"Let me begin by saying that after doing a wealth of research, I chose for my surgeon, Dr. Guillermo Alvarez in Piedras Negras, Mexico. Not only has he done more VSGs than any surgeon I researched in the United States (over 276), out of all of those surgeries, he has a zero leakage rate. rnrnAt nine days post op I am feeling 100% back to normal; I am happy and energetic, all this due to the excellent surgical skills of my new hero, Dr. Alvarez. rnrnFrom Dr. Alvarez's coordinator, Lydia, answering all of my questions post-op (and believe me, I kept that wonderful woman busy), to lovely Rosie meeting us at San Antonio airport, my pre-op experience was smooth going, without any bumps. These two women are warm and friendly and make sure you are comfortable. Lydia with her prompt answers via email and phone, and Rosie with her chatty nature making the ride to San Antonio seem like minutes.rnrnThe hotel where we stayed in San Antonio was lovely. Immaculate, with a complimentary breakfast in the a.m. (which I couldn't have, LOL), a pool to have a relaxing swim, all of the accouterments you would expect at a nice hotel.rnrnThe morning of surgery, Rosie picked us up at the hotel and drove us a few short miles over the border to Mexico. We met Dr. Alvarez in his lovely office and had our pre-op meeting with him. I was weighed, and then we walked right to the hospital which was in an adjoining building. rnrnThe hospital is not a new structure, so be prepared for that, but a cleaner establishment you would be hard pressed to find anywhere in the U.S.A. There is continual cleaning going on and the walls and floors are sparkling. rnrnDr. Alvarez got us settled in our rooms, the nurse came and took blood, and I took a nap since my surgery wasn't scheduled for a few hours. rnrnWhen it was my turn, the nurses rolled me down the hall to the surgery suite, I passed through the famous window and then was prepped. I felt not at all nervous, but if I had, Dr. A. told me I could have a little something to take the edge off. In what seemed like an instant, the nurses were waking me up in recovery, and I was wheeled back to my room.rnrnI began walking within hours of my surgery and I felt really good! The nurses were like clockwork, taking my blood pressure, and giving me meds via my IV. Dr. Alvarez came and checked on me, and all in all I felt so well taken care of! The nurses always seemed to have a smile for me, and I really didn't have any problem communicating with them with my handy \"cheat sheet\" of phrases and words that Lydia emailed me.rnrnFor the next two days, I recovered in the hospital, and the second day after surgery Rosie came and picked us up to take us to San Antonio. What another lovely hotel we had!! I felt so great, that I could hardly believe that I had had surgery two days before! I had no problem boarding the shuttle to the airport the next morning, and was quite comfortable on my flight home. rnrnOnce home, I felt as if I could resume work immediately, but I followed doctor's orders and took it easy for a couple of weeks. I have to let you know, though, I fudged, and did go back to work just one week post-op. I felt that great! rnrnI cannot say enough about the wonderful care I received from everyone, but I especially want to sing the praises of my wonderful bariatric surgeon, Dr. Alvarez. He is a true master of his craft, and I am living proof of that mastery. I was so glad I did my homework and that I found whom I now believe to be the leading bariatric surgeon in the Western Hemisphere. I have the tiniest incisions, am losing weight like crazy, and here I am at nine days post-op feeling like I could do a full gym work-out. Of course, I will follow the doctor's instructions and wait for thirty days before I do that! (LOL) rnrnrnrn rnrnrnrn"
