First of all im alive and well. I have some pain. Mostly it was right after surgery when they were trying to wake me up. It was severe but didn't last long. I don't know what kind of pain meds other people that said they had didn't really help, but the clear stuff they keep adding to my IV was amazing and knocked me out after each time. I got it about every two hours and then id wake again and pee. Ive went pee every two hours since the surgery. My surgery was yesterday at 2pm or so. I woke up about every two or three hours in the night when the nurse automatically came to give me pain meds even though I told them I didn't have much they gave me some anyway and I fell back to sleep. Dr Quinnones was nice and we discussed my prior gall bladder issues. He said he will take it out at the same time if he thought it looked bad. But he said it looked fine so he left it in. He and Henry discussed with me that it would be an extra $800 and when I said I didnt have the money they were happy to do it anyway and let me pay and said they trusted me to pay when I could. That was nice. Ester is here with me now and I showed her all the Quinones patients we are using the translator on my computer to talk. She is sweet and remembered Melony's name when she saw her pic. She said this work gives her much pleasure. Anyhow, they had me shower a couple hours ago when I started to have gas pain. Actually Ester just gave me more pain meds but obviously not as strong as last night because im not knocking out yet.. I brought 3 red box movies to watch on my laptop to make the time pass but honestly sitting here with this fan on me in my room is pretty relaxing. My throat didnt hurt at all. I got one drain hole on my left side, It bled a little in the night but not a big deal. They changed my sheets and gown at the first site of blood so they are keeping me clean. I didnt get to meet Eddy the driver because he is on a vacay in Cuba. Instead his wife Karla picked me up. She is a large gal herself. Maybe 350 pounds. She told me in broken English that her and her husband Eddy wanted to get a surgery in January but she couldn't decide between the bypass and the lap and the sleeve. But I could of swore somewhere in this site I read Eddy already had the surgery. I brought my own water bottle and have sipped approx 1/4 up in the last 12 hrs with the gas strips. Well this med is making me a little quesy now so Im gonna lay down. So far so good. PS.. does anyone know how they got us back to the bed after surgery? lol..

Glad you are doing well! LOL couldn't help but laugh at the last part where you commented about getting in the bed. It might have been a sheet transfer which is relatively easy to do. I will be down there on Mon but for a bypass so hearing updates like this is all the more reassuring.

Oh my, I am so relieved, and happy to hear from you!!! Congrats girl on your surgery. I wonder how they get us back to bed too lol. I wonder how many it will take to carry me back to bed lmao. YAY, now you are on the losing side!!!

Glad you are doing well, good luck!

LOL I wondered how they got me in the bed too. HAHA and you felt how I did when I got my surgery when I would get the pain meds I would be knocked out the first day and a half. Eddy didn't have surgery his wife Karla did (got the pleasure of meeting them both) she had the lapband and it slipped and she had to have it removed. Eddy wants it done I told him to tell Henry to get it started I know he mentioned his wife wants it done too but they didn't really know the difference between the surgeries and which one was best for them to have. I used the translate button to, and then I called my friend and she translated too. Your surgery seems to have gone like mines did your saying everything I experienced. I knew everything would be fine with you!! So are you doing the hotel stay or are you going to go home? NOW YOUR ON YOUR WAY TO THE LOSING TEAM!!! YEAH

TAKE PHOTOS AND YOU CAN ADD THEM IN THIS GROUP OF THE STAFF AND TJ. AND YOUR INCISIONS.

WHOHOOOOO! iM SO happy for you! We told you that you were gonna love them!!!! Phoenix i tried to put those pics up but i cant, i will inbx you my email and password seeing that i talk to you all the time and I trust u. lol so u can upload them for me. also I will call u when i get home tonight from class.

Woot Woot! so happy that you are on the other side girl!!! I just finally ran into a problem. Everything was going so smooth and I knew that it couldn't last. I have one wound on my right side that never healed. I have been to my own doctor here twice but he says it isn't healing on it's own. He is now sending me to the Wound Clinic here. He said in order to fix it they may have to do surgery. He said it's just a tad bit red around the outside and it's still oozing some. He said it's better to get it fixed right away before it gets infected. Anyway so glad for you girl!!!
I to wondered how they got me back into my own bed after the surgery. I asked my hubby and he didn't know. LOL! I guess some things will remain a mystery.

Oh my Enfury8me!!! Definatly keep us informed about that wound. Is it from the stitch they put in it? PLease keep us informed..

Hi guys, Dr Quinines just came in to check on me. He has another surgery today for a hernia. I will tell you all what he told me. He said Bariatrics are only half of his practice. He enjoys general surgery as well. He doesnt want to load up on patients and become a factory. He wasnts to make sure to give the time and attention to detail to each. He does two leak tests while in surgery. A water and an air test. As far as getting transferred to the bed afterwards he said most patients wake up and walk on their own. I think he was generalizing with all his patients not just bariatrics. However I didnt wake easy so they did a transfer to me. However he didnt say the words sheet transfer.I hate to think they carried me with a tiny gown and all my private bits hanging out but oh well they are doctors and see it all the time..He said he has two pain meds. The stronger one is given at night. Today the nurse checked my blood pressure and temp three times. I was given tons of fluids a non stop drip. Then antibiotics all through the IV. Ive had ice chips several times. They kind of taste like the crap you scrap off to defrosted a freezer.. not too pleasant taste but I noticed the antibiotics made it taste even worse. I am very swollen and had only mild gas pain throughout the day. I am watching TWO and a HALF MEN in english on the TV in my room. I miss Charlie.lol..! Tomorrow I will be realeased at the hotel check in time not sure the exact time. I will be given broth and juice there. Before I go he will do another leak test. He said he doesnt use the barium anymore because it makes people vomit too much with causes intense pain and blood. He said he has NEVER had a leak. But if he did the Barium is hard to clean out so thats why he doesn't use that. Im not sure what he will use yet. Purple die I think. I cannot imagine being sent home same day or even the next day.. Maybe im a big baby but I dont think I can do much for several more days. Im really sore inside and really really swollen in the tummy and I think its the non stop fluids. He said the first sign of a leak is increased heart rate which is toxicity to watch out for. I just think about the Almanza patients that had a recovery room and had to smell the food the workers cooked. That sounds horrible to me. Im sooooo glads I came here and I also would have came here if he cost more than Almanza knowing what I know now. He said sometimes Henry pushes him to do more patients and he doesn't want to do more because he believes in the quality of his life too. He is very busy and doesn't want to be any busier. So I think he's a good doctor. The bed I am in very comfortable and has nice clean smelling sheets and I love the automatic lift so I an sit up. I havent walked much and they dont pressure you too either. Quinones said to make sure I get some in tomorrow at the hotel. Ive been doing arm lifts and leg lifts a bit in my room. But I get dizzy easy. The fact I didnt do an insane 2 or 3 week preop didnt seem to matter one bit. So glad I didn't suffer in that dept. But please dont let this stop you from following your own doctors orders. I have been able to sip the water and the ice chips with no issue and I am looking forward to my broth tomorrow. The Dr said if you are in need of some now he will give it to you but if you can hold out another day thats whats best to heal you. There is a little doorbell on the wall by my bed and the nurses are here with in 15 sec of you push it. I have only used it twice for pain meds and once for toilet paper cause im peeing like crazy and the pee is crazy yellow to orange. Well thanks to all of you I made the right decision about the Dr. Time will tell the rest I guess. I need this weight off once and for all and I cant believe I did it. ! YAY me!! Hope all of you are doing well and the ones that havent made it yet.. Just trust on the rest of us and go with your instincts. The border will go through your bags on the way over so bring new panties.. LOL!! Also a few suggestions if you have a laptop bring it. Movies and magazines and an Ipod also have been great for me. And the gas strips dont seem to do a darn thing excepe leave a yummy peppermint flavor in my dry mouth. and.. im sorry to hear abour that wound that wont heal. keep us posted. they had me shower with the drain hole uncovered which I thought was odd. My dad had drains on once and I remember the doctor saying never to get them wet. But just trust in the Dr and the staff!

Im in the hotel now. IMO opinion. Skip it and go home. It looks nice on the outside but the inside well.. its not bad . but my room wasn't very clean.. lets just say I wish was in my own bed. If you can, just skip the 3rd night at the hotel and just go home. I have very little pain just girgglng from the chk soup. I ordered the room service "Broth" which was chik and veggy soup so I moved the food around and sipped a little broth .. not biggie it was yum. Being in the USone thing I am used to is professionalism and here they are much more laid back. Just takes some getting used to..I cant thank you all enough for the referral to this wonderful surgeon. I will return to Quinones when its time for my gall bladder removal or possible to show off the loss. Maybe Phoenix.. you and I can take that trip together..His staff and the treatment was TOP NOTCH.. Of course I am only 2 days out so like I said before time will tell.. Henry had told me the bougie size was 32. But Quinones said he uses a 36 and after the sutures its more of a 35. Which is perfect since the 32 has had more cases of GERD 3 -5 yrs post op. And the sutures do dissolve over time leaving nothing but the titanium staples. None of them thought I was as heavy as I was ,,, 208, cause I carry it very porportiond. I hope to lose it the same way. I want to look like me only smaller.. Henry said the smallest person thay will do surgery is a 30 BMI. and I asked about the transfer too. The same three men in the operating room Quinones, his asst Victor, and Aldo. so that answers that.

You are awesome girl, at the home stretch!!! I think I can deal with the smoking too lol. How was the professionalism at the Hospital? S0o excited to hear about all the pounds lost!!!

Yay! Glad it went well! Congratulations and welcome to the losing side!

If you want to meet up to see Dr.Q that is fine, I was planning to see him in Nov 2013 after the weight had dropped me and some ladies were considering a make over IF WE NEED IT. The procedure is performed at Santa Fe but with the plastic surgeon. Nothing in stone yet but so far it sounds like a winning idea.