My Experience with Surgery in Mexico

(Sorry guys, this may be TMI for some... So, if you can't handle "female health talk" then maybe skip this one)

When we moved here from the States my US Dr. told me that my last pap smear was abnormal but not to worry about it, she'd see me in a year... Personally, that didn't sit well with me. So, when we got to Mexico, I went to establish a Dr. here and have another exam. The exams here are much more thorough as they also give you an ultrasound of your uterus, which I had never had in my entire life. On top of this, I told my Dr. in the US that my mother had had a growth in her uterus that caused her discomfort and weight gain and had to have it removed - it was the size of a grapefruit. Since I seem to follow my mom in many health related issues, I asked they check. They did not... yet I had that abnormal pap... You'd think maybe she would have investigated further.

I told my Dr. in Mexico the exact same thing when she gave me the pap exam. Guess what, I did in fact have a growth on my left ovary, a teratoma tumor. (I'll let you google that one, they look kinda gross.) It was around the size of a walnut (4cm), so me, with my weird sense of humor, named him Wally. The Dr. explained that these types of tumors will grow and are typically benign but can cause a lot of pain as they could make your ovary twist. It was recommended I have it removed. Surgery was suggested and I was given a few options. (1. Laparoscopic surgery to just remove the tumor and leave everything in tact. (less recovery time and just involved one day in hospital for pain management) (2. Cutting me open to remove it (lengthy recovery and more days in hospital). 

I opted for laparoscopic in hopes to only remove the tumor and keep the ovary. I didn't want to remove something just to remove it. Before we scheduled anything, my Dr. had me see another Dr. to review it and suggested he do the surgery as she prefers to delivery babies. I met with this new Dr. and we discussed surgery dates. We do have Mexico health insurance and since this was a new condition they approved it to be covered 100%. (Our US insurance would have only covered 75%).

I went through several tests: Chest X-Rays, EKG, more ultra sounds, blood tests, etc. The surgery was scheduled for April 17th but we had to move it due to the scope having to be repaired. It was suggested the surgery move to Cancun but since Keith & I had a wedding to attend on the 25th I asked we just wait till after the wedding so we could enjoy it. He agreed.

On April 27th at 7am I checked in at the hospital and they prepped me for surgery. They gave me a nice little room with a view of Hwy 307. I was fitted with compression stockings and a gown. After two attempts, they finally got my IV in. I was moved to another bed so they could roll me to surgery, I kissed Keith and that is the last thing I remember. 

I woke up 5 hours later and was rolled back into my room. The Dr. said everything went great but he did have to take the ovary. (From what I have been told, life with one ovary won't be any different from life with two. I don't plan to have children but from what I have read, you still can with just one but it could bring some potential risks.) Keith was waiting for me in my room. I was sore and very tired. 

I was given 3 small meals while there. I threw up one of them (an apple, if you were wondering - that's a whole other story). The nursing staff didn't seem to be consistent at all and I had to call them 4 times as my IV ran out many times and started sucking blood up into the tube - that freaked me out and made me paranoid to sleep. I was so scared of that stupid IV... I can't say the overnight stay made me feel comfortable as I never knew what was happening. Every time I got a new IV bag I asked what it was and when they would be back. The Dr. did visit me twice and he told me they were going to take the IV out but they didn't do that till the next day, so not sure what happened there.

My only experience with surgery was when I was 12. I remember nurses coming every 30 minutes to check on me and it was always the same one for many hours and she/he had introduced themselves to me. Plus their name was on a little board with info about me and what they were doing for their checks. This wasn't the case so it left me feeling a bit confused.  

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a horrible experience but I was nervous. Not speaking Spanish didn't help as the staff wasn't as fluent in English as my Dr's were (and that damn IV had me freaked). I am in Mexico though and can't expect English to be spoken, it's just a plus. All in all, having my surgery in Mexico was much more cost effective. I think all in we spent around $6,500 and should be refunded 100% minus our $500 deductible. Oh and to top it all off, I got a local discount from the hospital. US hospitals don't do that!!

If you have questions about any of this or want more details, just ask.