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!!

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.

you really should qoute the entire statement... lol, wow what is your deal? People can and will post as they please and you trying to fight with the opinions and concerns that you don't like is just childish. I agree with the snarky comment lol.

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.

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!

you really should qoute the entire statement... lol, wow what is your deal? People can and will post as they please and you trying to fight with the opinions and concerns that you don't like is just childish. I agree with the snarky comment lol.

I agree with the snarky comment too. I'm totally PMSing AND I'm feeling hangry.. I need to get off the forum before my head starts spinning around

Sharing my experience is by no means throwing anyone under the bus. It is just that, sharing my experience which - I should point out - is the purpose of this forum. As for me choosing not to believe The Driver (Abraham) when he told me that the drainage was to be expected, you surely are reading more into this than was said. Had I not believed him, I would have made a mad dash to the hospital on my own. Instead, I waited around, continuing to drain excessively until the next morning, at which time I choose to pay more attention to my body than to a non-medical person with only driver's license - not a medical one. And to be clear, I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but in our conversations yesterday, Janese never mentioned to me that she was on a plane. She said that she stayed home to visit with her son. Please get your facts straight.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience. I wish I shared in that with you. But I (and I'm sure others as well) question your passionate and overly negative response to my experience. Do you work for ALM? Have some personal relationship with Janese? I don't believe my narrative was negative at all. It was merely factual, a retelling of MY story. Everyone on this forum (well, almost everyone) is mature and sensible enough to make their own decisions on which company to choose after reading through the myriad of factual experiences. I don't have a dog in this fight; hence I'm not shouting from the rooftops the ALM is god-awful and not to be used. I'm merely presenting my experience to help those who come behind me just as those who went before me helped me. I assume that is also why you are sharing yours. But no need to berate me or worse, try to call my intelligence or judgment into question because we didn't share the same experience.

Thanks It may have been' date=' 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.[/quote']

That's cool to stand up for someone who has helped to change your life for the better - u just have to be SO PC on here lol ... In the long run we know they read these so it's a benefit for them to learn what we like and what we don't like "note to company: we don't like being abandoned" lol

I'm sure they will still have TONS of customers (excuse the pun)

I agree with the snarky comment too. I'm totally PMSing AND I'm feeling hangry.. I need to get off the forum before my head starts spinning around

lol

Lopez and Ortiz make hotel visits' date=' 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*[/quote']

Really sounds like you are very knowledgeable about the details of how this particular company works - like an employee would be? Makes it rather difficult to take what you say as unbiased. And there was absolutely NO reason to personally attack someone who was reporting their experience while 2000 miles away from home, alone, and scared without the support she needed.

Sharing my experience is by no means throwing anyone under the bus. It is just that' date=' sharing my experience which - I should point out - is the purpose of this forum. As for me choosing not to believe The Driver (Abraham) when he told me that the drainage was to be expected, you surely are reading more into this than was said. Had I not believed him, I would have made a mad dash to the hospital on my own. Instead, I waited around, continuing to drain excessively until the next morning, at which time I choose to pay more attention to my body than to a non-medical person with only driver's license - not a medical one. And to be clear, I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but in our conversations yesterday, Janese never mentioned to me that she was on a plane. She said that she stayed home to visit with her son. Please get your facts straight.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience. I wish I shared in that with you. But I (and I'm sure others as well) question your passionate and overly negative response to my experience. Do you work for ALM? Have some personal relationship with Janese? I don't believe my narrative was negative at all. It was merely factual, a retelling of MY story. Everyone on this forum (well, almost everyone) is mature and sensible enough to make their own decisions on which company to choose after reading through the myriad of factual experiences. I don't have a dog in this fight; hence I'm not shouting from the rooftops the ALM is god-awful and not to be used. I'm merely presenting my experience to help those who come behind me just as those who went before me helped me. I assume that is also why you are sharing yours. But no need to berate me or worse, try to call my intelligence or judgment into question because we didn't share the same experience.[/quote']

Bravo! and well said my dear !!!

Sharing my experience is by no means throwing anyone under the bus. It is just that, sharing my experience which - I should point out - is the purpose of this forum. As for me choosing not to believe The Driver (Abraham) when he told me that the drainage was to be expected, you surely are reading more into this than was said. Had I not believed him, I would have made a mad dash to the hospital on my own. Instead, I waited around, continuing to drain excessively until the next morning, at which time I choose to pay more attention to my body than to a non-medical person with only driver's license - not a medical one. And to be clear, I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but in our conversations yesterday, Janese never mentioned to me that she was on a plane. She said that she stayed home to visit with her son. Please get your facts straight.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience. I wish I shared in that with you. But I (and I'm sure others as well) question your passionate and overly negative response to my experience. Do you work for ALM? Have some personal relationship with Janese? I don't believe my narrative was negative at all. It was merely factual, a retelling of MY story. Everyone on this forum (well, almost everyone) is mature and sensible enough to make their own decisions on which company to choose after reading through the myriad of factual experiences. I don't have a dog in this fight; hence I'm not shouting from the rooftops the ALM is god-awful and not to be used. I'm merely presenting my experience to help those who come behind me just as those who went before me helped me. I assume that is also why you are sharing yours. But no need to berate me or worse, try to call my intelligence or judgment into question because we didn't share the same experience.

Not at all, I was with them just prior to Janese being taken the airport (in fact my support person rode with them), I do not work for them, lol. but I did form a very close friendship with all of them while on my journey, as they are incredible people. my facts are straight. I didn't mean to make anyone mad, I simply wanted them to know that some of what you said wasnt the norm and had reason. I am so sorry you had a rough time! I definately did NOT intend to offend you, only to let everyone know that alighterme is a VERY caring and compassionate company who are VERY concerned with their patients. I was scared to death coming into this and reading something like this would have scared the piss out of me, which is why I wanted to express my concern with your experiance so others would know that your personal experiance is not the norm by any means. I hope all is well now and you are feeling better!

Really sounds like you are very knowledgeable about the details of how this particular company works - like an employee would be? Makes it rather difficult to take what you say as unbiased. And there was absolutely NO reason to personally attack someone who was reporting their experience while 2000 miles away from home, alone, and scared without the support she needed.

I just had my surgery, so yes I have personal knowledge... I returned from there yesterday. I paid attention lol.

Sharing my experience is by no means throwing anyone under the bus. It is just that' date=' sharing my experience which - I should point out - is the purpose of this forum. As for me choosing not to believe The Driver (Abraham) when he told me that the drainage was to be expected, you surely are reading more into this than was said. Had I not believed him, I would have made a mad dash to the hospital on my own. Instead, I waited around, continuing to drain excessively until the next morning, at which time I choose to pay more attention to my body than to a non-medical person with only driver's license - not a medical one. And to be clear, I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but in our conversations yesterday, Janese never mentioned to me that she was on a plane. She said that she stayed home to visit with her son. Please get your facts straight.

I'm glad that you had a positive experience. I wish I shared in that with you. But I (and I'm sure others as well) question your passionate and overly negative response to my experience. Do you work for ALM? Have some personal relationship with Janese? I don't believe my narrative was negative at all. It was merely factual, a retelling of MY story. Everyone on this forum (well, almost everyone) is mature and sensible enough to make their own decisions on which company to choose after reading through the myriad of factual experiences. I don't have a dog in this fight; hence I'm not shouting from the rooftops the ALM is god-awful and not to be used. I'm merely presenting my experience to help those who come behind me just as those who went before me helped me. I assume that is also why you are sharing yours. But no need to berate me or worse, try to call my intelligence or judgment into question because we didn't share the same experience.[/quote']

I agree. 100%. It is your experience to share, and you shouldn't be attacked for sharing it. It's relevant. Period.

That's cool to stand up for someone who has helped to change your life for the better - u just have to be SO PC on here lol ... In the long run we know they read these so it's a benefit for them to learn what we like and what we don't like "note to company: we don't like being abandoned" lol

I'm sure they will still have TONS of customers (excuse the pun)

I agree

I agree. 100%. It is your experience to share, and you shouldn't be attacked for sharing it. It's relevant. Period.

AmandaRae I totally agree. Didn't mean to create a stir! Sorry. I hope it helps someone though.

AmandaRae I totally agree. Didn't mean to create a stir! Sorry. I hope it helps someone though.

I think if you were concerned about this thread being helpful to someone you would of not attacked the OP and tried to make her sound like a ill informed whiner...

People will continue to go to your doctor,don't worry.

But as an employee they (you?) should take the less than stellar performance of these people and try to improve it. Instead of attacking the client.

I understand that it's a move them in move them out business and once they dump these people off its no longer their worry.

But you can not discredit every person with an issue and not take some responsibility.

To the coordinators;

These people are more than just your "bread and butter"

They have the right to speak up if something's not right. And you have the responsibility to make changes to less excellent care!

It's a major surgery that comes with risks not a damn botched pedicure.

I had problems contacting my coordinator while in mexico (thankfully it wasn't for too serious of an issue) my issue with these coordinating companies is that they don't have people available all the time. I get they are human and need a day off or such, but the companies need to hire more people so that someone is always working. Just my two cents