KatInFl's surgery experience

[KatInFL 216]

Day 1:

My best friend, C, ended up traveling with me to Mexico, as a last minute scheduling snafu prevented my boyfriend from being there. I had been pretty certain I could do it alone, but she insisted on coming with me and on the trip to San Diego from the East Coast I was very glad she had.

We arrived in San Diego at 1215 local time and before we even got off the plane, I had a phone call from my coordinator telling me where the driver was and what to look out for. C and I had both opted to carry on our luggage. After flying and going through airports for 8 hours, I was very glad that we had since as soon as we got off the plane, we were mostly done with crowds and jostling.

Our driver, Linda, was exactly where I’d been told to go, holding a sign with my name and very easy to spot. She told me right away that she didn’t speak English. She did speak a little and we had no communication issues. We got in Linda’s car and headed to the border. I will preface with the fact that C had been very nervous about crossing the border and being in Tijuana. I had months to read and research, so there was very little concern on my part but she was worried. Crossing the border from California to Mexico was a non-event. A Mexican border agent asked Linda the purpose of our visit, she stated that I was a surgical patient, and the border agent waved us through.

We arrived at Florence Hospital within about 20 minutes or so of leaving the airport. We walked in and met my coordinator, who sat with us in the lobby and chatted for a few minutes while my admission paperwork was completed. I signed some documents about liability and the procedure I was agreeing to, all in Spanish, but thoroughly explained by my coordinator. I speak and read some Spanish, so I was able to get the gist of the documents….very similar to what we sign at our hospitals upon admission.

My coordinator took me to my room, where a nurse was waiting for me. As soon as we were in my room, my coordinator offered to go run and get C some food, knowing we’d had little opportunity to stop and eat along the way to San Diego. I was hungry and crabby but mostly just tired by then, after having been up at 5 am and traveling all day with no food or drinks. My nurse, Enrique, was fluent in English and very kind. He handed me my gown, advised me to put it on with nothing underneath (nothing at all, please..no bra or panties!), pointed out slippers available to me, and left the room to give me some privacy. I quickly changed and took a look around the room. It had a full bathroom attached with a decent sized shower, a closet, a built in, full size bed for C (I was told it wasn’t the most comfortable bed in the world but certainly not the worst), and a recliner. When my coordinator returned with C’s lunch, he noticed our recliner was a little older so he and the nurse switched it out for a full Lay-Z-Boy which I was told was extremely comfortable.

After I got changed and C got a little settled, my nurse came back in and told me that the doctors would be in soon. Within minutes, I saw the on-call doctor who asked me about my history. Seriously, I got asked more questions than for any previous surgery in the US (I’ve had 8 prior to this one). The cardiologist came in and did the same, soon followed by the anesthesiologist. I have chronic pain due to back issues and see a pain management doctor here in the US, so the anesthesiologist discussed in depth with me the plan to make sure my existing meds wouldn’t interact with what they were going to be doing in surgery. My surgeon, Dr. Illan, came in a bit after the flurry of other doctors. He chatted with C and I for a few minutes, asked if I was nervous (I wasn’t), let me know that I’d be up soon for surgery and to feel free to rest or just take it easy. In hindsight, I could have asked for something for nerves at this point and probably benefited from it but I really thought I was fine. I took a little bit of a nap, C watched tv (one of the English channels was a movie channel), we both texted from our cell phones using the hospital WiFi. My nurse came in to start my IV and I warned him that I had had a very difficult time with IVs previously. He took a quick look, agreed that my arms were not IV friendly, and went and got the charge nurse. She took her time (it probably took 10 minutes for her to decide which arm/vein) and then did a fantastic job of getting it in. She only stuck me once and it was a momentary pinch, then done. It was one of the better IV experiences I’ve had.

My coordinator came in an hour or so later and told me it would be a while before surgery. I wasn’t really surprised, as I knew I was a late arrival for same day surgery and it wasn’t really a big deal to me. I was resting and just glad to have made it and have things going well. The nurses came in (I honestly don’t know what time..early evening, I think) and told me it was my turn. I moved from the bed into my room to another one and was wheeled down the hall. About that point, I started to just be overwhelmed with emotion. I wasn’t scared so much as just feeling a culmination of all of the feelings over the past week…worry and nervousness and a little fear mixed in. I was full on crying by the time I was wheeled into the OR and asked to move from the bed to the operating table. All of the nurses and doctors were so concerned and comforting. The anesthesiologist told me that she’d give me something to calm down in just a second. I remember saying “Please don’t let me die I have a 10 year old at home” followed by the doctors reassuring me, then unconsciousness. I woke up back in my room and my instant thought was that it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest, just so much pressure but no real pain. I managed to get up and walk a couple of laps up and down the hallway, go to the bathroom, then get back in bed. That was pretty much the theme of the evening. I had some pain issues….not at all the fault of the staff but more related to the fact I already take a great deal of pain medication. I made it through the first night with some discomfort, but made it. My nurse this night spoke English..not perfectly but more than passably.

Day 2:

I didn’t really sleep well, so I was exhausted and feeling a little overwhelmed with discomfort. My coordinator came to check on me by 8 am. C right away told him that I’d spent the night in some discomfort. He called Dr. Illan right away. Dr. Illan in turn called the anesthesiologist. Both Dr. Illan and the anesthesiologist came in within an hour or so. By the time they got there, I was approximately 12 hours post-op and feeling much better. Both Dr. Illan and the anesthesiologist were very concerned about me and told me both had left orders for the night staff to contact them if I needed anything but neither got called. I know now that I could probably have been a little more assertive with the night nurse and asked for them to call. It is one of those all’s well that ends well type of things. Since I hadn’t slept much the night before, I dozed on and off all day on day 2. I had several check ins from Dr. Illan and the anesthesiologist, as well as my coordinator. Everyone encouraged me to walk and I did a little bit, but I was just plain exhausted. My coordinator took care of C beyond what we could have expected or asked for…taking her to get food, driving around a little, asking if there was anything she needed. The day passed quickly for me in a blur of napping and walking a little. My nurse this night didn’t speak English, but I mostly wanted to be left alone to sleep so it was fine.

Day 3:

I woke up feeling dramatically better. I felt just a little soreness in my tummy, like I’d done way too many sit ups, but otherwise fine. I had a lot more energy, too. This is the day that I was to be discharged, as well as a fellow patient of Dr. Illan’s, who had traveled with her husband. I took a shower (I’d taken a short one the prior morning, as well) and was surprised at how good I felt. After showering and gathering all of our stuff, it was time to for leak tests. My coordinator took the 4 of us (other patient, her husband, and C) to another hospital to do the leak test. We were taken in within about 10 minutes of arriving, met Dr. Illan, and walked to where they would do the actual scan. I stood with the other patient’s husband and C while she drank her icky stuff (it was clear, not the best tasting, but not the worst thing I’ve ever had…the worst part was the bitter aftertaste) then her scan was done. It was so fascinating to watch! Dr. Illan pointed out all of the organs we were looking at and then explained what he was looking for. Then it was my turn…got the liquid down fairly easily, got scanned, then put gum in my mouth right away to get rid of the taste. We all waited about 5 or so minutes, then both of us patients got copies of our scans to take home. We had the all clear at that point to drink some liquid and were so excited to have something other than ice chips. Dr. Illan told us that he’d see us again before we left, then my coordinator took us all to the Hotel Lucerna to check in. It was decided on the way to the hotel that both companions were hungry (it was around noon-ish), so we stopped at a restaurant across from the hotel for lunch. Both the other patient and I order chicken broth that was incredibly yummy and had pineapple juice to drink. We all chatted and got to know each other a little more. My coordinator went over to the hotel to check us in, so when we were done with lunch we were able to go right to our rooms. After lunch, I wanted a nap and went directly to my room. The other patient was feeling more energetic, so our coordinator took her and her husband around Tijuana a little. My coordinator came back a couple of hours later, just after I’d woken up, and brought a little care package with some drinks and Jello. We all met up again around dinnertime and the coordinator took us to a great place, where we had broth and everyone else had great food. It didn’t bother either of us that were patients to see everyone eating…we really and truly had absolutely no hunger.

Day 4:

This is the day we spent shopping and sightseeing. I’ve seen people criticize others for shopping and sightseeing in Mexico, but I’m so very glad we have the chance to do so. I felt great, as did the other patient. We were able to walk around a lot more than in the hospital and this is the day I noticed a lot less gas and gas pains. I’m certain it was a direct result of how much walking we did. I tired sooner than everyone else, but my coordinator brought me back to the hotel when he noticed I was getting tired, even before I did. C loved being able to see the real flavor of Tijuana and couldn’t get over how she had seen it portrayed so poorly and she just didn’t see it.

Day 5:

We had planned on being in Tijuana one more night than my buddy patient, so we just took it really easy this day. It was too cold for us by the pool, but we enjoyed the Breakfast at the hotel (I had juice and Decaf coffee). We both watched tv and read. Around lunch time, our coordinator came and got us, with my buddy patient and her husband. We all went to lunch, then met up with Dr. Illan for a quick check in.

Recap:

It was a fantastic experience, both in the way of surgery and as an experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again and will likely end up back in Tijuana for plastics eventually. Seeing Tijuana was fantastic! I adored Dr. Illan. He has an amazing bedside manner. He was so kind and caring, far more so than any surgeon I’ve seen stateside. He went out of his way to make sure that I knew he was available at any time if I needed him, both before the surgery and after I went home. I have no doubt that he truly cares about his patients and their well-being. My best friend, C, who went with me, was so impressed by Tijuana and the care I received. When I first talked about Mexico being a possibility, she was the most outspoken critic. On the way home, she said that even though there were some practices that were a little old-fashioned compared to what we do in the US, the care was excellent. Even more, the doctors and nurses were far more personable and hands-on than what is typical in the US. My coordinator was amazing. Again, he was so hands-on and personally vested in how I felt and my personal success. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Dr. Illan to anyone…I feel so lucky to have had him as my surgeon.

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions if you have any. J

~Kat

[rdoactv 218]

Glad you had a good experience. Congrats and welcome to the losers bench.

[KickRocks 163]

Great recap! I'm so glad everything went well! I love dr Illan and Omar. I love how they still keep in touch. I couldn't have picked a better team!

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,145]

I'm really glad everything went well and your experience was good. Your friend and my mom are the same in their initial criticism and subsequent change if heart regarding Mx. I'm glad.