I am 2 days post surgery. I needed to have my uterus out due to cancer running in the family, gigantic fibroids, and ovarian cysts (took those out too). I gave 'birth' cesarean style to a 2.5 kilo diseased uterus.
I knew this surgery was in my future, but I didn't see it as urgent. Just as long as I got it out before it became cancerous.
The state of my uterus said different here. The fibroids were so large that I couldn't have a typical hysterectomy that can be an out-of-office procedure. I had to have my abdomen cut open to get it out. And I had a very suspicious 4 inch long cervical polyp (a bane to my existence for ten years now).
This got me sent to an oncologist to proceed with the surgery. Another complication was that I've had two surgeries previously on my abdomen to remove my large intestine (due to ulcerative colitis). This meant I had 'adhesions' and needed a gastroenterologist present for the surgery.
I had a friend in the USA who's daughter was a doctor who made a much higher salary than the typical doctor. This is because she'd become a 'doctor to the rich'. A specialized doctor who gave VIP service outside of the regular medical system in the USA.
I bring this up because I feel like that's the service I just received in Mexico, but for a fraction of the cost. In fact, the cost was less than what I would have paid in the USA WITH insurance. I had Obamacare, a Silver Plan, and it had been so gutted my out of pocket max was $12,000, and this was despite paying $460/month insurance premiums.
I have no doubt this surgery would have reached my out of pocket max with the 30% I was liable for and other copayments. In Mexico the surgery, hospital stay, anesthesiologist, and gastroenterologist was just under $4,500.
EDIT: It was another $500 to get my pathology results. So make it around $5k overall
But here's the kicker. This was for the VIP private medical care they have in Mexico. Many of the headaches I'd have to deal with in the USA, despite paying the exorbitant price, were not had here. For instance:
1. I didn't have to wait to make my initial appointment with an 'in network' doctor. I just went to the private hospital here and they made an appointment for me. They also did the initial bloodwork and ultrasound that day. No lines, no waiting.
2. I didn't have to fight with insurance to get the surgery covered. I didn't have to delay for weeks while dealing with that headache.
3. I didn't have to fight with appointment bookers to get a date for my surgery. I've had this be nightmarish before in the USA. The red tape and hassle is enormous.
4. I didn't have to worry about out-of-network bullshit costs being added to the bill when I'm half out of it on the operating table and don't know what I'm signing.
And I will say, without a doubt, a better experience is what I got. Consider this: in the USA there seems to always be staffing issues. You have a nurse and nurse assistant assigned to your room, but they'll be the only two people for the entire floor.
And often there are people in much worse shape than you. You don't want to bother them, but when you have no choice, it's a long wait.
I've even had situations where the harried nurse will just come and shut off the button without asking what you needed. This happened to my mom after her hip replacement. They left her in a urine soaked bed and I had to get her out of there.
In Mexico? Staffing isn't a problem in the private medical system. I was beset by what seemed like 10 workers all getting me ready for surgery. Two people at my arm putting in the IV, two more at my legs wrapping them up so I don't get clots, several others explaining things to my mom (my translator) and setting up the room for me.
In Mexico, in the private system, you almost have TOO many workers. They were always fast to come to the room when we needed something as if they wanted something to do.
Also, the doctor came twice a day. In the morning and evening. I feel like in the USA you're lucky to get to seem them once a day. And forget it if it's a weekend.
Everything went so smoothly. I've never had a discharge from a hospital this fast. It's always a nightmare waiting for someone to get out the IV and for the doctor to do your paperwork.
Not so this time. When my mom showed up I was already in the wheelchair ready to go. And there were plenty of staff available to take me down. Like the woman almost argued with the guy to let her do it. Very efficient.
There was no crowding. Only one person to a room, which isn't uncommon in the USA, but there wasn't waiting for a room to open up, or being in a gurney in the hallway since there's just no place to put you (happened to me before). The private medical system in Mexico is not a '12 hours in the ER waiting room' situation.
That's not to say everything was perfect, but the pros outweigh the cons by a mile. I was eager to have the surgery here rather than the USA. I knew it would be a better experience.
Some of the cons:
After the initial appointments I discussed in my previous post, it was off to another private hospital to actually have the surgery. This wasn't the Atlas Hospital I'd started the process with. It was at the Maria Luisa de la Pena Sanatorio, a Catholic hospital.
This hospital was great, and don't mistake my nitpicking as not being happy with the service I received there.
The first issue: no elevator. I had to go upstairs to my room. My mother was with me and had to climb steep stairs. I asked how I was going to get down from there after the surgery. They said they'd take me on a wheelchair.
At the time I thought the wheelchair would be carried down those stairs, but they actually had a ramp at the back parking lot, so all good. But it was annoying for my handicapped mom to have to climb stairs.
I remember in the past and not so distant past getting little welcome kits in the hospital. A pitcher with ice and disposable individually wrapped cups, footies with elastic tread, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and sometimes it's all in a kidney shaped plastic bowl which is great for puking into if you need to.
In Mexico they gave me a roll of toilet paper, a bar of soap, and a large bottle of water. Again, not a big deal.
Next, the call button was on the wall behind my bed. There wasn't a wire going to the bed with a call button. When I mentioned I wouldn't be able to press it, they moved the bed sideways and lifted it up so I could reach it. All good.
The toilet was low and small, and the handicapped rail was also small. There was no emergency call button in the bathroom. Meh. It's fine.
There was dried blood on the hard plastic guardrail of the bed. I had wipes with me so my mom cleaned it. Meh, that's life.
The IV hung on the actual bed on a hook that was attached. This made going to the bathroom a little annoying since I had to carry everything in my arms when I had multiple IVs going. But I liked that the price stickers were right on every IV they gave me. Those prices matched the bill at the end. Kind of cool.
Here's a big annoyance in Mexico: Oxycontin, Codeine, and Fentanyl are all banned here. I love my tramadol, but seriously? I needed something strong after being cut open. I can't have NSAIDS due to bleeding that happens in my false-bowel. I was prescribed fricking tramadol and an NSAID despite telling the doctor I can't have them. 😑 I didn't realize what it was until I looked it up online. Annoying, but I was able to stop before any harm was done.
I feel that getting cut open means getting a pile of good painkillers, y'know? I earned those. But whatever.
They do have sufficient IV painkillers like buprenorphine and I had an epidural in my back. When it finally ran out I was in terrible pain, sweating like crazy. But it's my own fault because I'd wanted to go home a day early and tried not to ask for anything for pain because I knew they'd keep me. I ended up having to stay the prescribed two days. Cest la vie.
Digression:
To be honest, my pain was from weird cramping on my side rather than the incision. I don't know why this surgery was so much easier to recover from than my two colectomy related surgeries. I was able to get up and walk around the next day, and not with hisses of pain and wincing. It hurt, but not terribly.
When I had my colon out they stapled me shut (a horrible thing to do to someone, especially for the rectal wound) and forced me up the day after so I had staples flying out of me and opening up my wound. The epidural fell out and I remember praying for death in the bed because I was in so much pain. I was forced to walk and every step was like a stab to the gut.
My neighbor (bless her) came to drive me home and gasped when she saw me stand up and walk to my shoes like it was nothing. She'd had two cesareans and expected me to be a mess. I was mobile and didn't want to be in the wheelchair. She kept telling my mom how astonished she was.
And I was too. What was different? Yes, they actually used stitches instead of staples, score one point for Mexico, and the cut was not going above the naval. Still...I expected I should be in terrible pain.
I was thinking it's because I'd lost weight since then, but my neighbor is skinny and still had horrendous pain from her cesareans.
The only other thing I can think of is that I have a lot of abdominal muscles. My stomach is hard with them. This is due to 24 years of having to push really hard to go to the bathroom from the colectomy. Removing my rectum meant sewing me up tight. So an abdominal workout every time I go to the bathroom. Which is frequent because I have no colon. So ten minutes after every meal I'm going. Maybe that's why this wasn't a nightmare of pain?
Anyway, this was the first time I was explained how to use the buttons to get the guardrails down on the bed, and to move the bed up and down. Like not sitting up, but actually raising it. I know in the USA they don't want you to know how to unlock the guardrails. In Mexico, personal responsibility is huge and they gave me that option. They treat people like adults here.
There was a couch/bed in the room for my mom (also something you get a lot in the USA) and she slept there with me the first night. I didn't make her go through that the second night. It's scary not to speak the language, but I managed to get by. I'm able to speak a lot of Spanish now and there's always Google translate if I'm desperate. All the workers were fast to take out their phones to translate for me too.
I think I covered everything. I hope this is the last 'necessary' surgery I have in my life, but I'd go for a tummy tuck, lipo, or plastic surgery in the future here no problem. (Of course I'd research the doctors first.)
The private healthcare service in Mexico is worth the trip. Worth the money. And is a much better experience than what you get in the USA.
