hawk_at_heart's Profile

Username: hawk_at_heart
Location: Winchestertonfieldville, IA, USA
Member Since: 9/11/2007
BMI: 27.4
Surgery date scheduled
Surgery Type: VSG (09/26/07)
Surgeon: Guillermo Alvarez M.D.

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Surgeon Testimonial

Guillermo Alvarez M.D.
I chose to have weight loss surgery in Mexico after losing the battle with my insurance co. And knowing I would have to self pay, the price was more affordable. The more I read about Dr. Alvarez the more impressed I became. I decided he was the surgeon I wanted. That was the best decision I could have made. Dr. Alvarez has a wonderful bedside manner, a great sense of humor (you know what they say about laughter!!) and is a true gentleman. He even carried my Mom's luggage from his clinic to the hospital!! AND AN AWESOME SURGEON!! It couldn't be more obvious that he knows and loves what he's doing! My stay at the hospital was great. The nurses were very compassionate and like clockwork with meds. I rarely had to ask for anything! The entire experience was very pleasant!!

Latest Surgery Support Comments

Comment by judyanne on 9/23/07 8:42 am

Wednesday is your day! Just remember you are on the journey of a lifetime. Try to enjoy every minute. It may sound weird now, but know that you are cared for and prayed for here, and all too soon this will be but a memory and you will be an inspiration to someone else. I am waiting for you on the losers' bench!

Comment by Kimberly Novak on 9/19/07 6:21 am

Wishing you all the best as you begin your life changing journey~~Kim

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hawk_at_heart's Blog
hawk_at_heart's Blog

6 AMAZING MONTHS
on March 26, 2008 11:10 am

TODAY IS MY 6 MONTH SURGIVERSARY!!!

* I'm still losing hair - have been since right at 3 months but it doesnt bother me except the cleaning up of it!

*I've gone from a size 30/32 in pants to and 18! (some 16s)

*Also a size 30/32 in shirts to 18/20

*In bra sizes I've gone from a very tight 46DDD to a 40DD

and doing adjustments on that! The ~girls~ have headed further south than than a midwest migratory bird!

Thank Goodness for plastics!!
*My shoe size has gone from a 10 or 11 (depending on brand) to a 9 or 9.5!

*And last but not least I am down 126 pounds!

(as of Monday) (Ok... that's my favorite part!)
I never imagined 6 months ago that life could be this good! There are certainly some bumps in the raod

but I deal with them the best way I know how (not by drowning my problems w/ food

any more though!)!
I am so thankful for Dr. Alvarez,

Susan,

and my wonderful, amazingly supportive OH friends!!!

Jodie

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ITS BEEN FIVE MONTHS ALREADY
on February 29, 2008 8:58 am

I can't believe that I have had my sleeve for five months already!   The last month especially has flown by! I'm down 114 pounds and ALOT of inches! I didn't take measurments pre-op and really wish I would have!

I can't stress enough to the PRE-OPS AND NEWBIES how important it is to exercise. Even though I just started back at the gym, I have been diligent about walking! I do it at least 5 days a week! It was hard at first. I still had that 100 + pounds along with the pain but I knew it would help! (Plus I kept getting passed by the senior citizens that walk there! LOL!!) Now I power walk for at least 3 miles!

There have been so many incredible things that have happened in the last five months! Not only have I had many wonderful NSVs, but my confidence has soared. I think the best thing of all - that I just recently noticed - is that I feel feminine again! That may sound odd to some of you but at the size I was I didn't have alot of choices for clothing. Most of the time I wore big men's t-shirts and sweat pants!   I love wearing color now! Not just gray, black and blue! And I feel like I deserve to wear pretty clothes! I know alot of this stuff was just mental issues w/ me but this surgery has meant FREEDOM to me on so many levels!

So...thanks again to all you awesome people for your support and advice! Without some of the veterans I don't think I would have been as successful as I have been so far!  I LOVE MY SLEEVE AND I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH!!!

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FOUR MONTH CHECK IN
on February 3, 2008 10:44 am

I HAVE LOST 100 POUNDS SINCE MY VSG JOURNEY BEGAN!!!!! That includes the 25 lost on the 2 weeks of pre-op liquids!

I've gone from a 30/32 shirt and a 26/28 pants to a 20 or 22 in both! I've dropped a few bra sizes too! AND I've also gone from being super morbidly obese to just OBESE!!!

I have had many great things happen it such a short time!
I now fit in my seatbelt, theater seats, and restaurant booths!
I can sit with my legs crossed!
I can move with ease, and
I'm feeling more confident everyday!
I LOVE MY VSG!!!!!....and all of you wonderful, supportive people who helped me get here!!!

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My nightmare (train ride) to VSG
on December 7, 2007 12:08 pm

From my story you know that I took the train to San Antonio because I was too chicken to fly. NEVER AGAIN!!!!! I wasnt aware that I could just purchase my train tickets at the train station so I contacted a travel agent. I purchased two tickets for what was an economy car. The agent told me that in that car there were two recliners, two beds, and a big window for viewing the scenery! I think the total for the tickets was about $754. As my departure date approached I waited for my tickets. They never did show up. We all know how scary it is before surgery, and this only made it worse for me. I took it as a sign that I shouldn't be doing this!   I called the travel agent and he assured me that everything would be taken care of once I got to the train station. All I had to do was take the missing ticket info that he sent me(at least it showed up!) and present it to the ticket agent and all would be fixed. What he failed to mention was that I would have to purchase two new tickets and wait for the other tickets to be refunded from my card.   [not only did I put the surgery (d*mn insurance) on my credit card, I also put the first set of tickets on there too.]
So there I was 2 days and a 30 hour train ride from my surgery w/ no tickets. The ticket agent contacted my travel agent who said he had told me about all of this (LIAR!!!) The two of them suggested I contact the credit card company to see if they could raise my credit limit (my limit was $200 short of what I needed) I was denied! Did I mention I'm crying by this time? Crying like a big ol' baby in front of a room full of people I was supposed to be boarding a shuttle to the next destination with. That didn't happen. The shuttle left w/out me and my Mom. I finally talked to the travel agent myself . I said to him "You told me everything would be taken care of when I got here!" (Here was a train station 1.5 hours from my house!) By the way I forgot to mention that when I ordered the tickets the woman I spoke with suggested that I come pick them up rather than having them mailed. She said that since they were paper tickets there was a greater chance of them getting lost. I agreed and went to pick them up the next morning only to find out that the owner of the agency had just dropped them in the mail!!
The two agents suggested I call a relative and see if they could charge new tickets! WTH!!! While the two agents were on the phone w/ Amtrak I went outside and called Susan (Dr. Alvarez' patient coordinator). I had a total melt down and was crying uncontrolably. Susan offered to put the train tickets on the company credit card and I could just pay them back! (That just goes to show you how awesome she and Dr. A are!!) I didn't feel "right" doing that so I told her I would get back to her.
I went back into the train station and after much more crying on the phone w/ my travel agent (I ended up telling him why I was going and could NOT miss my date) he decided to put the tickets on his business credit card. I know it was a nice thing to do but if he hadn't stuck the tickets in the mail - none of this would have happened.
I called Susan back (still sobbing) to let her know I was going to be there.
The shuttle trip was an hour and a half to the next train station. When I boarded the train I was shocked. (Now I look back and know that I shouldn't have been!) The two recliners converted into one bed and the other was a pull down bunk bed. OMG!! We all know I was overweight - thats why I embarked on this journey - but so is my Mom and honestly there was no way my big ol' butt was climbing up to that bunk. So I had to help her. And by the way, that big window for viewing the country side....everything looked the same at 60 miles an hour!! I was SOOOOO Scammed!
We were 2.5 hours late arriving in San Antonio. Amtrak trains are required to stop and let freight trains pass/pull ahead. Who knew?
I got 3.5 hours of sleep the night before my surgery. The entire trip all I could think was "It's a sign. I shouldnt be doing this"
The hotel, Rosie and the trip to Mexico, Dr. Alvarez, the surgery, and the trip back to the hotel were all GREAT! But I still had to go home!....YIKES!
We got to the San Antonio train station at about 6:15 am. The train was leaving at 7! I knew that being post op the economy car just wouldn't cut it. (My mom and I practically had to sit knee to knee. I have very long legs and I knew I was going to have to be able to rest and I couldn't make my mom stand!!) So I upgraded! Another $200!! Now we had a family suite. Definately more room- and our own restroom that doubled as a shower (like that was gonna happen LOL!) but not any more comfortable!! Thank God and Dr. Alvarez for the sublingual pain meds!!!
The ride home had just as many -if not more- delays. We pulled into St. Louis two hours behind schedule. After leaving St. Louis the train personel came by and told us that we were not going to get to Springfield IL in time to catch our shuttle. So Amtrak was going put all passengers headed to Springfield in a hotel in Chicago for the night! I was so homesick, I missed my family and I really missed my dog, so of course I started crying....again.  Our car attendant felt really bad and apologized several times but it didn't make me feel any better. He knew I had had surgery (not what kind tho) and had been taking very good care of us. Aparently he discussed the situation w/ a co-worker who took a look at our tickets, made some calls and found out that there was another option for us! Thank GOD!!!
Since we had my Mom's van parked at the train station in Galesburg, IL (the car attendant thought we were taking the train to my home town in Iowa) we could get off the train in Normal Illinois and catch a Greyhound bus to Galesburg! A 2 hour bus ride!!! What they failed to mention was there would be a two hour wait in Normal before we could catch the bus! I was supposed to be home in Iowa about 4 pm on the Sunday after my surgery (according tothe itinerary given to me by my ever-so-trustworthy-travel agent!) I got home @ 9:45! I was so exhausted that I broke down as soon as I walked into my brother's house! (Who me...cry?!!) Next time I travel it will be by way of xanax and airplane!!!

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