allnewme

This is why we need to research our surgeons, read everything you can find about them, talk personally to former patients! This is your body and you can't trust that to just anyone. I was sleeved on 8/02 by Dr. Alvarez and he is absolutely a top notch surgeon. I had wonderful care by him and his team. I did a lot of research and called former patients before I made my choice. If there are bad Dr's out there, get their name out on these boards so that no one dies because of bad surgery skills.

Dr.Alvarez was my surgeon, I did tons of research on him and read one bad post about him and it was not about a complication. Please do not say that you have heard bad things about him, that simply is not true. I know other surgeons from MX allow their coordinators to say bad things about him. I read hundreds of forum post and 99.9% of them are nothing but positive. Piedras Negras is safe little city, we walked to lunch and to buy gift items there. It is much safer than Juarez or TJ. Not sure who you were talking to but they were filling you with things that are not true at all. I have spoken to plenty of his former patients that have nothing but great things to say about him, Dr. Gabe and the rest of his staff.
You can call Dr.Alvarez or email him and ask him all the questions you want. He is the kindest and most considerate man. He is also an amazing surgeon! He gives a copy of his book to his patients when you leave the hospital. I still read mine when I have a question.
If you think you are high risk, I would do research and see if ANY surgeon would operate on you first. The money you pay is worth your life, it is not all about the money. It is about a top quality surgeon that has done thousands of sleeves, the man knows what he is doing in the operating room. He is much less $ than less qualified surgeons in the US.

You won't be sorry that you chose to go to him. He is wonderful, as is Dr. Gabe and his other staff.

I was there last August and the ice and Water are both purified. You have no need to worry about that. I will be there in August again, taking my daughter to have surgery with Dr. Alvarez. He is simply the best.

Just on my way home and was sleeved yesterday. I couldn't make the last meeting but would LOVE to meet the next one!!!

All Saturdays work for me!
Excited to join y'all on the losers bench! Woot woot!

I had surgery last August with Dr. A. and just returned home today from taking my daughter to Dr. Alvarez for sleeve surgery. :-)He is truly the kindest Dr. That I have ever met. He did so good with my daughter, she had never had a surgery in her life. He took the time to talk with her about everything that he would do before the surgery and what she could expect after. She told me that she really expected it to be much more painful than it was. I recommend him so often because he is really there for his patients, long after the operation is over.

You won't be sorry that you chose to go to him. He is wonderful, as is Dr. Gabe and his other staff.

I realized that we have a conflict with the 4th Saturday and another meeting. I was wondering if moving the meeting in September to the third Sat, at about 10:30 AM would be better for everyone. They have a group that meets in the large room from 9- about 10:30. We could do earlier and maybe we could sit outside if the weather is good. It is just pretty tight in the small room for all of us to be at one small table. Let me know what you think!

So I think it's funny. Almost 2 weeks after I contacted LIMARP, I got a 2-line email yesterday saying hi, fill out this form. That's it. Meanwhile, Dr Alvarez's office responds within minutes. Reinforces my decision again.

I am having surgery with Dr. Alvarez on 02/10/2014. 6 months away but I'm sure it will fly by. Nervous and excited. I really appreciate the comments here.

I had my anniversary on 8/15 I am down a total of 93 pounds and this was the best decision of my life. I attached a pic of myself with the outfit that I had on the morning of surgery.
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I had a good time at the meeting! Next meeting I'll be sleeved! Woot!

HERE ARE SOME BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES..........My surgery was Aug 24th 2012...I am 10 months out. I have lost 94 lbs and losing has slowed down to about 5 lbs a month so I just started exercising (walking) to help SPEED IT UP...LOL I still have a LONG WAY TO GO to get to my goal of 150/160 lbs...HOPEFULLY I'LL MAKE IT!!!

Sorry I didn't make it. I'm working 7 days a week with mostly 12 hour shifts. I'll be looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to all of you that came out today for the meeting! It was great to get together with everyone and talk about our journeys. We missed you bikerchick (Dove) and hope to see you next time. We will meet again the 4th Sat. In September at the Bean Counter Cafe in the Lead Bank at 9 AM.

I will be there

I was there last August and the ice and Water are both purified. You have no need to worry about that. I will be there in August again, taking my daughter to have surgery with Dr. Alvarez. He is simply the best.

Here is the original post that started the bashing of Tijuana... This was NOT written by me!!
"I was thinking about going to Tijuana because when I googled Piedro Nagras the results were scary. Also, how long did you have to stay in the hospital and in the hotel and what were the facilities like? Thank you for any advice!"
It goes both ways, I am going to Piedro Nagras and personally I did google it and found nothing scary at all.I also googled several other areas and found recent things going on and warnings so its kinda one of those things... To each their own... Opinions are like bungholes everybody has one...
PeAcE!

Sleeved July 7th, 2012 and it has been the most amazing and best thing that I've ever done! 81 pounds down and 19 from goal....

That is really great for you , but muffintop did not have such a great experience. She told her story and that is what I responded to. She paid the same $ that other patients did but did not have a truly good experience. That is really too bad. I am sure she read lots of good reviews and expected that to be her experience also. It is a bad deal when Dr's and staff are stressed out or over worked and the patients get a not as expected kind of surgery experience. We all go into this hoping for a great experience and when yours is not so great, you have the right to tell your story. Those that are planning to use these surgeons need to know what to expect if they choose to go with them for surgery. You may get lucky and be treated great or you may not be so lucky. I am glad that she was brave enough to tell her experience. I know that I would have been upset if I had read hundreds of good reviews about my surgeon and then had a terrible experience. We all want to be treated like we matter to the Dr. And staff that we are entrusting with our life. Good luck to you, muffintop, I hope that you are healing well and that your weight loss is going great!

I got my insurance approval Friday. Now just waiting to get scheduled.