- Name: Tawni Hall
- Age: 33
- Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
- Surgery date: February 16th, 2017
- Testimonial date: March 3rd, 2017
- Surgeon: Dr. Mario Almanza
So I flew in on Wednesday, the driver that came to get us was very nice. He drove us straight to the local hospital, where we had our bloodwork and EKG. The staff was very friendly and quick. No long waits. After that we were taken to our hotel, which was only about 2 blocks from the hospital. The rooms were very nice, the water smelled really bad, and there was only 1 american channel on TV, otherwise it was a good hotel. The next morning we met in the lobby at 6 AM and the driver took us straight to the hospital. Within about 45 minutes I was in the OR having my surgery. I did not experience a lot of pain, and the Tramadol kept me comfortable. The only down side to surgery day, is the fact that you dont get anything to drink for the entire day, not even ice chips. That sucked!! The day after surgery, you get all the popsicles and clear liquids you want, and they keep you on IV fluids and antibiotics, even during your 2 days at the hotel. On my last day, we had an x ray to make sure that there are no leaks in the stomach, other than the nasty stuff you have to drink, that was a breeze. I did suffer from a little bit of diarrhea, but that was to be expected. Overall my experience was great!! The negative....The day I was scheduled to go home, I was told that the line at the border could be 4 to 5 hours long, so I left the hotel at 6 AM, even though my flight did not leave until 1:30 PM. The line was not long, I got through the border in about 10 minutes, and was stuck at the airport for 7 hours!! There was no broth, no sugar free drinks, no jello, no popsicles...just water. So by the time I got home at 11 PM I was pretty weak. It was a very long and painful day.
It has been 2 weeks and 1 day since my surgery, and I am down 20 lbs!! I am suffering from a bit of fatigue and occasionally stiff and sore muscles, but I am only consuming between 400-500 calories per day, so the fatigue is to be expected. So far, I am so glad I had this done. My family and co workers have been great, and I can't wait for the next 6 months. I will post pictures soon.