not2big42long

Hi Lisa, Glad to hear you are back on the healing track. A small amount of serous Fluid is normal and actually a good thing, it's just when it gets like yours did before that it becomes harmful. A short explanation of serous fluid, as your wound heals there is usually a certain amount of Serous fluid, this stuff helps to dilute the toxins produced by bacteria and toxic products being released from dying cells. In addition, the serous fluid helps to carry plasma Proteins and leukocytes to the wound site. Lastly, the serous fluid assists in removing bacterial toxins, dead cells, debris, and other products of inflammation. Hope this helps. As long as you have drainage I would keep a bandage on it just to protect your clothes and keep them from sticking to your incision. Having been through this before you know what to look for... Usually it's OK to take a shower but not baths until the wound is healed. Maybe you should take that picture with the red glove and the exposed port tubing and post it on Lopez's web site to show his outcomes. You might just hear from him then! Take Care, Kathy P.S. Any weight loss is weight loss you can count!!

I have to be honest and say I have been feeling the same way. Thanks for being honest and making me feel like I'm not the only one out there being completely unrealistically paranoid.

Welcome and good luck tomorrow on your entrance to Bandlandia!!!

My thoughts are with you both!! I just want to rush you both in to the operating room and fix you myself. I'm sure if Gross Darcy was with me we could do it!!! :( I feel like I am on pins and needles just waiting to find out how everything is going to go for you both. I can't imagine how it must feel for you. Kathy

Wow, impressive red hot circle, and no one was concerned about this but you??? Being a nurse it must have scared the crap out of you!! What part of good aftercare does Lopez not understand?? Take Care, Kathy

Hi Francesca, Congrats on the weight loss. :( But you've got incredible restriction. You should not be PBing so frequently (not good for you or the band) and shouldn't at five weeks still have to be on liquids. Just to make sure everything is OK I would call your doctor and ask him/her about it. You should be able to eat most soft foods by five weeks. How is your appetite? Do you get hungry? What are you supplementing your diet with......are you drinking Protein drinks or taking any Vitamins, etc.??? Take Care, Kathy

Hi Lisa, It's great that your spirits are up again. I'm glad to hear all is going to be taken care of. Hopefully Lopez will learn something with all of this. I think it's a good decision to change physicians, I would be a little concerned to let him touch me again for fear he won't be there again should you need him. Take care and good luck. Here's hoping the infection is all gone and they can just sew you up!!! Kathy

Come on Lisa, You know you ROCK!!!!!!

I wish I knew what to say!! But I don't and I know you will do fine. But I truly wish I could kick Lopez's butt. Maybe if you put a bull's eye there (his website?) I could pretend that I indeed had. Let him know from all of those affected that he needs to understand how disheartening it is to know there is no one to help when you need it! No........you ROCK Lisa.

I have to be honest and I wish I would have gone home. I was interupted every couple of hours for vitals and given pain meds that messed with my head. And on top of it, because of the meds they put me on O2, via nose cannula, because when I had the chance to sleep, because of the pain meds my oxygen sats would go down. Believe me, the nurses only have your best interest at heart but, if you are a normally healthy person, same day surgery is the way to go. Your support should be in place before surgery....but if the support isn't there, maybe you should think about what the doc is saying. "Maybe I'll have enough pain meds on board that I will doze peacefully...hmmmm..." NOT!!! They will wake you even if you are peacefully sleeping. "I won't have anyone at home so it would be peacful and quiet... no beeping IV's or call lights... no vital signs every shift... no dragging a pole with me every time I need to tinkle... Hmmmm... things to think about..." I have to reconsider at this point.....If you don't have anyone with you, who is going to be there should something go awry??? Maybe you should stay and have someone available should you have a problem. Just the medicine in me.....I would want someone around just to take care of me.... The decision of course is ultimately yours. We all just give our advice for what it is worth and you have make your own choices. But, of course mine is right - ha ha!!!, honestly I hope all goes well for you. Take Care, Kathy

Hi Lisa, Although the news isn't great, I'm so glad you finally got a hold of Lopez. My thought on your port is similar to Donali and Vera, that he is going to remove the infected port and part of the tubing and replace it with a new port in a new location. We have done that a couple of times at the hospital I work at for infected ports. Usually they do a laparoscopy to make sure the band is OK and then bring the tube up through an incision in a different area. Then they clean up the old port site and then depending on whether there is still infection in the area they either close it or pack it like they have been doing the last couple of days. Maybe you should ask about getting a fill at the same time. If they aren't worried about the band and you're stomach has healed well around the band, there shouldn't be a reason why they can't. :( What are they doing for your infected site till Saturday? How are they protecting the tubing? Just curious....... Keep your chin up, easy for me to say, and remember we are all praying for you! Drive careful and let Dr. Lopez have it when you get there!!!!

Hi Lisa, Definition of a black cloud: For a sufficiently thick cloud (that has sufficient optical thickness) a bunch of the light is scattered back in the general direction from which it came as well as sideways and forwards, to there's just not as much light getting "through" the cloud to the ground. Up in the sky, thin clouds (like cirrus clouds) usually look white, but not thick clouds. The thicker ones look dark, but they are really just darker than the sky. It is the contrast that makes them look "black". We, along with all your friends and family will hopefully be the light getting "through" the cloud your in right now and keep the one constantly wavering above your head white and fluffy. Just an attempt at a little humor. Hope your feeling a lot better today. Take Care, Kathy

Hi Kathy, You don't need a fill until you feel like you need one. And the hunger for me was the first clue I needed one. But there are some that have gone a full year before they needed one. Dr. Clinch just won't do one until six weeks post-op, so you have had that time to heal and the band is securely in place. No the fill didn't hurt. He injects lidocaine so the whole area is numb. It only took about 5 minutes in all. After he injects the saline, he has you drink to see how it feels. He charges $200 and what I like is he takes care of you as a whole patient not just a quick fill. So if you have any questions make sure you take them with you. Let me know when you make your appointment and I will make sure to make the time to meet with you. Take Care and Congrats on the weight loss!!! Kathy

Hi Again, I had been working on my post for some time and didn't see yours until I had posted mine. Thats great that you finally got through to someone and your mind can be put at ease. I basically heard the same thing from my doc. My concern was genuine, though I fear I scared you more than I meant to. I'm glad to hear you didn't stop until you got the answers you needed. Take Care, Kathy

Hi Lisa, It sounds like your wound is doing well and I am sure you will sail through this with flying colors. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare the bejebers out of you, I know you are doing everything you can to get care and I thought maybe the hospital close to you would have someone on call for bands as the hospital I work at does. I just got done talking to the surgeon who did my band and he said that you did the right thing by getting the care where you could and to just make sure you go and see your doc tomorrow. It does not sound like you have an abdominal infection, they can be silent at first but usually you will run a fever, have pretty severe abdominal pain, nausea, and feel very lethargic and again it doesn't sound like you have any of those symptoms and I am sure everything is OK!!! Again, I didn't want to scare you but I also wanted to make sure you were being taken care. A lot of times anymore good medical care is truly up to the patient and how hard they push for it. I'm sorry this has been such an ordeal. Like Kathy said it just isn't right that you can't get a hold of someone that knows about you and your band. I am sure all will be well and you will soon be your perky self. Sorry again and Take Care, Kathy

Hi Lisa, I have been catching up on the boards and read through this one. Having your port site infected is something to be concerned about. The infection can track down the tubing from your port to your band and cause a major abdominal infection. Because the rubber has no blood supply antibiotics cannot effectively kill the germs that might be surrounding the port/tubing/band. This should be looked at quickly by a surgeon with band knowledge. Peritonitis (abdominal infection) can rapidly progress into a life threatening problem. I don't mean to scare you but I have seen a few bands come through that have been infected, not a pretty site, and they have had to be removed and couldn't be replaced until the infection had cleared up. Just for your own safety and peace of mind I would go see someone today if possible. Hope all goes well!!! Kathy

Hi Kathy, His name is Dr. Clinch, phone number is 425-899-5500, and when I talked to him yesterday he said to call and make an appointment around the sixth week. Wow you have lost almost 20 pounds so far, that's great!! I was like you and wasn't hungry at first but around the fifth week post-op my appetite came back in full force. Supposedly that is one of the signs that you need a fill soon. I have had one fill of 1cc and have been so busy working that I haven't taken the time to get another one. If my scale is right I am down around 40-45 pounds. I'm not really even sure I need another fill yet. The band is a funny thing. Some days I can eat like the band isn't even there and then others I find I can't eat much at all. Maybe when you come up for a fill we can meet. I work at the hospital right across the street from his office. We also have a great support group that meets at the hospital the second Monday of the month. We are spinning off a second one because the first one has gotten so large. It's fun to go and see how everyone is shrinking. Take Care, Kathy

Hi Kathy, I live in Renton but frequently go south to Olympia to see in-laws. Castle Rock is just a little further maybe we could meet up one day. Let me know.:cool: Kathy

Ooops I meant to say 2 months but I guess it's almost 2 1/2. It feels like I've had it a lot longer. :cool:

Hi Cindy, He let me eat soft foods as I could tolerate them. At two weeks I was eating soft foods but still was restricted from the swelling from the surgery so I couldn't consume much. Just don't push it, this is the time for healing. Make sure you are getting enough Protein and fluids. The protein helps with the healing process. I found the Protein shakes really helpful and filling. Has your appetite come back yet? My came back with a vengence around the fifth week post-op. Thats a good sign you've healed and you are getting ready for your first fill.:cool: Take Care, Kathy

Way to go Cindy, Welcome to bandlandia!! The road is not without it's bumps but the good thing is that we are here to help you through this journey with us. We are all on the journey together. Let us know what we can do to help. And good luck!! Kathy:)

Hi Kim, Just go for it. You truly won't regret it and you will have your day with those that scorn you. When they try to say you took the easy way you tell them you care enough about yourself that you took the way that would allow you to survive. We all here are proud that you took this step. You won't regret it. I am 3 months out and almost 45 pounds down. Amazing!!! There are some of us that just need a little boost but then we fly!!! Take Care, Kathy:)

Hope all goes well for you and see you on the other side!!! Kathy

Thankls Donali, My husband and I had a great time with these!!!

I live in Renton, Wa and have been banded for 8 weeks. I can try to answer your questions but also go to the general forum and look around there is a wealth of information there. It's nice that there are beginning to be quite a few of us talking here in Washington. I found this questionaire online a while back. Being a well-informed patient is good for you and good for your doctor. Here are some of the questions you should ask before deciding on a bariatric surgeon: ·What types of obesity surgery procedures have you performed? ·How many of each weight loss procedure have you performed? ·Can this surgery be performed using minimally invasive techniques? ·Can I be considered a candidate for surgery even though I have one or more associated health conditions related to my obesity? ·Which weight loss procedure is best for me? Why? What are the risks involved? ·How long will I be in surgery? ·What is the length of my anticipated hospital stay? ·How long will it be before I can return to pre-surgery levels of activity? ·How will my eating habit change? ·Do you have information about obesity surgery costs and payment options? ·What is the typical excess weight loss and improvement of associated health conditions for your other patients? ·Do you have patients who are willing to share their experiences, both positive and negative? ·What information can you give me to help family and friends better understand this surgery? ·What type of long-term, after-care services (such as support groups and counseling) can you provide for me? ·What do you expect from me if I decide to choose a surgical solution? Hope this helps.