VSG with Almanza in Feb
Has anyone had the VSG with Almanza recently?
How was the overall experience?
What is the border like?
Is it better to fly in the day of surgery or the day before?
When you were there, did you do the free dental exam?
Sorry for the questionnaire, just really nervous and excited :) Your feedback is appreciated
How was the overall experience?
What is the border like?
Is it better to fly in the day of surgery or the day before?
When you were there, did you do the free dental exam?
Sorry for the questionnaire, just really nervous and excited :) Your feedback is appreciated
I'm scheduled for 01/24/2011!!!!!!!!!!!! If you look up a member by the name of jenni08 she just came from there and she documented her experience and took pics. Also if you go to www.tamboo.tumblr.com she documented her experience also.
Victoria
Victoria
I will try to be as detailed as possible. There were a few things that I wasn't happy about, but mostly ticky things and nothing that made me regret my choice. My husband and I flew in the night before and spent the night at the Hampton Inn as suggested. The staff there were wonderful and the room was clean and comfortable. Louise called me that day to tell me good luck and to tell me that the driver (Tony) would pick us up at 8am instead of 7am the next morning. She reminded me to call her when I got to the airport where we were supposed to meet Tony. The hotel would only do the shuttle on the hour, so we took the 7am shuttle and I called Louise to let her know that we were there. She called the driver to let him know that we were there. She called me back and said that... [Click here for more] he would be there to pick us up in 15 minutes or so. It was kind of cold and rainy so we eventually went back inside. I called her back at 8; after she spoke to him she told me that he was delayed @ the border and would be there in 5 minutes. I called her back 20 minutes later and left her a voice mail. He eventually came just after 8:30 am. She called him right after we got in the van and he said (very irritated) Louise! I have the patient! She called me and I verified that I was in the van. He never once apologized for the delay. I asked him if traffic was bad and he said "Yes. Traffic is bad". For the record he spoke English very well. The whole time that we were there, I just felt that he didn't like us. Both my husband and I attempted to make conversation regarding the local culture or basically anything. He would answer one word, very curt. It wasn't that he wasn't talkative because there was a Mexican woman in the van on the way to the radiology clinic and they spoke the whole way there and back. I guess that he just didn't like us. Everyone else that we encountered was very nice, polite and friendly. I speak a little Spanish and they seemed to appreciate my efforts to at least try to communicate. The first stop we made was to have labwork, which was uneventful. The only odd thing was that the lab tech did not wear gloves. This is more to protect her than me and since I am in the medical field and know that even in the states there are people that prefer to draw bloodwork without gloves, I didn't make a big deal about it. After that we left and drove to the clinic. I was very surprised when we pulled in to a strip mall and stopped. I was not prepared for this. (As much as Louise was an awesome patient rep, I think that she should have told me this). We went right in. I filled out some paperwork (just like I would in the states) and after a short wait went back for my meeting with the cardiologist. He did an EKG and showed me the results were normal and cleared me for surgery. We went upstairs and met with another man who talked to me some more about what to expect and then the nurse Lupita (sweet sweet girl)gave me a gown to change in to. Amazingly the gown fit!!! In the states they are always too small. Lupita wrapped my legs and then came the fun of my IV. I was very dehydrated and she wanted to insist on putting the IV in my hand. Even when I am well hydrated this just doesn't work on me. I was patient and just kind of gritted my teeth. After she dug around in my hand for a few minutes I convinced her that my arm would be better and she got it with no trouble there. This was not a Mexico or Lupita thing, they do the same thing to me here in the USA. Dr. Alamnza came in and spoke to me for a few minutes, some throug an interpreter, and after a few minutes we walked downstairs and to the Operating room. I climbed up on the table ( in the states it would have been wheeled there on a gurney, but this was not a big deal). They made me comfortable. I started to cry a bit because I got scared. The nurses were all very nice and comforting. They gave me something in my IV and I was out. I woke up with the rigors (uncontrollable shaking) but not nausea or vomiting. I almost always wake up from surgery with the Rigors so this was par for the course. They kept me comfortable with blankets and pain medication. The worst part of the whole experience was the blue dye and the contrast that is used to do the leak tests and since that was to make sure my stomach wasn't leaking, I have no complaints. They checked on me several times just like they would in the states, making sure my vitals were fine. On Monday after I passed the blue liquid leak test we went to radiology and after that went well, we went to the hospitality house. As soon as I got there they offered me broth, yogurt and orange juice. I was really confused because the paperwork I had from them said only clear liquids at first but Elsie assured me that it was fine. The TV's had horrible reception, but probably because it was satellite and it was raining. The only complaint I had was it wasn't as clean fealing as the clinic. Our room had two single beds and one did not have sheets. I asked for some and the ones they gave me were stained with someone's blood. Ick. My sweet husband gave me the bed with sheets and slept on top of the other bed. We left for San Diego the next morning. I am doing very well post operatively. I am very confused as to what I can eat and how much. I find a lot of conflicting information, even within the same paperwork. One thing they gave me said my stomach can only hold 2 oz now and one thing says 4-6 oz. I guess that I will just be comfortable. :) I have had no nausea or vomiting. Nothing goes down with difficulty yet. I am still on mostly liquids though.
I did not do the dental exam. I was spending enough money as it was. :)
I flew the day before surgery and felt a lot less rushed and worried that I was going to have flight delays and miss my surgery. That's just me though.
I also gave myself one extra day at the other end. I was ready to get out of Tijuana so they took me back across the border early in the morning.
The border was a long wait coming in to and pretty quick coming out of Tijuana. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
I did not do the dental exam. I was spending enough money as it was. :)
I flew the day before surgery and felt a lot less rushed and worried that I was going to have flight delays and miss my surgery. That's just me though.
I also gave myself one extra day at the other end. I was ready to get out of Tijuana so they took me back across the border early in the morning.
The border was a long wait coming in to and pretty quick coming out of Tijuana. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
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