Making the Move

Hello to all, I'm new to this board or actually any board. I have done some investigating and finally made a decision. Today I booked my appointment for my surgery with Dr. Aguirre. August 12th is the day that will change the rest of my life. I have just a couple of questions. I know everyone is different but I'm just looking for a approximate anyway. 1.) After the surgery he does are you down from work for a long time? 2.) Do you think its better to stay the full 8 days and have him remove the staples and tubes. 3.) has anyone stayed at the apartment they supply and did you like that the nurse came to check things every morning? Thanks for all your help just reading all your stories and knowing what each and everyone of you have been through has given me the courage to make the move more quickly. My husband and I are very excited. God Bless you all Mariah

Congratulations Mariah! I too have decided to change my life for the better.. as of July 5th, food will no longer control my life and body.. I am going to Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, but Dr. Aguirre is a favorite on these boards! I'm sure you'll be getting lots of feedback from his patients on here.. they seem to LOVE him.. Congrats again! Romana

Mariah! I am SO happy for you! I am thrilled that you were able to get something fairly soon too. That is just fantastic! I can't answer your question about the apartment, but I can say having my friend with me at the Hotel Coral was fine. I think it would have been nice to have a nurse help with the dressings though. You feel good, but by the time you get out of the shower, you are pretty wiped out and don't really feel like finishing the job. Of course, you have a lot less to lose than I did, so you may hold up better. I didn't hurt - just was exhausted. I do think it is best to stay the whole time there. I know some go home earlier, but it's just not wise when you have had a major surgery like that. It's best to wait it out just on the off chance you have a complication. Ensenada has a beautiful beach and was a fun experience for me even though I'm not an adventurer and would not have otherwise taken a trip to Mexico. Work is subjective for everyone. I can say that your energy will lag and it's best to listen to your body. 2 weeks out I was thinking to myself "I could go back to work." Then I would get in the shower and get ready for the day and promptly go take a 4 hour nap. Some people go back that soon, but most of the ones I have talked to who have, well, they come back to the boards and wonder what is wrong with them and why they can't get through their day. They are MENDING! You gotta consider you just had major MAJOR surgery and you are essentially starving to boot. And people wonder why our hair falls out! I would say that for most people they should really try to go back before 4 weeks. I stayed out 8 weeks. And when I went back to work, I still had those issues of being tired half way through my shift.....even though it wasn't a physically strenuous job. Again, I started out at 325 lbs, so I do believe that the heavier you are when you start out predisposes you to not bouncing right back like others may. All depends on those variables such as age, other health conditions, weight, muscle mass at the time, type of work, etc. My advice on going back early: Don't. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. You can always go back early for half days to start after you've planned a long time off, but what people found out later was that when they went back full time after 2 weeks, they couldn't then go back and take the extra time off later....even though they needed it. I think I remember you saying you were self-employed. If that is the case, plan to have help take care of things for as long as you can. Then you can alter those plans later down the line if you need to. Trying to scramble for help when you find that you are sapped out is very hard to do. Hope that helps a bit. Take care and keep us updated! Dina

Typo there - I think people SHOULDN'T try to go back to work too early.

Wellcome to the board Mariah, I was out for 10 weeks, I had short term disability and was able too. That worked out perfect for me, 8 weeks would had been enough. I also stayed a total of 10 days to get all my stiches out, to me that was more inportant than anything else, make sure I was prepare. The airplaine back was a little rough for me as it was only 8 days out of Major Surgery, but can be done. I stayed in appartment #2 for the whole time. I didnt use a nurse but thinking about it now I recomend it for at least the first 3 days after you leave the hospital, you will be very low in energy and sore. The one thing you must be sure of is that you defenitely got, if not the best, one of the top surgeons. I fell very cofetable right away. He is a very caring Dr., I recomend him strongly... Good luck and hope this has help some. Belkys 226/176/110

Hi Mariah! Welcome to the South of the Border Forum. You will meet a lot of very kind and helpful people on this board. I am so happy you have made the decision on your surgeon and got a surgery date. Deciding who and when is a very big step. Dr. Aguirre was my surgeon and I couldn't be happier with my experience. He is an excellent surgeon and has a wonderful surgical team. You will just love Rosella. Now for my answers to your questions. 1. My surgery was on May 5, 2004, and I went back to work on May 17. I really didn't have any problem going back that soon. I was in Ensenada until May 14 and flew home from San Diego on May 15. 2. I'm glad I stayed until the stitches and tubes were out. I know a lot of patients travel sooner, but I never considered going any other route. I guess for the most part it is just personal preferance. 3. My husband and I stayed in apartment 1 and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The apartment is very nice and we loved having a computer to use to keep in touch with everyone. I had the nurse come in for 3 days. She was so sweet and showed my husband what to do when he took over changing my bandage from then on. I really liked having her come in. It was just that much more reassurance. You can read more about my trip to Ensenada on my web site at (www.) cherimoran.com I wish you the best! Cheri