The Issels Cancer Treatment Center in Mexico – What to Expect

If you are thinking of doing your cancer treatment at the Issels Medical Center in Tijuana, Mexico, here is a brief description of one experience written by one of our patients and their companion to pass on to you so you will know what to expect. This was shared with us by Rita Possehl and Teryl Springstead in October 2016.

Thank You Messages from Patients

We received the following messages from patients and are reprinting them here with their permission:

From Jacinta McShane [August 2019]: Jacinta recounts her recent visit to Issels.

MY ISSELS HEALING

‘I JUST KNOW TO GO!’

A foreboding chasm gapes forever before me, as my oncologist’s gaze darkens casting an ominous shadow over my continuing quality of life. I waiver precariously on the edge of this sharp precipice yet a determination not to get on this mortal rollercoaster yet again, steadies my nerve. Time to change direction seizing this bittersweet opportunity to gain control of my cancer again.

I KNOW WHAT I NEED AND I NEED IT NOW!

How I will achieve it I do not know, how I will afford it, I haven’t a clue! all i know is I need Issels non-toxic Immunotherapy now. Crucial in my mind: GO while I am strong! In that instance, my whole spirit lifts, filled with radiant hope, my weakened immune system already boosted – an endless river of hidden blessings.

Excited with a renewed energy and focus, I start… contacting my doctors at Issels, setting up a fundraising page through Yes To Life charity, talking it over with my son who just blows me away with his faith in my healing, considering travel logistics including flights, hotels, hospital stay, carefully considering who will come with me.

All big decisions but life-giving choices. All surprisingly flowing as if guided by a force way beyond me…. I just KNOW to GO!!! And that ‘KNOWING’ makes the impossible, possible.

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Choosing to go alone, (which I do not advise), but do stress that it is important that you bring the right person to fully support you. This is not the time for keeping others happy. This is YOUR TIME. I fly to San Diego in the USA. As I arrive, Issels’ driver Andrea welcomes me with a beaming smile. I settle into this comfy hospital shuttle and we head off to the border crossing a short distance away. We stop off briefly to pick up a couple from north America. Chatting away, before i know it, we are smoothly crossing this controversial border in the special designated hospital lane. How cool is that!

And before we know it, we arrive at the modern, prestigious Angeles hospital. Welcomed by Irene, the hospital representative, I quickly register and am guided to the fifth floor and shown into my sunny, comfortable new home for the next 5 healing days! Now the treats begin! I want it all!

AT LAST I CAN BE SICK IN PEACE!

Everything I need comes into my healing room as if by magic! I feel I am in a posh hotel not a hospital. I can let go, trusting completely in this treatment and knowing ALL OF ME will be treated with care and respect. What a glorious relief from the relentless clinical detached, disease centred approach of conventional medicine! I am here and I know it!

I CAN HEAL HERE!

The phone rings next to my bed and I smile inside as I hear Mrs. Issels distinctive tones welcoming me to Issels. I feel warm. A gentle knock at my door reveals my team of doctors or rather ‘healers’ in my mind. Their warm smiles melt me away.

After thorough physical palpable examination by Dr.Arzola, full bloods, recent scan results and detailed discussion about my symptoms, concerns, hopes and dreams, treatment begins….

ALL THE DOCTORS AND NURSES SMILE HERE!

Day 1:  Friendly, smiling nursing faces access my port expertly and simply with great attention to hygiene and my first infusion of multi-minerals starts flowing in through my veins. Ah! Much needed food for my starving body. I feel boosted already! Later that afternoon, I have my second infusion of B17 – a natural chemotherapeutic agent. I feel a little tired. After three highly nutritional meals and fresh vegetable/protein personalised juices all delivered to my room and my infusions so far, I curl up and drift off to my best sleep in ages!

Day 2: I can handle this followed by a further multi mineral infusion. My poor body so hungry for these extra minerals and vitamins. Later the haematologist comes to draw blood for making up my vaccines. Guess what! I Found my new friends in the room next door! How great is that!

OH, SO MANY HUGS!

Day 3: Another B17 Infusion and later on to my surprise, Dr. Forress suggests that I go to my favourite beach at Las Playas (17 miles away). My heart lifts at the thought and he even books a taxi to take me there and wait to bring me back! I hit the beach euphorically breathing in for my dear life! My lungs expand, my heart grows bigger

and I became greater than I am. I thank God for absolutely everything I am experiencing.

Day 4: I can see my nails changing colour and texture as I have these infusions! Later I get my LAK/NK Infusion – gosh this infusion makes all the difference in the world; I feel so well and almost immediately after receiving this with no side effects! Wow! Cancer has a covert way of sneaking up on you without you realising and we can even get used to it. Now I realise what ‘being well’ feels like.

Day 5: More-mineral infusions followed by a Dendritic cell injection. This is powerful as weeks later I felt my whole skeletal frame stronger and more robust. I had not fully realised I was weakening quite so much. I feel buoyant! I am very proud of myself and of all of us here at Issels.

Day 6: As I prepare to leave my Issels family, my heart feels warm as we hug and beam at each other radiantly. As my taxi leaves, I wave with a lump in my throat!

NOW FOR MY HOLIDAY JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

A short distance from the hospital, The Lucerna 4-star hotel welcomes me. How glad I am to be taking this valuable time to rest, heal and celebrate! spending time lounging by the pool, a little shopping in downtown Tijuana, strolling along my healing beach. I relax, relishing the excellent customer service provided with refreshing Mexican humility. Oh, the luxury of this vital healing time all for me!! And each day Dr Arce contacts me to see how I am doing. I feel their caring hands have stretched all the way from the hospital, not letting me go.

Smiling Andrea arrives to collect me for my final leg home. As we sweep across the border, arriving at San Diego airport, Andrea hugs me and waves me off with: ‘Live the good life Jacinta’.

Boarding my flight ‘home from home’, I snuggle into my seat with a deep sense of faith, love and healing.

From Kari Patrick [May 2019]:

Good morning! I just wanted to give you an update on Zehntner Gay. He just had labs done, labs are good and he’s doing great!!! He still gets Vitamin C infusions every other month, but he is doing so incredible! He’s like… a 20 year old boy! He’s currently on a fishing trip in the Keys. I could never thank ISSELS enough!!! Just wanted to give you an update and if you ever need a testimony for a patient we would be happy to tell his story. It’s funny when I try to tell doctors about it, they think I’m crazy!!!

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From Tammy H. [May 2019]:

Everyone here has gone beyond the call of duty. The food is way better and quite good. They kindly tweaked my menu and are very flexible with any changes. Victor is super nice and supportive. And explains my program in detailed. I can’t say enough about Dr. Torres and the internal medicine doc whose name just slipped my mind. They are awesome! And care about our well being. I will be meeting Dr. Arce today. I think. Any how just wanted to give you an update. 🙂

Thank you for all your support and kindness. I am happy to be here!

Tammy

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From Erich A., MD [May 2019]:

I am glad to tell you that my dad is doing fine. He had another dose of LAK and dendritic in Tijuana last month. His circulating tumor cell from 7 in January is now down to 0 as of his last treatment. He is doing fine. Lots of juicing and IV supplements like vitamin C.

Erich

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From Marjo Woodhull [February 2019]:

I want to thank everyone on the team for taking such good care of me during my time in Mexico last week. I am in awe of the wonderful care and attention that your patients receive. Every member of your team is so considerate and professional and I truly appreciate all the wonderful treatment I have received from all of you!

Thank you so much,
Marjo Woodhull

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From Claudia Paige [July 2018] : Watch Claudia’s Video Testimonial regarding her mother’s treatment.

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From Linda Goranson [April 2017]:

Hi Dr. Issels,

Here I am just a little over a year since I spent February in Mexico and Santa Barbara. My PET scans have been clear since one month after my treatment at Issels. Yay!  Coming there was one of the best decisions of my life. Today I enjoyed gardening, walking and Pilates. Steve and I are traveling just like before. Thank you for giving me my life back.

Much gratitude,

Linda

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From Ana Rosa Peterson [March 2017]:

Dear Mrs. Issels

Now that I have been back home for some days and have settled in, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for all your help. Since the first time I spoke with you on the phone, I felt you sincerely wanted to help me and that immediately made my family and I more at ease in a most difficult time I don’t have words to express my gratitude to you for allowing me to take part in your health program I wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. The doctors and all the staff in Los Angeles Hospital were very warm and knowledgeable. Thank you.

My transition to Santa Barbara was very smooth. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Issels and Dr. Kim. They helped me to better understand how to monitor the cancer, what to look for, and most importantly what to do to reverse it! I am very hopeful. Some of the IV treatments in SB were a little harder than what I thought especially because my veins were not cooperating, however the nurses were very dedicated, patient, and warm, always very ready and determined to help each one of us get what we needed. Truly, a level of professionalism I have never seen. And one I will always be grateful for.

I’m happy to say my experience with Issels was a positive and pleasant one. I was very overwhelmed and touched by all the kindness shown to me. On my family’s behalf and mine I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to you, Dr. Issels, and all your wonderful staff.  It is the wonderful actions of others that help us to keep going.

Sincerely,
Ana Rosa Peterson

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Rita Possehl and Teryl Springstead talk about their experience at Issels in October 2016:

We received one pleasant surprise after another in our visit to the Issels Medical Center in Tijuana, Mexico. Here’s what to expect when you go for immunotherapy for cancer treatment.

Medical Visits and Comfort: 

Rita and I have spent time visiting and being patients in various hospitals. Usually, all night long, nurses wake patients to check their blood pressure or check something. At the Issels Medical Center Hospital in Tijuana they come into the room around 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM in the morning to take blood pressure; they take the last blood pressure at around 9:30 PM or 10:00 PM and then leave the door shut so you can SLEEP all night long.

As you can see, food is served FREQUENTLY.  Between all of the meals and snacks, and all of the friendly visits and changing of Rita’s bed once day and bringing fresh towels, we also got the daily visits from Dr. Lara and sometimes Dr. Arzola Cruz (we couldn’t meet with Dr. Arce because she had a cold). Sometimes these visits were more than once a day. With the visits and the other medical things that went on, we BARELY had time to go for our normal 45-minute to 1-hour walk each day. Some days we could walk for only 15 or 20 minutes.

They bring all of the bottled water you can drink.

As we left the hospital to return home, they even packed us a lunch that they were sure would not be a problem getting across the border. They were right. In many ways we felt pampered and taken care of.

Meal and Snack Information:  

Here’s the schedule we followed–

8:00 to 8:30 AM – Breakfast for patient and companion

11:00 AM – Protein drink for patient

1:00 to 1:30 PM – Lunch for patient and companion (usually the largest meal of the day)

4:00 PM – Snack for patient only

6:00 to 6:30 PM – Dinner

8:00 PM – Snack for patient

The impression we’d had was that the companion would receive standard hospital food with no choice as to what to eat. The main difference as explained to us was that the food for the patient was organized and the food for the companion was not.

Everything we ate tasted so fresh, and most of it was DELICIOUS. Evidently they get their fruit and veggies from a nearby farmers’ market.  We wrote several rave reviews of the food.

At first I (the companion) decided to eat a vegan diet so as not to have Rita experience envy if meat was served.  The portions were small compared to what I was used to. For the first two or three days I was hungry most of the time. I had even considered ordering food from the cafeteria in the other building where the doctors have offices. But signs all over the hospital indicated that we were not allowed to bring food into the hospital, not even from there.

Between the receptionist and the translator, they arranged to add some dairy AND to make my portions larger. But what really blew our minds was that a nurse told us that, within reason, we could order food for the companion to be delivered to the room at almost any time of day! When they realized that I was still hungry they brought me wonderful mushroom sandwiches around 9:00 PM at night!

Also, we’d had the impression that the companion’s food preferences would not be considered. Happily that was untrue. The nutritionist took careful notes.  95% of the time BOTH of our requests for omissions were honored.

Each dish we received was covered TIGHTLY with food wrap. That not only kept it warmer but protected it from germs. They took the time to serve the food in creative and artistic ways.

Entertainment:

The “public relations” department will lend patients DVDs to watch on their big-screen TVs. There is no charge.  We borrowed two but had time to watch only one. They will also arrange outings for which one pays.  We can’t imagine when a patient would have TIME for outings!

Staff:

The staff was warm and friendly.  But there were so MANY.  We began writing down names and brief specialty descriptions.  When we reached 21, we gave up keeping track. They all wear name tags and announce themselves as they walk into the room.

Leaving the Hospital Grounds:

We were nervous, at first, about walking outside the hospital grounds. But we did so nearly every day. The receptionist printed out a map and marked it with a yellow highlighter to show us where it was safe to walk.  We experienced no incidents. We were surprised when crossing the street. A flashing red hand means it’s OK to go ahead and walk. Some irritated motorists waved us on until we realized what was going on.

Personal Effects Storage and Room:

Storage is on one wall between the door to the room and the door to the bathroom.  It’s in a cluster with 3 levels

A. High.  Unless you are 6′ 6″ tall, don’t bring much with you. They do NOT have a dresser as such.  Our room had some storage cabinets that were so high we would have needed a ladder to reach them. I put our two suitcases up there but then could no longer reach the one in the back.  Our receptionist told us about the clothes hanger trick for pulling it toward the front and then catching each case as it falls down.

B. Low:  Three built-in storage drawers required bending over, close to the floor. Some patients may have a difficult time with that.

C. Middle height storage was limited because of the TV and DVD player.

D. NARROW closet held 8 to 10 hangers worth of clothes at the maximum.  Initially our closet had only 3 hangers.  We later learned that you are expected to bring one set of clothes and send the rest of your time in pajamas!  But we asked a very helpful young man to bring us more hangers.

E. Next to the hospital bed is a night stand.  It has a top, a small drawer, and 2 or 3 shelves inside a cabinet underneath the drawer. But they almost always have a stand with wheels in front of it for holding drips for IVs.  So, it’s difficult to access that night stand in the daytime.

F. At our request a helpful young man also brought us an extra rolling table, the kind they put over the patient’s hospital bed.  That was great. I could use it as a desk for my laptop and to hold my meals on a tray when we ate.

H. The room had a safe similar to those in hotels. We appreciated the fact that it was low enough so that someone with a wheelchair could use it. But we set a blanket on the floor and got down on our knees to use it to save our backs.

I. Cot/Sleeper Bed:  when we read that there would be a cot for the companion, we were concerned.  It’s actually a couch with a two-layer foam pad on top.  The slanted back cushions are lightweight and easy to remove. The first night we were there we kept wondering if someone would make the couch into a bed. After we asked they brought some sheets, pillows, and blanket.

Cleanliness:

My goodness that room was clean and it was cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. We were puzzled when, after a walk, we returned more than once to find that the toilet seat had been cleaned with a chlorinated solution that was left on the seat with the top down. In other words, when you lifted up that seat cover the seat itself was wet.  We learned to check for that and wipe it off before sitting on the seat.

Ventilation:

Each room has individual AC, heat, and fan that occupants control.  When we arrived we said, ‘We guess there isn’t any fresh air.” To our pleasant surprise there was a two-inch deep, screened opening under (yes, under) each window. The screened portion faced DOWN so no rain could fall inside the room even if the vent were left open.  The weather was mostly cloudy, drizzly, and cool. We ended up using ONLY the ventilation most of the time. We loved it and knew it would also be better for our health.

The room itself was larger than we’d expected but with Spartan furnishings.  There was a big recliner next to the narrow couch/bed. Other than the bed, the night stand, and the built-ins, that was it.  The bathroom was surprisingly large and good-looking.

The hospital has a link on its website to the US Customs and Border patrol website.  We were nervous about how the vaccine would come back into the USA.  They put it in little vials. Those vials–and some terrific, long-lasting blue ice go into a little red soft-cloth cooler.  The cooler is about 6 inches by 6 inches by 6 inches square with a strap for carrying.  The cooler sits prominently displayed in the middle of the back seat of the van that drives you across the border.  NO PROBLEMS with border patrol.

The things that stand out most in our minds are the warm, friendly staff first and the wholesome, delicious food second.

We would recommend that hospital to other medical tourists.

To learn about the Issels Immunotherapy Difference, please click here.

Watch over 40 Video Testimonials here.

Here are select cases of our patients’ long-term remissions from various cancers:

Adenocarcinoma | Bone Metastases | Breast Cancer | Colo-rectal Cancer | Head and Neck Cancer with Metastases | Kidney Cancer | Leiomyosarcoma | Leukemia | Liver Cancer | Liver Metastases | Lung Cancer | Lung Metastases | Melanoma | Ovarian Cancer | Prostate Cancer | Squamous Cell Cancer

If you do not see your cancer noted in this list, please call one of our patient care representatives at 888-447-7357 to ask about the availability of Issels Cancer Immunotherapy treatment, as we most likely have experience treating your type of cancer.

For Additional Information on Treatment and Costs please click here or call 1-888-447-7357