LeeWhite
Like most everybody else on obesityhelp.com, I have battled weight my entire life. I could lose weight, but never kept it off for very long. I probably could have had the surgery performed for free at the University of California-San Francisco. After learning that I would have to undergo a bunch of unnecessary and, in some cases, dangerous tests before the arrogant, money-hungry thugs at UCSF would ALLOW ME to have the surgery, I opted to come up with $10,000 to have open Roux-en-y gastric bypass performed at Cardiomed in Ensenada, Mexico. Thus far, it has proven to be one of the best decisions of my life.
Dr. Alejandro Aguirre performed the surgery on January 23, 2007. My wife, Sherri, a registered nurse, was allowed in the operating room to watch the surgery. Upon awakening from surgery, I had a tinge of nausea and that was that. I had very little pain. I attribute that to the use of an epidural -- something you won't get at U.S. hospitals because they are too busy lining the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies that produce morphine. Was there discomfort? Oh, sure, but nothing I would classify as horrible pain. My abdomen was sore for a week or so. The g-tube that drains gastric juices from the "old" stomach was kind of a pain in the backside. I had to get used to sleeping on my back instead of my belly. Oh, well. If that's the worst of it, then I have little to complain about.
As of this writing (2/28/07), I am unsure how much weight I have lost. I know I weighed 410 pounds last summer when I was in the hospital for diverticulitis (which hurt more than the surgery did, by the way!). I will weigh Friday when my wife goes to her doctor's appointment and can get me onto the hospital floor where she used to work. They have wheelchair scales just in case I'm not below 350 which is the upper limit for most scales. My clothes certainly fit better, however.
I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone to entrust their surgical care to Dr. Aguirre and his team. There is no reason to jump through all these hoops in the United States. For Heaven's sake, don't let your health decline for years while awaiting a "yes" from your insurance company unless your financial circumstances are such that you have no other choice. Insurers are going to string you along for as long as they can so they can keep collecting that premium every month. Then, they'll tell you NO! And remember this about doctors: YOU are the CUSTOMER. If your doctor or some "program" like the one at UCSF demands that you undergo tests you believe are unnecessary or dangerous, you have the right to refuse and to let the greedy jerk(s) know what you think of such business practices.
The entire Ensenada experience was wonderful. Dr. Aguirre's assistant and lovely daughter Rosella is simply an angel who put me at ease with her sense of humor and genuine caring attitude. We hired Bambi to drive us to and from San Diego. He's a wonderful gentleman who even stopped by to check up on us in Ensenada. Unfortunately, he contracted food poisoning and wasn't able to drive us back to San Diego, but he found a nice young fellow to make the trip and we arrived back in the U.S. safe and sound. Ensenada has sort of a family atmosphere. On Sunday, the park near the apartment where we stayed was full of families and their children playing, eating, and listening to live music. It is not a dirty or scary place like some other Mexican towns.
Cardiomed was quiet and clean. The nurses spoke mostly Spanish, but that wasn't a problem. They were very attentive and their skills were excellent. I had a huge private room with its own bathroom and shower. I even had a remote-controlled air conditioning and heating system. If you've been hospitalized in the states, you'll definitely be impressed.
I still handle a soft food diet best. I have to make sure that foods that should be warmed ARE warmed. Chicken tends to be a problem for me, but fish is OK. If I don't remember to control portions, chew, chew, chew, and avoid foods that "plug the hole," my new stomach reminds me by expelling the contents. I learn quickly what works and what doesn't! I had some diarrhea off and on for the first month, but that seems to have gradually gone away. Bottom line: I FEEL GREAT! I will try to update at regular intervals and get a "before" pic on here.
