TENGAL

Hi Folks, I have just suffered removal of my band on 7/6/08 due to complications from gall bladder surgery that went wrong = peritonitis! I was banded on 7/18/07. The Dr. who installed my band removed the gall bladder laproscopically 0n 7/3/08, but said there was a large stone in the bile duct and that he didn't want to remove it because the hospital would not supply the instrument needed for such a procedure and made the Drs. use an ob-gyn instrument instead. He said he was calling in a "specialist" who could do it more successfully. The "specialist" succeeded in perforating an intestine while his anesthesiologist was partially collapsing a lung! Aftrerwards, I was kept in the hospital overnight, all the time having trouble breathing and having increasing abdominal pain. In the meantime, my lapband Dr. who removed the gall bladder had gone on vacation (he had already told me he was going), but left another Dr. in charge of his patients. The next morning, the "specialist" was preparing to send me home, but the Dr. substituing for my Lapband Dr.(on vacation) came into the room just in time to begin disputing with the "specialist" about sending me home because the lab reports showed that I had a very high (and esculating) white blood count, whereupon this Dr.(substituing for my lapband Dr.) asked me if he could do a CAT scan. Soon afterwards,he called from the O.R. saying he was prepping for surgery because I had a life threatening infection = peritonitis! I was taken to surgery immediately for an exploratory laparotomy, following which I spent 6 days in ICU and another 8 on a regular floor. I came out of surgery with a chest tube, a feeding tube, a drainage tube, and multible I.V.s = 3 poles worth! The Dr. said he had to remove my LapBand while he was in there. He also told my husband that he just hated to have to go behind someone else and "....straighten out their mess!" My husband asked if the mess was from the first Dr.(my lapband Dr.) or the second (the specialist), and the Dr. said, "The second." The long and the short of it is, I no longer have a band due to no fault of my own and I am sure my insurance company will not want to spring for the cost of another one! The only good thing that came from this terrible experience is that I lost the last 25 lbs. of my goal weight! Is this not a horror story, or what ! Ten Gal

:hungry: I was banded on 7/18 and dropped a quick 25 pounds, but now I have slipped into my old habits of snacking between meals and also of overeating. Even though I know I will be uncomfortable, I still overeat. As a result, I have stopped losing weight. I had my first fill about 3 weeks ago and am scheduled to go back to the Dr. on 10/16. I'll be mortified if I have gained weight! Anyone want to fuss at me? I think I need it! TenGal

Thanks for your reply. The irony of it is, I only have a total of 75 lbs. to lose, of which I have already lost 22. The Dr. said his other "stubborn fill" case was a lady much, much larger than I. So, go figure. Anyway, that's behind me and I'm looking forward to losing more weight. Since I was only 75 lbs. overweight, the Dr. didn't give me much hope that my insurance was going to pay for the Band, but wonder of all wonders, they did. For one thing, I have had high blood pressure for years (untreated most of that time) and it was beginning to affect my kidneys, plus I am diabetic. I had tried dieting off and on for years and always gained the weight back plus some. That's probably why they approved it. I'm just glad they did. Nice hearing from you. TenGal

:rain: Hi Folks, Went for my first fill in the Dr.'s office, fifty miles away, this past Wednesday and guess what? He couldn't get the needle into the port after two sticks and lots of probing. So, I ended up having to go to the O.P. Surgical unit of the hospital today (another 100 miles round trip) to have it done under X-Ray, which cost me $100.00 co-pay. Ouch!! I can't afford this! I don't know what I'll do if each fill has to be done this way. My Dr. says I'm only the second patient of his who has had to go to the Hosp. for a fill. Did anyone else have this experience? TenGal

Hi Robbi, I live in Winchester, TN. I was banded on 7/18 in Huntsville, AL (closer to me) and went for my first fill yesterday. However, the Dr. could never get the needle to go into the port. He tried twice, probing each time. Not fun! So, now I get to go back to Huntsville early in the morning to the O.P. surgical clinic to have it done under floroscope (sp ?). He said I was only the second patient he had had trouble with like that. The bad thing is that it will cost me a $100 co-pay to have it done at the surgical suite. I can't afford this if I have to get every fill done that way! Anybody else have this trouble? By the way, I lost 20 lbs. before my first pre-op visit. TenGal

Robbie, I had my surgery on 7/18 and will have my first fill on 8/28. In the meantime, I have lost 20 lbs. Congratulations on your decision to get banded. Please be advised, though, that you must develop a strict discipline about your eating habits, etc. I had an especially hard time with having to drink only Clear liquids for a while, then only creamed Soups, Jello, etc., and now I'm in pureed foods for a month. That has been especially hard for me. We tried to Celebrate our anniversary last night by going out to eat, but I could only eat Soup while watching my husband eat a big, juicy steak! You'll have good days and bad days and that's when everybody on this website can help bolster you up again, so don't fail to get on there whenever you have a question or problem. Keep us updated. TenGal

Thanks everybody for your encouragement with the pureed food stage of my recovery. I will try harder to endure. TenGal

:help: I was banded on 7/18 and made it through the Clear liquids and then the creams, etc. Now I'm on pureed food going into my second week and must stay on it for one month! I don't think I can do it. I am nauseated by the looks of the food I puree and then can't eat it. I don't think I can do this any more!!!!!!!!!!!!! TenGal

:confused: Hey Y'all! I have been miserable with diarrhea all day today = first day on thick liquids and 8th day post-op. So, I came to this website and typed in the key word "diarrhea" and found that this problem is not unusual. Also, learned that Slimfast shakes can give it to you. Ironically, I had one this morning as my first "unclear" liquid. You can bet that the rest of them will go into the trash! This website is sooooooooooo helpful! It saved me from calling the Dr., who is 50 miles away, and whose staff are all on autophone messaging and say they will call you back within 48 hrs.; yes, you read it right, forty-eight hours! And they usually take most of those 48 before returning your call. Anyway, thanks for all your input into this embarrassing subject. TenGal

I finally gave up and took an enema Sat. What I passed was from my last meal, which was two days before surgery. Since then I haven't had a BM or even a feeling that I need to go. I'm going to try the Gerber apple prune that others suggest. Thanks for the suggestions everybody. TenGal

:help: I am 4 days post-op and still on Clear liquids (for 3 more days). Every morning I awaken with terrible nausea and with a horrible taste in my mouth. The bad taste I can deal with, but the nausea is too much! Does anyone have a clue as to why this nausea is occurring? Will it ever go away? I have suppositories for nausea, prescribed for me before the surgery, but I haven't used them yet. I also hate to start out the morning on suppositories. Should I go ahead? Thanks, TenGal

Thanks FaithMD. I am 3 days post-op and have been sitting here going through all the doubts and emotions that you described, including depression. You give me hope. Maybe when I can start on something besides liquids, I will feel better. Right now, I have no energy and have to make myself get up and walk across the room for another glass of water! I really go into a blue funk when I have to go prepare my husband a delicious meal and I can only look at it and wish! Maybe in time.............. TenGal

As usual with me, there were some problems. First, I had been told by several different doctors that my hiatal hernia was small. It wasn't! The surgeon doing my lapband said my stomach was up in my chest, so he had to get it out and then repair the large hernia. Also, I had a lot of adhesions from previous abdominal surgery, so he had to cut those loose and said he didn't get them all. Naturally, the surgery took longer than he thought and I am very, very sore. Frankly, I'm looking forward to better days. Good luck with yours. TenGal