Sweet_56

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Hey All!!

I'm soo bad for updating in a timely manner... I just never seem to be able to find the time, yet I should be making the time to keep up with this and spending the time reflecting on the changes that are happening.
I really wish I would have taken measurements before I had the surgery. I had a few people tell me to take measurements and I tried once but they tape measure I had was waaay to small and I just didn't think to get a bigger one and try again. I think this weekend I will take my measurements at one month out and keep track from here on out. I haven't noticed a lot of changes in the numbers the last week or so, but I did drop 35 pounds in the first 14 days post-op so I think that is pretty significant. I finally recieved my XL scale in the mail and it said I had gained 5 pounds from what the other scale I was previously weighing on said. I was a little concerned at first, but I realize that they will all weigh a little different. I will use the scale at home to guide me now anyways. I am hoping to start swimming in the next 2 weeks since my small scab by the upper chest finally fell off the other day. That means the port holes are getting close to being fully healed.
This has been one of the most meaningful things I have ever done for myself. I have a long way to go before I will be at my goal weight of 190 lbs but I know if I am focused enough anything is possible. It took me 20 years to get this way so it won't just fall off overnight.
*Side Rant- My fiance is watching the biggest loser in the background and I really hate that show. I don't think it's realistic for the average person to work out 8+ hours a day and have a professional chef cooking them meals that meet the strict guidelines set by the trainers. I think it sets the average population up for failure when they are not capable of dropping 10 or more pounds a week....Just like Magazines and body image it is unrealistic*
I have had no complications since surgery other than being very tired the last little while. I am finally able to get my protein in and I am feeling much better and my energy is slowly increasing. I am using a premier protein drink most mornings and I use food for the rest. I have also been able to get my water in most days. I can tell the days when I don't get my water in because I wake up the following day with the worst headaches... I am trying to figure out a way to track my water intake so those headaches don't happen as often because they put me out of commission for the entire day.
I am excited to be going to the gym soon. I look forward to using the elliptical again and getting my legs toned as much as I can. I think that my legs and arms are going to be my "problem areas" I can tell that my body is changing and that I am starting to get the wrinkles in my skin where it used to be full of fat. The fat is moving out and the skin is starting to get saggy. I am hoping that although the numbers on the scale aren't really moving that the inches are still coming off.
I should get to bed though as tomorrow will be a busy day with my newest neices first birthday...

HAPPY LOSING GUYS!!
Hugs
Cher

I TRIED TO WRITE EARLIER, BUT ALAS EVERYTHING GOT THE BETTER OF ME... INCLUDING THE DELICIOUS CHICKEN SOUP BROTH THEY BRING YOU TO SIP ON. EVERYTHING WENT REALLY WELL SURGERY WISE!! I DID KEEP UP MY VIDEO LOG (youtube "theshrinkingcanadian") THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS DOWN IN MEXICALI SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW I WAS LOOKING ETC. FEEL FREE TO CHECK IT OUT. I REALIZE SOME OF THEM DON’T MAKE ALOT OF SENSE, AND SOME NANNER ABOUT THE SAME THING ONCE, TWICE, OR EVEN THREE TIMES. I MADE MOST OF THE VIDEO LOGS AT THE END OF THE NIGHT AFTER A FULL DAY OF VISITING AND WHAT NOT SO I WAS TIRED DURING THE “TAPINGS”. I AM GOING TO WRITE THIS OUT AS A BLOG AND TRY AND COVER EVERYTHING I CAN REMEMBER FROM BEGINNING TO END. I DID THE VIDEO LOG AS I AM SURE THAT THERE WILL BE INFORMATION I HAVE FORGOTTEN OR WILL MISS. ANYWAYS HERE IS A SUMMARY OF MY TRIP TO MEXICALI MEXICO, DR. ACEVES, HIS STAFF, HOSPITAL ALMATER, AND LEAVING MY STOMACH BEHIND.

THIS IS LONG, SEMI-INFORMATIONAL, POSSIBLY BORING, AND I HOPE THAT IT HELPS PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING OF GOING DOWN TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA ABOUT THINGS. WHEN I WAS SEARCHING ABOUT GOING TO SURGERY I FOUND THAT THERE WEREN’T ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO KEPT DETAILED NOTES ABOUT THEIR TRIPS BUT RATHER BRIEF OVERVIEWS. I FOUND THAT INFORMATION TO BE EFFECTIVE AND HELPFUL BUT I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT LITTLE BIT MORE... SO HERE IT IS.... MAYBE IT’S TOO MUCH FOR SOME AND NOT ENOUGH FOR OTHERS BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I REALIZE MANY FACTORS WILL BE DIFFERENT FOR MANY OTHER PEOPLE IE: PAIN, FOOD TOLERANCE, MEDICATIONS... BUT I WANTED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE.
ALL THE BEST TO THOSE ON THIS JOURNEY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO ALL OF YOU GUYS!!

September 15^th, 2011
-We left home and headed towards San Diego. Flights to San Diego + Denver Layover = SUCKY... any who... We arranged a hotel in San Diego for the night of the 15^th due to flight times from home, and the fact that I wanted to get some sweet shopping in just in case I kicked the bucket (....priorities I know) We stayed at the Days Hotel-Hotel Circle and it was a fairly decent hotel at the right price and close to two AWESOME malls.  I followed the diet as hard as I could, but after getting into San Diego and shopping nothing was really open for food. We ordered Papa John’s Pizza (I ate the cheese and meat toppings nothing else...ok one bite of a bread stick...it was worth it) and I enjoyed my very last glass of Diet Vanilla Coke (We can’t get that in Canada...Soooo Delicious). It was just about 10pm and time to shower and hit the hay as I had to call Nina at 8am to give Ernesto Details of where to collect us.

September 16^th, 2011
-Testing day... Ernesto picked us up from our hotel just after 11 am... I was scared Sh*tless at this point... Right, Wrong, Good, Bad decision etc... Ernesto helped us (my Fiancé, Mother, and I) gather our things and stick them in the van. I met another amazing lady I’ll call “G Doll” who was heading to Mexicali to have her Lap band removed *She had it put in by Dr. A before and talked amazing things about the whole process* Soo My stress level dropped from 150 to about 145. Ernesto stops at a store on the way out of San Diego for your companions to get a snack, and for you the patient to get water as your currently fasting for tests. Ernesto has also had the sleeve surgery and keeps a picture in the glove box to show people... He looks amazing!! Ernesto must have been an Indy driver in his previous life, but none the less I felt completely safe... I’ll leave it at that. I was soo nervous on the way to Mexico that I just tried to enjoy the ride there and take in the sights. It’s really a gorgeous drive. Crossing the border into Mexico was effortless. Once we arrived in Mexicali we immediately went to Hospital Almater.  We were greeted by Yolanda who gave me and “G Doll” Containers to pee in (you don’t get a hat it’s all about aim...) after you pee its straight to the lab for blood work and the nurse was amazing got my silly vein the first try, from there I went to have my ECG/EKG, and that was followed by a fast Chest X-ray. Once I got the all clear from the chest X-ray I went and waited with my family until the anaesthesiologist was able to meet with us. This guy is blunt and honest. It reassured me he was skilled and wanted to lay all the cards out on the table...At this point Yolanda met with my family and I to settle up payment for the procedure and Dr. Campo’s came to introduce himself and answer any questions... I won’t even lie to you folks I was scared I would die and I needed to be reassured a billion times I wasn’t going to die... After that Yolanda gave me a book with some sheets to read over and sign later that night at the hotel, and 2 pills to take before 10pm (a sleeping pill because I was a nervous wreck and an antibiotic just to prepare my body) and took us back to meet with Ernesto and he took us to the hotel for our last night to enjoy our entire stomachs. I had Chicken fettuccini Alfredo and 2 Pina Colada’s...One for each hand...you know the rest...

September 17^th, 2011
-SURGERY DAY- The hotel shuttle took us to the Hospital for 7am (Ernesto had to drive other clients leaving to the airport earlier than normal today or he would have picked us up) When we arrived at the hospital Yolanda met us and took us back to the Bariatric area of the Hospital where Dr. Aceves patients are placed. The rooms are nice, bright, and large. Once we were placed in our rooms we had the opportunity to get settled in, and while we were putting our stuff away the internalist came and went over all my lab work/ECG/X-RAY from the day before. Once I had the ok from the Internalist everything was put into motion. Dr. Campos came and checked on me to see how my nerves were (not good ha-ha) and gave me my Spiro meter to practice on... Raising that third ball is a little tricky, but I managed to do just fine after a few tries. He informed me I was the last surgery Dr. Aceves was going to be doing on Saturday... I don’t know if it was because of my size, or just luck of the draw but either way I was the 3^rd one to see the OR that day. It felt like an eternity for my turn to come. The other patients are soo friendly and kept popping in to see if I had left/Returned yet, and it was nice to be surrounded by people that cared, but at the same time the more people stopped in the longer it seemed for my number to be called. Once I found out that “G Doll” was in recovery I knew they would be coming to collect me soon. I was quite nervous so I was given a little “happy pill” but I don’t think it did too much at all. Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campo’s, and a Nurse from the OR team came in prior to me heading for the OR. Dr. Aceves filled me in about the surgery in detail, answered any additional questions I had and reassured me all would be well... I was finally at peace with my decision... The gurney to the OR showed up and Sergio (He was an amazing nurse) manned the gurney and helped reassure me as they wheeled me to the OR. I was awake for the spinal block I received and it wasn’t the worst thing ever, but if you have never had surgery the sudden numbness in your legs is a very weird sensation. I was scared still and the ENTIRE team just talked to me calmly and tried to keep my mind off the task at hand. Everyone spoke excellent English, and they really care about how you are feeling. The next thing I knew I was in recovery looking down my gown to make sure it wasn’t switched to an open surgery (aside from dying that was my next biggest fear). I drifted in and out of sleep for the next hour or so and I had a nurse at the foot of my bed from the time I arrived in Recovery until the time they wheeled me back to my room.  I wasn’t in any discomfort at all. I was nauseated from the anaesthetic however and salivated a lot thinking I was going to be sick. I was kept very comfortable the rest of the night, and I was up walking around the halls about 3 hours after returning to my room at 8pm. I walked for a little while and headed back to bed for the night. The nurses came and asked if I was comfortable which I was and the next thing I knew it was 6am and Dr. Aceves and Campo’s were in my room checking on me. *Side Note- Dr. Aceves phoned my fiancé and mother after I was finished in surgery and told them all went well, and after coming to see me in recovery he went to my room where they were waiting and talked with them about the surgery more in depth. What a dedicated man!!!*

September 18^th, 2011
-Day 1 Post Op- 6am came early and I met with Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos and they explained that the surgery went excellent and that there were no complications or any problems. I was still a little loopy at this time from the narcotics, and my left food was still fairly numb from the spinal block (it’s normal) they spent a little more time talking to my fiancé and my mom who had some questions. There wasn’t a single question Dr. Aceves couldn’t answer. At this point I was nauseated and a nurse brought me gravol and I fell back asleep. I woke up about 830 feeling better. I was very bloated from the gas but that was only a minor discomfort. I was up walking and going to the washroom with very minimal assistance. Dr. Campos came in around 930 and visited for a short time and checked my drain and palpated my stomach which was fine and I didn’t experience any pain. He then brought me the “Smurf Juice” that stuff is BAD... I won’t lie; it tasted horrible I could only get 2 of the 4 things down which was fine for Dr. Campos. The “Smurf Juice” is a blue substanceß(for lack of a better word) that they use as a first line to check for leaks you drink the nasty stuff and they come about every hour for the next 5 hours to see if there is any blue reside leaking into your drain. I had none so all was well with my sleeve. (I spend the next 3 days peeing blue however) I was given Tea, Water, Apple Juice to drink and I love apple juice so I jumped at the opportunity to have some...I couldn’t keep it down.. Within minutes of sipping the apple juice I was dry heaving into my big blue bucket from under the sink. Dry Heaving is not pleasant at all. I was one of the people who suffered from gas pains in my lower abdomen and up in my chest... The more I walked the better I felt. I also used Gas X and at one point the nurses allowed me to take Melox just to help get the gas moving. I felt reasonably well for the most part but I was very tired the second day. Other patients come and check on your often and try to give you tips and tricks that work for them. It is a very great close knit community down there. I received chicken soup broth later that evening that was delicious, but I didn’t have more than 2 tsp as I wasn’t hungry at all. The nurses’ check if you have went to the washroom and if you have they will take the bag of IV fluid off and let you start getting your fluids on your own. Getting your fluids in during the first few days is really hard. I found that the crushed Ice I eventually begged enough for was the easiest way for me to get in some liquids (and I was able to chew something) I spend the rest of the day visiting and I saw Dr. Aceves/Dr. Campos 2 more times that evening. I worked with the Spiro meter, but I found that taking deep breaths was rather uncomfortable with the drain in, but I did it anyways because I have asthma and I don’t want any bad repercussions when I can use this thing and save me tons of trouble later.  I joined my fiancé and mom in the cafeteria while they had supper that night and it was fine the food smelled amazing, but it didn’t bother me I wasn’t hungry at all... I ordered “Agua Fria” and they brought me a bottle of cold water. *I sipped it way to fast and it hurt... So the lesson here is to SIP, SIP, SIP SLOWLY* We spent some time walking around and we often went and sat outside by the emergency doors as they have benches, and there are tons of stars in the sky come night time. Bertha was my night nurse and she was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! I can’t tell you enough how awesome she was to me. That girl knows her stuff...

September 19^th, 2011
-Day 2 Post-OP – I was up most of the previous night with gas pains and I did A LOT of walking that night. I found that I was just unable to get comfortable. Today started out early again and Dr. Campos stopped by at about 7am to ask how I was feeling and give me a heads up that I would be having my fluoroscopy this morning after checking my drain he left and a technician from X-Ray came to collect me around 730am to go for my fluoroscopy. Dr. Campos met my family and me in the X-ray room and asked if my family would like to join him in the back room and watch. Dr. Campos makes you the High Resolution drink to swallow. *This was as bad as or worse than the “Smurf Juice” and they bring it to you warm. They also ask you to gulp it so enough goes down together that you can see... I didn’t gulp the first time for fear it would hurt, and I paid by having to drink another cup of the Warm gross drink to get the proper amount going down into my stomach.* It was pretty amazing to see my new little banana stomach and watch how it digests the fluids. I think it was really an eye opener for my family to watch it to. My mom who works in the medical profession told me it was the weirdest thing she had seen.  Dr. Campos replayed the image for me to watch one more time because I was in awe, and I headed back to my room to brush my teeth and get the taste out of my mouth. I visited with a few other people on my walk back, and I received another bowl of the amazing chicken soup broth which I was determined to eat. I made it through about 8tsp and I was full. Its soo good you almost can’t put your spoon down. The nurse came and took my IV fully out, and about 30 minutes later Dr. Aceves and Dr, Campos came to check in AGAIN (!!) and see how I was doing. I asked for the Drain to be taken out as it tends to be quite uncomfortable and Dr. Campos obliged and removed it for me. It was painless. The worst part was taking the tape off my skin... Once the drain came out it is much easier to take deep breaths and move around. I was still pretty bloated as I wasn’t able to break wind and you’re still stiff as if you had done a trillion sit-ups but it’s manageable without pain meds. I spent the rest of the evening getting visiting with the new folks, saying goodbye to the ones I met, and telling the nurses how awesome they were. I had my Shower *which after 2 days was amazing* and I felt fine it was nice to have clean hair and it was refreshing. I visited the cafeteria one last time and took some photo-ops. Bertha came in to say good bye to me and thank me for being her patient when she was off shift and Sergio came to say good bye and wish me well too. They all ask that you keep in contact with them and Send pictures. We took some things down to give the staff as thank you gifts and they are soo appreciative it’s astounding. I had my mother go out and buy flowers for the nursing staff; to leave on the desk they totally deserved it. I asked for a sleeping pill to help me get a good night’s rest before the loooong flights home, and they were more than willing to give me one. Once my drain came out it oozed quite a bit so I had a second dressing change before I went to sleep that night, and it was off to lala land. I woke up to someone tapping on my door at about 930pm and was surprised to wake up and see Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos, and the anaesthesiologist coming into my room. The three of them visited with me, wished me well, and told me to take care of myself and keep in touch. I was floored that the three of them wanted to come say good bye, thank me for coming, and wish me well. Dr. Campos even told me to come back and visit anytime!!

September 20^th, 2011
-Home Day- I woke up at about 630am as I had to be ready to leave the hospital at 7am. It was bitter sweet leaving because I received such excellent care at Almater and I made soo many new friends, but I was glad to be headed home to sleep in my own bed and have my creature comforts. Ernesto was a little late getting to the hospital because he had to make a stop at the hotel and pick up my mom and some other guests that were starting their journeys. Yolanda gave me all my medical stuff (X-Ray, Fluoroscope, Labs, and ECG) along with a report from Dr. Aceves outlining the procedure, drugs used, times etc. They send 2 weeks’ worth of Nexium mups, and some pain meds home with you in case you need them. We had already bought my Nexium at the pharmacy just down from the hospital though so we left the Nexium behind. We headed out to San Diego and the ride was pretty good. My belly was a little tender when we hit big speed bumps of ruts in the road, but it wasn’t too bad. The US border crossing took about an hour to get through and once we got to San Diego Airport it was smooth sailing. I recommend calling ahead and getting a Wheelchair... Everything goes soo much quicker when you’re in the wheelchair including security screening. We upgraded our seats from San Diego to Denver to Business class for the extra leg room and it was the best idea ever!! I also bought one of those little U shaped neck pillows to place against my belly and hug when I coughed... Also a good idea... Turbulence made my belly a little tender when we were bouncing around but otherwise it was ok. The Denver Airport was crappy I had to argue with the wheelchair guy about giving me a ride in the golf cart the 55 gates. I finally lifted up my shirt to prove I had surgery, and he took us about 3 /4 quarters of the way and told me I could walk the rest of the way it wasn’t that far... *it was still a little far*... The plane from Denver to Saskatchewan was TINY!!!!!!!!! I was soo squished... It was another hour ride home from the airport and that wasn’t too bad... the bumps were the only issues. I found it hard to get comfortable last night in my own bed and needed to roll up a blanket to prop me up enough that I could get up and take myself to the washroom and what not.

TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 21^ST AND I AM FEELING PRETTY DARN GOOD. I GOT MYSELF UP AND HAD A SHOWER THIS AM. CHANGED MY DRESSING AND HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE TYPING THIS BLOG OUT FOR MOST OF THE MORNING BETWEEN GETTING UP AND STRETCHING, WALKING, TENDING TO MY DOGS. MY SITES ALL LOOK GOOD AND ARE STILL TAPED UP. I HAVE QUITE A BIT OF BRUISING AROUND THE MIDDLE PORT AREA. IT IS DEFINITLEY THE MOST TENDER OUT OF ALL THE SITES. MY DRAIN SITE IS ALSO A LITTLE TENDER. THE BIGGEST INCISION LINE IS MAYBE 2 INCHES BUT I DON’T THINK ITS EVEN 2 AND THE REST ARE SMALLER. THE DRAIN SITE IS JUST OVER AN INCH WIDE.  I HAD MY FIRST B.M THIS AM AND IT WAS LIQUID. NO PAIN OR ANYTHING DURING OR AFTER.  I AM NOT ABLE TO BEND OVER SO PICKING THINGS UP OFF THE FLOOR OR LOW PLACES HAS BEEN A BIT OF A STRUGGLE. I AM SIPPING LOTS OF FLUIDS AND WARMED UP SOME CHICKEN BROTH EARLIER TO ENJOY. I DIDN’T HAVE MUCH MAYBE 10 TSP OR SO OVER THE PERIOD OF AN HOUR. PAIN WISE I AM JUST A LITTLE TENDER AND STIFF... AGAIN LIKE I JUST PUSHED IT TO HARD AT THE GYM... I HAVEN’T USED ANY PAIN MEDS AND I AM SURE I PROBABLY WON’T NEED ANY JUST HAVE TO TAKE MY TIME AND SLOOOW DOWN.
I KEPT THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE UNDER WRAPS FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AND ONLY REALLY TOLD THE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO KNOW BEFORE HAND ANYTHING. I DON’T PLAN TO KEEP THIS A SECRET OR ANYTHING AS I FEEL IT WAS THE RIGHT THING FOR ME AND I DON’T THINK IT REALLY MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS OF MY DECISION. I AM OPEN TO OPINIONS AND DISCUSSIONS AND SUCH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY VERY FEW PEOPLE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LUGG AROUND 474+ POUNDS AND TRY LIVING LIFE AS NORMALLY AS YOUR GIGANTIC OVERSIZED BODY WILL LET YOU. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A STIGMA AROUND OBESITY AND THAT IS FINE... I JUST HOPE THAT BY SHARING MY STORY, MY JOURNEY, AND HOPEFULLY A SUCESSFUL END RESULT PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT BARIATRIC SURGERY ISN’T THE EASY WAY OUT. I BELIEVE IT TOOK ME MORE BALLS TO GO AND HAVE THIS SURGERY IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WHERE I BARELY SPEAK THE LANGUAGE AND WHERE I HAD THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST ME THEN IT WAS TO SIT ON MY COUCH, MY CAR, OR WHEREVER I FELT IT WAS CONVENIENT AND CONTINUE TO EAT MYSELF TO DEATH LITERALLY TO DEATH. I WOULDN’T HAVE LIVED A GOOD LIFE THE WAY I WAS GOING AND I NEED TO WORK AS HARD GETTING THE WEIGHT OFF AS I DID PUTTING IT ON. IT WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST DECISIONS I HAVE EVER HAD TO MAKE. IT TOOK YEARS AND YEARS OF RESEARCHING TO COME TO THE DECISION TO GET WLS AND I AM SURE THAT IF I HAD 8 HOURS A DAY TO SPEND IN THE GYM AND HAD THE MONEY TO AFFORD A PERSONAL CHEF TO PREP ME MEALS THAT ARE UNDER 1000 CALORIES I COULD HAVE HAD THE SAME SUCCESS PEOPLE FROM SHOWS LIKE THE BIGGEST LOSER HAVE, BUT I DON’T HAVE 8+ HOURS A DAY TO SPEND AT THE GYM AND I DON’T HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO AFFORD MY OWN CHEF FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. SO I CHOSE WLS WHICH IN THE END WAS WORTH THE SELF PAY COST TO SAVE ME THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS I WOULD BE PAYING INTO MEDICAL EXPENSES AS MY WEIGHT CLIMBED AND I STARTED TO GET ALL THOSE NASTY CO-MORBIDITIES. THE NUMBERS JUST MAKE SENSE TO ME. IF I SPEND 2000 DOLLARS A YEAR ON MEDS/DOCTORS/OBESITY RELATED EXPENSES THAT’S 10,000 DOLLARS EVERY 5 YEARS... I SPENT LESS THEN THAT AND NOW I AM GUARANTEED TO NOT PAY THAT MONEY OUT TO COMPANIES BUT I CAN SPEND IT ON MYSELF AND MY FAMILY J

Ok, Ok, OK... For all of you who are coming down here RELAX!!! I am such a big baby (honestly...It is hard to admit but true) I can`t believe I was soo worried about testing today, and now at 9:41pm (local time) I am excited for tomorrow.. Still scared about the surgery aspect but I know I am in good hands. I have this irrational fear I am going to get sick, have pain, or worse yet die... Today after meeting SOME of the staff I have next to nothing in the fears department. I know some of you will find this hard to believe...that`s totally fair because I was constantly reading blog after blog and Post after Post thinking to myself ``How can these people not be freaked out and losing their minds?`` It`s a simple answer the staff are amazing!! Well ok the ones I have met so far and if that is a pre-cursor to the famed Dr. A I will be elated. I will give a brief rundown of how today went. We stayed overnight in San Diego due to the flight schedule situation and now finding a flight that made it to San Diego before 11am...However in hind sight I am sure you could work with the staff to have Ernesto pick you up slightly later from the Airport. Ernesto (who had the surgery and looks awesome) picked us up at our hotel (which was Days Hotel-Hotel Circle - Nice Rooms- Fairly Cranky Staff) and from the hotel we headed towards the border, but Ernesto was nice enough to make a pit stop at a gas station for drinks and a potty break before the trip. The drive is around 2 hours and Ill prewarn those of you who are backseat drivers... HE DRIVES FAASST!!! I felt very safe though and he along with the other lady I met provided conversation the entire trip which allowed me to take my mind off of the pre testing etc. The trip into Mexico was awesome the landscape was gorgeous and the sun was shining. I am a big picture junky so I took tons of pictures...Ill post some later on Youtube, or here. Crossing the border into MX was easy we drove right through without even stopping. The hospital is maybe 10 minutes away from the border when you cross it. When we arrived at the hospital the very first thing we did was meet Yolanda. A very nice lady.. She was talking to the other lady and myself..However I was sooo nervous that I didn`t hear a thing leaving her lips. We were immediately given cups for a urine sample which is tricky as I couldn`t find a hat anywhere... After your done peeing they sweep you away to bloodwork.. I don`t like needles at all but the Nurse was EXTRA nice and careful when she took my blood and hit my vein the first try...THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN CANADA!!!! After the bloodwork I went and changed into a gown and went for an EKG.. Side note: That was the first gown I ever wore that fit me and I had extra room in. After the EKG I flipped the gown around and walked to the xray which was both fast and painless. Again the staff I encountered were warm, friendly, and soo relaxed it helped me to relax. Once that was finished and I got the A-OK I followed Yolanda back to the lobby where we waited for about 10 minutes and we met the anesthesiologist who gave us a run down of what he would be doing and answered any questions we had.. After that we met with Yolanda and finished discussions about financials at that point Dr. Campos popped in (What a young looking and friendly guy!!!). As I was a gigantic ball of nerves they gave me something to take to help me sleep tonight, and told me to go and enjoy my last meal...Whatever I wanted... YAY!!! I am now sitting here thinking about tomorrow, and I am definitley not as anxious or nervous as I was any of the last 13 nights leading up to tonight. I am completely comfortable with my choice in both Dr and coming to Mexico. I met some awesome ladies who were leaving today and I spent time talking with them, and I can`t wait to talk with the ladies tomorrow who I have been talking to via Email and Forum Boards. Everyone here is just sooo darn nice!!! My fiance and Mom wont be able to see me until after I have been in recovery so I don`t know if my inital plan of having them get some footage of me post surgery will happen or not, but I will try my darndest to get something together so that folks thinking about coming can have a look at the hospital. It is the cleanest hospital I have ever seen... Not a speck of dust, kleenex, anything in the garbages.. There is always someone cleaning... Anywho I should get to bed as I have a BIG day tomorrow.
I'll write a little jig for everyone!!!

So Here`s to You and Here`s to Me
A Little Wish for SUCCESSFUL surgeries
May we lose from our toes to our nose
Becoming the people we want to be..
So Here`s to you, Here`s to Me!!!

Ahhhh..... I'm freaking out a little bit!!! I feel like I am a little crazy for going through with this... I know its the right decision but holy crap! If yesterday was an indication of how the rest of this trip is going to go... I am screwed haha.  The trip to San Diego was HELL.... The flights were soo Small and squished!!! The first plan we rode in was 4 seats wide and head, leg, shoulder room was limited. I watched at least 10 people smack their heads on the stowage bins when adjusting in their seats of moving for the partner beside them.. I quickly remembered why i always get that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach before I board a plane. First we were sitting near the back and they load front to back for some silly reason.. I absolutely hate being the fat girl that has to get on after almost everyone has boarded and all you can see is a look of fear on people's faces... The please don't let her be sitting next to me look of doom.  That walk of "shame" is followed by the awkward "Can I please get a seatbelt extender?" convo which after you patiently wait for them to either descreetly or in my case yester day indescreetly drop on off to your seat... It was soo embarrassing :( the stewardess forgot about me, and ran it down the aisle while we were backing up saying "Here is your extender..please bring it to the front when we land and deplane.." GEZZUS lady!!!!! I was slightly mortified until my fiance said to me just think your never going to see any of these people ever again and soon you won't even need on of those extenders... Cheryl 1 - Mean Stewardess 0! I can't wait to be able to fly coach comfortably... I have faith that it will happen some day very soon. I would even LOVE if I could pull of some awesome weightloss before my wedding in February and have the opportunity to fly EXTENDER-FREE!!!!! The flight from Denver to San Diego was much larger, but again as luck would have it I was at the very back of the plane... row 40 to be exact... The walk of "shame" sucked more this time.. instead of walking past 12 rows I walked past 39 rows of people with that desperate look in their eyes... Maybe next time I fly I will get me on of those double seat deals where my ass can have some breating room....Anyways the airports weren't too bad at all.. DENVER=HUGE, but it wasn't soo bad with the walking pedways.. I have definitley done one crazy amount of walking the last 2 days. Once we arrived in San Diego we went to the Fashion Valley mall and spend 3 hours cruising around there, but this am my feet hurt and my left ankle is a little bit inflammed... I think between all the airport walking/shopping and the shopping here in San Diego I may have slightly overdone it. I am anxiously awaiting the pickup call where they are here to gather us from the hotel and we can be on our way to Mexico, and my new life... I am hoping all the testing goes well and if you read this hope it goes well for me too!! I am glad this journey is about to begin... Just a few more hoops to jump through and I will be on my way... PS.. WHY does Canada not carry all these amazing sugar-free products.. I found sugar free gum in Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Creamsicle, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Apple Pie!!!! I LOOOOVE Extra gum... from the USA.... Anyways I need to go get ready to meet the Driver that will take me to meet my new life... VIVA MEXICO :)

Cher

Well I made my first video log today... It only took 3 runs to get it useable.. I had a hard time talking to my camera... It was like a personal interrogation of sorts. I think that as this process gets closer and unfolds I am really going to be a mess. I just have to keep reminding myself that I am not alone, I am not the first, and I have tons of support from my family (those that know what I am doing), Most of my friends(again those that know), and all the fantastic people I have met her on OH! What a lifesaver OH has been for me. I look forwards to meeting many more of you, and at some point being able to help those newbies who are coming in looking for answers... I think the hardest part now is waiting the 8 days... I was ready to do this yesterday. Of all the things I am.. Patient isn`t one of them. I always snooped for my presents before christmas because I hate not knowing... I`m a buzz kill I know... haha!
With 8 days to go I find that I am Nervous about everything... I want to make sure I dont stray from the diet by even 1 gram of carbs... I think I have been doing a pretty amazing job thus far... I find the hardest thing is not getting to have the caffeine... I am addicted to that stuff... It keeps me awake.  I have a lot of things to work through before, during, and after this surgery but who doesn`t?! I think with the support of my fiance and my mom almost nothing can go wrong. To my advantage I am also currently to heavy for a standard scale, and as such I sure wont be monitoring my weight as closely as some people here on OH do. I think if I didn`t see the numbers changing I would have a bit of a heart attack, and this way I have no choice.. I will only see the numbers when I see the doctor and his special scale... Oh the life of a Heavyweight.... I look forward to the opportunity to see a normal number on the scale... althought I often catch myself wondering... What is Normal? Linebackers for NFL weigh in at Close to 300 sometimes... They are healthy but they would be considered morbidly obese... So that leads me to my next thought that maybe how BMI is figured out needs some updating and fine tuning. Maybe weight shouldn`t be the sole deciding factor along with height and sex. What about people like me who are unusually tall for their gender, or those who have no co-morbidities except for the weight.
I made myself a little Weight Loss Bucket List and I want to share with you folks some of the reasons that I can`t wait to lose the excess weight I am carrying around... so here we go....

CHERYL`S WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY BUCKET LIST:
  
1. I can`t wait to fit into/on any chair, booth, seat, car, truck, tub, jacuzzi, amusement park ride, helicopter, and stadium seat that I want to sit in or on.. I am missing a few things, but I am drawing a blank I`ll come back.
2. I can`t wait to have kids with my fiance and be able to watch them grow and chase them.
3. I want to be excited to buy a bathing suit, or get new clothes because mine don`t fit anymore.
4. Know what it feels like to be 100 pounds less.
5. Know what it feels like to be 200 pounds less.
6. Know waht it feels like to be able to run long distances, and feel good at the same time.
7. I want to hike my ass up a gigantic mountain, and across the wall of China.
8. I want to know what shopping in a `Normal`size clothing store is like.
9. The ability to destroy my penningtons, additionelle, and Avenue frequent buyer cards because the clothes don`t fit.
10. Know what it feels like to be totally and utterly comfortable being intimate with my fiance in any angle ;)
11. I want to go horseback riding without feeling sorry for the horse.
12. I want to go bungee jumping without worrying that I would snap the rope
13. I never want to have to look at the weight restriction on ANY ride EVER again.
14. Use the elliptical for an hour without thinking I might just die before 25 minutes is up.
15. Ride a bike without my crotch hurting from the skinny seat because I have a lot of Overhang-haha
16. Go to a waterslide park with my neice and I tucker her out early.
17. Enjoy travelling on a plane where I am not mortified to be in the middle seat with a stranger next to me so my thunder thigh isn`t touching their thigh.
18. NO MORE SEATBELT EXTENDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19. Having a Healthy relationship with food... the good food, the bad food, and the ugly food.
20. Knowing what it is like to own a LBD and being proud to wear it.

and finally

EATING TO LIVE INSTEAD OF LIVING TO EAT!!

Well folks... Today marks my very first negative reaction to me getting WLS.  I was almost blown away. I guess with everyone else being supportive I wasn't prepared for this one. I almost couldn't believe my ears as my friend proceeded to tell me that I wasn't working hard enough... She even made a comment that I may or may not have lied to my doctor about the amount of effort I am putting into this... WTF?! I laughed her bad reaction off and changed the subject really quickly... I'm still a little bit miffed about the whole thing... In a perfect world I would be very athletic, clean eating, and a size 8 (or whatever) but this is the reality of my situation. I don't think Diet and Excercise alone will aid me to lose the weight I need to lose to live a happy, healthy, and productive life... I hate that people think because I am fat that I am LAZY!! I'm not Lazy at all.. I try to live an active life for the most part, make healthy food choices, and contribute to society...

Here I am writing my first online blog about my weight, weight loss, and my life in general.
I'll already apologize this first blog will probably be slightly long winded, but I will try my hardest to be clear and sum everything up.
Which leads to the first question where do I start?!
I have always been an optimist and I try to live my life with the half full glass. I love to laugh, smile, and I love to be the life of the party. I am however also the girl that is capable of being completely miserable, but you would never know. I spent many years hiding my emotions about being the awkward girl. My uncle Francois (BoBo) was the man that finally helped me to be comfortable in my skin...More on that later...
To the story you’re all looking for...
I have struggled with being the "big" kid all my life. I was the tallest girl (you think that would make you awesome, but it didn't I was constantly teased about my height) around from my earliest memories until I was about 15 (I still don't understand how 14 year old boys grow 3 feet in just 1 summer), however I also became horizontally gifted around the age of 8 give or take a year. Once I started gaining weight there was no stopping this train wreck. Fast-forward through high school and I yo-yoed with my weight. I'd get on a health kick and stay on the straight and narrow drop some weight which was always followed by some teenage drama and gaining it all back with interest. I believe I tipped the scales in High school around 350-375. I constantly skipped gym to prevent the ridicule and looks. They did the belly fat pinch test and I didn’t need it I was obviously over weight, but I think it was to try and jumpstart my weight loss by embarrassing me. It worked at first until I was soo embarrassed and mortified I could no longer attend, and so it became an outlet that fuelled my overeating while everyone else attended PE I was in the lounge eating JUNK (WHY DO SCHOOLS ONLY PROVIDE JUNK??!!!) wishing I could be a fit athletic girl which *cue vicious overeating cycle* 
To be completely honest I don't have many good memories of High school. High school was a tragic time for me and my family, and a lot of people that I looked to for support passed away. I remember a few teachers that went above and beyond for me, but I also remember those who made my HS life a living breathing hell.  I ended up dropping out and having to return a year later when I was ready to try again.
So... the low down on BoBo... He was a Big (550-650lbs) man who never let anything get to him. I remember as a young chubby girl always asking why he was never sad. He said “Life is too short to cry over people who are too stupid to accept you for the amazing person you are inside... Those people don’t deserve to be your friends because you are the prettiest girl in the world.” My uncle helped me learn how to accept my body and be comfortable with myself. I know that I sound crazy when I say I am comfortable in my skin, but the truth is that... I am however not comfortable with the limitations that my weight creates for me. I watched my uncle’s weight slowly kill him. First he had Diabetes, Renal failure, and finally transfusions. He ended up dying from Septic shock after he had surgery to remove his lower left leg due to his Diabetes which for the record healed perfectly. The septic shock was related directly to his weight and a gigantic lack of care and compassion from the nursing staff. His death was one of the worst things I had ever experienced aside from the death of my dad 3 years earlier. Losing BoBo was like losing the one person in the world that understood where I was coming from. I am the only obese gal in my immediate family.
After his death in 2004 and my last Grandparent in 2006 I spiralled downhill. My weight slowly crept up on me. I was big enough that it was nearly impossible to weigh myself, and it was embarrassing when I was weighed. I lost weight when I first moved away from home in 2006-2007. I was feeling great, but it was short lived and the weight I lost I gained back with a lot of interest. I spent time looking into WLS here in Saskatchewan, but the wait times are just ridiculous! I couldn’t imagine waiting 3-4 years back then, and I still can’t imagine waiting 2.5 years now. I want to get to a place where I am healthy, happy, and starting to REALLY live my life.  I want to get this tool while I am still reasonably healthy, and I think it’s crazy that many doctors would wait until I develop Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and other health complications. As such I decided that self-pay in Mexico would be the road for me to follow. I have decided that the sooner I start this Journey the better.
I plan to finish my Social Work Degree and use that to aide me while I advocate for persons who are “Above Average” (I also hate that term... What is average now a day’s anyways??!?!!)  I know as a person with a weight problem I have been treated far worse than any of my thin counterparts, and a lot of harsh and unfair judgements are made about me because I am Fat.

I plan to Blog here on OH, and I intent to start a VLOG on YouTube or such to track my success, and vent about my fears and issues.

I look forward to this journey..... I can’t wait to join the loser’s bench!!

Cheers!
Cheryl