day, let alone waking up with a priest in my face, but I got to say...lol...he was a funny guy! He came to visit me every morning and I kept running into him in the hallways as I did my walk-abouts. He didn't seem like a priest at all. The collar was intimidating, but the priest was actually the only fun or cheerful part of my stay in the entire 3 days. Without him, I think I would have cracked up!

This surgery is not an easy one so put a lot of thought into your decision before you actually make that big step. I'm only on day 5 and it can only get better from here but I swear to God....you age ten years for every day you spend on a hospital ward. Its gonna take me more time to recuperate from the hospital experience than it is the gastric sleeve! lol.

Glad to hear all went well. Now it's nothing be losing from here on out.

K.

Look on the Mexico Forum as there is lots of information there. Dr. Aceves comes highly recommended and his prices are great. I have know lots of patients that have had the sleeve done by him and great success with no complications. 5 year waiting list is crazy. Big cities don't even have list like that.

I am in Mexico getting sleeved tomorrow , excited to get it done now!  

After waiting 3 years here in NS with 7 more years to wait I went to TJ Mexico in November 2012. I had a VSG done by Dr. Kelly. I had a great experience and have lost 30 pounds so far. His cost was $5700. I had to pay $1000.for my airfare to San Diego. Everything else was taken care of. This is just another option if you find your wait is long,  Good luck!  Also the cost is income tax deductible.