My WLS journey with Alighterme/Dr.Lopez/Mexico the Real Deal

[skinny2be 109]

Ok so here we go... ( sleeve date 5/22/13)I am going to post this on both forums that I belong to so all can see. My journey started months ago when my friend brought up getting WLS done in Mexico. I thought she was crazy!!! So I decided it would be my job to set out and do the research to prove why she should absolutley not do this.

The more research I did the more my piece of humble pie grew. I spent countless hours researching and researching and researching... I found nothing wrong with Mexico. I actually decided it was safe enough that I would go also and have it done.

So now the research shifted to what surgeon would we choose. I looked at all the surgeons that I could find that operated out of TJ. My friend and I both made calls and heard different stories from different patient coordinators. I was simply amazed at what a difference there was between the coordinators, Some are definately not nearly as professional as others. What a turn off!! Then I came across Alighterme. I initially spoke with their coordinator Ronda who got me very interested. While in conversation with her I found out that their other coordinator Janese had the sleeve done. I decided I wanted to speak with Janese to hear her personal experiences with it. So after filling out my health questionare Janese gave me a call. She was very personable and professional. She also made me feel very comfortable and never seemed bothered by my numerous numerous questions. I also had researched all over the message boards for info. on this team.

After many phone calls and questions later my friend and I decided that this team was the team to go with. Janese emailed me all the info and phone numbers that I needed for our surgery, pre op , contacts in Mexico.

So now the date had been set and tickets had been bought, the waiting game begins. As time approached new questions came to mind and it seemed that Janese was just a phone call away. Always happy to answer questions and give me her time. That really meant alot and was very reassuring.

Ok let me skip forward a few weeks.. The dreaded pre op diet.. arrrrggghhh lol lol we all have to do it no matter what surgeon you have.... lol enough said

So May 22nd is here and it is time to fly out to San Diego!!! The flight was long but we were traveling from Virginia. So we get to te San Diego airport and call our contact person Abraham to let him know that we were there. We let him know where we were at in the airport and he said the driver Ricardo would be there in just a few minutes. A few minutes later our driver came to bring us to the hospital In Mexico. Also in the van were 2 other girls that were getting their surgery with Dr.Lopez.

So we get to the MiHospital in Mexico and I was completely impressed by the hospital, the nursing staff, and the Alighterme team who was there waiting for us. Eduardo, Abraham and Ricardo were all top notch!!! They were very friendly, informative and professional. I was feeling great at this point that we made the right descision. Everything was explained on great lengths about what each step was leading up to surgery. I appreciated that so very very much!!! So after we all got situated in our hospital rooms the different people that would be involved with our surgery made there way to our room to explain everything that was to go on and introduce themselves. How great it was to meet our Surgeons Dr.Lopez and Dr. Ortiz. They were very nice and have great bed side manners. Janese our coordinator had even decided to make a trip to Mexico that week so I got to meet her in person. What a nice person she is.. They even noticed that I was a little nervous and offered to give me something to calm my nerves. Of course I thought it was a great idea..lol lol They answered all my questions and I was set and ready to go. My Iv was put in and I waited my turn.

So I drink my nerve calming elixir.. lol and all was great..A little drooling on myself, just kidding, no drooling.. Next thing I know I am out of surgery and recovery and back in my room. I was a little sore in the belly but nothing I couldn't stand. I tried to get up and walk as much as I could by recommendation of the hospital staff. I had alot of gas in my chest area so the walking really helped.

Our main nurse Sam was very nice and helpful. She came and checked on us numerous times throughout the day and got us whatever we needed. Our other nurses were also helpful. I had a few problems with my Iv but nothing out of the ordinary.We then had 2 different leak tests. We were there for 2 days and then off to the Marriot.

Abraham picked us up from the hospital and on our way to the hotel stopped and let all of us get ice cream. Oh My was it wonderful!!!! it tasted so good.. especially after not eating from the days before.. lol

The hotel was beautiful and the staff was very friendly. We got checked in and went to our room. It also was beautiful. Later that day Eduardo came to our room with a goodie bag from Alighterme with our pain killers, antibiotics, lab work, etc. He explained everything in the bag and when to take our medicines. He let us know what to do if we needed to get in touch with him or our surgeon. He let us know that Dr.Ortiz would be by on Saturday evening to remove our drain tube and talk about some after surgery care.

The next day Abraham came to the hotel to take all of us shopping. What a good time we had and the shops that we went to had beautiful jewelry and numerous other souveneirs.

The next day we did some venturing out on our own and walked to the Walmart. Its less then 10 minutes away by foot. We had a good time in there just looking at the different things compared to the US. All total we got to go shopping 2 times, and Abraham & Ricardo took us out for dinner on one of our trips. It was alot of fun to visit with the other patients on our outings

Saturday evening Dr.Ortiz came by and removed our drain tubes and talked to us and answered our questions. All was good and I was so glad to get the drain out. You feel much better when its out.

So our last day is here and time to fly home. Abraham & Ricardo came to pick us up and bring us to the airport in San Diego. All went as planned.

So to sum things up about my experience with Mexico and Alighterme.... I Loved it!!! I wouldn't change anything about my trip or surgery at all. The ENTIRE STAFF of this company is TOP NOTCH!!!! I would recommend them to anyone thinking of WLS. Mexico was fine. I had no worries at all while I was there. I would do it again 10 times over... I was just that impressed. So save your self some money and go to the REAL professionals at Alighterme... If anyone has any questions about my experience and journey please feel free to contact me. I am happy to answer any questions at all. I hope this was helpful to anyone having a hard time making a choice.

[skinny2be 109]

Ok so here we go... ( sleeve date 5/22/13)I am going to post this on both forums that I belong to so all can see. My journey started months ago when my friend brought up getting WLS done in Mexico. I thought she was crazy!!! So I decided it would be my job to set out and do the research to prove why she should absolutley not do this.

The more research I did the more my piece of humble pie grew. I spent countless hours researching and researching and researching... I found nothing wrong with Mexico. I actually decided it was safe enough that I would go also and have it done.

So now the research shifted to what surgeon would we choose. I looked at all the surgeons that I could find that operated out of TJ. My friend and I both made calls and heard different stories from different patient coordinators. I was simply amazed at what a difference there was between the coordinators, Some are definately not nearly as professional as others. What a turn off!! Then I came across Alighterme. I initially spoke with their coordinator Ronda who got me very interested. While in conversation with her I found out that their other coordinator Janese had the sleeve done. I decided I wanted to speak with Janese to hear her personal experiences with it. So after filling out my health questionare Janese gave me a call. She was very personable and professional. She also made me feel very comfortable and never seemed bothered by my numerous numerous questions. I also had researched all over the message boards for info. on this team.

After many phone calls and questions later my friend and I decided that this team was the team to go with. Janese emailed me all the info and phone numbers that I needed for our surgery, pre op , contacts in Mexico.

So now the date had been set and tickets had been bought, the waiting game begins. As time approached new questions came to mind and it seemed that Janese was just a phone call away. Always happy to answer questions and give me her time. That really meant alot and was very reassuring.

Ok let me skip forward a few weeks.. The dreaded pre op diet.. arrrrggghhh lol lol we all have to do it no matter what surgeon you have.... lol enough said

So May 22nd is here and it is time to fly out to San Diego!!! The flight was long but we were traveling from Virginia. So we get to te San Diego airport and call our contact person Abraham to let him know that we were there. We let him know where we were at in the airport and he said the driver Ricardo would be there in just a few minutes. A few minutes later our driver came to bring us to the hospital In Mexico. Also in the van were 2 other girls that were getting their surgery with Dr.Lopez.

So we get to the MiHospital in Mexico and I was completely impressed by the hospital, the nursing staff, and the Alighterme team who was there waiting for us. Eduardo, Abraham and Ricardo were all top notch!!! They were very friendly, informative and professional. I was feeling great at this point that we made the right descision. Everything was explained on great lengths about what each step was leading up to surgery. I appreciated that so very very much!!! So after we all got situated in our hospital rooms the different people that would be involved with our surgery made there way to our room to explain everything that was to go on and introduce themselves. How great it was to meet our Surgeons Dr.Lopez and Dr. Ortiz. They were very nice and have great bed side manners. Janese our coordinator had even decided to make a trip to Mexico that week so I got to meet her in person. What a nice person she is.. They even noticed that I was a little nervous and offered to give me something to calm my nerves. Of course I thought it was a great idea..lol lol They answered all my questions and I was set and ready to go. My Iv was put in and I waited my turn.

So I drink my nerve calming elixir.. lol and all was great..A little drooling on myself, just kidding, no drooling.. Next thing I know I am out of surgery and recovery and back in my room. I was a little sore in the belly but nothing I couldn't stand. I tried to get up and walk as much as I could by recommendation of the hospital staff. I had alot of gas in my chest area so the walking really helped.

Our main nurse Sam was very nice and helpful. She came and checked on us numerous times throughout the day and got us whatever we needed. Our other nurses were also helpful. I had a few problems with my Iv but nothing out of the ordinary.We then had 2 different leak tests. We were there for 2 days and then off to the Marriot.

Abraham picked us up from the hospital and on our way to the hotel stopped and let all of us get ice cream. Oh My was it wonderful!!!! it tasted so good.. especially after not eating from the days before.. lol

The hotel was beautiful and the staff was very friendly. We got checked in and went to our room. It also was beautiful. Later that day Eduardo came to our room with a goodie bag from Alighterme with our pain killers, antibiotics, lab work, etc. He explained everything in the bag and when to take our medicines. He let us know what to do if we needed to get in touch with him or our surgeon. He let us know that Dr.Ortiz would be by on Saturday evening to remove our drain tube and talk about some after surgery care.

The next day Abraham came to the hotel to take all of us shopping. What a good time we had and the shops that we went to had beautiful jewelry and numerous other souveneirs.

The next day we did some venturing out on our own and walked to the Walmart. Its less then 10 minutes away by foot. We had a good time in there just looking at the different things compared to the US. All total we got to go shopping 2 times, and Abraham & Ricardo took us out for dinner on one of our trips. It was alot of fun to visit with the other patients on our outings

Saturday evening Dr.Ortiz came by and removed our drain tubes and talked to us and answered our questions. All was good and I was so glad to get the drain out. You feel much better when its out.

So our last day is here and time to fly home. Abraham & Ricardo came to pick us up and bring us to the airport in San Diego. All went as planned.

So to sum things up about my experience with Mexico and Alighterme.... I Loved it!!! I wouldn't change anything about my trip or surgery at all. The ENTIRE STAFF of this company is TOP NOTCH!!!! I would recommend them to anyone thinking of WLS. Mexico was fine. I had no worries at all while I was there. I would do it again 10 times over... I was just that impressed. So save your self some money and go to the REAL professionals at Alighterme... If anyone has any questions about my experience and journey please feel free to contact me. I am happy to answer any questions at all. I hope this was helpful to anyone having a hard time making a choice.

[******** 397]

Why does it seem that everyone with this Dr and other drs in Mexico write long entries about their journey...I have never seen one for an American dr.. not a criticism just an observation because all of them seem so similar it makes me feel like you were told to write this. Once again this is just an observation.

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,146]

Hooray for you. I'm happy things went well.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

Maybe because patients going to MX research individual drs for a long time before choosing a specific dr. Reading others experience on a particular dr is very informing. I don't know why more US patients don't seek out others who have used their dr. When I researched WA drs it was hard to find very many patients willing to share their experience. For the WA drs I researched I found more journaling on complications vs acceptable experience. Not to say there aren't great experience out there.. Just didnt find enough on particular drs so that I could talk to person to person with them.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

Is this a double post.. And if so, why?

[skinny2be 109]

If I it double posted it was by accident..

[skinny2be 109]

To Janice. In my opinion..The entries about Mexico are long because it is a big decision not only to have WLS but to have it done outside the states is even bigger. A lot of people think that going to places like Tijuana that the hospital, the surgeon, staff, etc. will be substandard.

In my post I was trying to be as informative as I could be about the entire trip so that people who are considering it feel a little more at ease. When I was doing my research I wish I found more posts that gave the entire story. It would have been very helpful.

I'm not sure about anyone else, but nobody asked me to write this. I wanted to do it to help others make an informed decision. Spending $4650 for Mexico versus $10,000 plus in the states is a big deal. I hope this answered your question/ observation. If you have any others please feel free to contact me.

[skinny2be 109]

To Amanda.. thank you so much!! I am already down by 24 pounds!!!!!

[lala2012 13]

I went with Dr Lopez and a lighter me in May also. I had the exact same experience. The hospital staff was great. My BP was also a little high so right before surgery they gave me a little cup of Meds for anxiety, then before I knew it I was awake in recovery. Our driver was Abraham and he was wonderful. My husband traveled with me and Abraham drove him to restaurants to get something to eat and also took him to the winery in TJ before we left. I didn't have any complications and my recovery has been very easy. My coordinator was Janese and she is very easy to work with. The day of surgery I had a problem with my payment going thru and I was freaked out because I had just arrived in San Diego. I just kept thinking that after all my waiting I was going to have to fly home without the surgery, but Janese just reassured me that there were no worries. Of course I would still have my surgery and we would make sure the payment was fine once I was at the hotel. I have doctors here in the states that will not see me until I've paid my 100 copay first. I wanted to cry because of the kindness I received from Janese and everyone else. I definitely recommend them to anyone I talk to about WLS.

This was just such a better experience than I've had with any doctor in the states. The care was phenomenal.

[AmandaRaeLeo 2,146]

Why does it seem that everyone with this Dr and other drs in Mexico write long entries about their journey...I have never seen one for an American dr.. not a criticism just an observation because all of them seem so similar it makes me feel like you were told to write this. Once again this is just an observation.

Not to be redundant but I agree with the other responses. I chose Mexico too, Dr. Aceves, and of course his team and coordinators would sing his praises. I wanted to hear the play by play from patients. The good and the not so good if it applied. Reading those experiences was helpful and comforting. When I had my surgery in March I made sure to pay it forward and share the deets hopefully to comfort and reassure those who needed it like I did once upon a time.

I've received do much positive and grateful feedback from ppl who read my experience. It is very rewarding.

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

Why does it seem that everyone with this Dr and other drs in Mexico write long entries about their journey...I have never seen one for an American dr.. not a criticism just an observation because all of them seem so similar it makes me feel like you were told to write this. Once again this is just an observation.

Pffft.. I recounted my experience several times on these boards. I've had people PM me with questions.. I've even had people call me on the phone to discuss my experience/doctor. When you're traveling outside the country for treatment, you want to read about every experience with that doctor you can get your hands on. I know I did.. So after I had my treatment, I paid if forward and recounted every detail of my experience. Choosing a doctor in MEXICO is not the same thing as choosing a the doctor in your city who accepts your insurance... heck when I had my galbladder removed, I didn't check into that surgeon at all. I just laid on the table and let him operate.

As to why the entries are so long.. perhaps that is because the Mexico sleeve journey is a bit more complicated than just driving to the hospital. There's border crossing, fear of the unknown as far as neighborhoods, language barriers, dealing with the hotel, dealing with coordinators, etc..

[NtvTxn 1,262]

Why does it seem that everyone with this Dr and other drs in Mexico write long entries about their journey...I have never seen one for an American dr.. not a criticism just an observation because all of them seem so similar it makes me feel like you were told to write this. Once again this is just an observation.

Different doctors from Mexico have different scripts, but basically, they're all the same. Butterflies and rainbows from start to finish!

[skinny2be 109]

I'm not a doctor and this is no script. Thank you.

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

Different doctors from Mexico have different scripts, but basically, they're all the same. Butterflies and rainbows from start to finish!

Well, if my doctor had shown up with a rusty saw and I was kidnapped by a Mexican drug lord, I'd have put that in my review.. but my yeah experience was pretty much butterflies and rainbows. Unsubscribing from this thread too now.