POSTED UNDER Gastric Sleeve Surgery REVIEWS
Amazing Experience at the Obesity Control Center - Tijuana, Mexico
ORIGINAL POST
I had the best care at the OCC. The entire team...
WORTH IT
I had the best care at the OCC. The entire team from the very beginning were professional and I didn't feel like I was in a foreign country having surgery. I'll be there tomorrow to start the plastic surgery portion of this journey. From the beginning with the emails with the coordinator, to answering my questions promptly, to Skyping with Dr Martinez, to my arrival at the hotel and the actual surgical center I felt well taken care of. The whole process is pretty well organized as the hotel works with the Center to coordinate your care. Paperwork awaited me at checkin and I received calls at my hotel room with times for me to be ready or changes in my appointment times. I was definitely pleased as this was something I did not expect. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
back2barb78's provider
Replies (70)
July 16, 2015
I am very happy to hear of your experience. I was on the road went to seminar, had consult with surgeon had booked all my appointments and then surgeon left to go back east. There are no other programs nearby. I am waiting for new surgeon, arriving August 1st. I am 67 so although other surgeon had no problem
July 16, 2015
Sorry, hit post. I am concerned new one may have problem with it. I have looked into OCC as back up. So I was pleased to read your good review. Thank you for the info
July 16, 2015
Absolutely. I've posted regularly on another site for the past two years about my experience at the OCC. I couldn't have asked for better care.
July 17, 2015
I'm glad you had a great experience, I'm going next week, and I'm all nerves!
July 19, 2015
Awesome!! I just got back yesterday from there. All the best and safe travels
July 21, 2015
You'll be fine and pleasantly surprised. You don't have to worry about anything from the time they first pick you up til you get dropped off. Tijuana is very similar to many major cities I've been to. It's like LA to me. I actually feel safer there than I do NY. You'll see. They are very coordinated as far as the hotel and the clinic working together. And Christine and Marina at the OCC and all thr bellman at the hotel are soooooooo amazing. I miss them already! The only major advice- pack light. Crossing back across is a bit of an adventure. You have about a quarter mile of a walk to get to the driver after you go through customs and it's a bit uphill which isn't a problem postop but is a bit of a headache if you're carrying tons of baggage.
July 18, 2015
You look fantastic...I was sleeved on 05/29/15...I lost an initial 30 pounds the first three weeks and have not lost a pound since...I'm upset, in part with myself...I have to be doing something wrong...I've been writing down everything I eat and the protein associated with it...I do fall short of the 80 ounces of fluid...very short...I'm 72 and not as active as I once was...I plan on pushing myself to walk...I must have exercise...disappointed to say the least...
July 19, 2015
You have to give it time and don't get frustrated. It's a long road with lots of peaks and valleys. I remember I would loose steadily and lose nothing or gain at times. The body is still healing and adjusting
July 20, 2015
Thanks for the great endorsement - I'll be there 9/10 and it never hurts to read more positive feedback. You look absolutely wonderful!!! Please do share about your plastic surgery if you don't mind :)
July 21, 2015
You will be pleased. There is minimal pain and you're up and at it right after surgery! You'll be surprised how good you feel. One major difference I've noticed in my reading/research on the bariatric sites is that you don't get narcotic pain meds which I love. There's obviously no need for it. They give you a non-narcotic pain med which I believe also plays a major factor in how you feel postop. You're going to be with the other people in your group going shopping! It's awesome. I'm definitely sharing my plastic surgery journey in a second thread
July 21, 2015
Thanks - but I better hold off on that shopping since I'll be needing a whole new wardrobe soon ;)
July 23, 2015
You definitely can do some shopping but I would get smaller sizes and then if its something you really like get that even one size smaller! I have soooooo many clothes now its ridiculous! So much fun.
Replies (61)
July 18, 2015
How was your surgery? I'm still recovering...cannot see my results yet...I am very swollen. You look amazing....
July 19, 2015
Soooo swollen!! My legs look like chorizo! My upper back is very very swollen too.
July 20, 2015
Awwww... I look the same. Hang in there everyday gets better. I saw Dr. Sanchez today and he said everything looks good...I feel a lot of discomfort from the swelling. I expected it to be less by now and he told me today that I'll probably continue to have the same swelling for about 4 weeks with it gradually going down. My stomach is huge. Good luck and I guess be patient..:that's what I keep telling myself!
July 22, 2015
Awesome! I have pitting edema in my legs (I'm a nurse by the way) but its getting better
July 18, 2015
Omg you look amazing
July 21, 2015
You look amazing. Congratulations. Question, what was your before weight and after weigh . You are sooooo pretty.
July 21, 2015
Thank you so much. I had a vertical gastric sleeve 10-7-13. My highest recorded weight was 333lbs but I know I was higher. Day of surgery I was 299lbs. I maintained between 152-159lbs since the beginning of this year. I had a lower body lift on 7-13-15 the same place I had my sleeve.
July 21, 2015
I pray your recovery is going well from the bobdy lift. You did not appear to need a lift. But then again only you know what's best for you... Will you post new pictures once your healed?
July 21, 2015
Your arms look really good did you have any work done on them? If not, what form of work out did you do and for how long??
July 22, 2015
There is another thread with all the info about my body lift- before and afters and all. People did always say I didn't need the body lift but once I showed them my skin (and I did bounce back well from that large weight and didn't have a bunch) they understood. My tummy was all wrinkled and when I bent over it hung. I have loose skin on my arms as well but not enough to make me want the scar from an arm lift. It hangs but I'll deal. My workouts consist many of dance classes!! However while I'm in there I'm all over the place and make sure I'm doing higher intensity moves. I make the most of it. And classes that incorporate light weights as well as yoga occasionally. Nothing extraordinary.
July 21, 2015
Yes my legs are very tight from the swelling. I've been elevating them and it's gotten a bit better. I have new pics i took yesterday that I'm going to post.
July 23, 2015
Hi I am a post vertical sleeve nurse as well. 130 pounds lighter,sleeved 8/21/13. I am a Barb too. Wanted to know how plastic surgery differed in Tijauna compared to the U.S. Your lift looks fantastic, and so do you. Keep those pictures coming.
July 23, 2015
Sometimes you just have to let your inner barb out!! I will definitely continue to post update pics
Welcome to the community and thanks so much for offering your opinion of your doctor.
It would be great if you could give us a little more detail about your experience, like why you had the surgery, your tips for getting good results, pros/cons, and info on the recovery process.
Our community members especially love seeing photos from before, during, and after — a realistic look at what they can expect. Photos grab the attention of the community and encourage more support for you.
As a community manager, I get requests all the time from other members who want me to to keep encouraging people to share their experiences, which are so helpful for others considering these procedures. So please accept this as a well-intentioned request from thousands.
I chose to have this surgery because even though I'm left with scarring, it's kind of closing a chapter and moving on from being an overweight person. It's something you want to move forward from after getting rid of the weight and the saggy skin is a daily reminder of that. I will post a couple of pics!