My Surgery in Colombia-Day 4

Tuesday, September 28 was day four of my visit in the Clinica de Hospital.   I began dreaming of how wonderful the hospital breakfast would taste as it was wheeled down the hall and delivered to everyone else. I only had 15 hours sleep since being admitted, and counting the two days at home before admission I was growing weak without eating and drinking for 6 days.  Because of the horrendous constant pain, I hardly noticed the hunger pangs.  Ice chips would have been nice but were not offered.  My only complaint during this entire 9 day stay would be bring on the ice chips.  The doctors checked with me every morning and evening, and this morning they had ordered a tomography.  The test was quick and I was more than happy to drink the two cups of contrast medium down.  It was the absolute best barium and iodine I had ever enjoyed.  I highly reccommend it if you have completely food and liquid fasted for 6 days and nights. 
Pain PaIN PAIN!!!!!!  I could not tolerate it.  Medievel torture may come close to describing it.  The constant stabbing from the side and back of my upper abdomen made every move agonizing, every position sitting or standing unbearable.  That afternoon, Dr. A, my English speaking Urologist explained my test results.  The collection was a 10 cm mass on my kidney.  It was blocking half my large intestine, and they recommended a further test involving a puncture to obtain a biopsy.  He explained the possible results ranging from a cyst to a malignant tumor.  I refused to allow that word to even be considered.  I seriously explained to everyone it was not allowed to be mentioned, because I did not want to speak it into existence.  My dear, amazing Mommy in Pennsylvania was so worried she hadn't been eating or sleeping either.   Thank you to her wonderful partner Carl who had the wisdom to have a doctor prescribe her anti-anxiety medication.   As for my Daddy in Ecuador, he planned to immediately fly in to see me.  His concern for me elevated his blood pressure and along with the headaches, his doctor recommended he not travel.  Both my parents expressed feelings of helpless and fear.  It was the first time I felt afraid through this process.  Knowing my parents, my pillars of strength, my mentors, my caregivers and creators were terrified,  was my low point.  I cried so long and hard, from this mental anguish and physical pain I was given the highest allowed dose of morphine.  I slept two hours before I was in pain again.   I remember asking God several times if my life was really meant to continue.  About that moment he would send a bird singing to me, or a child laughing down the hall, or a staff member with a smile coming to see how I was.    My sleep deprived and distraught husband and I hardly slept that night.  I began to look forward to the procedure tomorrow, even with my surgery phobia.  Just a puncture.  It did not even sound good. 

Latin America on the Move! Here's why!

More and more Americans, especially the 'Baby Boomer' retirees are rethinking and relocating to Central and South America, and never looking back! With considerations such as difference in language, away from family and friends, and cultural contrasts, it must have a great deal of advantages. Here are a few from latinworld.com.:
-Cost of living is much lower. From rent/housing to food and services, you can expect around half what you spend in the US. Maids, security, and groundskeepers are an affordable amenity and are appreciative and hardworking.
-Stress free and relaxed way of life. In Ecuador, they told us "relax", and in Panama "take it easy". Here in Colombia, its "no problem". They actually tell you to be "tranquilo", a gentle reminder of where you are, and are not! Siesta, a two hour lunch break to eat and nap off your meal a bit before returning to the grind is taken very seriously! Well, that's probably the only thing that is!
-Unique natural environments. Each country offers a variety of Eco-scapes to choose from. Icy glaciers in Chile, Rain forests in Colombia, World class surf in Ecuador, Shopping in Panama, Offshore deep sea fishing in Costa Rica. These are just the activities I have recently ventured to. You'll easily find your favorites. latinworld.com covers tons of info and questions for newbies.
-Fiestas, Fiestas, Fiestas!! Here in Colombia, almost every other Monday is a national holiday. At Christmas, schools have a six week break and another break for summer. Nightlife and clubbing is very common in even the smallest towns, and starts when you get on the bus-lights, music, beverages, all can be enjoyed as your riding to your fave hot spot!
-Business and Investor Ready. Many governments foresee the trends already happening and have implemented fewer laws and less requirements for prospective business owners and investors. Panama has opened its borders allowing foreign nationals an "Immediate Permanent Resident" status. Find more info at sovereign-investor.com.

American's Medical Tourism Emergency Surgery in Colombia

Today

Three days after surgery

I was admitted on Saturday, August 25.  I had not eaten for two days and only sipped water and broth.  The pain had increased from about a 6 (scaling from 1 to 10) to about an 8 overnight.  Doctors and nurses checked on me about every 2 hours, and added severe dehydration to my symptoms.  My lips and mouth were completely white from what everyone said-mirrors were not in my vocabulary at that point.  That weekend was one I wish never to relive.  Before the pain medication wore off, I was literally crying in agony.  The doctors were not certain about my diagnosis and mentioned several ranging from kidney stones to a bowel obstruction.  All equally as frightening and painful to me.  Finally Monday arrived and I was quickly taken to get a sonogram.  Although four very pregnant women were waiting ahead of me, I was taken right away to the exam table.  The technician was as gentle as he could be, and when he captured the image of a large mass at the top left of my abdomen, he showed it to me on the screen.  He didn't make me wait hours for the doctors to read the results and share the same information.  Although I was shocked and disturbed, the tech was comforting and assured me I had the best team of physicians working on my case.  Everyone shared this same sentiment with my husband and I, and it was true as we soon realized.  But the waiting game wore on all of us.  My family in the states and my father in Ecuador grew concerned as my pain severity was evident over the phone.  My husband was staying strong for all of us but after weeks of seeing me in pain he could not sleep or eat. 
Which made two of us.  I was not even allowed water so of course it was all I thought about.  Watching the Food Network was definitely out.  Sleeping came about an hour and a half at a time until the pain woke me.  I wrote in broken Spanish to Ledys, my favorite nurse, I never experienced pain this severe in my entire 44 years.  And I have given birth 3 times naturally.  My youngest was born 9 1/2 pounds.  I am about 5'4" and 125 lbs.  Yea, I know what pain is.   

  





CNN: Latin America is the Future

The Mellennials are targeting Central and South Ameria for good reasons. They see a future full of prosperity, in countries changing policies to entice potential businesses as well as implementing changes in elementary school curriculum's teaching different levels of English classes. Governments welcome tourism and many have strategic marketing and advertising in place to familiarize and promote their countrysides. As we have seen here in Colombia, the reasons are many. And like their slogan says, "The only risk is wanting to stay". Its true. I am proof!
Find the article at this link- just click on it. --->>http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/millennial-david-lloyd-why-the-future-is-latin/?hpt=ila_r1

Eyelid surgery costs in U.S. and Colombia

From ColombiaMedicalTourism.blogspot.com

Eye lift cost comparisons

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty or eye lift) is a popular cosmetic plastic surgery to remove excess skin, fat or muscle from droopy upper and lower eyelids. Blepharoplasty improves baggy skin under the eyes, sinking upper eyelids or drooping eyelashes that impair vision. The surgery can also treat a medical condition called ptosis (drooping eyelid), which is caused by poor muscle tone or nerve damage. Ptosis causes the eyelids to hang very low and block vision.

In the states, the total fees can range from $2,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on the extent of the procedure. In 2007, the national average for plastic surgeon fees for blepharoplasty was $2,480, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In Santa Marta, Colombia, our specialists quote was 2,600 pesos, or about $1,457.05 USD with today's currency exchange rate. With all the options available in Santa Marta, or Colombia, as a whole (Bogota is the 4th best location for all plastic or as I like to say, improvement surgery) many patients combine services to get the most for your money. I am working with a group of family doctors here, to have the blepharoplasty and total veneers for my husband and I. My molar implant is almost complete, and then we will be ready for the veneers, which take about a week. The eye lift is a pretty quick surgery and recovery is a breeze, according to my mother, who had it done last year. Thanks Mommy, for that gene, and lousy teeth genes too! <3 You Mommy!!! She said it feels like paper cuts on the eyelids, and stitches are out after five days. I am a veteran orthodontic patient, and hated dentist visits more than my fear of bugs, which ranks at totally petrified. So keep checking for updates to these maintenance visits we will be undergoing. After we have completely healed and look absolutely fabulous we certainly will be posting our photos here, and just about everywhere I can online, so look out facebook, all my profile pics, linkedin.....

Dental Procedure Price Chart on UK, US, and Colombia

Taken from http://medellindentalsolutions.com/costofimplantdentistry.html
                               United            United            Colombia
                             Kingdom          States

White Fillings

$150 to $250 One Surface Filling

$25-30 one surface

Crowns

£300.00 – £2000.00 per tooth

$950 per crown up to $3.500.

$220-440 per crown

Inlay & Onlay

$650-1200

$220-440

Basic Dental Implants

£1500 – £2500.00 per tooth

$2,000-$4,000 each

$650-950 per implant

Veeners

300.00 – £2000.00 Per Tooth

$975 per veneer up to $2200

$100-400 per unit

Colombia Is Open for Your Surgical Needs!

Colombia Jumps in to Medical Tourism Industry
February 26th, 2010

For Full article online tap here.

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SOURCE: IMTJONLINE

The Colombian government is promoting the South American country as a medical tourism destination, where visitors can receive high quality-low cost treatments such as cosmetic surgery and dentistry.
Tourism minister Luis Guillermo Plata says that the government expects to see a rise in medical tourism visitors because the quality of Colombian medicine is high but far cheaper than treatments in Europe and the U.S.The government estimates that twenty foreigners travel to Colombia every month for cosmetic surgery procedures such as liposuction, rhinoplasty and breast augmentation. The majority of patients come from the USA, Spain, Panama and Mexico, according to the government. Approximately 2.2 per cent of visitors to Colombia in 2008 came to receive medical treatment, around 27000 people.
Colombia is projecting itself as one of Latin America’s main destinations in terms of health tourism. Expectations concerning the increase in the number of health tourists in the coming years are high due to the excellent quality of medical care and the high cost of treatment in the United States and Europe, where the ratio to Colombia is seven to one.
The development of health and medical tourism in Colombia depends on getting referrals, international accreditation hospitals, alliances with international clinics and hospitals, as well as the implementation of an infrastructure for bringing together the health and tourism sectors.

Cartagena is Host to International Medical Tourism Conference Next Year

Colombia’s northern coastal city Cartagena is likely to host an important corporate tourism conference next year.

“Successful Meeting of the Caribbean and the Islands” [SMCI] will bring together tourism businesses from Latin American, the Caribbean and North America. An estimated 6,500 people are expected to participate in the event held in October 2013.

Proexport, the government agency in charge of promoting tourism, pushed Cartagena as the host city of the conference and says SMCI decided on the tourist destination after an inspection of the city.
Successful Meetings belongs to travel publishing house “Northstar Travel Media,” whose publications reach some 50,000 readers. SMCI will allow Colombia to publicize the tourism opportunities it offers directly to a wide American market.
Successful Meetings’ advertising director Diane DiMaggio said after the 2012 visit “I really loved Cartagena and I look forward to confirming that we will be bringing the event to the city in October 2013.”
This announcement represents more good news for Cartagena which this week came out ahead of Berlin, Germany, and Venice, Italy, in a travel publication’s top ten tourism destinations for 2012
Taken from http://colombiareports.com/travel-in-colombia/cartagena/22593-cartagena-to-host-international-tourism-conference.html

Surgery Cost Charting Colombia vs USA

http://www.globalbenefitoptions.com/

Taken directly from http://www.globalbenefitoptions.com/facts_about_medical_tourism.html

In 2007 alone 750,000 American’s traveled abroad for medical care. Medical Tourism is a real option for high quality medical care at reduced costs. By opening the door to the Global marketplace the patient has increased their options. Wait times for procedures are no longer a concern.               

The Joint Commission International (JCI) is the health care industry’s official accreditation institution. JCI represents the highest quality standards. As of 2008 JCI has over 220 approved foreign medical sites.
The savings on procedures is significant – see the chart below from Deloitte a Cost Comparison of U.S. vs. Foreign Surgical Procedures
Medical Tourism Sample Surgery Cost Chart

Surgery	USA	Colombia	Costa Rica	India	Jordan	Korea	Mexico	Singapore	Thailand
Heart Bypass	$144,000	$14,630	$25,000	$8,500	$10,000	$24,000	$20,000	$13,500	$24,000
Angioplasty	$57,000	$7,106	$13,000	$8,500	$5,000	$19,600	$16,000	$7,500	$7,000
Heart Valve Replacement	$170,000	$10,450	$30,000	$1,200	$12,000	$36,000	$30,000	$13,500	$22,000
Hip Replacement	$50,000	$8,360	$12,500	$8,000	$8,000	$16,450	$13,125	$11,100	$14,000
Hip Resurfacing	$50,000	$10,500	$12,000	$8,000	$8,000	$20,900	$12,800	$12,100	$16,000
Knee Replacement	$50,000	$7,106	$11,500	$7,000	$7,000	$17,800	$10,650	$10,800	$12,000
Spinal Fusion	$100,000	$14,500	$15,000	$12,000	$10,000	$17,350	$7,000	$18,300	$11,000
Dental Implant	$2,000-10,000	$1,672	$1,000	$700	$500	$3400	$910	$2,900	$3,000
Lap Band	$30,000	$6,500	$8,500	$7,500	$5,000	$9,500	$8,430	$12,000	$12,000
Breast Implants	$10,000	$2,600	$3,500	$4,500	$3,000	$11,000	$8,000	$5,400	$3,700
Rhinoplasty	$8,000	$1,677	$5,500	$3,500	$2,500	$4,000	$4,165	$2,700	$3,400
Face Lift	$15,000	$3,305	$5,900	$7,000	$3,000	$3,000	$7,200	$4,000	$6,600
Hysterectomy	$15,000	$1,845	$5,500	$5,500	$2,500	$9,000	$6,675	$4,000	$5,000

Updated July 2009

Transplants:	Asia	Latin America	United States
Kidney Transplant	$43,550	$30,000	Up to: $150,000
Liver Transplant	$134,000	$75,000	Up to: $315,000

Updated July 2009         

The future of medical tourism is coming!

Cartegena, Colombia is a beautiful and historic coastal town along the Caribbean coast, and next year the proud host of ‘Medical City 2012′, a metropolis of medicine, education, and healthy living for the world. With promising forecasts for the entire medical community and especially medical tourism, Medical City certainly will be beneficial to Colombia and promote visitors whether it be vacationers or those seeking life-changing surgery. Find more at http://www.cartagenainfo.net/MedicalTourism/medical-tourism.html

Comparative Knee Replacement Costs for Colombia vs USA

Comparative knee replacement costs in Colombia vs. U.S.

June 2, 2011

Medical tourism for knee/hip replacements has emerged as one of the more widely accepted procedures because of the lower cost and minimal difficulties associated with the traveling to/from the surgery.
Colombia provides a knee replacement for about $5,000 USD, including all associated fees, such as FDA-approved prosthetics and hospital stay-over expenses”.
—from “Medical tourism growing worldwide” by Becca Hutchinson, UDaily, July 25, 2005. Retrieved September 5, 2006.

“For patients without health insurance, a total knee replacement (in the U.S.) can cost $35,000 or more.”
—from http://www.costhelper.com/cost/health/knee-replacement.html