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 just have to share, I've lost 100 pounds!!!

I'm so excited. One of the main reasons I decided to have surgery was that for the life of me I could NOT get under 280.0 pounds from my high weight of 370. I was stalled for over a year and finally I just got fed up and scheduled the surgery.

I almost cried when I stepped on the scale post surgery and finally saw that gorgeous number, 279. My body decided to whip through the 270s in a matter of two weeks. This morning I weighed in at 270.0. That's 100 pounds gone, on the dot. It's only been two weeks but this surgery is already by far the best thing I've ever done for myself and my health. I can't even describe how I feel right now. I've lost 100 pounds. This is unreal.

I just have to share' date=' I've lost 100 pounds!!!

I'm so excited. One of the main reasons I decided to have surgery was that for the life of me I could NOT get under 280.0 pounds from my high weight of 370. I was stalled for over a year and finally I just got fed up and scheduled the surgery.

I almost cried when I stepped on the scale post surgery and finally saw that gorgeous number, 279. My body decided to whip through the 270s in a matter of two weeks. This morning I weighed in at 270.0. That's 100 pounds gone, on the dot. It's only been two weeks but this surgery is already by far the best thing I've ever done for myself and my health. I can't even describe how I feel right now. I've lost 100 pounds. This is unreal.[/quote']

That's amazing! I've never been as happier for anyone than I am for you!

Hello Everyone !

I was sleeved on yesterday by Dr. Garcia! He was wonderful! I hardly had any pain only a little gas pain. Wonderful experience

Thank you Susan. I did not know if it was because of hospital care' date=' 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.[/quote']

Dr. Illan and Omar are absolutely wonderful and they would take excellent care of you!

I love Team Illan/Omar!