Dr. Almanza

I will try to be as detailed as possible. There were a few things that I wasn't happy about, but mostly ticky things and nothing that made me regret my choice. My husband and I flew in the night before and spent the night at the Hampton Inn as suggested. The staff there were wonderful and the room was clean and comfortable. Louise called me that day to tell me good luck and to tell me that the driver (Tony) would pick us up at 8am instead of 7am the next morning. She reminded me to call her when I got to the airport where we were supposed to meet Tony. The hotel would only do the shuttle on the hour, so we took the 7am shuttle and I called Louise to let her know that we were there. She called the driver to let him know that we were there. She called me back and said that... [Click here for more] he would be there to pick us up in 15 minutes or so. It was kind of cold and rainy so we eventually went back inside. I called her back at 8; after she spoke to him she told me that he was delayed @ the border and would be there in 5 minutes. I called her back 20 minutes later and left her a voice mail. He eventually came just after 8:30 am. She called him right after we got in the van and he said (very irritated) Louise! I have the patient! She called me and I verified that I was in the van. He never once apologized for the delay. I asked him if traffic was bad and he said "Yes. Traffic is bad". For the record he spoke English very well. The whole time that we were there, I just felt that he didn't like us. Both my husband and I attempted to make conversation regarding the local culture or basically anything. He would answer one word, very curt. It wasn't that he wasn't talkative because there was a Mexican woman in the van on the way to the radiology clinic and they spoke the whole way there and back. I guess that he just didn't like us. Everyone else that we encountered was very nice, polite and friendly. I speak a little Spanish and they seemed to appreciate my efforts to at least try to communicate. The first stop we made was to have labwork, which was uneventful. The only odd thing was that the lab tech did not wear gloves. This is more to protect her than me and since I am in the medical field and know that even in the states there are people that prefer to draw bloodwork without gloves, I didn't make a big deal about it. After that we left and drove to the clinic. I was very surprised when we pulled in to a strip mall and stopped. I was not prepared for this. (As much as Louise was an awesome patient rep, I think that she should have told me this). We went right in. I filled out some paperwork (just like I would in the states) and after a short wait went back for my meeting with the cardiologist. He did an EKG and showed me the results were normal and cleared me for surgery. We went upstairs and met with another man who talked to me some more about what to expect and then the nurse Lupita (sweet sweet girl)gave me a gown to change in to. Amazingly the gown fit!!! In the states they are always too small. Lupita wrapped my legs and then came the fun of my IV. I was very dehydrated and she wanted to insist on putting the IV in my hand. Even when I am well hydrated this just doesn't work on me. I was patient and just kind of gritted my teeth. After she dug around in my hand for a few minutes I convinced her that my arm would be better and she got it with no trouble there. This was not a Mexico or Lupita thing, they do the same thing to me here in the USA. Dr. Alamnza came in and spoke to me for a few minutes, some throug an interpreter, and after a few minutes we walked downstairs and to the Operating room. I climbed up on the table ( in the states it would have been wheeled there on a gurney, but this was not a big deal). They made me comfortable. I started to cry a bit because I got scared. The nurses were all very nice and comforting. They gave me something in my IV and I was out. I woke up with the rigors (uncontrollable shaking) but not nausea or vomiting. I almost always wake up from surgery with the Rigors so this was par for the course. They kept me comfortable with blankets and pain medication. The worst part of the whole experience was the blue dye and the contrast that is used to do the leak tests and since that was to make sure my stomach wasn't leaking, I have no complaints. They checked on me several times just like they would in the states, making sure my vitals were fine. On Monday after I passed the blue liquid leak test we went to radiology and after that went well, we went to the hospitality house. As soon as I got there they offered me broth, yogurt and orange juice. I was really confused because the paperwork I had from them said only clear liquids at first but Elsie assured me that it was fine. The TV's had horrible reception, but probably because it was satellite and it was raining. The only complaint I had was it wasn't as clean fealing as the clinic. Our room had two single beds and one did not have sheets. I asked for some and the ones they gave me were stained with someone's blood. Ick. My sweet husband gave me the bed with sheets and slept on top of the other bed. We left for San Diego the next morning. I am doing very well post operatively. I am very confused as to what I can eat and how much. I find a lot of conflicting information, even within the same paperwork. One thing they gave me said my stomach can only hold 2 oz now and one thing says 4-6 oz. I guess that I will just be comfortable. :) I have had no nausea or vomiting. Nothing goes down with difficulty yet. I am still on mostly liquids though.
   Posted on 12/27/2010

Hey hon here are a couple links i used for my post op diet
http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelin es_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf
http://www.sleeveguide.com/uploads/1/7/9/4/1794785/dietguide vged42006feb.pdf

When I was where your at I drank protein shooters from gnc.  they are icky but you can get 42 grams of protien in one shot and then I drank gaterade, crystal light and water, warm chicken broth.  Most important right now is your fluids, then protien.  I also got liquid vit b and a liquid multi vit from gnc called miracle 2000.  I feel that since i did all these things along with prilosec I did really well and wasnt tired or lacking energy.  I am so sorry your experince didnt go so well.  I hope things go alot better for you now.  Glad your feeling good though.  You are lucky, I was sooooooooooooo sick and vomiting the first day and a half.  pm me if you have any questions about anything!!!  I also posted on your post on the vsg forum.

Thanks for your helpful link. I printed them off and think that they will really clear up some things for me.

Do you know if our stomachs hold 2oz or 4oz or 6oz after surgery? The paperwork that I got from Dr. Almanza seems to say different things. Since you had surgery with him too, I was wondering what you had been told?

OK i never asked, it was actually my husband who talked with them about ever thing and they told him my stomach can hold 5 oz. . When i had to go to that place to get barium swallow, the tech, tony and my hubs were back there talking about the size of my stomach.  that's what he was told by them and Dr.almanza. Dr.Brenda came and told me on my last day and went over my xray with me but I wasn't really listening.lol  I just wanted to go home. I had juice and chicken broth at the recovery house and on the way home my husband bought me a chocolate organic protein drink and Gatorade while we waited.  On the plane I had cranberry juice which i couldn't drink more than a quarter of because i kept having these weird bubbles in my chest/sleeve.  Everyday will get better.  I was on liquids the first two weeks.  Gatorade, protein shooters, chicken broth, jello, pudding, malt of meal.  Anything super soft.  I'm at the point where I can eat most things at six weeks but such small amounts.  I cant eat anything too spicy yet.  I take my prilosec daily and in the beginning twice a day.  I hope this helps and I'm too still very confident in my surgery.  I had xrays with my PCP a couple weeks after i got home and he said everything looks good.  Its just trial and error with liquids and foods.  Just don't forget your antacid meds, i did for a few days and it hurt and go slow and easy and try things when you feel comfortable.  I'm happy you have gotten thru the hardest part, the first month is hard but its also very rewarding!

AM GETING MY SUGERY WITH DR ALMANZA IN MARCH 2 2011 ANY ADVISE FOR ME

Congratulations on your decision to change your life.

Do you have someone going with you? My husband went with me and it made me a lot more comfortable. It's ok if you don't because the staff are all very nice. If you need help all you have to do is press your button and they will be right there. That being said here are a few suggestions.

1.  Take Gas X strips (not pills, make sure strips). They really help with the post op gas pain. You can't really overdose on Gas X so take it if you need it.
2.  Take a heating pad. I forgot mine and was very very sad to have forgotten it.
3.  when they offer you juice they will bring you capri sun. Save the straw and use it to drink the blue dye when they do your leak test.  It made it easier for me anyway. This will be yucky but you can get through it.
4.  Above all, remember that you are not in the USA so things may seem a little different, but different does not mean bad. I am in the medical profession and if I didn't feel comfortable I would have left. Everyone seemed to be very caring and sweet. I honestly think they were nicer than some medical offices I've been to in the states.
5.  I know that this is going to seem repetitive, but walk walk walk walk walk. The more you can walk the better. This helps to move the gas out and make you more comfortable. Laying in a hospital bed just makes you feel yucky. The more you can move around the better. Plus, and this is a BIG plus, walking around can help to prevent blood clots.
6.  Ask what they are putting in your IV. During the first night they gave me Ultram which I am slightly allergic to. It doesn't kill me (obviously) but gives me migraine type headaches and nausea. I think I missed that on my long list of allergies so it's probably my fault.  The next time they came in I asked and they told me Ultram and I told them to please give me something else. 7.  The clinic and the house have wifi so if you have an IPAD, IPOD touch or lap top, they are really nice to have.
8.  Do you speak spanish at all? If you do, use it when you can. Most (not all) of the staff speaks english. Some very well, some less so, but they definitely seemed to appreciate my efforts at speaking to them in their language. Some of them don't speak English, but like I said most do. If you don't speak spanish at all, you could take a spanish english dictionary.   This is just my suggestion. Like I said, you shouldn't have any problems communicating with most of the staff and they will quickly get you an english speaking person if they don't understand.
9.  We came in the night before and stayed @ the Hampton Inn. I didn't want to risk my flight being late and having trouble @ the airport in San Diego when trying to hook up with the driver. We also allowed an extra night @ the other end in case I had any issues but also just to get to relax in San Diego. They took us up really early that day and the Hampton Inn allowed us to check in early. We went to the mall and a movie and I walked and walked. It felt so good to not be confined by four walls. :)

I hope that this helps somewhat. Also, you may want to remember that some people on these boards view all caps as shouting and consider it to be rude. I am not personally offended, just a little suggestion.
 

thank you for yur advise now i feel more at peace i dont no if anyones going with me yet it that heard alot of peolple tell me stupied stuff and it got me scared like there going to leave thing in side me or take my orgens and sell them or am get robbed at the bored but i dnt feel bad about him doing my sugery am looking for a friend that now what am goin threw no understands me and my family noy very supported so lets see wats happin and thank you so much

that's not going to happen.lol  i was thinking about going for plastics when i hit my goal and my daughters father who lives in L.A told me one of your boobs is going to be bigger than the other and something about they don't use what they are suppose to for a boob job in Mexico cause its cheaper. my best advise to you is look for the people who have actually been there and experienced it.  Bad or good, pm them and talk over the phone or web cam or something so you can see they are real and are giving you real advise from true experiences.