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.

I am so happy to hear how well you are doing, we are here if you need us at any time!

This is going to sound like a dumb question, I think, but do you take your CPAP to the hospital when you are in for surgery? I've been using it for about 6 years, and I'm fine with it - my sleep apnea isn't that bad, but, like everyone in my family, I snore very loudly.

I'm back home' date=' down 9 lbs since surgery, first time I've been under 280 since Christmas! Starting to feel like this surgery might actually work for me.

Anyway, there's not too much else to say. That Monday Dr. Illan himself came to the hotel room to check on me and we said our goodbyes. I have nothing but excellent things to say about him, he was an amazing surgeon and kind and pleasant. I found out that when I was having such a rough time coming out of anesthesia, my mom had a little emotional meltdown. Dr. Illan hung out with her and reassured her until she felt better. I would recommend him to absolutely anybody with no hesitation.

Dr. Reyna came to check on me as well shortly after Dr. Illan left. Three doctor's visits in a hotel, of all places, in a single day! I definitely felt well taken care of. The steristrips are still hanging on, I've had absolutely no bruising, no nausea, and only minimal pain at the incision where the stomach was actually removed. I honestly don't feel like I just had surgery at all (the picture they took of my removed stomach is pretty decent proof though, lol)... I feel kind of guilty having a thus-far easy recovery after reading some of the other experiences here, very grateful. I do have to walk around when I drink and kind of bounce a little to 'burp' myself. It reminds me of burping a baby, heh.

Anyway, one of the coolest parts of the trip was Omar taking us to a couple of places to shop! There was a small group of us that went. I'm the kind of person that is more or less afraid of, well, everything, so I'm so glad for the other people that went along. It was so much fun! We got to see the sights in that section of Tijuana (how stinking cute were the donkeys painted like zebras - zonkies) and we even got to practice haggling! I've never done that before and I wasn't very good at it. I know I could have gotten better deals on a couple of items but I still feel like I got a great deal and it was just a fun experience.

I was really struck by the little piece of Tijuana culture that I got to witness. Everything was so bold and vibrant, people were kind but not afraid to try to aggressively sell their goods, it was just so different from the rural, isolated area I live in. I'm going to do a vlog eventually on my experience with Tijuana itself, but one thing I found interesting was the lack of junk food. I mean, it could be found, but it wasn't prevalent like in the US. For instance, at the hospital, my mom was hungry so she went looking for a vending machine and there wasn't one. Our local hospitals have vending machines full of chips, soda and ice cream. Florence Hospital had an organic buffet set out in their cafeteria, which made sense to me. (Note, definitely make sure your guest brings snacks!) On the way out of town, people were in the streets selling food, phone chargers, etc, trying to get a little money out of people leaving the country. I got a delicious glass of fresh squeezed carrot/orange juice for 2 dollars from a guy with a cart in the middle of the road. Even their bags of potato chips were clearly home made instead of Lays or Ruffles. They were making churros by hand, etc. It was mostly real, fresh food with minimal ingredients. I loved it.

Anyway, long story short (too late!) I had an amazing experience and would sincerely recommend Dr. Illan to anyone considering this surgery. It was a wonderful, positive experience that I would repeat again without hesitation. Please feel free to ask any questions.

[/quote']

I really enjoyed you and your mom....my daughter is down 10 pounds!!!!!

I really enjoyed you and your mom....my daughter is down 10 pounds!!!!!

I'm really glad we got to meet you and your daughter, I had so much fun! I'm so happy for her, really. She seemed like a complete sweetheart and I really wish her (and you!) the best.

I'm really glad we got to meet you and your daughter' date=' I had so much fun! I'm so happy for her, really. She seemed like a complete sweetheart and I really wish her (and you!) the best. [/quote']

Thanks she is elated....best wishes!

http://imgur.com/a/ldVZI#0 (Note: potentially NSFW, incision pics are pics of my bare tummy)

^ Some pictures from Tijuana, both the hospital and hotel, and of course some pictures of my incisions!

Between the two week pre-op diet and the two weeks post-surgery I'm down 28 pounds and LOVING the sleeve so, so much.

Also, if any of you want to see the part of my stomach that was removed, well...

http://i.imgur.com/CbipMcy.jpg

http://imgur.com/a/ldVZI#0 (Note: potentially NSFW' date=' incision pics are pics of my bare tummy)

^ Some pictures from Tijuana, both the hospital and hotel, and of course some pictures of my incisions!

Between the two week pre-op diet and the two weeks post-surgery I'm down 28 pounds and LOVING the sleeve so, so much.

Also, if any of you want to see the part of my stomach that was removed, well...

http://i.imgur.com/CbipMcy.jpg[/quote']

Awesome

Thanks for sharing! I'm one week away from going to be sleeved! My emotions are crazy right now.

http://imgur.com/a/ldVZI#0 (Note: potentially NSFW' date=' incision pics are pics of my bare tummy)

^ Some pictures from Tijuana, both the hospital and hotel, and of course some pictures of my incisions!

Between the two week pre-op diet and the two weeks post-surgery I'm down 28 pounds and LOVING the sleeve so, so much.

Also, if any of you want to see the part of my stomach that was removed, well...

http://i.imgur.com/CbipMcy.jpg[/quote']

That's crazy awesome! I'm so happy for you. The stomach is insane! I'm glad you're happy. Did you have the buyer's remise that people are talking about?

The pictures were wonderful. and the hotel looks beautiful I am happy you had a great outcome. I was wondering though why some Drs charge so much more than others. Dr. Illan charges about $4000 less than some others I have found.

The pictures were wonderful. and the hotel looks beautiful I am happy you had a great outcome. I was wondering though why some Drs charge so much more than others. Dr. Illan charges about $4000 less than some others I have found.

Some of the doctors charge more as they have been around a lot longer and are considered pioneers of weight loss surgery, taught many of the other doctors and therefore feel they can command a higher price. However, Dr. Illan is an amazing doctor, as you can tell by some of our patients posts about him, and is every bit as competent and a wonderful surgeon.

Thank you Susan. I did not know if it was because of hospital care, hotel ect or if the Drs were great but just charged less. I have been looking in to surgery in Mexico in case my insurance denies me and was confused at the large price differences. I have read several of the OP posts about Dr. Illan and he sounds good but I think the "you get what you pay for" mentality keeps messing with my thoughts.

Thanks for sharing! I'm one week away from going to be sleeved! My emotions are crazy right now.

Good luck! I hope you love it as much as I do. I'm just... overwhelmed with how happy and relieved I am that I did it and I'm seeing results, finally, after a year of being stalled pre-surgery.

That's crazy awesome! I'm so happy for you. The stomach is insane! I'm glad you're happy. Did you have the buyer's remise that people are talking about?

Nope, not even for a second. Then again, my surgery was flawless and my recovery has been great, no pain, no nausea, nothing. Like I mentioned in a different response, everyday I just wake up overwhelmed with how happy and positive I am for the first time in a LONG time. No regrets whatsoever!

Thank you Susan. I did not know if it was because of hospital care, hotel ect or if the Drs were great but just charged less. I have been looking in to surgery in Mexico in case my insurance denies me and was confused at the large price differences. I have read several of the OP posts about Dr. Illan and he sounds good but I think the "you get what you pay for" mentality keeps messing with my thoughts.

I admit I was wondering the same thing - if this guy is so great, why is he so affordable? I had been saving money for a doc that charges close to $9k, but the great reviews and the low price convinced me to go with Dr. Illan. I'll be honest, he's worth every penny and more. He could easily charge those higher prices. The hospital care was wonderful, the best hospital care I've ever had in my life. Everyone was so kind and attentive, from Omar to the nursing staff to Dr. Reyna to Dr. Illan. Dr. Illan even took time out of his day to hang out with my mom and comfort her when I was coming out of anesthesia; he's a real class act and very competent. I know I sound like an infomercial or something but I honestly have no complaints or regrets and wouldn't change a thing about the entire experience. Even his technique is ideal - he staples, then stitches over the staples and then glues it shut so there's virtually no risk of leaks. I would have no hesitation letting him operate on any of my loved ones.

If you're interested in Dr. Illan, there's a facebook group called 'Team Illan' that might be helpful to you, it's full of people that went with him and they're happy to share their experience.