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!!

Well she mentioned Dr Ortiz' date=' so my assumption would be Lopez right? Isn't Ortiz part of the alejandro lopez team? Though. I don't think it's just as important since her issue is not with the doctors.. The doctor helped her once he was made aware of the situation and will follow up again to meet with her and give her final instructions... someone dropped the ball at the hospital and didn't change her dressings as they should have prior to discharge.. then ALM dropped the ball and didn't address her concerns in a timely manner... but I didn't see that she has any concerns with her doctor.[/quote']

I believe she mentioned both Dr. Lopez and Dr. Ortiz. And you're right. The issues mentioned were about no response from ALM coordinators, not the surgeons.

Hello everyone !

Actualy im with ALM for my surgurie on april 23. It's a been a year that i've done some recherches before to deal with ALM agency and i choose ALM. i chat with a lot of AML patients And they worth very please! Most ALM patients gave me a very good comments concern the services they get before and after ther surgerie. I am from Canada and eatch time i wrote or phone ALM, Janese or Ronda awlays gave me a quick anwser. I am very surprised to ear that you have problems with ALM. I am very postive that i wil have a good service and a rich experience with ALM, you must be a exception ! I have been to Cuba in the pass for a Surgery and i was very please with the service that i receives. Recently i read that a person was unhappy about her surgerie in Cuba! So has long you get a good result a the end you will forget that part of your experience and you will be very happy with your weight loss. Give you some time to think about YOUR POOR EXPERIENCE like you said!

Sorry for my english , i am french!

Céline Lécuyer

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.

Abraham was an AWESOME driver and resource person' date=' 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.[/quote']

Haha!

It's like the Mexican mafia around here if someone should dare voice a VALID concern or complaint! (Like excess bleeding, lack of care or workers shooting up the pain meds meant for the patients)

To the op I hope you make it back safe and sound. And are able to but this bullshit and these "people" behind you.

Abraham was an AWESOME driver and resource person' date=' 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.[/quote']

Most people do have a good experience with ALM, and I am happy to read yours exceeded your expectations. Her experience seems to be the exception, and not the rule... But it was her experience and she has every right to share it here. That is the point of this forum. Especially the Mx forum.

Shame on YOU for berating her and trying to take away from her experience.

Abraham was an AWESOME driver and resource person' date=' 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.[/quote']

Just think how scary it would be to "feel" abandoned after having surgery in a strange country and be alone... She just told the truth and I think she said it diplomatically. She wasn't warning people to not use the company she just wanted to share her experience. They (ALM) will read it and learn from it so if someone does have to get on a plane, patients will be notified or a backup person will be avaialbe. I myself would FREAK OUT If no one was answering my calls and the only contact I had was a cab driver to answer my medical questions! Lol

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.

It does not matter if she was on a plane, or sick or had an emergency... A patient in a foreign country who just had surgery PAID for a service and expects to be supported. The company should have had someone filling in for her. Thank God everything was OK for this patient, but it was a LOT of blood to her eyes she soaked through bandages and sheets AND a towel. and she was obviously concerned and needed support. There is absolutely nothing "disgusting" about giving her honest opinion and feedback. She has said nothing untrue. I do not doubt that you had a fantastic experience... just as I do not doubt that this particular patient did not receive the support from A Lighter Me that she had expected. Rather than make excuses such as "she was on a plane" the company should be looking for ways to prevent this from happening to someone else.

But see that is the point, Abraham was available for her and Eduardo as well who works directly with the doc's. Abraham told her it was normal, she chose not to listen. I am not berating her, I am simply letting her and EVERYONE else know the circumstances, the back ups were available, she sounds as if she is simply mad because Janese did not call her back quick enough, I simply told her why.

I am allowed to share my experiances and my knowledge of what happened and back up the company if I so choose. If you can't handle that then why are you commenting? it is an open forum, I felt like she was throwing janese and the company under the bus and I have the right to speak up in their defense.

I disagree. The doctor should be automatically checking on her regardless. not relying on a coordinator. From what I have read across the board is there are many doctors who voluntarily check on their patients throughout the day. Doesn't sound like Ortiz is one of them.

Well if that's what you expect then it's good that you are asking questions and making sure that you have found a doctor who will come check on you after you are discharged from the hospital. Personally I've NEVER had a doctor come to my house and check on me after discharge. Mine didn't come see me in the hotel in Mexico nor did I expect them to since I was healing well after two days in the hospital and was discharged without a drain.

Do you think that patients who have their surgeries in the USA are discharged from the hospital and the doctor makes housecalls to the patient to check in on them throughout the day?

Obviously the OP's doctor would have to go and take out the drain, so there's one visit.. and then go over all instructions the next day... that's two visits. and this is not enough?

[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.

I think this was a tad OTT

Lopez and Ortiz make hotel visits, mainly to take out the drain and give instructions, but Dr. Lopez actually stays at the hotel on the weeks he is in TJ so he is easy to get ahold of after hours in case of an emergency through your coordinators... *Eduardo or Janese*

you can really be tedious and snarky Serendipity. hopefully your new lighter self lightens you up as well.

First of all, a hotel is not a home. It is a strange place in a strange country. To release someone with her drain still intact and actively leaking all over the place for two days is not normal. So sorry if you think it is. Secondly, I have read numerous posts of people who have had the doctors actively being concerned and checking in.

jesus.

I am not berating her

Uh, just to refresh your memory, you said: "but really to throw them under the bus is disgusting and shame on you."

Perhaps you need to look up the definition of "berate" because that's EXACTLY what you did... and it's exactly what I just did to you.. Cuz, I'm just snarky and tedious today apparently

[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.

I think this was a tad OTT

Thanks It may have been, I really just wanted her to know why Janese wasn't able to call her right away. If she had called Eduardo (the actual pt coordinator in TJ) she wouldn't have had so much trouble, but Janese is a Fantastic coordinator and I just felt bad for her after reading the post. People don't always hear the reasons things happen and in this case there was a legit reason and there Were other ways that she could have gone... Im not sure what Abraham told her about Janese or who he said was supposed to call her so I can not atest for that at all, but I felt it neccessary to let the people reading know that Janese, Abraham and the doctors are amazing and caring people.

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.

Ummm she had a client in Mexico depending on her and she was on a PLANE? So you just take the money and then don't offer the support? I'd have a HUGE problem with that. You depend on your coordinators, and for them to just abandon you like that is irresponsible.