My Tango with Medical Tourism & My Weight Loss Surgery Across the Country to Mexico!

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By Danielle Sobelman

For many years I have battled my weight. I was unhealthy and depressed. So, in 2016 I finally decided to take control of the situation. I decided for the sake of my children I decided to take the path of getting the weight off. I decided to get weight loss surgery.

At 310lbs, I didn’t realize I was breathing heavy. When you are that big you don’t realize it. After getting my depression under control, I started to look in to weight loss surgery. After getting denial after denial from my insurance company, I opted to get my surgery done in Tijuana, Mexico. Right now as you are reading this story, you are probably thinking I am crazy. Yes, there are horror stories about people getting butchered in Mexico, so I decided to vet the doctor who was doing the procedure.

The gastric sleeve was the procedure that I was getting done. After vetting Pompeii Surgical, I started my weight loss journey in December 2016. I originally was going to get the procedure done in February, 2017 but had to postpone until May 1, 2017.

Doing this procedure had to be a secret to my mother because if she knew I was going to Mexico, it would be scorched Earth. So, I had to tell a white lie. I told her I was getting it done in Delaware which is a state over. Boy, it was hard to convince her I would be fine on my own. After all, I wanted her to focus on my children. Right now you are probably thinking I was cruel to do so, but I had to take control of this situation with my weight. Yes, it was selfish to take a chance with my life in a foreign country, but I felt I had to gain control of this.

In the early hours of May 1, 2017, I made my cross country journey to San Diego. With a short layover in Houston, I arrived in San Diego. Prior to me leaving, I made sure I told my cousin what I was doing and she was horrified but made me promise to call her. As I landed, I called my cousin to tell her I arrived. Before I got a chance to get off the plane, my mother knew. She was furious. She kept screaming “YOU ARE GOING TO DIE”.

As my ride picked me up at the airport, my mother kept texting me. I cut off my phone because I felt I needed to take this journey. We crossed over the border to Mexico and I arrived to Pompeii Surgical. Everyone was amazing to me. I actually thought the bedside manner was amazing. I met Dr. Sergio Quiniones, my surgeon, despite being from Mexico he lacked an accent. He was astonished I came all the way from Philadelphia and even mentioned that he use to have season tickets to the San Diego Chargers when we got into a conversation about the Philadelphia Eagles.

After blood work and an IV I was off to the operating room. As the handsome anesthesiologist was talking to me I went into a deep slumber. It seemed like I just had fallen asleep when I woke up in my room after the procedure. The staff made sure to call my mother to assure her that I was doing well.

The next day I learned that I was one of four Americans that had that procedure done that day and they actually heard my mother screaming at the staff on the phone. I was so embarrassed. When I did go home my mother was mad at me for three weeks.

The procedure was a success and my mother was pleased. When I had gallbladder surgery after my procedure, my surgeon here in the United States was very impressed by Dr. Quinones’ work. I lost 90lbs and I would not change a thing. In the last year there were many victories and there will be more to come.

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