I am a Believer - I was a Skeptic
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- Name: DAVID BLAESING
- Age: 60
- Surgery: Sleeve Revision To Mini Bypass
- Surgery date: May 26th, 2022
- Testimonial date: September 19th, 2022
- Surgeon: Dr. Mario Almanza
My wife and I both had a Gastric Sleeve surgery completed in the states in Feb 2017. I weighed 315 lbs and my wife was 240 lbs. My wife lost 50 lbs in the next challenging six months while I lost 55 lbs and we have maintained those weights until May 2022. Issues were that we were still having huge hunger pains which are different from being bored and eating. I just never felt full, even though the initial surgery was supposed to fix that. I felt hopeless because I had hoped I'd be down to the 200 lbs that I wanted to be at since I'm 5 feet 8 inches. My wife had the same surgery with about the same results, her hunger issues were even worse than mine.
Could another surgery help? Could going to Mexico be the answer? Nervous, skeptical but desperate to be successful and be even healthier as I was turning 60 years old, and my wife was turning 58 yrs old. So, we paid for our flights, we paid for our surgeries all out of pocket unlike our first surgeries where it costed a deductible of $400 each and it was a local hospital. Not only were we taking a chance physically we were making a huge financial investment in ourselves to become healthier. Hand in hand we made the trip to Mexico where neither my wife nor I had ever been.
We met Dr Almanza and his staff, and they all were completely professional and sincerely interested in making our trip not only comfortable but saw to our every needs. From the first person we met as a driver that picked us up from the airport, through the whole surgery process and care to the driver who took us back to the airport. Just Fantastic!!
Dr Almanza and his surgery staff listened to us explaining our prior surgeries, our prior issues, our desires to be healthier and our goals. Still, I was very skeptical because I had heard it before. Was the surgery going to be a success? Some pain was expected and explained. They made sure we walked, we ate our popsicles and jello. They all listened to both my wife and I and very supportive as we went on this journey together again.
I went to Mexico at 260 lbs while my wife was 190 lbs. After the surgery and back at home during the first few weeks I still had doubts. We followed and maintained the required food regimen, the lbs just melted off. We kept a journal of the journey. After one month I was 225 lbs, a loss of 35 lbs and my wife was 163, a loss of 27 lbs. After two months I was 205, a loss of 20 more lbs and have maintained that weight for 3 more weeks as of Sep 18th. My wife is 145, a loss of 18 more lbs and has maintained this weight as of Sep 18th. So as of Sep 18th, I have lost 55 lbs total and maintained, my wife has lost 45 lbs and has maintained this weight as well.
Do we have hunger pains? Not a one, gone. Do we have boredom eating thoughts, yes but we have gone through so much that as they say, In Moderation. My wife just likes to eat a nibble to get the taste but then stops before she loses control. The surgeries gave us the will power that we had lost especially when we had hunger pains from our surgeries 5 years ago. Doing this together was also very helpful to be successful with our new healthier journey.