Nothing Ever Worked Until…I Found Dr. Alvarez!
I battled with weight my entire life from early childhood until 36 years old. It was always a struggle and became even worse when I developed hypothyroidism in my early 30’s. I tried every diet plan, exercise plan, medication, and gimmick in the book. Nothing ever worked! Thank goodness all that changed when I found Dr. Alvarez!
I researched gastric surgery for probably 5-7 years before I actually did it. I always became exhausted and gave up when I would research having it in the States. The out of pocket cost was one deterrent, but more so, all of the pre-op requirements like psychiatric evaluation, nutrition counseling, exercise counseling, etc. I knew I wasn’t crazy, I already exercised, and I knew the scientific way to lose weight. My body just didn’t cooperate with what was supposed to work!
I guess I “googled” weight loss surgery one too many times because Endobariatric starting popping up as a suggestion on my Facebook page. Naturally, I clicked on it as I was open to anything that would save me from the weight battle.
Shocked & Surprised
I was shocked and surprised to learn how many people I knew that Dr. Alvarez had already performed surgery on. I ended up reading pages and pages of reviews about him, watching dozens and dozens of his YouTube videos and finally became convinced this was my ticket to success. I found his website and emailed his patient coordinator late on a Friday night. I was agonizing about having to wait all weekend to receive a response, thinking I would get a normal business hour reply on Monday. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a reply on Saturday morning not even 12 hours later. A few emails back and forth and a few weeks later, I was securing a date and sending in my deposit. I was still thinking this is too good to be true!
They made the whole process easy and coordinated the trip seamlessly. My husband and I flew to San Antonio where the Endo van picked us up. We rode south 2 hours to Eagle Pass and stayed the night. Another patient that rode with me brought along her sister-in-law who had surgery with Dr. Alvarez two years prior. The whole trip down the sister-in-law was telling us how much our lives were about to change and what a blessing her surgery had been. I am so thankful she was there because she validated my decision over and over. She also helped keep my nerves at ease and everything she said was super positive.
The Endo van took us to the hospital the next morning for surgery. We met the super personable, caring, professional, and not to mention handsome, Dr. Alvarez. He consulted with each of us individually then we had a few X-rays and some blood work before they started prepping us for surgery. The next thing I knew I’m waking up asking my husband if I’d already had my procedure. He said I asked him that like 20 times. LOL, I think because in the back of my mind I was scared to death something would make the surgery fall through for me. I had very little pain and I was so thankful!
Thrilled With The Numbers
A few days later I was on my way back home and the real journey began. The first few weeks of the liquid diet really got to me. The “mental” hunger was quite a battle at first, but I soon learned to re-direct myself. Once solid food came back into my life, my spirits lifted tremendously. And, getting on the scale wasn’t a chore for the first time in my life! I dropped 16 pounds my first month, 8 pounds the second month, 10 pounds the third month, and then it slowed to around 5 pounds per month. Trust me, though, I was thrilled with any number I saw after a lifetime of only seeing increasing numbers!
Dr. Alvarez and his staff emailed to check on me a few times and have always been accessible when I needed them. I have had questions from time to time and they always promptly respond, even the doctor himself. I love how Dr. A interacts with all his patients on social media. You don’t see that anywhere else! He genuinely cares and is proud of the progress his sees from his patients. I never felt degraded for being overweight like some other doctors have made me feel before. I got so tired of getting that “put the fork down” look when I tried to discuss my weight with other doctors. I also never felt like just another chart or number with Dr. Alvarez.
It was just a very personal experience like no other medical journey I’ve ever had before. My overall experience was super positive, my results have been nothing short of amazing and my only regret is not having surgery 10 years earlier! Hats off to Dr. Alvarez and Endobariatric. They are a first class facility!
-Amber Adams, Jonesboro Arkansas
Highest Weight 218
Surgery Weight 214
Current Weight 136
Date of Surgery: 2-5-16
P.S. Discover for yourself what makes Endobariatric the choice for almost 11,000 patients. Watch their videos on YouTube. Follow them on the various social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat) and go to their website at www.Endobariatric.com and learn first-hand what they can do for you.
