• Name: Jeffery A Hathaway
• Age: 46
• Surgery: Lap Band
• Surgery date: August 28th, 2014
• Testimonial date: September 10th, 2014
• Surgeon: Dr. Almanza

Day (1): My day started at 4:00AM two flights a wait at the airport then the drive into TJ (12:00PM). Once I’m in TJ going to have the sleeve done right away. Just before the surgery you are wheeled into the recovery room to wait for my turn to go in to surgery and the man before me was wining saying he couldn't get up and just kept say pain pain pain need something pain and it kind of scared me I was thinking what the hell am I doing!

NOTE TO STAFF (Get a different waiting place for people going in to surgery our anxiety is high enough without see this.)

The key to recovery with this surgery is walk walk walk walk walk. I was up 15 min after my surgery and was roomed with the man in all the pain. Bring the GAS X STRIPS not the pills YOU WILL NEED THEM as well as a heating pad!

Day (2): They moved us to the hotel. I wasn’t disappointed the hotel room was so nice and I had it all to myself. Once we got to the hotel at the check in, we were introduced to the staff nurse and was told to call anytime we needed and at the front receptions desk we could pick up apple juice, jello, Popsicles and gave us coupons for chicken broth which you could get to go from the restaurant and I did a day early. I also took a long walk this day out side where I was approached by every vender looking to sell me anything from drugs to girls and all those nick nacks. That was sad.

Back in my room now relaxing and shortly after I settled in our rooms the nurse came by to look me over and hooked me up to an IV with Pain medicine, antibiotics, etc. Once the bag was empty I just call the nurse and she came back by to remove it. I was not in pain but they had the bottle of meds mixed up already. So I went with it.

Day (3):
We went for X-rays and had to drink this awful stuff 45 min before the X-ray, (the van was not on time) but it's really important to drink it. Now at the X-Ray and the teck will give you another fun drink that is as bad as the first one. YUM bottoms up What they are doing is watching the liquid go from your throat to your stomach to make sure there are no leaks....so it's really important. I got a drink of water after to rinse my mouth out. All 6 of us had successful surgeries - no leaks.

Back to the Hotel and took another long walk. This time it was walking and shopping. As well as a haircut and shave the best I have ever had. I went by myself the other people I was with looked like they were in pain, so I know they did not do the walking or do the shopping with me. I was walking and shopping for about 4 hours.

Now I’m back at the hotel and the nurse came by with another IV bag. This one took a little longer and I didn’t get it all in only 200cc. I brought my I Pad and watched the first two seasons and half of the third of Merlin got sucked in to mindless TV on net flicks with the hotels WIFI.

Day (4): They took that tube out finally and IV as well  I didn’t need any of the pain pills that where given to me. I went walking and shopping again just because I was bored and didn’t want to stay in my room.

Day (5): Going home left TJ @9:00 AM two and a half hours trying to go about two miles between TJ and California. This was my bad but I didn’t get my flight set close to each other I had long waits and a long layover. Didn’t get home till 10:55 PM but I was home. 

Some things to bring.

A good set of ear plugs two reasons
#1 there is a night club on one side of the hotel and it gets going on weekends.
#2 just in case you get a roommate ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

A good chap stick and something to keep mouth moist.

Gas-X-Strips not pills.

Heating Pad the heat helps with the gas after surgery.

Passport.

Would I do this again HELL YES!!!!!!! I wish I had known about this years ago. I would have done this then. It is a two year wait here with lots of hoops to jump through as well as $37,000.00 I spent $5,000.00 total.

The Staff at the hospital and Hotel top notch Thanks so much.

Hope this helps someone waiting and trying to deside if this is for them.

No pics as of yet I'm 10 days out from my surgery and see lots of good changes will add pics at six months from the ten days before liquid diet till not I'm down 40 lbs so that is 2 lbs a day

Thanks Jeff.

* This is an actual testimonial, however, your results may vary. For more information, please read our Testimonial Disclaimer and Risks of Surgery.