Back up plan
If my insurance company doesn't come through, I will be heading to Mexico. What sites and other areas did you research in order to make informed decisions about going to a specific doctor? I want to have my ducks in a row. I'm scared of the internet in some respects. What have you heard about doctors paying people for their testimony. KimM.
I also used this site to gather information on Dr Joya. I was really impressed with what I read and then I contacted a few random members personally for their stories and for more information.
I was really impressed with the hopsital facilities in PV Mexico. I think it was cleaner and better staffed than any other hospital that I have ever been in.
If you want any information on Dr Joya or my journey, just email me and ask away. My brother and I both had our surgeries performed by Dr Joya 2.5 months apart and are both doing great.
Leanne
LAP RNY - Dec 16/05
Dr Joya - PV Mexico
274/247/197/145
I got my infor from this website. I researched RNY in Mexico for 2 years before finally getting the nerve to go through with it. Of course everyone I know tried to talk me out of it, telling me horrible lies about Mexico and their health care system. Just remember one thing, most of these hospitals (for PS and WLS) were built for us, to our standards. You will not be having surgery behind a tortilla factory in an alley! Those are bogus lies (about the quality of care) coming form some very misinformed people!
I chose Dr. Rumbaut based on his references, years of experience, the type of facility he is affiliated with (San Hose Hospital does heart transplants there-they know what they are doing!), and the fact that he could provide me with the procedure I wanted, laprascopic RNY. Believe me I do not get paid for giving a reference, I do it for FREE! Otherwise myt loan for surgery would already be paid off! Ha ha!
I had an excellent experience all around, was treated with dignity, respect and received the best hospital care I ever had. It was worth every penny.
Good luck in your decisions!
God bless!
Bonnie
lap rny 6/3/05
264/167/165
You crack me up. I loved the tortilla factory line. Honestly though, I am scared about going somewhere I don't know about and I don't know what the Mexican equivalent is to our AMA or acrediting organizations. Also, what is the deal about people being paid to testify for a doctor? How do you know you will get honest answers? Kim M.
Kimberly,
I am a registered nurse and work in an intensive care unit. I have a good rapport with the doctors that I work with and consider many of them friends. When I began my journey for wls, I never considered anything other than the US. However, the more I researched the more I realized that I was never going to be able to afford this surgery in the US. Being a nurse and not having access to the health care I needed absolutely infuriated me. I confided in a lot of my friends in the medical field how angry I was and how depressed I was about not having access to the surgery that I believed could change my life and extend my years on this earth. I began going to a wls support group at a local hospital (sponsored by a bariatric surgery program at that hospital, but open to everyone) it was at these meetings that I heard about OH. I looked in five states for a surgeon that I could afford and finally came close to one in Arkansas. It was going to be just under $20,000 (19,500). In my searching, I heard about the surgical option south of the border. I heard about it from several different places. The support group, OH website, American Bariatric Surgeon Associations and internet searches. I began to ellicit references from people by posting questions about specific doctors on the website. I didn't contact any of the people listed as "testimonials" on the doctor's websites. I began to hear from all kinds of people who had been south of the border and three doctors stood out among all the info I received. Dr. Rumbault, who is in Monterrey and is the most expensive of the surgeons I researched, Dr. Joya who is in Puerto Vallarta, and Dr. Aguirre in Ensenada. These three, hands down were loved by their patients. I began looking into the hospitals where they perform surgery and reviewing their credentials. The biggest difference between health care in mexico and health care here is that there is no medical malpractice in mexico. because you can't bring litigation against a doctor for financial reward, there is no medical malpractice insurance.....which is ridiculously expensive. this drives the cost down considerably. Second, nurses in mexico make about 1/2-1/3 of what nurses in the us make and I have to believe it is the same for other health care professionals, creating less overhead. Third, many of these programs get a very high volume of their clients from the US. People like you and me, who are penalized for having an unpopular, still discriminated against physical disease process. People like you and I who have some access to some money, but not the small fortune that american surgeons (and more specifically the hospitals they work for ) demand. People like us are in the US expected to offset the money lost by medicare and medicaid patients and the smaller reimbursement they get from negotiated insurance contracts. In mexico, you are a cash paying client in what is a very lucrative business for the doctor and hospital. Because catering to these cash paying US clients is such good business, I am told that we are taken VERY good care of. Much better care, in fact than you will get in the US (from a customer service standpoint). I have developed a relationship/friendship with a nurse from Texas who went to Mexico to have this surgery (Lap RNY) this past fall and I think I have enough rapport with her to trust anything she tells me. she was up front about one staff member of the team she worked with who could have done a better job, but she also really liked the doctor and his team and felt she got top notch care. She is even considering going down for a reunion with other former patients. I am not a member of the "my doctor is the best" club. There are many qualified physicians all over the globe. There are many that are dangerous and some that are just asses. I truly believe that I have found one that I trust with my life. I have chosen Dr. Joya in Puerto Vallarta only because he was a little cheaper than Rumbault and the thought of recovering on the beach sounded wonderful. I was very impressed with the credentials of all three doctors that I mentioned and would trust any of them with my life. My surgery is scheduled for March 14 and I am very excited. I have my plane tickets, my reservations and two friends going with me (both of whom are critical care nurses also). Through this website, I have found two others that will be there when I am there and a possibly a third. One of the girls going is a nursing student from Texas whose hispanic husband is going with her, another owns a pet grooming business in Phoenix and her husband is going with her. The third possible is a girl whose brother is a RN and is a pre-med student. It's a big leap of faith, and it took me months to finally feel good about it. Now, I am totally psyched up and VERY excited. My surgical package, including my airfare and hotel, all medical expenses and transportation to and from the airport is $12,500. I had to pay extra for my friends tickets and for a room upgrade to accomodate three people instead of two....but all that included and spending money is about five grand less than the cheapest doctor I could find in Arkansas. The doctors I was looking into in Missouri and Arkansas had performed around 300-350 lap RNY procedures. Dr. Joya has performed over 500 and has done over 1000 lap band procedures. Lap banding by the way is considerably cheaper with dr. joya, I think around 10,500.
Only you know what is right for you, and I really know how you feel. Initially, this was a "last resort" because I couldn't afford it anywhere else, now I truly believe that even if another 7 grand fell out of the sky and I could have it done in the states, I'm not sure that I would. US healthcare is a sinking ship, I know, I work in it. The nurses are too overworked and short staffed to go that extra mile for their patients and to provide great customer service. I really believe in my heart that this is going to be a great experience for me. If you'd like to join us in March, we'd be glad to have you there with us! If you need more time or just need someone to talk to, let me know. I've been where you are.
Victoria Kelsay
Missouri
Hey Girl!!
Wow, its all coming together!! I am so excited for you. Your post was awsome. I got to put a sign on my computer...your dates. You don't mind me calling ya? Not that your not going to have plenty of friends there to talk too!!! hehehe!
I emailed Dr. Joya....said...dude, is your profile updated? The talk is you have only done 200 RNY's...and I know by now....you have done more. He always, gets little hurried, and sends me messages too...that is meant for Nathalie...LOL In spanish no less, but I could tell, he was getting her right on profile to do some updating.
So how is last minute things going? Keep in touch, try to email before you leave...YOU hard working...gettting OT and bonus pay woman!
Hugs,
Sandy
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