FurEllie

Unfortunately the anti-nausea meds put me into what I can only call an hallucinogenic haze. I have no memory of the first few days after being in the ER for a few hours and being pumped filled with anti-nausea meds. I HATE needles and even pulled my own IV out - I'm someone who in their right mind is PETRIFIED to move my arm when the IV is in there. I told them the Japanese had stolen my phone, there were stuffed animals running around the room, etc. So....I wasn't terrified, but my family sure was :wink2: One thing I have learned - DO NOT EVER LEAVE SOMEONE AT THE HOSPITAL ALONE. After I flatlined (no I don't remember that either), my family took shifts and never left me there. Do not trust the hospital workers to do what's best. I had read this in a recent Reader's Digest article but apparently my family had not, lol.

That was me :wink2: I suspect (and this is just an assumption, take it as you will.....) that many US doctors are feeling the pressure of patient loss to Mexico, especially for self pay. If you have a regular doctor, someone to do your fills (I used TJ for 2 fills, then Fillcentersusa opened near me), and knowledge you don't need to care if an American WLS Dr. will "touch" a Mexican banded patient or not. BTW, when I FINALLY spoke to the WLS department of the hospital I was admitted to (the day before I was released after a week........) I was told that they would NEVER refuse to work on a Mexican banded patient. Period.

That's the Darlene I mentioned in the above post

You will probably be using Darlene in Moultrie. She is AWESOME. One of the things I'm going to miss about having my band is having Darlene do the fills. I had mine in her Roswell office.

Dr. Ortiz here. Lap Band Surgery - Obesity Control Center He was recommended by my personal doctor (whom I've been friends with for over 30 years) as someone who has done thousands of bands and taught US doctors. I can't say enough of how great he and his staff are.

I know a lot of gastric bypass people who have lost their weight and kept it off. I suspect it's just like the band - YOU ultimately have control of what you put into your mouth. The emergency surgery I had was basically a stapled stomach w/o the staples (they removed the part that was dead) but instead of the standard shutting down of 85% when it's done for WLS, mine was only 50%. I have been able to eat SO much more than when I was banded

Too high risk for what, I wonder? I daresay Dr. Ortiz has done more lapbands than your doctor (Dr. Ortiz also gives his cell phone number to patients). When I had to have my band removed the surgeon was very anti lap band yet told me it was the best one he'd seen. Would your doctor "touch a patient" of another US doctor who performed the surgery regardless of their qualifications?

PLEASE don't shop by price alone! Get referrals, talk to patients, ask here. I was self pay, had a BMI of 39 and could have had insurance cover it but went to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico because he has the most experience in banding. I could have had it covered by BCBS here after my $5K deductible but wanted to go to the teacher Again, MAKE SURE THE DOCTOR YOU USE IS EXPERIENCED AND HAS IMPECCABLE REFERENCES. Don't go somewhere just because they're "cheap". This is your health you're talking about!!

Agreed. Let me stress that I had only thrown up 4 times in 24 hours. Each time I threw up, I felt great for hours until about an hour before I threw up again. I, along with two of my doctors, thought it was nothing but 1. a reaction to the antibiotics I was given in recent days 2. a virus 3. food poisoning. It wasn't until a little blood starting coming up that I went to the ER. Once I was in ER I was throwing up every hour or so. Again, I don't remember much of it, but do remember even vomiting during the endoscopy (that's tricky, lol) and I remember the contents slowly becoming darker and darker. Yes, I should have gotten to the ER sooner, but just thought once I got out whatever was causing the problem, I'd be OK :rolleyes2:

I had been using Fill Centers USA and had a relatively small fill of 1.6cc in a 4cc band. The last fill had been....gosh, maybe 2+ months before all this happened and I was, in fact, thinking of getting another fill. The times I was really tight was during my period and 3 weeks prior to all this happening I had a hysterectomy and went from having a period every day (and being restricted) to little/no restriction. My personal doctor called the ER to let them know about the band AND I told them when I got there that I had the band. Hindsight being 20/20 I guess I should have forced them to remove the fill, but after 24+ hours of vomiting and then reacting to the anti-nausea meds, I was pretty much out of it. It was the general surgeon who was called in when the endo showed the necrosis who finally removed the fill. He hit the port on the first try too! So they had the right syringes (I've heard stories where some hospitals don't even have the right size syringe for an unfill) AND THEY HAD A WLS GROUP IN THE HOSPITAL that for some reason they left out of the equation. After this experience I swear I think they put the bottom of the rung doctors and nurses on the ER shift (I apologize in advance to anyone who works these shifts, but that's just my experience here). Once the "real" doctors were brought to the party, things started to get fixed, but by then, of course, it was too late. The ER's biggest and ONLY concern was getting barium in me so they could do a CT WITH contrast and the only way they saw to do that was to pump me full of anti-nausea meds even after they 1. saw they weren't working and 2. saw I was reacting to them. I have contacted a malpractice attorney just to go through the paperwork and see what did and didn't happen. Once I have more details I'll post them in this thread. They may have done EVERYTHING right, but I want to know what happened. It's sad/funny but while I was hallucinating, I was apparently making up stories on why they should keep the band in there. One that I told my Dad was that there was a 12 month guarantee on it and if I could keep it there for 12 months and something went wrong, I could get it replaced for free. Where in the world my drug fried psychotic brain came up with THIS, is beyond me, lol. I don't even remember saying it (it was during one of the 3+ days I don't remember ANYTHING). I must not have been a very good liar :smile:

Tried to do a Google search but couldn't come up with any pics - does that mean the pouch has necrosis? If so, that's not what happened - it was the very bottom of my stomach that died - the area furthest from the band. The upper stomach is what I still have. If this IS what happened, is there something that could have been done to prevent it?

When I recently had to have my band removed, it was shocking how many people said "Why in the world would you go to MEXICO?!". Well, first and foremost is that my doctor has done thousands of lapbands and has taught many of the doctors in the states. Why go to the student if you can go to the teacher? The care there was like the "rich folk" experience - 4 of us and and 2 nurses 24 hours a day. Huge comfy rooms, we stayed overnight, doctor gave us so many numbers to call if there was a problem that he even gave us his own personal cell phone number. BTW, when I was forced to have my band removed, the surgeon, who gave me a VERY stern lecture about having a band at all "You don't put foreign objects in your body" said it was one of the best placed bands he'd ever seen. I also had no problem getting a doctor to see me locally for any issues though I choose to fly back to TJ for all but the emergency issue (see my thread in the "Life after lap band removal" for more info on that). I am hoping in a year or so I will be allowed to get another lapband. If so, I will be back with Dr. Ortiz :biggrin:

Oh no, no offense at all - just wanted to clear it up I swear, I just spent 3 days on a small "vacation" and I was SOOOOOOOOOO missing my band :smile: I've had no control over food for 46 years, it ain't like I suddenly have it after 9 months of the band

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f79/great-while-lasted-49338/

The band didn't slip and really had nothing to do with the stomach "dying". Because they didn't remove the fill, my stomach basically doubled over itself (look at a picture of the stomach and the right side started doubling over itself trying to get out whatever toxins (flu, food poisoning, antibiotics) that weren't flowing out as fast as they should have been due to the band being full. In addition, it left the toxins in my stomach when the natural reaction is for the stomach to get rid of them during vomiting. I'll know more once I get the entire report from my attorney and will certainly let you know, but so far, not ONE SINGLE DOCTOR has said the band was at fault, slipped, or had ANY negative factor except it should have been unfilled before it was.

Allison, as mentioned in your other thread, I've sent you a PM regarding a surgeon in ATL.

Allison, I recently had to have mine removed (along with 1/2 my stomach) because the doctors at the hospital were too unfamiliar with the lapband to take my fill out. The surgeon who took the lapband (and my stomach out) was the only one who was smart enough to remove the fill before I got worse. By then though, the damage was done. I will PM you with his contact information. He is in Alpharetta and works out of North Fulton Regional.

I had an ulcer several years ago and due to taking a lot of migraine medications, have been taking Prevacid for years. I've never had ANY reflux problems until my last fill. Now I'm constantly burping and feeling like air's in my esophagus every time I eat. Even in the middle of the night I'll wake up burping. I have an appointment with my regular doctor on Monday and I'm going to see if there's something I can do. I guess it's not getting to where the Prevacid normally works as it seems to happen before it gets lower.

I'm on the other side - I know I don't get anywhere NEAR the amount of Protein I'm supposed to be getting I don't cook so that causes problems. There's a place about an hour away that make meals you can pick up fresh 1-2 times a week to heat up in the micro. I'm going to try that. I tried one that shipped stuff frozen but honestly it tasted nasty. I'm also going tomorrow to buy a lot of lean meat and just grill a bunch so I can micro them over the week. ARGH!

I could be wrong (I often am ) but I believe doctors in Mexico have been doing the lapband procedure longer than those in Canada. Do you have some info on that? Money isn't the issue for me, personally, it's finding the best doctor with the most experience and best reputation.

I think I paid Dr. Romero in TJ $100 for Fluro. Fill Centers USA I paid $499 total for first visit (fluro) and $275 each additional fill with a 72 hour free unfill if you're overfilled.

When I was overfilled, I was literally PBing on my own spit. NOTHING would stay down. While you're on fluids, try some broth. Being warm you will probably be able to get more down, especially in the AM. You may be a little irritated (physically, not mentally ) which is making it tighter too. I'd give it a couple more days and then see how you feel.

Wow - I wonder if he's doing so many bands he doesn't have time for extra fills (though it seems to me it's a $$$ maker and he could hire someone) or if he's having second thoughts about providing aftercare for patients that aren't his. There was a girl from KY when I got a fill in Roswell (suburb of Atlanta) a couple of weeks ago. If worse comes to worse, you could drive here. I know she comes in 2 times a month over the weekend and is EXCELLENT.

OK, apparently Darlene only put 1.2 in my band 2 weeks ago. Yesterday she added another .2 so NOW my total is 1.4 (which was what I was thinking it already was....). I felt restriction in the office and it showed up during the fluro, but even though it's only been 2 days, I'm back to feeling no restriction again Hopefully I'll be one of those that "tightens up after a week or so" or Darlene's going to be able to buy a boat and name it after me!!

Unless it's changed since 2 weeks ago it's $499 for your first fill in Roswell.