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dottiejane

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Posts posted by dottiejane

  1. On 11/8/2023 at 7:08 PM, NEWMtnMama said:

    I strongly suggest you report this to Dr Garcia.

    Because I have a pacemaker, I was told by the folks at Quality care that I would  need to have the technician from Medtronic s  - the maker of mine - come from GDL to disconnect the computer in the pacemaker before the MRI and then have them reconnect it afterwards.  Luckily, i haven't needed an MRI as yet but i iwas glad to know that.  I have to admit I do miss the US when these things come up.  I knew how to work Medicare and Med advantage and the big hospital that did installed the pacemakeer  was just across the park with all the specilastis I needed on staff right  there.  So far I have not had a major illness but admit I rather a dread the experience if I do - i have a friend who was in the hospital in gdl for two weeks with diverticulitis  - the bill was 17,000 US which she had to pay before they would let her leave.  Luckily, she had it but it was not all in one place so she had to sell stock etc I have heard other horror stories about hospital costs - one person told me san antonio is 2300 us a night - can't imagine that is true but who knows.  A  lot of people I know are heading back to the states permanently because of the cost of medical care health issues    - - I would be in big financial distress if I had huge medical costs as are a lot of folks I know  dottie jane

  2. On 10/21/2021 at 8:05 AM, Lexy said:

    Tingaling--Thanks for the posive and useful info. But why not name the less-than-good place? Otherwise it's just a bad story and not helpful to anyone if it leaves us guessing.

    I hope your husband is much better.

    Lexy

    it can be very tricky to denounce a doctor or hospital in print in Mexico.  I have  only been here for 18 months and when I needed a CT scan due to a fall went to Riberas and was as happy as one can be with a CT scan.  Ajijic is a small town and bad news spreads fast and wide usually among disgruntled expats.  I had a very bad experience with one of the doctors at Dermika and went directly to the head doctor with my complaint rather than spreading the news publicly.  I have heard it said that you can get into legal trouble either complaining about or firing your cleaning lady so I would not want to take a chance of putting in writing about bad care at a hospital or individual doctor.  Emergencies require instant care and it is hard to sit and ponder where one should go.  I went twice to Riberas for a CT scan - before i got a cane, i fell a lot - i was seen immeditely both times but did have to hand over my visa before I saw the doctor -I think one should ask around before an emergency strikes , so you know what hospital is best if and when one occurs  dottie jane

  3. On 11/3/2023 at 7:53 PM, Sea said:

    Dra. Martha Ballesteros Franco. 333 408 0951 Speaks English. She's on WhatsApp also.

    She comes to Lakeside on Thursdays for office calls. Dra Martha is an excellent caring doctor.

    she is not coming to lcs anymore - you have to phone her and make an appt elsewhere

  4. re bmh post.  I am glad you got a second opinion re the pacemaker and found it wasn't needed.  Alas , in the end, I did. have to have one.    I had a series of "spells" in Portland for a couple of years and since there is no heart trouble in the family - but let's not talk ab out cancer - I simply ignored it. until when hiking  I couldn't even make it up the slightest hill without nearly passing out.   I had been leader of the pack for years until suddenly I was lagging behind.    The leader of the hike, whose husband had afib, said you had best see a doctor.     Finally, I had to see the electrophysisit in Portland and yes, I needed a pacemaker which I really didn't believe I needed.  However, giving in, I showed up in the outpatient surgery department and got all prepared to go in and have  the pacemaker installed but then decided I wasn't going to go through with it.  When my doc came out I told him he would have the next hour or so off since I was going home.    Luckily, he knew me well enough to know I was a bit looney so gave me his blessing and off I went.

    The next year found me in the ER every three months getting the shock treatments which did indeed get my heart back to normal but after a year of this and getting more and more dizzy and passing out one day( luckily at home,) I finally had to give in.  By this time, I had changed from Kaiser to Legacy so in a sense I did have a second opinion since doctor #2 completely agreed with doctor #1.  I have been super good since although the lump the pacemaker makes is not the most glamerous thing about me - but then I am REALLY old.  

    I agree totally about second opinions and a third if you are still not comfortable with the first two.  If interested, a very good book to read is called How Doctors Think by Jerome Goodman .(?)   He is a Harvard Med center surgeon and wrote of his experience getting a diagnosis for a bad hand.  After seeing the best hand doctors in the Harvard Medical community, it took a young resident to find out what was wrong.  

     

     

  5. I have been here for exactly 6 months and it has been a very expensive (for me) and stressful one.  I thought I did the necessary research before coming down but did not consider as I should have, the possibility of a serious illness and what it would cost.  I will not go into details but quite obviously since I don[t have  medicare or  medicare advantage which I had in the states.  the cost of paying for many blood tests, doctor visits and a Pet Scan for $1400 US set me back far more than it would have in the states.  The symptoms started appearing barely a month after arriving and  knowing very few people, I had to maneuvre the very different way of doing health care here pretty much on my own.  

     

    I know I am in Mexico - I love it here - so please no GO BACK HOME replies.  I am just trying to alert people to consider how they will pay out of pocket once here.  I Knew I would not have insurance but being very  healthy and hardly ever at the doctor, i just didn't think about the What IF's long enough.

     

       I have no complaints about the quality of doctors but I didn't realize that when they order blood tests, they can cost a lot of out of pocket  money and I would recommend asking the doctor why these particular tests are necessary l what he/she is looking for and then doing research as to whether or not you need that test.  I had one well known doctor  in town order a $700 US  blood test which, when I did the research before having it done, found out was for a disease I knew I didn't have   I didn't and don't  have the disease in question and didn't get the test and changed doctors.  The blood lady at Chopco and I became fast friends I was there so often and she told me she takes her father to GDL for his treatmennt since they cost  half what they charge here. 

    Luckily the Pet Scan showed nothing abnormal so it was worth the charge and obviously gave me peace of mind.      The blood tests did show the possibility of a serious condition which is why I continued to track down what it could be.  There is still no real diagnosis but I am still up and around plus  it occured to me I would need a tranfusion if I gave any more blood.to Chopco.    . I   I know my way around much better and have a doctor who is not particularly  well known or the owner of her  own medical clinic, but comes with superb recommendations from people I trust. 

    Don't know if this is or would be helpful to anyone - if not - just ignore it.  If it helps, good.   

      

     

     

  6. 24 minutes ago, PNR1 said:

    Regarding later office hours, did you ever consider home, visits or hospital rounds?  Yip newbies, doctors do that here in Mexico!

    i really didn't since i was in great shape until things started going down very rapidly about a month ago - but i certainly would consider any or all now       home visits would be great - - i never thought hospital rounds - can you say more about those = i have the name of a female doctor near me  who evidenlly does do home visits - she is not my doc-however ---- unfortunately i chose the a very good doctor when i came but he is not the doctor i need now - he  for sure does not do home visits-

     

       i see dr sam on wednesday and depending on his diagnosis, will take further steps to get through whatever this is including changing to the home visits doctor - my next query might have to do with nursing/assisted living places - 

  7. On 7/25/2022 at 6:56 AM, chapalence said:

    He seems to no longer be in his old location.

    My efforts to contact him via his website have failed, so I am interested to know if others have managed to locate him.

    He has moved to an office near Pancho's - he only gets to the office at noon - I saw him about three weeks ago - there is a site where you can make an appt online - he is said to call back up until 10 at night but my advice is, make an appt when you are there for the first time to see him for the second time if needed or to come in after the test results of whatever he orders comes back.  Supposedly I am have an appt this week - but even though he told me to contact him by email once I got my testresults back he never did - but then to be honest I sometimes don't hear the phone so if he tried me that way, I may  have missed him -there was no email however.  He is known as the science doctor and he was the only doctor i saw here - and i had seen two others - who  thought outside the normal medical box and  ordered some strange test that did come back with some troubling results which is why i have to see him again- good luck.  

  8. so i called lety's phone and she didnt  answer = i got a spanish speaker of course I am in mexico who hung up - not sure if i was to leave a message of what - - so I called the other number and the lady who answered said to call the 332 785  number - she said this was the cllinic in the hospital - so maybe i should walk over there in person - is lety the doctor or just the scheduler - sorry to be so dense but this is a the first time I have been quite so sick since here - if lety isn't the doctor - who would i be seeing - d

  9. I have beentrying to reach quality care with the phone number listed on line and on a card and i get a message saying there is no such number.  This has happened before but it is rather urgent that i get in touch with them since i desperately need an appt with the oncologist who comes tomorrow from gdl.  . 

     

    I have had three very bad blood test results and can't get in to see the hematologist I saw at quality care in august and then in early october  who ordered two of the blood tests .  I went in to see her after the first set of results came in and all i got was another list of more blood tests to have.  I got those results and now can't get in to see her at all until november 14 since she only comes on tuesdays - if at all - 

     

      I am trying to get in to see the oncologist at quality care who comes tomorrow since  am at a loss as to what to do next - - i did get  a second opinion  from a recommended doc who went over the tests and  explained to me what she was ordering and why.    he then ordered  another set of blood tests which came back yesterday .  Each test result is worse than the one before and now i can't reach him either.  I currently have a thick packet of blood test results but no diagnosis - treatment plan if any - etc etc -and am in pretty bad shape.   i would go to gdl to the medical center's hematology department  there but first have to get a doctor here to refer me. 

     

    If anyone has the QC phone number that actually gets through - or has any suggstions for what to do next, it would be appreciated.  

    .   

  10. i took a bad fall on a slippery sidewalk yesterday and hit my head very had  on the cement - didn't pass out but since i am on blood thinner, the danger of a brain bleed is always present.  I went to reberas med center and had a ct scan done - was given a disc with the pictures on it but never got a radiologist report instead took it to chapala med and the dr hernandez read it said nothing showed of a brain bleed but days later, i could have subdural hematoma and should go back to see him.twice this week.    There evidently was never a radiolgist report done - and when I checked the hospital, there doesn't seem to be one on staff there.  

    I am specialist happy I admit and  a second opinion given the possible danger would make me happy but where does one go here to get a certified radiologist?.  The iwould be a question for something like a mammogram as well. Radiologists are trained to do only readings after all.  

    Please no comments about how  I should never have moved here or never should have fallen in the first place.  Just some positive experiences and guidance would be helpful.   

     

     

     

  11. Wow - so sorry i upset you on this lovely morning with my "moaning and complaining" re the cost of medicines.  As it happens, I am not a wealthy expat and every expense has to be factored in to my budget.  I am sorry you are on a "ton of medicines" and hope they are making you happy and healthy.  I have had a lot of very helpful suggestions to my  questions on this site which I thught was its purpose buti t appears that to you, a question is a complaint or  a moan. I suggest if you see my name again, you just skip over it and let more patient and less snorky  folks respond.    

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  12. I bought my first bottle of amiodarone since arriving in mexico and was more than surprised that it cost 400 pesos for 20 tablets.  Granted I am not in Kansas anymore but this is a very inexpensive medicine in the states.  Does anyone else use this?   - For me it is for AFib which I must take daily along with Eloquist another very expensive drug which I bought at parmStore in Canada for far less than it is even sold here in Mexico.  

     

    I can't get Pharmstore to send meds  here and am reluctant to ask anyone to carry drugs across the border in their suitcases - Question is - since rumor has it that medicines are far less expensive in Mexico - is it also true that some are more expensive?  

  13. thanks again Rick - as I said, this whole crown cad thing was not known to me or else I would used that instead of the mold business - evdiently cad also does bridges if I understand your email correctly = I am looking into jjust a one tooth one - where did you go for that

     

    do you remember hos much Dr. consuela charges for a cleaning -  I got Dr. Edgar who is a perio I from GDL - may be why I am paying top dollar ---- live and learn and i am learning something new every day - exhausting to be frank.  - 

  14. because ididn't want to besmirch the names of the dentist i went to with my own misgivings,  , I will say I did go to Dr. B but  never got him - or met him = personallyl nor did I know I could have asked for him. I figured a patient was just sent to whomever in the office did the required work.    One of his dentists worked onthe crown and another on the deep cleaning.  As I said, after three visits, the crown is fine but did I really need three visits at the cost I quoted - 550 dollars.  I haven't had a crown in years so ha ve no idea howlong it takes or how much it should cost.  The fillings were also done well but took a lot of drilling and only one was done per day.  - again, I haven't had a cavity in years so same situation - I have had deep cleanings twice a year for years  since I do have a lot of bone loss followed by two regular cleanings but I have never been asked to come back for another one in two months. 

     

     I appreciate the responses =  the folks on this site  are a  patient and valuable resource for those of us who are new and trying to find our way around.  thanks- 

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