My poor experience with A Lighter Me

[dawndenise 66]

So yesterday I wrote that I was happy with my decision. Today...not so much. I am at the Marriott where I've been since yesterday morning. Like everyone else who's had the surgery, I left Mi Doctor Hospital with a drainage tube. The staff at the hospital did not change the dressing, so I awoke from a nap yesterday to find that I had bled through the bandages and soiled my clothes, the sheets, the comforter, and a couple of the pillows. I immediately contacted the driver, Abraham, who told me this was normal (I highly doubt it) and that someone would be there later to remove the drain. He also told me to change the dressing myself. I attempted to do that with the thin gauze they had given me, but I promptly bled right through that within the hour. I spent the rest of the evening with a hand towel pressed against the wound. By this morning, that too was soaked.

When I awoke this morning, I promptly called both Abraham and Janese Pitcher, the Patient Coordinator. Abraham promised to be in touch with someone and call me back within 15 minutes. After an hour had passed, I called him back and got the same story. In the interim, I placed two telephone calls to Janese on both her mobile and work telephones but I never heard back from her. As of this writing (12:22pm) no one from A Lighter Me has followed up with instructions, questions, concerns, or anything about the issue. I am both shocked and appalled at this, considering that prior to the surgery (I.e, before I paid the balance), I could get ahold of Janese at the drop of a dime.

Rather than take a taxi back to the hospital (which is what I was planning to do, I took a taxi (with some new friends who were also here to be sleeved) to Walmart and got some new gauze, bandages, and Mexican neosporin. Who knows when this drain will be taken out? I just want it to be clean and sanitary while it's in.

If there is a silver lining to this story, my new friends and I stopped at Yogurt Bling (think Pinkberry) after we left Walmart. I got the tiniest bit of frozen yogurt,which I was unable to finish. So this sleeve thing is actually working!!

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

I'm sorry to hear this! I didn't go through ALM but I was at MiDoctor and stayed at the Marriott and I had my drain out before leaving the hospital! My doctor took out the drainage tube and changed the dressings a final time before I was discharged.

You shouldn't have to go through this. Can you call the doctor directly? When I was discharged I was given direct contact information for the doctors that treated me. Is their number on anything? Maybe on the prescription they gave you?

[harleyscgirl 1]

Not surprised, I had to pay for a taxi from the hospital cause they kicked me out. And I had to pay for a taxi to the airport to get home. I came back to the hotel with the drain after they kicked me out. The doctor did come that night and the next moring to take drain out. But everthing else has been good. Janese has never called or wrote since she received my last bit of money. Didn't expect that. She is just a cashier. Also they made me pay for a extra night in Hotel which was told would be taken care of. Oh well I'm home and doing great! Hope you do the same. But please don't expect to ever hear from any of them again. I wrote and asked for answers to some of my questions and receive not a very nice answer.

[Houston17 115]

So sorry that you are having to go through this so far from home! I hope that you have an uneventful trip back home! Take care!

[fletcherette 203]

Wow, who's your dr? This is the first I've heard of people being sent to the hotel with the drain. I thought they always took it out before being discharged from the hospital. Hope you get the care you need, please keep us posted

[Dannipo 86]

I would have did the something, after no response. Keep it clean! I hope things get better, sorry you are having a bad experience .

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,146]

Yikes! I hope you get the issue resolved ASAP. I'm sorry to hear that you've been somewhat abandoned. Not cool. Please keep us informed that you're okay.

[rollargirl 210]

Do they not give u any bandages to take home with you ?? Should I buy some to take with me and be prepared? This is shocking they would send a patient to a hotel bleeding and not come and help ... Can we ask what dr?

Hope you're ok x

[marymouse50 20]

I would be spreading the word not to use this place again, to many other options, bad customer service should not be tolerated for a medical procedure. Shame on them

[TexasMiss 314]

Dr verboonen and my coordinator Sheri Burke were the same way! I have called, sent emails...nothing. Not one word. The last I've heard from them was when I got dumped off 6 hrs early at the hotel in San Diego in which I spent the day on the lobby couch because their weren't any rooms available. I really need to write a review on here.

[rollargirl 210]

I hate to say it but I'm glad to read some negativity - it all was seeming too good to be true! Lol (joke) They are so dumb for giving u guys bad customer service and support, knowing full well that we have this site to air our good & bad experiences! I was with ALM and now moved to R4C ... And I'm about 3.5 weeks away from my surgery and Alma has been great so far. Does everyone have to pay the full amount before surgery? I've paid $500 deposit - I thought we could pay the balance after (read it somewhere?) I'd much rather pay after so they work harder to help and support me. Thanks for letting us know your experiences girls ????

[muffintop 62]

I had an ok experience same coordinator. Feel Freetown search my threads. I'm home and doing fine but you get what you pay for;) sleeved in October and down 62 lbs

[cindysc 108]

I Hate your having a bad experience. You should have been given the drs contact info and not had to call the driver for your needs. I hope everything is getting better and do take care of those incisions.

Rollergirl, Melissa will collect the balance at the hospital before surgery.

[fletcherette 203]

I hate to say it but I'm glad to read some negativity - it all was seeming too good to be true! Lol (joke) They are so dumb for giving u guys bad customer service and support' date=' knowing full well that we have this site to air our good & bad experiences! I was with ALM and now moved to R4C ... And I'm about 3.5 weeks away from my surgery and alma has been great so far. Does everyone have to pay the full amount before surgery? I've paid 500 deposit - I thought we could pay the balance after (read it somewhere?) I'd much rather pay after so they work harder to help and support me. Thanks for letting us know your experiences girls ?de0a[/quote']

I had some communication issues with r4ac the day prior to surgery (coordinator had the day off so it took several hrs to get ahold of her) but I was well taken care of by the coordinators once I had surgery. I've read other negative things about ALM which made me choose r4ac. I paid the last 4200 the day I checked into the hospital

And yes take your own bandages, neosporin, antispetic spray and tape. What they sent me out of the hospital with was laughable at best. And when the dr came to the hotel to take the staples out he had no supplies other then gloves and the tool to remove the staples thankfully I had all the bandages etc with me

[BrokeMyHalo 107]

Officially will never go to Mexico for surgery. Wow- so sorry to hear about this. Get back home to see another doctor ASAP