Brandy K.

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So, it looks like I sort of fell off the face of the earth lately.  I guess I've been a little busy. 

I have updates!

Most here are interested in the weight first, so I'll tell you that I've lost 92 pounds to date.  I cannot wait to be able to say I've lost a solid 100.  Currently, I only get on a scale about once a month, but I think I'll do it weekly now until I've lost that last eight.  I'd like to document the day I've done it. 

As you might expect, it feels wonderful.  My ankles don't hurt.  My knees don't hurt.  My back will probably always hurt.  That's just the way I'm built. 

I find myself feeling myself up all the time.  I know that sounds weird, but it's true.  I often have my hands on my waist or on my tummy.  It's so intriguing to find my bones.  Some of them I can actually grab hold of.  Getting dressed is something of an adventure every morning.  I've had clothes that I thought fit, but now that they hang correctly, I know how they were meant to look. 

Oh!  There were tornado warnings today.  I work in a college and our public announcement system went down.  We, very quickly, had to run to the classrooms and tell the students to move to internal hallways and classrooms.  I was able to run up the stairs (the elevator would have been too slow) in HEELS no less.  Was I out of breath by the time I got around to several classrooms?  Yes.  Was I about to die of an asthma attack?  Not even close.  I was fine. 

My other update is that I have completed my masters degree as of four days ago!  It's a huge relief.  I'm done.  Well, I'm done for now.  I'm currently applying to some Ph.D. programs.  But, even if I get into one, I'm on academic vacation until next fall.  It feels soooooo good.

That's about it for the updates.  There's no relationship to speak of.  I like it that way.  I'm always a little confused by the folks who lose a bunch of weight and immediately hop into a relationship.  Wouldn't you rather be thin... and SINGLE?!  Call me kookie, but I'd like to spend substantial time being seen in my lovely evening gown before letting some prince take me home from the ball.

I've lost touch with some folks on here and I hope to fix that soon.  I hope you're all doing amazingly well.  Best wishes!

Brandy

A warm hello to my faithful reader. 

It's now been four months since my trip to Mexico to have my surgery.  I'm still kind of in awe of the fact that I had the nards to do that, but I'm so glad I did.  I've said it before, but I really do think that I found the best surgeon I could have hoped for.  I wish he were here.  

I still haven't had a single complication.  Nothing has ever become stuck.  I've never vomited.  I don't have acid reflux.  I think these are all due to the skill of Dr. Horacio Guajardo and his team.  These are mechanical issues.  The size and shape of my pouch must be right.  The stoma healed perfectly and must be just the right size.  I have restriction, but not stricture.

I've been able to work out... and it feels GREAT!  I'm not just saying that, either.  It really does feel good.  Today, I had to make a trip to a grocery store that is part of a strip mall.  I purposely parked on the side of the lot opposite of the grocery store and enjoyed the walk to and from the store.  Did you catch that word?  I ENJOYED the walk.  OK, ok... so that's not the most impressive example.  That's no great distance.

So, how about this?  I can ride a recumbant bike for half an hour (or an eliptical for 15 minutes... seriously, those things are like simultaneously your butt's best friend and worst enemy), and then do weight training for half an hour and THEN walk a mile to cool down.  The mile is leisurely and the whole workout totals a full 90 minutes.  And while I'm walking that mile, I feel like skipping... or dancing... I have tons of energy left over.  I never would have guessed I'd feel like that four months out.

Want numbers?

OK... It's been four months and two days.  I've lost 77 pounds and 32 inches! 

I love the idea that I'm less than 25 pounds away from having lost 100 pounds.  

My family, friends, and coworkers are really noticing the change now.  They're ridiculously interested in what I have for lunch every day.  I think they're mostly fascinated by the fact that it's fairly normal.  It's not baby food.  It's salsa chicken and quinoa.  Or it's teriyaki chicken (homemade, no sugar).  Or it's a chef's salad.  Or it's a bowl of chili with cheese. 

I'm bad about eating breakfast.  It usually only happens on the weekends.  Bad me, I know.  But, when I do eat it, it's usually an egg of some preparation atop a piece of wheat toast.  I've recently learned to poach eggs.  Love it!  

Oh, what else to talk about?  Clothes?  All baggy!  I try really hard not to complain because losing weight is a blessing.  Complaining about the petty things that come along with it is just insulting to those who are still struggling.  But, let's just say that my wardrobe goes through phases of being very limited to being more than adequate as I pass through the sizes I have.

What else?  Attention from the opposite sex?  Improving!  My desire to act on any of it.  Still the same.  Blahhhhhhh... I was a busy girl before and now I'm just an even busier girl with energy to back it up.  I just don't have time.  I have goals that I think are incongruent with romance right now.  Anyone interested in dating me would have to have life of his own.  He would have to be that very busy type who understands tight schedules and appreciates the time we'd have together, no matter how small or rare.  Turns out that guy is really hard to find.  Know why?  Because we're both busy doing other things!  Figures.

Everything else is still peachy, as always.  Stress free.  That's me!  :dance:

As of yesterday, I am officially three months out.  My brain is split and each side is arguing with the other.  Half is saying, "Is that ALL?!" and the other half is saying, "Three months ALREADY?!".  I feel like I've had a lifetime of changes between my surgery date and now.  My job moved from one campus to another.  My wardrobe has all but completely changed.  I look so different in my face.  I'm one class away from completing my masters degree.  I'm in the process of applying to a doctoral program. 

But, on the other hand, it feels like no time has gone by at all.  It's a paradox, I know.

So, where am I?  Well, I weighed about 2 weeks ago and at that time, I'd lost exactly 60 pounds.  Am I happy with that?  Heck yes I am!  60 pounds in 2.5 months?  Pshhhh... way better than I was expecting!  

But, I'm a worrier.  I keep thinking it's all going to stop soon.  Something is going to happen and my weight loss will come to an abrupt halt and I'll be stuck looking at bins full of donated clothes that will never fit.  I worry that my body is some kind of super adaptor and is going to too quickly learn what I've done to it and figure out how to absorb every calorie of every morsel of food that I eat.  I worry that I can eat too much.  

Oh, hey, guess what.  I'm still easily distracted.  Let's make lists...

Things that feel different:

My car feels huge. My arm no longer touches the door.  My butt fits down into my bucket seat, not across it.  My seatbelt is REALLY LONG!  I've had to move my seat up and forward.  I've had to adjust my mirrors.

My bed feels really big!  I take up a lot less of it than I used to.  I have a queen and I feel like a princess in it.  The mattress feels new because there's less of my body between me and it.  I weigh the mattress down less which changes the way it feels pushing back up against me.  I used to sleep on two pillows and now it just bends my neck uncomfortably because my body lays so much lower.  I lay my hand across my hip and I think to myself that I wouldn't feel self conscious about a man wrapping his arm around me while spooning.

My clothes feel different every day.  Hey, I'll say it.  My panties might as well be parachutes.  It's not A panty line... it's 10 panty lines because they're all bunched up inside my pants.  I'm wearing clothes I used to hate myself for... they never fit before.  Now I can take put them on and off without buttoning or unbuttoning them.  They hang right.  I look taller.  I FEEL taller.

That ultra personal thing that people shouldn't talk about... yeah.... that feels different too. 

Oh, and I can take a quick picture of my face with my camera phone and like just about every single one.  Nice.

I can stand in heels for longer periods of time.

I can walk and walk and walk and walk and walk.  Distances seem shorter now.  I no longer think, "Oh gawd... I have to walk all the way over THERE?!"



New list... things I worry about:

I'm losing some hair.  I have tons of hair, but it's always been a source of pride for me.  Losing it is freaking me out.  I see my hair everywhere.  I know it's mine because it's about 3 feet long.  I find pieces of it wrapped around my body or intertwined between my fingers.  I don't even like looking at my brush every morning after getting ready for work.  Please stop soon.

I worry that I'm not getting in enough protein.  I do my shakes and I eat things like chicken and tuna and whatnot.  Even my carbs are good.  I eat quinoa instead of rice.  But... my hair is falling out.  So, I doubt everything about my nutrition.

I worry that I forget my vitamins too often. At the very least, I generally get my morning vits in.  It's easier to forget about my night time doses.  And weekends are the worst.  I've paired vits with getting ready for work or class.  If I'm not doing that, I forget about them completely.  I didn't do this to be unhealthy and I don't want to go down that vitamin deficiency path.

I worry that people will change how they think about me.  For some reason, I'm afraid that they'll suddenly expect more from me than I've ever had to deliver before. 


New list... Things I've learned:

SUGAR FREE DOES NOT EQUAL BARIATRIC FRIENDLY.  Not, not, NOT!  Backstory... my sons got braces yesterday.  They made me promise I'd take them to a nearby candy factory prior to their bonding.  So, this past weekend, I did that.  The candy factory has a fairly large sugar free section.  I figured, what the heck, and I bought some SF gummies and chocolates and some nuts.  After spending an obscene amount of money on candy, we all pile back into my car to head home.  While driving, I crack open my little bag of SF peach ring gummies.  This factory is famous for its amazing gummies and they didn't disappoint.  These things were soooooo goooooood.  Like, close your eyes while driving good.  And I had a few.  Enjoyed each and every one.  Later that night, my body delivered a verdict I shan't soon forget.  Absolutely, under no circumstances am I to have SF gummies.  I can't describe the horror.  I can't bear to relive it even in memory.  It took me two days to get over the effects.  SF gummies are the Devil.  What leaves your body is surely Satan's spawn.  Do not eat sugar free gummies.

I've learned that there are few indulgences worth the consequences.

I've learned that my body feels amazing when I've fed it a good solid protein like chicken.

I've learned that skim milk really is delicious!  Who knew?!

I've learned that being hit on by random strangers is awkward.

I hope to learn how to handle that better.

I've learned that the memories I had of having great big eyes and big puffy lips weren't false memories.  Those features were just swallowed up by a giant face. 

I've learned that I have a NECK!  It's curves in from my head and out to my shoulders and everything!

I've learned that sleep can be hit or miss.  It seems like sometimes my body wants nothing more than to shut down and at other times, it seems like it's too busy to bother with sleep and I end up laying here.... on my bed.... blogging.


I think I'll force the issue and at least shut off the computer and lamp and just be here in the dark.  My brain will get the message soon enough.  Goodnight, dear reader(s).  Goodnight, my one "fan" who asked me to write again.  I thank you for pulling me back into it.  It really is a good tool for staying on track and reflecting on experiences.

Oooooh, thunder.  Sleeping may be easier than I thought.  :)

I think that everyone who has ever struggled with their weight has experienced the mocking shirt... or mocking pants, or mocking dress. It's that article of clothing that hangs in your closet even though it's too small for you to wear. When you're frantically looking for something to wear to work or to a function, it's hanging there saying, "You know, you could wear me if you weren't so fat."

My mocking shirt is white. It's a nice shirt. I guess that's why I never returned it when I tried it on only to find that it would work better as a straight jacket than anything else. It was tight on my arms. It didn't close in the front. I couldn't shrug my shoulders. I had a hard time even taking the damned thing off after trying it on.

I'll be honest. The other reason I didn't take it back was because I just didn't want to have to make up some story about it not being what I was looking for as opposed to saying, "Sorry, I can't wear this even though it's your biggest size. Can I have my money back?"

So, it's just hung there in my closet for the last couple of years... mocking me every time I've needed something to wear.

This morning, I overslept and as I hadn't picked out clothes for the day the night before, I was rushing to find something. And there it was... looking all perfect, but too small.

As you know, I've lost some weight recently (40 pounds as of last Thursday). So, I decided to see if the shirt was still too small. Of course it would be, right? Just a little less tight, I figured.

Wrong! I slipped it on and it fit!  So, I took it back off, ripped the tag off and put it back on.  I'm wearing it right now. My brain would like to believe that the shirt grew somehow while hanging out in my closet. It was peer pressure from spending all of its time with my other ginormous bits of clothes. I'm struggling to grasp the idea that my body is actually getting smaller. But, apparently it is!  

It feels good.

I killed my Mocking Shirt.

I don't think I fully understood the whole pouch naming thing until after surgery.  But, it really is a whole new creature inside of your body.  It's made FROM you, but it's definitely not always on your side.  It has its own personality.  Sometimes it likes you and it likes what you feed it.  Sometimes it doesn't like what you feed it today even though it was fine with it yesterday.

All in all, it just acts like another little human inside of you.  It has good days and bad.  It can be moody.  It talks ALL THE DAMN TIME (gurgle, gurgle, gurrrrrgle).  It's a person, I'm telling you!

And... this person's name is Javier.

Why Javier? 

I dunno.  I've been thinking of the whole pouch name thing for a while.  I wanted to be able to refer to it as something funnier and less clinical than "the pouch".  And I wanted something fun but meaningful.  I got to thinking about it, and I realized that my pouch was figuratively born in Mexico.  Hmm... Latin name?  Sounds good.  But which?  Hey, isn't the guy who made my pouch sort of like... it's father?  HAHAHAHAHA... sort of.  I could name it after him.  OK, but I can't call it Horacio.  Then my friends and family would think I was talking about  my surgeon when I said something like, "Horacio doesn't like 2% milk."  or  "Horacio is being a real jerk today."  Nahhhh... but.... HEY!  His middle name is Javier!  I like that.  

So, there it is.  "The pouch" is now Javier.  Javier and I are going to try to get to know each other better.  I've promised not to abuse him and he, I hope, is promising not to make me miserable.  

I'll take that last gurgle as a yes.

OK, well, I was actually three weeks out two days ago, but my energy level fluctuates and I just wasn't in the mood to blog.  I'm now 31 pounds lighter than I was 5 weeks ago.  I'm still ecstatic about my results so far!

I think I'm settling in to the new eating.  Initially, I eyeballed my food and just made sure I had tiny portions.  But, I think I overate a couple of times (mind you, at this stage, "overeating" means eating 1/3 cup of food at a time rather than the 1/4 cup I ought to be eating).  So, now I measure my food and I think my pouch thanks me.  My pouch is also thanking me for ceasing the iron and B12 supplements for now.  I didn't realize that they can be irritating to the pouch when taken during the first month postop.  I emailed my (wonderful) surgeon about my lack of energy and I told him about the supplements I was taking.  He advised me to stop those two until next week and he had me start taking Prilosec.  Let me tell you, crushed Prilosec is DISGUSTING.  But, my pouch does feel better.  I didn't even realize that it wasn't feeling so great until it started to feel better.

I guess that's the oddest thing about this whole process.  I've known my body for 30 years.  I've come to know how everything feels when everything is in good working order.  I've been able to recognize various symptoms in various organ systems when things aren't in good working order.  We all do this.  We have felt sore muscles or liver pain or kidney pain or irritable bowels or asthma symptoms or visual disturbances that come before migraines or arthritic flare ups... we just know our bodies.  BUT, after this surgery, I have to start all over again getting to know my stomach and the first 4 feet of my small intestine.  They feel different in there.  The lower "native" stomach sometimes gurgles.  My pouch gurgles from time to time.  Sometimes, I think I can feel food passing through the Y connection in my small intestine.  I *think* it's on my left side.  Nerves are cut when the stomach is cut and so my pouch doesn't clearly talk to my brain.  I don't necessarily get a full signal.  I do hope that comes back eventually. 

I get up and walk around work.  But, like I said, my energy has really been fluctuating.  Some days, I feel like I'm awake and at work through sheer will and determination.  Other days, I feel perfectly fine.  Some days, I look at my treadmill longingly and I wonder if crawling on it on all fours would be as effective as walking.  I doubt it... even though, now that I think about it, that would involve all four limbs.  Double the calorie burn?  Hmmm. 

I have an appointment to see my PCP (primary care physician) on June 10th.  This will be my first postop checkup.  Obviously, you would normally have followup visits with your surgeon, but mine is in Mexico.  As much as I would LOVE to go see him for every checkup, I'm just not that wealthy.  *sigh*  So, I'll ask my PCP to run all the necessary labs if he's unsure what to check.  I'll ask him to prescribe B12 injections and just allow me to do them myself at home.  I also need to talk to him about my left ankle.  I've had tendonitis problems in it for a long time, but it's really flared up lately and it makes it very difficult to walk properly.  Honestly, I feel like my achilles tendon is going to snap.  I'm sure it's not and it's just inflamed.  But, man, does that hurt! 

OH!  How can I forget!  I've had some NSVs (non-scale victories)!  My clothes are getting too big.  I'm probably two weeks away from no longer being able to wear my favorite work slacks.  I'll miss them, but... I sort of won't.  You know? 

The 30 pounds I've lost have made a huge difference in my face.  And I don't know if it's that difference or just a renewed confidence (or just coincidental timing), but I've been asked out twice since I got back from Mexico.  And yesterday, I got some very appreciative looks from a REALLY good looking guy.  Alas, none of them are date-able.  I can't date college students at my place of work, but they've been a hell of an ego boost!

OK, I think I'll leave it on that note.  I'm going to spend the day today making a conscious effort to drink all of the water I need to drink... which means three 20 ounce bottles of water... no excuses.  The rest of my fluids come in my 24 total ounces of protein shakes.  I'm going to do it! 

*sip, sip, sip*

Time is STILL flying.  I can't believe it's been two weeks since my surgery.  I weighed myself today.  I started this journey at 355.  I had two weeks of liquid diet prior to surgery.  My surgery was two weeks ago... so that's 28 days.  In those 28 days, I have lost 29 pounds!  I lost 14 pounds prior to surgery.  So, I went into surgery weighing 341 pounds.  I now weigh 326 pounds.  So, in the 14 days since surgery, I've lost 15 pounds.  ROCK ON!   I can't tell you the last time I got on a scale and smiled.  Have I ever smiled at a scale?  Probably not.  I do now.

Now... I just have to make myself NOT get back on the scale until NEXT Wednesday.  I can do it.  I can do it.  I can do it. 

As for my recovery, I feel absolutely perfect.  I don't feel like I had surgery at all.  Nothing hurts.  Nothing aches.  My incisions have itchy moments, but that means they're healing.  I walk and move and get up and down and twist and turn without any pain.  I sleep on my belly as I've been doing since a week out (the day after he took out my feeding tube).  I have energy.  My clothes already fit better.  Well, they definitely fit differently.  I don't have to unbutton my pants to put them on or take them off.  And I may need to make a trip to the tailor to have the pants I'm wearing today taken in and hemmed up.  They're too long now!  I didn't expect that to happen so soon.

Anyway, on to the diet:

The liquid diet prior to surgery was mildly torturous.  I was hungry and I knew that I could eat something without physically hurting my stomach.  It hadn't been altered yet.  But, I also knew that cheating would be reflected in the size of my liver and the amount of interabdominal fat the doctor would find during my surgery.  I didn't want that to happen.

The liquid diet post surgery has been a breeze.  First and foremost, of course, I'm not hungry.  I almost feel like I'm actually overeating because I have to drink shakes and soups and whatnot when I'm not hungry.  That's such an "old me" habit, you know?  But, it's an oddly new sensation.  I'm eating and drinking just to nourish my body.  Sure, I definitely make sure that the food I'm drinking is tasty, but that's only because forcing myself to drink nasty stuff would just suck.

I get to start soft foods tomorrow.  I'm so stoked!  I want some refried beans so bad... Here I just spent 10 whole days in Mexico around my favorite foods on the entire planet, and I couldn't so much as lick a tortilla.  I'm really looking forward to some refried beans and cheese... and in a week or so, the doctor has given me permission to add SPICE again.  I'm a chili-head.  My tongue is slowly dying from the blandness of my recent diet.

I'm still on a mission to impress the hell out of my surgeon when I go back to see him next year.  I want to excede his expectations.  I want to excede my own expectations, of course, but Dr. Horacio is just one of those people you don't want to disappoint.  I don't plan to.  We took pictures together after my surgery.  I want the after pictures to be AMAZING.  They will be.  I've decided it.  :)

Well, technically, I'm at work.  But I got home last Thursday.  It's been bittersweet.  Mostly sweet.  I missed my kids!  It's nice to be back in my own bed and to be taking showers in my own shower.  But, Monterrey was so beautiful and I had so much fun there. 

No worries, though.  I'm definitely going back.  I promised the doctor that I would be back in about a year.  I want to show him my progress in person and I want to show the city to my kids and my mother. 

If anyone reading this blog has reservations about going to Mexico for bariatric surgery, let me tell you two things.  There are places where you should definitely be afraid to go and then there are places like Monterrey.  I wouldn't go to a clinic.  I wouldn't go to a clinic that calls itself a hospital either (be sure to really check).  Some clinics have rooms they call an ICU.  A label on the door does not make it an ICU.  It makes it a room called an ICU.  A real hospital has an ICU that has ICU professionals working inside of it 24 hours a day.  That's what you want.  You want a hospital that has more than 1 or 2 operating rooms.  You want a hospital with an Infection Control office.  You want a hospital that is JCI accredited.  You want the BEST for YOU. 

You also want a surgeon who has time for you.  It is not enough to meet your surgeon minutes before you're going under the knife.  It's certainly not acceptable to have a surgeon you never see again after that initial visit.  You want a surgeon who has a nutritionist on his staff.  You want to know who your anesthesiologist is.  This is the person who keeps you alive while the surgeon does his work.  You want to know that ALL of these people are licensed. 

There are lots and lots and LOTS of surgeons in Mexico advertising their services.  That's great!  But, do NOT shop by price alone.  You and your health are worth more than that.  What's a couple extra thousand dollars when it means that you're going to come out alive and very very well taken care of.

I understand wanting to have your surgery done RIGHT NOW.  But, how about having your surgery done RIGHT?  How much money are you going to save going to a bargain surgeon if you have to spend thousands to have complications taken care of back here in the United States?  Do yourself and your wallet a favor and BE PATIENT enough to save the money to have your surgery done in a hospital.

I've said it over and over, but it has to be said again.  Dr. Horacio Guajardo was so far above and beyond what I could have hoped for in a surgeon.  He honestly cared about my health and comfort and it showed in everything he did.  His whole team is amazing.  My surgery went perfectly (do your part and stick to your liquid diet!!!).  I don't remember waking up.  As a matter of fact, I don't remember the recovery room at all.  I think that's thanks to a little pill I was given prior to surgery.  I'm 100% ok with amnesia when it comes to stuff like that!!

Dr. Horacio came to see me in my hotel every single day.  Even on the weekends.  He checked my incisions, adjusted my feeding tube so that it was more comfortable.  He suggested places to go see in the city.  He chatted.  He took pictures with me.  He never seemed to be in a hurry.  Great surgeon.  Great guy.

So, how am I feeling now?  FANTASTIC!  I feel like I didn't have surgery at all.  I slept on my tummy just one week after surgery.  I can bend and move in any direction.  I don't have gas pains.  I don't have pains at all.  Period.  I can swallow without a problem.  I'm on full liquids now.  Not a problem.  I'm not hungry.  When I'm full, I'm definitely FULL.  Yesterday I walked a mile on my treadmill at home.  I worked up a sweat.  It felt great!  I'm looking forward to moving on to mushy food this week. 

I haven't weighed myself since surgery.  I don't have a scale at home and I like it that way.  There's a scale in the nursing lab here at my college.  It's temping to go down there and check it out.  But, I'm going to try to resist.  I'm more interested in the fact that my face is already thinner.  I've already had to move my rings to the next biggest finger because they were falling off.  My pants fit differently already.  I can walk longer distances without stopping.  And all of this at 12 days post-op. 

So, yes, of course I'm happy.  I'm ecstatic!  I can't wait to see how the weight comes off.  I welcome the changes. 

Again,  if you're looking into surgery in Mexico whether it's WLS or any other kind, please contact Travel for Care to help you  make the arrangements.  They are the most attentive coordinators I've ever heard of.  www.travelforcare.com  Check them out!

I'm still in Monterrey and I still couldn't be happier. Let me see if I can outline my experience so far...

I think I'd already told of the great experience of being picked up by two hospital reps from the International Patients Office.

So, we'll skip to preop testing and surgery and aftercare.

Gabriel Senior is the CEO of Travel for Care, my coordinating service. He picked me up from my hotel the second day I was here and took me to the hospital for my preop testing. We went to the International Patients Office where I signed all of my paperwork and met a representative named Carlos. Then both Gabriel and Carlos escorted me to all of the different departments that did my preop testing. That included the lab for my blood draw (and that woman was fabulous. I'm a hard stick and I didn't feel a thing.), then chest xrays, then off to an EKG, and then an ultrasound on my whole abdomen. Gabriel and Carlos did all of the talking for me.

The hospital is breathtakingly beautiful. There is art everywhere. There's a beautiful courtyard. The medical school is just across the courtyard. The whole place is swarming with medical students in the final years of their schooling. And unlike so many future doctors in the US, these guys seem to have no ego. They're all extremely nice.

After all of the preop testing, Gabriel took my friends and I up to this vantage point on top of a mountain in the middle of the city. There's a huge flag pole up there and a great big area around it with benches and whatnot. You can see the whole city and all of the mountains around it. It makes for beautiful pictures. He pointed out all kinds of interesting sites and explained some of the history of the city. I took a lot of pictures. Then he took us back to the hotel. A litte later, the other coordinator, Heather Wicklow, came to pick me up to take me to Dr. Horacio's office for our first face to face meeting. Mind you, he and I have been exchanging emails for months by this time. It was awesome to get to meet him. He went over my preop testing and explained my Fobi Pouch procedure. We must have talked for 45 minutes. He's never in a hurry to leave. It's like he has all the time in the world. He gave me the colon prep, and joked about what a lovely time I'd have that night. He called the bottle a "souvenir"... He's got jokes.

My friends have been so well taken care of. Of course, breakfast is served every morning and three nights a week, the hotel serves a free dinner, too. It's called the Manager's social or something like that. Free food and beer! LOL They love the food that is served. I love to look at it. Food porn!

Anyway, the next day was my surgery. Gabriel picked me up again. He helped me register. He took my friends and I back to the surgery area. The waiting room in surgery looked so comfortable. And, there's this very cool screen in there sort of like you'd find in an airport. It has the surgical progress of all of the patients so that their families and friends know how the surgery is going and how long they can expect their loved one to be in surgery. How cool is that?

Gabriel took me back to the preop area, spoke for me, translated, waited while I changed clothes into the gowns, and then sat next to my bed throughout the entire prep process. He only left when they wheeled me out. Amazing? Yes!

Of course, I don't remember much after that. I remember that they placed an IV in my hand and they numbed the area before they did it. They gave me a pill that made me sleepy and induced amnesia, thus the foggy memories. I don't remember waking up in recovery. I don't remember being cold or anything. My next clear memories are of my hospital room, which was a nice room. I noticed that they start a second IV site while you're under anesthesia so that they have a second port in case the first one goes bad. How nice that they do it while you're under!!

The nurses were so great. I think we actually had fun with our language barrier in trying to pantomime our needs to each other. The doctor gave me a list of things I'd probably need to say and ask and things the nurses would be asking, too.

Because my procedure is a Fobi Pouch, I had both a drainage tube in the middle top of my belly and a gastric feeding tube under my left boob. The feeding tube goes into the lower "native" stomach and this is what is fed for the first week so that they pouch can heal without any irritation. The feeding tube is highly uncomfortable, but it should come out tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to that. I don't think it would be nearly as uncomfortable if I didn't have such huge and heavy boobs. They rest right on it.

My pain management has been good. The nurses were quick to respond in the hospital and I have liquid ultram now that I'm out. They also gave me liquid gas medicine and a liquid antibiotic.

I've been out and about since my surgery even with the feeding tube being uncomfortable. There is a large grocery store nearby. Today we're going to a mall that is just a couple of blocks away. We'll be taking a cab as the traffic here is insane. The doctor said there is a VIP movie theater there with huge reclining leather seats and servers that bring you drinks (and food for those able to eat).

I can't wait to see it!

Oh, and the surgeon comes to see me every single day. Sometimes more than once a day. Every. Single. Day. He checks my tube and my incisions. He sits and talks. He asks about my sleep quality. He's just amazing.

So, you know, I thought that extra money I spent was for peace of mind, but it's really not. It's for quality of service, the most advanced surgical methods, and safety. If I had to do this a million times over, I'd choose the same coordinating service and the same doctor. I will suggest this service and this surgeon to anyone who asks me. If you're preop and considering a cheaper route, trust me. Take the extra time to save a little bit more money and have your surgery done in Monterrey. We have this surgery done to extend our lives. You deserve the very best and this is definitely it.

I'm here in my hotel room in Monterrey. Yay!!! It was a long day getting here, but I got to see my best friend while I was in Dallas (layover). The flights were fine.

Oh, guess what?! My ass fits in an airplane seat and I didn't need a seat belt extender after all! I asked for one. I initially used it, but it made the belt huge, so I took it off and tried it without it just to see if it would work. It was at the end of it's rope, but it fit! Man, do I feel like an idiot having foregone so many vacations and trips for fear of that damned airplane seat. Grrr...

Anyway, so far, I love what I've seen of Monterrey. The city literally extends right up onto the sides of the mountains. I'm right at the foot of the Sierra Madre. It's absolutely beautiful. I love the differences between the city I'm looking at and the cities I'm used to.

We flew in just as the sun was going down and were treated to an absolutely beautiful sunset scene from the plane window. The sun was setting behind the mountains.

When we got here, we went through immigration and customs. It didn't take all that long. And then there were two escorts from the hospital waiting to pick us up. They had the hospital shuttle van.

They greeted us, made fun and friendly conversation, told us about the city and its history as we drove to the hotel, helped check us in, and gave me a packet with all kinds of information. It has all the numbers I'll need here... the hospital, my coordinators, my surgeon's cell and office numbers, my hotel reservation confirmation number... everything.

My friends and I got up to our hotel room (which was pleasantlly already well air conditioned) and I quickly took a shower to get the travel funk off of me and went to bed.

I just couldn't be more comfortable or pleased.

I'll be spending much of today at the hospital having my preop testing done and then surgery is at 8am tomorrow morning.

So exciting!

If anyone is looking for a coordinating service, please check out Travel for Care www.travelforcare.com. They have been so great!