- Name: Rachel M. Saenz
- Age: 37
- Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
- Surgery date: May 2nd, 2013
- Testimonial date: July 1st, 2013
- Surgeon: Dr. Almanza
My surgery was 2 months ago. I've lost a whopping 43# now, in just 8 short weeks. I was falling apart and my health was atrocious. My cholesterol was over 600, my blood pressure was high, my thyroid was kaput, I have acid re-flux disease and I was diabetic. I couldn't lose weight no matter what diet I tried. I had no willpower. At 37 I was a heart attack waiting to happen. The day after the surgery, I was totally off all my diabetic meds and my blood pressure was back within normal limits. I went from a tight size 20 pants to a loose size 12. My work scrubs were a 3XL, I now wear a Large. I even dropped an entire shoe size! My feet no longer swell after a 12 hour nursing shift at my busy hospital. The doctors were all very gracious, knowledgeable, and professional. I had no complications. I was educated and entirely prepared about every step of the process. The clinic staff were all wonderfully tender, attentive, compassionate, and scrupulously immaculate in their technique. As a nurse, I was actually ashamed of my some of my own practices in comparison to theirs. They never cut any corners when caring for me. I always felt like they cared about my outcome, my pain, and my feelings. I would wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Almanza and his entire staff at Jerusalem Hospital. I have already referred dozens of my friends, family and colleagues for his services. The price is phenomenally affordable for the comprehensive package you get. I never had to worry about a thing while I was there.From the time I was picked up at the airport, til I was dropped back off there, I was never in any danger or afraid. I felt safe at all times. My mother in law is from Mexico, and she insisted on coming with me to protect me. After a few hours of watching the quality of care I was receiving, she left to go shopping and eat with the other patient's chaperon's. My only regret is that I didn't get this surgery years ago! If I could do it again, my only recommendation would be for future patients to go to the pharmacy and buy their own narcotic pain relievers. Dr Almanza only gives toradol for pain. It works OK, but its only a non-narcotic non-steroidal anti inflammatory pain med. It's passable, but I wish I had known they didn't offer morphine dilaudid. I would have stopped at the pharmacy the night before surgery and bought some oral narcotics. Oh well, live and learn, right? I made it all right. Guess I'm just a big baby. Low pain threshold, you know?
