karen12345

I am 5 days post op.I got sleeved april 15 in Tijuana Mexico with Dr. Garcia at Florence Hospital. My first 3 Days were Horrible. I had servere nauesa an vomitting and felt like a elephant sittting on my chest. I had trouble getting my fluids in but by the 4 Day it got easier. but today I can get all my required fluids in and then some alittle concerned i dont want to stretch out my sleeve. Most of the staff was great at the hospital. Dr. Garcia and his team was very friendly. Melissa the onsite cooridator was great, answered all my questions. I felt safe at the hospital with my personal belongings being out. The night before discharge a dr from Dr. Garcia team came and answered all my questions and was very nice an hot that was a plus. I felt very safe being in tijuana. The hotel where u stay (marriott) is beautiful. The staff was very friendly and spoke english well. I highly recommened going to mexico to get sleeved. My experience was great. I have no regrets being sleeved.I pray my journe keeps going good. And I meet some great girls being sleeved the same day as me with Dr. Garcia.

Hi! I got them at runningskirts.com
They have white green & pink ones ... So much cuter then medical white lol

Ok, so here is my experiance in a nut shell...
I arrived in San Diego Monday April 8th, as the plane landed I turned my phone on for the driver to contact me and before we were even off the plane he was calling, he was there waiting and was promptly picked up by Abraham ALM driver right outside of baggage claim and driven across the boarder to the Marriott, durin the ride we were given the option of going in for surgery early or late and we (myself and another pt also in the van) chose to go early, so we were told to be in the lobby at 6:45 am the next morning for pick-up and ride to the hospital. Once at the Marriott we checked in and chilled for the night.
On Tuesday we met Abraham in the lobby of the Marriott and drove to MiDoctor Hospital where we waited to check in, this took about 30min because the person wasn't there yet, but during this time we all talked and got to know each other well. They took us back one at a time to check weight and height and showed us each to our private rooms, my room had two beds one for me and one for my sister. Once in the room we changed into hospital gowns, got our IV's put in, blood drawn and EKG's done. We then met the Anesthesiologist, the Internal doctor (who went over our histories again and meds) and waited on the surgeon. We were told they would choose who would be first depending on lab results. I was then told the other person would go first because he was really nervous, but then in came Dr. Lopez and low and behold I was first, very quick. by 9:25 I was in the OR, with Dr. Lopez, Dr. Ortiz, the anesthesiologist and all the surgical team. The anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to sleep for a while after surgery or wake up right away I told him I didn't know I just wanted to wake up, he laughed and said "of course, you will my dear", I looked at the clock and it was 9:35, next thing I know I am awake in another room (recovery) looking around watching everyone doing different things but could speak (I was totally out of it), I remember seeing my sister and Janese (coordinator) for a second and trying to wave but then I think I went back to sleep. The rest of that day is kinda a blur because I apparentely don't tolerate anesthesia very well, lol... slept all day and night so didn't do much walking. Believe me I paid for that on Wednesday...
Wednesday I woke up feeling great! but by that afternoon I was misrable, gas/indigestion, pain ect... I felt horrible and was EXTREMELY irritable. The nurses were all so kind and were pretty quick with pain and nausea meds which were on a schedule. When I saw the Dr. it was Dr. Ortiz I believe and he adjusted my meds and that seemed to help some. I think it was today that I had my leak test (they do 2 one in surgery and one the day after), drank some blue contrast and then another contrast liquid in the flouroscopy room, no leaks so I was cleared to start sipping liquids. I was given apple juice, and gatorade in different flavors to sip on later that day once my results were confirmed. I did not do too well with the liquids, I still didn't feel good. That night another doc came in and her name was Dr. V something she made more adjustments to my meds and by Thursday morning I felt much much better.
Thursday we got up and I walked, walked walked, felt soooo much better (not 100% of course but MUCH better), we were released from the hospital with our drains at about 10:30 and at the Marriott by 11 and checked into our rooms. We were told our drains would come out the next day at the hotel by the surgeon-- the longer it stays in the less chance of infection was the logic. I was still having a hard time with liquids but continuing to try... at about 2:30 our driver called us all to come down to the lobby and he took those of us who felt up to it shopping on Revolucion Street. I went and am glad I did because I had a fantastic time, got some great souveineers for my kiddos husband and self and got to know some great people and make some wonderful friends. Once we were finished there Abraham took us to the pharmacy where we bought some stuff we needed or wanted from toothpaste to Shampoo to meds.... Once we finished there he drove us back to the Marriott and a few of us decided to go out to a restaurant for dinner. We ate at an authentic Mexican restaurant and I had the consumma' (excuse my spelling) which was incredible, I was able to eat about 3-4 spoonfuls. After that I was able to start drinking more, like it flipped a switch and by Friday morning I had consumed an entire gatorade which was like a miracle.
Friday morning we took a cab to the Walmart shopping mall were we did a little shopping and ate at applebee's, Edgar was our server and he made my Breakfast exactly how I needed it- plain organic yogurt and a fruit mixture that he had liquidized for me, and it was SOOO good (I posted pic's a few days ago). Once we got back we met some people at the pool then went sight seeing with Abraham again, we saw the hillside where all the people live and rode out to the beach, this was a wonderful experiance because I got some walking in and really got to see a lot of very interesting and eye opening things. I never once felt unsafe, Abraham never let us out of his sight and everyone we ran into was sooo kind. On the way back to the hotel Abraham told me that Dr. Ortiz and Lopez had had a VERY busy day and would like for all of us to come to the hospital at 6 to have our drains removed, rather then them doing it in the hotel. I was absolutely fine with that because we were originally told they would come to the hotel between 8-10pm to remove them, so 6 was WAY better, I was ready for the drain to come out. They took us to rooms one at a time and the surgeon and Eduardo (coordinator) walked us through the removal of the drain, which was SOOO weird feeling, can't even explain really. He then spent time with us answering any individual questions we may have and telling us how to care for our wounds and the importance of following the diet and other important information. Once we were all done with that we headed back out to Revolucion street to get something someone had left behind the prior day and I bought a few more things... lol, having the drain out felt sooooo good!
Saturday we woke up and got ready to leave out to the airport (we had an earlier flight), we ate at 8:45 in the hotel restaurant (I had a yogurt smoothie) and promptly checked out and headed to the San Diego airport. We did not have any delay at the border, Abraham has a medical pass to go through the medical lane, therefore no line, which was fabulous.
Overall my experiance was really great, I met some amazing people and really enjoyed getting to know them all. Abraham was our go to guy for pretty much everything non-medical related and Eduardo was our coordinator for the medical part. Abraham would bend over backwards to help out in any way he could and made the whole experiance fantastic. Yes the two days in the hospital were rough for me, but I really think it was the anesthesia (I've never had surgery, so didn't know how I would react). So overall I had a great time and an amazing experiance and highly recommend ALM and Dr. Lopez/Ortiz.

My VSG Story PRE-OP: Two weeks prior to my surgery date of April 10, 2013, I had a check up with my primary care physician and tipped the scale at 343 pounds, 5-10 in height. I researched the VSG procedure and doctors in Mexico due to my insurance not covering bariatric surgery in the US for several months. All my findings led me to Dr. Fernando Garcia in Tijuana, MX. I went through the coordinating company, Ready 4 a Change. I chose that company because the response was instantaneous and I never waited more than a couple of hours for a response to my questions via email, even on weekends which is unheard of in the States. All in all, I would definitely recommend this coordinating company again. Also, I travelled alone, which went extremely well, and I guess would depend on the circumstances but I would not hesitate to do it alone again. On 3-27-2013, I started my two week pre-op diet which consisted of all liquids, Protein Shakes, and small salad for dinner. I did fairly well on the diet but cheated a few times very minor like one bagel bite, or a small bite of my wife's burger. Anyways, the diet sucks nonetheless but after day 2-3 it's really not that bad. The Protein shakes I used were syntax nectar strawberry kiwi, and the chocolate/vanilla Premier Protein. I would advise to start some type of workout regimen during this phase. This pre-op diet is meant for shrinking the liver to provide a safer surgery, not necessarily weight loss. Again, all in all the two week pre-op diet went well and it went by fast after the first couple days. DAY OF SURGERY: On the day of surgery, I flew out from Dallas, TX to San Diego, California. Upon arrival to the airport, which I was 15 minutes early, I called the driver with r4ac, and he said he was just around the corner and showed up in 5 minutes flat. He even asked me on the phone if I wanted him to remove the company sign from the outside of the van, which I though was courteous. I told him no need, I'm not ashamed! So the driver picks me up and we head across the border which was uneventful and easy. We make our way to the hospital, as I elected for same day surgery so I would stay two nights in the hospital, and three nights in the hotel. Upon arrival to the hospital (Hospital was florence Health System/Oasis) I was immediately checked in and taken to my private room with hospital bed with nurse call button, TV, an extra bed for a support person, etc. pretty much anything you would find in a hospital in the states. Now, this hospital is in the process of renovations with state of the art operating rooms as in the states, but the rooms are a bit older but nothing to gripe about for sure, and very clean. So I make it to my room and put everything up, and I am greeted by Melissa from R4AC, and she starts going over paperwork and answering any questions I had. The nurse comes in with a hospital gown and says to take everything off, including the underwear. So during the next 1-2 hrs, I have blood drawn for labs, an EKG done, chest x-ray, and an IV put in (first try,) and given a happy pill to relax. I also meet with all of the Dr's at the hospital including Dr. Velasco who is a bypass patient herself. Dr. Grafias who is a sleeve patient. Dr. Cabrera the anesthesiologist, Dr. Luna who is a bariatric surgeon as well, and Dr. Fernando Garcia, my bariatric surgeon. Pretty much all of the Dr's ask about medical history and prior and current health conditions so your basically checked 4-5 times to make sure your clear for surgery still. At about 5:30 or so, I was wheeled in to the operating room. You have to scoot over onto the operating table but no biggy. Dr. Luna took my wife's number down on his phone to call and let her know once surgery was done and everything was ok, which he did according to my wife. I remember one of the Dr's asking me if I had anymore questions as he was pulling out the left arm rest. I said just make sure I wake up and I was out like a light. I woke in what felt like was just seconds after going out. I sat up with minor pain in my abdomen from the incisions, not gas pain. I looked at the clock and it said 7:30. I'm not sure how much of that 2 hours was surgery time vs waking up, etc, and I didn't really care. I immediately stood up when I woke up and started walking the halls. All of the nurses looked at me like I was crazy and asked if I was ok. I told them I was because several speak pretty good English to communicate. They said most people are not up and walking that quick after waking up from surgery. I guess I was the exception. So that first night was pretty good except the minor pain in my abdomen from the incisions which basically felt like I did too many sit-ups, not unbearable in the least. POST-OP DAY #2 So I slept off and on mainly because the nurses come in every 2 hrs or so to check on you and give meds, check BP, etc. The nurses were AMAZING! No complaints whatsoever, and if I pushed the call button, the longest I waited for a nurse was maybe 25-30 seconds. This day was pretty much the same, walk, rest, meds, repeat! I also had 2 leak tests done, which went good and no leaks detected. One of the leak tests was odd as you lie down on the x-ray table and drink some liquid while laying down. It didn't hurt to drink but was just an odd feeling. While walking the halls, I met 3-5 other people from various online forums and FB who had the surgery and became friends and exchanged info to keep up with each other and our progress. POST-OP DAY #3 I had my drain out this morning. it was WEIRD, like a snake in your tummy. it did not hurt at all, just awkward. I got copies of my lab work, x-rays, etc and was discharged. Then around 10 or so, I was picked up by the Hotel Marriott shuttle and taken to the hotel. It was extremely nice and the same as you would get in the US. I got checked in and taken to my room. You get 3 free bowls of chicken broth, 3 free Popsicles, and 2 free bottles of Water daily. I would not eat the Popsicles, but there is a small shop in lobby you can buy Popsicles which were awesome. The broth was ok at times, and way to salty others, but then again it's broth...boring! The first day I relaxed mostly and went out by the pool and lounged around and didn't really do much. Still no pain really except for abdomen from incision sites. POST-OP DAY #4 Today I lounged around again and walked a bit around the hotel. I ventured out and took a can to the local Walmart as I started feeling some acid reflux, which is common with VSG, and bought some omeprazole which helped a lot and it was gone in 2 days. Dr. Luna came by and removed the staples from the incisions, which did not hurt, and cleaned all the sites and put steri strips on them and covered up the drain hole. I was given medicine before leaving the hospital which included antibiotics, disgusting liquid acid reducer, and pain meds, which I didn't take any of it. I had dinner with some new found friends and co-sleevers and got some sleep. POST-OP DAY 5 Today was the same as day 4 pretty much. Lounged, went out with some new friends, had dinner, etc. I packed up all my stuff and got ready to leave in the AM. I got a call around 8:30 by the driver who gave me the option of leaving at 6 am or 9 am. My flight left at 1:20 pm but I was ready to get back to the states so I opted for 6 am. POST-OP DAY 6 I woke up and was checked out of the hotel and in the lobby by 6, when driver promptly arrived. Myself and 2 other sleevers headed back to the US. It took us about an hour and a half to make it across the border, it was very busy but an easy process as we all had our passports. Made it to the airport, caught my flight home, end of story! All in all, I would say the level of service and care in MX was equal to and even greater in some areas than that in US. I would highly recommend Dr. Garcia and his team, R4AC, and Florence/Oasis Hospital. I would do this whole over again and look forward to taking some of my family members and/or friends to MX for this procedure. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me and I hope to help others with their journey if I possibly can. Johnathanw1988@gmail.com

Like Leslie01 I too - the OP - am withdrawing from this thread because of the amount of negativity being spewed. Perhaps I was wrong in believing this forum was designed for people to do real research on the companies in whom we are entrusting our health and our lives. I thought the purpose of the forum was to show the unbiased truth. If I only wanted rainbows and gumdrops, I would have simply visited the Medical Tourism websites. My post is entitled MY Poor Experience...not YOUR Experience, not EVERYBODY'S Experience. MY experience. It was nothing more than an honest retelling of what happened to ME. To attack me for airing my honest story, which was intended to help people get a first hand view of what could happen to them, is irrational. I wasn't the only person who posted a less than stellar account. I did not feel a need to disparage those people - or the people with positive experiences - simply because their experiences were different. Rational people read an experience that differs from theirs and if they feel the need to respond to it, it's in the vein of "I had a very different and positive experience" not the vitriolic and nonsensical attacks that were posted here (suggesting this happened because I wasn't personable; suggesting that being upset because I couldn't immediately reach the coordinator and, therefore, the doctor after having drained through bandages, clothes, and a folded hand towel was making a mountain out of a molehill). You chose to overlook the real issue, which was this: I had just had major surgery in a foreign country, I was draining excessively, I NEEDED to contact the doctor for medical guidance, I was at the mercy of the coordinator in order to get in contact with the doctor, and the coordinator was unavailable for a number of hours, during which time I was left with no option other than sit and wait (and drain, perhaps get an infection, die in Mexico, etc.). I never disparaged the company personally. Hell, I agree that Janese is a very nice person. and Abraham is awesome. But being nice, personable, and generally awesome does not change what happened to me any more than your great experience equates to everyone having a great experience. I'm glad that folks wrote back to say my experience differed from theirs, as people researching this surgery should get a global view - the good, the bad, and the ugly. But there is no need to attack me or my account. It doesn't negate what happened.
Now on to the reason for this particular post: thank you to those of you who were concerned for my welfare. I made it back to Atlanta late last night. I'm still draining but not excessively. I feel great and I'm still happy with my decision. I'm pleased to report that I got a message from the owner of ALM and I plan to follow up with her shortly.
Good luck to all who are still researching the surgery. I hope you take my post as only one element in your decision making. If you've read this entire thread, I'm sure you know by know that you can't rely solely on this forum. As my son would say, some of these people are "7:30 cuckoo crazy". Make the decision that's best for you. I read some other not so pleasant posts about ALM but I weighed my options and still chose to use them.
The proverbial fat lady has sung. Please, let this be the last word.

from what I understood they leave the drain in longer because it decreases the risk of infection from all the Fluid around the stomach after surgery, the longer the drain stays in the lower the risk of infection... believe me I would have prefered the drain out sooner but I understand the logic. I actually think that Lopez and Ortiz leave the drain in the longest of the doc's down there just based on what I've heard... it is uncomfortable but to me was worth it.

The doctor removes the drain after discharge at the hotel. This is how Dr. Lopez and Ortiz do it for EVERYONE. Dr. Lopez and Garcia where with Ready4Achange prior to this year, now Garcia is with Ready4achange and Lopez is with Aligherme. Hope this helps.

Hey all,
Just wanted to share my progress. I am 1 month post op (technically 32 days) I had my surgery with Dr. Garcia at MiDoctor. As of today I have lost 22lbs (forever!) and feel great.
The only issues I still have are minor incision pain (from the biggest one), I can only sip little bits of plain Water (I think I gulp too much air with it and gives me a big air bubble in my chest) and a gurggly stomach every night when I lay in bed. But those are such MINOR things that don’t faze me at all.
I have no trouble getting all my Protein and liquid in daily, and am able to exercise for at least 30mins 6x a week. I got the greatest compliment the other day, I went and got my hair cut (felt like going short after losing this weight) and my stylist (who has known me for years) said I looked great and was "glowing" and wanted to know what I was doing (she thought I was preggo LOL). When I shared my sleeve experience she was super happy and excited to see more progress at my next appointment
I've added a pic to show my progress. Here's to a successful 2nd month!
Edit to add: would I do this again? Yup I would. It's not all been sunshine and flowers, but "nothing worth having comes easy" and this is worth having

OMG, people please read the entire post!
Janese is the US coordinator... Eduardo is the TJ coordinator. Janese was in TJ to see us, but was not our personal coordinator in TJ. Why is this soooo hard to understand? Janese is generally VERY easy to get ahold of, but in this particular case she was not, my point is that Eduardo was the go to guy for issues medically while in TJ NOT Janese but she would have definately responded had she been able to. We were all given contact infor for Janese, Eduardo, and Abraham so we had plenty of people to go through if we needed them. NO ONE was abandoned!

Surgery was 3 days ago, feel great, last day here will fly out tonite . be on the look out for full detailed write up.....wait for it I am down 10lbs !!!!!! I will post a pic of my record setting stomach, I think the biggest seen in mexico .

I was up front with my PCP but he was just so thrilled I got rid of the band. He doesn't care if I did the surgery myself while out of the country. He's there to provide care to me regardless if why, what kind, or where I've had previous care. All docs should be this way. If yours isn't ... find another. If needed, your PCP can consult with a bariatric doc or If it's something outside of their level they will arrange for you to see the specialist. Costly, but if it's urgent that's the way it is.

I was also worried about telling my PCP, but she was thrilled for me. I have been following up with her post op and everything has been great.
Good luck!

I think we have this fear that they will respond like everyone else (you're what? mexico? Are you crazy? lol) but they should be on your side and proud of you taking steps to a healthier you. If not, find a doc that does!

Glad to have given you some insight Amy. The journey really does start before you ever pick a doctor. Going the self-pay Mexico route does add some extra thoughts to the planning, but for some its the only way and quite viable with research and full disclosure of risk and reward. Good luck to you!

I had planned on going to Dr (Don't want specifics) and there are many reasons I changed my mind. I researched and can only tell you the facts of what I found out and why I changed my mind. My experience was so great, I believe everyone deserves the treatment I received (best treatment in any hospital EVER). I researched other Dr's but these were the 2 I went back and forth with. I decided that close to the Border was easy in and easy out lol,a nd I was right:) Here is a list of why I changed my mind!
#1 Its a small hospital and not a walk in clinic as Dr x has his place in a strip mall and I want to be in a actual hospital.
#2 Dr x does 8-14 surgeries a day, My Dr does usually 2 but up to 4. I didn't just want to be a number!
#3 My husband came with me and we had our own private room where he stayed with me, Dr x had recovery rooms holding up to 4 patients. I loved my privacy and getting rested the first 2 days with total care for everything I asked for.
#4Dr x sends you directly to a hotel to share with (I'm not sure how many beds) but you do have to share, they leave the IV in and transport you every day back to the Walk in Clinic to check you, I personally wanted my own room and stayed in it 2 nights without being moved around, or bothered by another patient.
#5 Dr x only staples when he does the VSG, My Dr staples and also sutures to ensure no leaks. I know all have their downfall, but my Dr is 100% no leaks, and just a wonderful surgeon.
#6 If you want a private room you must pay yourself, my Dr gives you a private room at a 4-5 star hotel. If your husband (or anyone goes with you they have to pay for an extra room anyways)
#7 On the 3rd day I wanted to see the city as I was feeling better and they provide a free shuttle to take you shopping, and bring you what you need, I loved it!
#8 As I got back to my hotel it was around 8:30 pm and my Dr came to the hotel to check on me, I thought he was great.
#9 I was so well tended to, I wish I could tell it to the world, my Dr is $4500 and with so many more perks now, I figure you save $400, and if you bring someone $800.
#10 My Dr is Board Certified, and Dr x is not. In fact my trained Dr x when they studies for Bariatrics!
Please feel free to respond, and I also have a FB group that has 350 members from ALL Dr's and if you would like to join please give me your email address and I will be glad to add you. Sorry so long, but you asked lol. You can also feel free to call me if you like, but let me know you are from Verticle Sleeve Talk. Congrats on your decision and good luck
PS I choose not to use names, I don't think any Dr's are "bad" Dr's, just different and with different styles for sure. I have friends on my FB who have went to all Dr's!
Pics are 21 days out
I just found this lol, I guess its more appropriate in this section!! Select carefully with any Dr, and good luck!

This is my first post and first day I registered! I had surgery 3 weeks ago yesterday with dr. Ponce de leon at INT hospital in Tijuana. I feel great, his staff, the hospital staff and most of all my coordinator Trish was the best! These forums were a huge help in making my decision on the Doctor and helping me decide to go through with the surgery. I was on here a few months prior to my surgery and would just read everything but never joined until today.. My husband was totally against having surgery in MX and said NO as soon as I told him. Of course I kept doing research and in the end he didn't have a choice. He gave in and went with me, supported me and as soon as we got there he was at ease when we met Trish and the doctors.. We live in San Diego, the driver picked us up on the USA side, went straight to the hospital and started my preop..
Thank you all for telling your stories and sharing everything! Im 20 lbs down which is actually 3 weeks and a few days since I had to start my prep diet a week before my surgery date on March 21st.. I actually didn't start it until 3 or 4 days prior but the pre op diet was the worse, my diet now is easy verses that.
Again, thank everyone for sharing, this site was so helpful before surgery and still is!

I had Dr. Lopez and he was WONDERFUL!!! And A Lighter Me was so good to me!! I would highly recommend them again!!

Abraham was an AWESOME driver and resource person, I can not believe your negativity toward the company! my God! Abraham is right the drain site does leak, and you were told before you left the hospital that you had to change the dressing... Anyways, I'm sorry you are so dissappointed and having such a hard time, but really to throw them under the bus is disgusting and shame on you. BTW Janese was on a plane during the time frame you are talking about, so maybe find out more info before you shoot someone down so quickly, you are not able to take or return phone calls on planes... This company cares greatly about thier patients and I had a FANTASTIC experiance with them.

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Lopez, Dr. Ortiz, Abraham, and Eduardo! Dr. Ortiz came to my room, took care of my drain, told me how to take care if it. He was VERY professional. And everyone I encountered was so professional and treated me like I was a princess! I will NEVER regret going to Mexico or going through A Lighter Me. One persons experience doesn't put in stone how a Dr is or a coordinator. Anytime I needed one of them they were right there. I was very well taken care of.

I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz with AlighterMe he operates frequently with Dr, Lopez who trained him originally. My experience with my surgeon was outstanding. Very caring and attentive.

Hey Karen..i am at hospital now..surgery at 6

Tell her congrats! She is on the otherside now.

Well I am off to mexico in less than 12 hours. Hope to se some of you all there! I will keep you all posted. I am having surgery on April 4th with Dr. Elias Ortiz at Mi hospital. Coming from Florida. All day flight.

Well I am off to mexico in less than 12 hours. Hope to se some of you all there! I will keep you all posted. I am having surgery on April 4th with Dr. Elias Ortiz at Mi hospital. Coming from Florida. All day flight.