Summary
Amy Espy from Onalaska, Wisconsin chose Elias Ortiz & Company (EOC) for weight loss surgery after her insurance denied coverage. Amy chose EOC based on positive feedback from her coworker who had a smooth experience at EOC. Amy underwent the VSG procedure with Dr. Ortiz on July 22, 2023, and found it to be a great experience, vowing to return to EOC for future surgeries. Her advice to others considering weight loss surgery is to research and mentally prepare for the lifestyle change, as the surgery is just a tool that requires conscious effort in terms of healthy eating, hydration, and support. Amy had a supportive husband who had a gastric bypass in the past, which eased her journey. Her experience in Mexico with EOC was exceptional, as she was well taken care of and had everything meticulously planned, including transportation and tours. Weight loss surgery has transformed Amy’s life, improving her self-esteem, mental well-being, and overall health. She has already lost 80 pounds and several inches, going from a 3X to an extra-large size. She plans to continue her weight loss journey and would consider returning to EOC for additional procedures if needed.
Transcript
Hi, my name is Amy Espy. I’m from Onalaska, Wisconsin. Hi, I decided to go to EOC because my insurance denied me, and I did all the hoops I need to jump through, and it would have cost me $25,000 to $30,000 out of my pocket. And I heard about EOC from a friend at work, and she had great experience there, so I thought I would take the chance. I heard about EOC from my first supervisor at my job. She had surgery in March, and I did it in July, and she had a great experience and said it’s a really smooth, great process, and they really take great care of you, so I felt really safe and secure with that, so I thought I’d take the leap. Glad I did. I had the VSG with Dr. Ortiz. I had it on July 22nd of 2023, and it was a great experience. I would go back to him if I ever had another surgery. I believe the advice I would give someone would be just do some research. Get your mind ready of what a change it is, and it is only a tool. You still got to do the work. You still got to make the conscious decision of healthy eating, getting your fluids in, and support. If you have support, it’s really a lot easier. My husband was very on board with it. He had a gastric bypass years ago, and he just really knew what it was like, so that helped too. My experience in Mexico was great. Mario was great. He was our driver. They take you around. They do tours. I was so well taken care of. It was shocking. I never expected that. They have everything down to a T of what you’re going to be doing. You’re picked up, taken back, all your meetings. It was a great experience. If I need plastics, I’m coming back. Weight loss surgery has really changed my life. Obviously, I’ve lost a lot of weight already, but just feeling better, higher self-esteem. I’ve always been kind of a depressed, low self-esteem person because of my weight, and I let it get to me, and it’s really changed. I look at the brighter side of everything instead of the negative. It just has really helped in so many different things. Some of my pill medications I’m off of now are a lower dose. I just feel like it has changed my life drastically for positive. I’ve lost 80 pounds as of right now and a lot of inches. I haven’t measured in a while now, but I’m down from a 3X top and pants to an extra large on most things. I had to buy some new clothes. I’m not going crazy because I’m not done losing weight, but yeah, I’ve lost 80 pounds as of right now.
