July 2006
Hi, this is an update for Monika
and Donald Scott. Reversal Date was July 17th 2004. We are pregnant.
I found out on July 4th and I'm due March 12th, 2007. My message to
all the people who have been waiting for their miracle is
"Don't ever give up, just de-stress
and it will happen. The HSG gave me the confidence that my tubes
were open and I was able to get pregnant, so I knew it was just a
matter of time."
Gracias el Dr. Perez. ¡Usted nos ha dado un milagro y seremos por
siempre agradecidos a usted y a su equipo!
In Love and Light,
Monika
July
2004
We left Thursday morning and got to McAllen at 9:30 at night. It's a
very small airport and things are pretty easy to find. We stayed at
the Residence in (wonderfully HUGE and close to the airport for
$89.-/night for a one bedroom apartment type thing with full kitchen
and shuttle service. They drove us around and we got us a Wheelchair
from Principle Medical Supplies cause I wanted to go sight seeing
after the operation with my hubby (and we did). Then we went to
Enterprise and rented us a car from Friday morning till Monday night
with 3 days of Mexican insurance and 3 days of American Insurance
and I paid $178.- total.
Then we took off to South Padre Island and oooooh am I soooo
thankful to the couple of people who told me to go there. It was a
wonderful experience, even if we didn't have a lot of time and if
you're on the way you HAVE to stop at a place on 100 that has two
humango seashells in the front of the building. Now to my first
serious tip.... if you're like me and you don't like taking cash
with you (the money for the operation)... I took a Cashiers check
with me thinking I can cash that anywhere... WRONG!!!! I'm glad we
bank with Wells Fargo too (not who the check was from) and were able
to actually cash it Saturday morning.
So, we went to Rio Bravo Friday night going through Progresso (which
was getting ready to close and actually was kind of scary) and got
lost in Rio Bravo (we didn't bring the map from the Dr. Perez's
site) and drove around for a hour trying to ask locals who didn't
speak English but were pleasantly nice and we got closer and closer
by asking "Hospital de las Americas?" I know how to count and people
tried really hard to make me understand which way to turn. Finally
we did it...lol. I was so glad to see the hospital.
Dr. Levy was in surgery and everyone thought we were going to stay
for the night, so they brought us to the room,. brought us blankets,
pillows, toilet paper (we brought some but didn't need it). The room
was clean and comfortable. I did not get hot the whole time I was
there. They had the air on AND they had a fan in the room. Finally I
walked out of the room and someone introduced me to Dr. Levy who was
still in scrubs. We explained that we wouldn't be able to stay due
to us having to cash the check and he said it was no problem we
would just do the surgery after I came back from the bank. So we
left that night. He was really friendly and understanding, even said
for us to stay and go in the morning, but I wanted to be right there
first thing.
My operation was scheduled for 2 pm. I thought time was never going
to go by, but things went pretty quick. They came to wheel me out
with the wheelchair and I got to meet Dr. Perez in front of the OR
(just a quick.. this is Dr. Perez). My husband was getting his
scrubs on while Dr. Moreno gave me something that made me go to
sleep BEFORE they even started my epidural. I'm glad too, cause I
HATED having my legs numb and not feeling anything down there.
Anyway, I woke up several times during the surgery too out of it to
really notice that my legs were numb and asked how long my tubes
were (almost 7 cm on both sides was the answer) I felt soooo good
and went back under. My husband taped the whole procedure. To tell
the truth... I never saw the cross... was too busy with getting into
a fetal position and watching them giving me the shot that made me
go to sleep. I did notice that the bed I went on was just like the
one I had gall-bladder surgery in the US. The room was cool and
clean. It didn't smell funny, nor did it look weird. Just like a
normal OR I would say. I was on my period and they did accommodate
me very well. It was a little embarrassing to me, but evidentially
they dealt with that more than once.
Anyway, I have one puncture for my epidural. It did hurt a little
while they were pushing to find the right spot before I got knocked
out by the shot, but I guess that's probably just due to my
Fibromyalgia (I have spots on my spine that just normally hurt when
you push on them). I do remember waking up a couple of times, but I
don't remember them wheeling me back into my room. They gave me meds
every 8 hours and I wasn't in much pain at all. I DID NOT get more
of the epidural. It stayed in, but I let the epidural itself run out
or whatever you call it. I asked Dr. Levy if I had to have more of
that and he said no... not if I liked pain... well, I don't like
pain, but I didn't like that icky numb feeling either. And like I
said, I wasn't that much in pain. I think the worst part of surgery
was having the epidural in (as in having numb legs you can't feel)
and having it and the catheter taken out and later having to pee all
the time. The pain in itself isn't all that bad and wasn't all that
bad the whole time. I have had a lot worse pain in my life and
thought it would be a lot worse than it actually was. My tubal
itself was a lot worse than the reversal.
I was up showering and walking the next morning and left the
hospital at 10 am Sunday. I did use the wheelchair quite a bit and
had one at the airport going home too. I probably could've done it
without, but I'm glad I didn't have to. Getting up and sitting down
is still a little sore. I walk a lot better already. I think the
worst pain was getting in and out of bed, up and down from sitting
position and standing bend over (the epidural spot hurt then).
If there's one thing I can tell anyone going in the future is "Bring
a american/spanish translation dictionary. It helped me quite a bit.
I wanted some ice and with the help of my dictionary I got ice. They
try really hard, but if they don't understand, well than they can't
help you. I even got the nurse to try to place a call to my son
after surgery by telling her "Mi telefono mi casa" and gave her the
number in spanish (but it was busy). They were all very friendly and
tried hard. You do have to realize that you ARE in Mexico. Things
are different. People in Texas speak Spanish and English all over,
but once you cross that border, there are not that many people who
speak English, at least not fluently.
I got a picture with Dr. Levy, Dr. Perez, my hubby and me before I
left the hospital. Dr. Perez smiled at me and squeezed my hand
before he walked out of the room again. I ASKED to have that picture
done and I got it. If you want to meet Dr. Perez, ask! He wasn't a
ghost to me. He seems to be EXTREMELY busy though. Dr. Levy bought
us some brunch before I left the hospital. He was going to take my
hubby somewhere the night before, but I think I was "too up" cause
he never did. Donny and I were just in the room watching tv and
stuff.
Before I left the hospital, Dr. Levy asked if we had any questions
and I did ask about the Epidural headache, and he said just to lay
down immediately and stay on your back for 12 hours straight, don't
get up and it should go away on it's own. I didn't have to worry
about it and so it didn't matter to me.
I didn't need a pillow, cause I asked for one in the airplane and I
tightened my seatbelt around the pillow really tight so my belly
wasn't flopping over the incision (if you're not fat you won't have
to do that...lol). Also, when walking if I hold my tummy up I have a
lot easier time walking. Another thing you might wanna bring is some
tape for the bandage they put on you, cause the things they put on
there to hold it together kept coming off and breaking. I ended up
going without bandage starting Monday, even though the nurses said
to keep it on manana (meaning tomorrow which was Monday).
Well, that's my story. I would do it again in a heart-beat, but I
think I might go a little earlier to get a little extra time at
South Padre Island and shopping in Mexico. My lengths are 6 - 7 cm
on both sides. I had 4 clamps in there, not only 2. I guess that doc
wanted to make sure I don't get pregnant anymore.. HA!
Monika Scott
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