Made it to Tijuana, surgery tomorrow with Dr. Illan at Florence Hospital!

[supbanana 153]

I'm having surgery tomorrow with Dr. Illan at Florence Hospital, thought I would make my own thread so future potential patients can read about my experience here (hence the super long title, trying to cram the key words in there for future searches).

I booked this though Susan (I think the company is Mysurgeryoptions.com? Please correct me if I'm wrong) and she was incredibly helpful (thanks Susan!!). It was an easy process for me, she did all the work.

So far it's been great!! The flight from San Francisco to San Diego was flawless, and the driver was waiting for me at the airport holding a sign with my name on it (I thought that was really cool, I felt like a fancy lady). The drive was smooth, took about 40 minutes, border control stopped us and searched our bags but didn't ask for a passport or any ID. The driver didn't speak much English, which was no problem, it was just a quiet ride.

As for this section of Tijuana, the driver said it best: "eh, this part not so good, but the hospital is okay."

Omar was waiting for us when we pulled up to the hospital and stayed until we were checked in and comfortable. He even ran to a store for us and brought back chicken salad for my mom that was pretty much the nicest salad I've ever seen, and even brought me some creamed Soup that was sooo decadent after a week of broth and crystal light.

The nurses and staff have all been kind and professional. Their English so far has been easy to understand, no communication barriers yet. I feel really at ease with them.

The room is almost like a hotel room, pretty comfortable. My mom says the guest bed is fairly comfortable. I think the hospital mattress is cozy, it's not the weird hard mattress that's standard in the states. It's a little cushier, which I prefer. There's a little nightstand and a big chair that's pretty comfortable. They have cable but you have to leave your ID with the front desk in exchange for the remote so nobody tries to steal the remote (that's how it was explained to me). We're not bothering with that, we brought iPads and the free wi-fi works great! The plug ins were compatible with our chargers (thought I would mention it, I've seen a couple people ask).

They're going to boot me out of bed at 6am to do all the pre-op testing, so I'll log off and get some rest. Feel free to ask questions! I'll update as time goes on.

[blackfalls 25]

Good luck!

[IdahoGirl32 89]

I'm excited to hear about your experience! Good luck!

[Diamondeyed 399]

All will be well

[Diana82 14]

Good luck and keep me updated! I am excited for you to start your new life!

[supbanana 153]

630 am, I'm showered and my IV is in. She got it the first try but I bled all over everything.

I'm definitely not in the US anymore, my bloody slippers went straight into the garbage instead of biohazard. That doesn't bother me, but it's just different. Also different, I'm used to quiet US hospitals. The staff here laughed and talked loudly all night and even played music so loud I could clearly hear it through a closed door. Not sure if that's normal, but it made sleeping difficult for both my mom and I. (Edit: somehow this got back to the hospital, and they formally apologized to us. I was embarrassed but the rest of our stay was quiet and peaceful so I think this was an isolated incident.)

Starting to get a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. Getting my stomach removed in a foreign country? What was I thinking?? Definitely having an attack of nerves, but I've got to go through with this. My knees and back are killing me, if I do t do this I'm surely looking at a knee replacement before I'm 40. Can definitely used all the positive vibes you guys have!

[Diana82 14]

You'll be fine. Update after surgery. I'm excited to see your progress. Don't think negatively either. It'll get the best of you!

[supbanana 153]

You'll be fine. Update after surgery. I'm excited to see your progress. Don't think negatively either. It'll get the best of you!

Thank you! I will update. I feel better now, just woke up with a bad case of oh-god-what-am-I-doing-itis lol. My mom is with me and was able to talk to someone that had the surgery yesterday and is doing great today, so that helped calm our nerves.

[*susan* 1,709]

Girl, you are going to do fabulous, and Omar will make sure to that! He is fabulous and keeps me updated on how you are doing as well. I can't wait to follow your progress.

Oh, and yes, you got our name correct, MySurgeryOptions.com.

Sent from my iPad using VST

[supbanana 153]

Oh my goodness, just had kind of a funny moment. A lady came in the room and didn't speak English (note: not a criticism at all, I don't speak Spanish so we're even lol) and I could have sworn she said she was a respiratory therapist. She had me sit in the chair and lean forward then draped a sheet over my back and starting giving me a massage with a wand massager. I was confused for the longest time, "why is she massaging my lungs before listening to them??" But then it occurred to me that she was a *massage* therapist.

I'm totally a puddle of goo right now. Stress? What stress?? This is great.

[supbanana 153]

Girl' date=' you are going to do fabulous, and Omar will make sure to that! He is fabulous and keeps me updated on how you are doing as well. I can't wait to follow your progress.

Oh, and yes, you got our name correct, MySurgeryOptions.com.

Sent from my iPad using VST[/quote']

Thank you Susan, for everything! I wouldn't be here without you. Omar has been great, everyone has. Can't wait to meet Dr. Illan and the rest of the team!

[bigred57 10]

That us great. What part of Mexico are u gAving the surgery?

Why do they want the liver reduced before doing surgey?

My surgery is not until oct/13 and I am a bundle of nerves. Been reading a lot on here and asking questuons.

Keep us informed it is great to read

[supbanana 153]

That us great. What part of Mexico are u gAving the surgery?

Why do they want the liver reduced before doing surgey?

My surgery is not until oct/13 and I am a bundle of nerves. Been reading a lot on here and asking questuons.

Keep us informed it is great to read

I'm in Tijuana at florence Hospital.

From what I understand, an enlarged liver can get in the way during surgery and make the surgery more difficult. Shrinking it as much as possible makes it easier to have clear access to the stomach.

Good luck with your journey! I look forward to hearing about yours and will be updating this thread until I get home safe and sound.

[bigred57 10]

I will be. Going to tiguana to jersulium hospital

Thanks

[bettyboo 18]

supbanana - That not sleeping thing would suck the night before surgery. Anxious to hear how you are. Holding good thoughts for you.