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my experience, I hope it helps you make the decision to change your life! *
  • Name: Gloria Garcia
  • Age: 46
  • Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
  • Surgery date: August 19th, 2014
  • Testimonial date: November 11th, 2014
  • Surgeon: Dr. Almanza
I had been struggling with my weight for so many years. I was never a big person until after my kids. Then the weight would just NOT come off!!! I have an underactive tyroid that I take medicine for so it is extra hard to loose weight. i got so discouraged!!! I went to a place called medical weightloss where they would give me appetite suppressants and B12 shots. I did actually loose 80#s. But I couldn't afford it anymore and I really got tired of the no carbs diet so I stopped going to the clinic. I gained 40# back over about 4 months and it took me over a year to loose those 80#!!! I had been looking online for another option for years. I cosidered alap band for a while. Then I read up on the gastric sleeve. I made the decision to get this procedure done. So I called my insurance and aked about it. They did not cover it. :O( I was so afraid to go to Mexico because everyone that I told I was going on "vacation" there kept telling me how dangerous it was there. I said vacation because I did not tell ANYONE that I was having this procedure done. I emailed and called and texted the weightloss agents with Dr Almanza. They were wonderful and assured me each time that I would be safe. I was not only worried about my safety, but also my daughter's because she was coming with me. Altho she's 30 years old, she IS still my baby- right & I didn't want ANYTHING to happen to her because she came with ME. They were also wonderful and answered every question that I had. I made the arrangements to have this done. The days seemed to just fly by. Before I knew it , it was time to leave. When we arrived I was still scared. ( heard of kidnappings) I took pictures of the license plate# and the guy who picked us up & sent them to my family, just incase. (my daughter said I was creepy...lol) Everything went fine tho. :O) We immediately went to the hospital to pay and to have blood work and cardio tests done. The cardiologist was the sweetest old man!!! Everyone at the hospital was great. After that we were taken to our hotel. OM-GOSH!!!! It was absolutely beautiful!!!! The rooms were so huge and the bathroom too!!! There was a huge walk in shower. I have no complaints on the hotel it was 5 star. The next morning we had to get up early. I was the first to get the procedure done. Before surgery we all gathered in the room where Dr Almanza came in to talk to u and answer any questions we might of had. He's a very handsome dr. (not that that matters) But he also has a great personality. He joked that his English is not good but don't worry his hands are. :O) We all chucked. Drakula came in and gave us all IV's. Dracula is a nickname I gave to Andres one of the nurses because he was the one who poked us... :O) He didn't understasnd a lot of English but he understood DRAKULA & laughed. I suddenly felt so sorry for scheduling my surgery FIRST!!! My stomach was butterflying and I was both nervous & scared, as I said my prayers while they rolled me into the OR. What ever they gave me to knock me out sure did the trick! I do not remember anything else after being rolled in there except the Dr- the anithesiologist introducing himself to me. He was very friendly also. Before I knew it they were waking me up telling me it was all finished surgery went very well and no complecations. I was then taken to the recovery room and was in and out of it after that. The hospital staff were wonderful. They kept our IV's filled with whatever painkillers were in it& whatever else. I did not experience ANY PAIN AT ALL!!! They treated us like royalty there. The hospital was not like the ones here in the states. I was surprised because altho it was not dirty it lacked the hospital appearance that we have home in the states. We had great care and they had great bedside manner. All of the nurses spoke Engish except one. So dont think that you will be LOST in Mexico there at Dr ALMANZA'S hospital if you don't speak spanish because they speak English very well. When I asked one nurse how she knew so much Engish she said tha
t she studied it in school. Surgery was a Tuesday morning. Only a few hours after surgery we were incouraged to get up and walk around as much as possible. The day after the surgery we were taken to the hotel.Me and my daughter and some other patients went walking around ans suvenieer shopping. I could not eat anything or hardly drink anything, but a few sips of apple juice and freezie pops, but Ifelt great and was fine otherwise. They incourage ice and water. I always loved water & drank more than my 64ounces daily and now could not stand water? I actually still do not like water? The next day we went for our leak tests. We had to drink this aweful purple liquid that smelled and tasted like turpentine!!!! All of us got really sick afterwards and some threw up. Later that night I got really sick. The hotel had hospital staff nurses around the clock, so if we needed anything they were there. The worse part of the surgery besides the turpentine is the removal of the drain. When the nurse removed it I cried for 20 minutes! I wanted to punch him!!!! OM-GOSH it hurt soooo bad!! The day that we were leaving we went shopping with a group of people. Me and my daughter had made friends with a lady named Jen and her mom. We did most everything with them. They were wonderful. Ok surgery was on Tuesday, Friday I was leaving back to the states. My last dose of pain medication was on Friday morning before we left and when it wore off I did not feel any pain. I did get sick and sleep all day just feeling like crap. Almost like a flu/ nausea? I was having trouble drinking anything and could not do the broth. They gave us medicines to take with us. I refused to take them, They gave us a 14 day antibiotic. They were huge capsules so they told us to open them and take the powder inside. OM- GOSH!!!! I could NOT do it!!!! I called my dr in the states and gave her the names of the antibiotic and she changed them to liquid form and called it into Walgreens near by ( I was in California to visit family for two days before going home). At walgreens I then told the pharasist to mask the nastiness with a children's fruity flavoring. Let me tell you!!!!!- the fruitiness DID NOT mask the nastiness!!! I had a really hard time taking it. My suggestion to DR ALMANZA is to give his patients this medicine in liquid form!!!- with flavoring. Our stomaches after surgery can not handle those capsules. I would also like to suggest that he invest in better bandage tape. There is tape out there that is ouchless/ painfree!!! The tape they use feels like DUCT TAPE!!! It really hurts when you try to remove it to change your bandages daily. First thing I did when I got back to the states is buy the painfree tape by Johnsons. :O) I would suggest anyone having this surgery to bring some of that tape with so you don't have to go thru that as well. After this surgery you have such nausia. They recommend that you bring anti nausia pills over the counter which I can't think of the name? My Dr gave me some fruity anti nausea pills that were tongue disolveable. They work GREAT!!!! I would also suggest Dr ALMANZA to give his patients tongue disolve anti nausea pills. Now I am on my 10th week after surgery. I still call or text the weightloss agents. They always respond quickly and are STILL very helpful even after my surgery is over. I am really grateful to them. I started off at 260# and I have lost 70# in my 10 weeks. It is so wonderful to FINALLY loose weight!!!! It is wonderful to have restictions that will not allow you to overeat!!! I try following the suggested diet that they gave me with what I can have week one... week two, etc. It's been working. I have found that a lot of my taste buds have changed. Some of the things I once loved don't interest me to eat anymore? It is wonderful to eat a little and be so full and satisfied for hours. I would definetely recommed anyone to Dr ALMANZA's clinic. He is a great surgeon and he's right he has great hands! I am so happy that I had this surgery done!!! It is wonderful to get
on the scale and loose weight each time. The same scale that I dreaded standing on once now puts a smile on my face every time I see that I've lost weight. :OD A Special THANK YOU TO DR ALMANZA AND HIS WONDERFUL STAFF!!!!! Thank you for the new me! I would do this all over again!

Thank You,
Gloria Garcia
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