Carrie E

Do I go for it one more time????? Here goes......I was banded on Feb 19, 2007 at Kansas University Med Ctr in Kansas City, by Dr. Selim. My stomach was lacerated (accident) during surgery. I was irragated, patched up, and the band placed. Left bottom lobe of lung collapsed the next day. Stayed in the hospital from Monday to Thursday. They tried to send me home Wednesday but I took my own temp and found that I had a fever. They kept me one more night and I went 24hrs without fever, home on Thursday. Sunday started chilling and fever. Monday night went to ER in Springfield, MO. Spent the entire night there doing ct scans and tests. I read, later, in those notes that they believed I had damage to my spleen, as well. They offered me an ambulance to KC but we chose to drive the 4hrs. Spent one week waiting, waiting, waiting. I think the docs were thinking that it was pneumonia from my lung problem. When doctor decided to take out band I was in surgery in less than an hour. I was supposed to have my port when I woke up BUT...I didn't know I'd wake up in ICU with tubes going up my nose, down into my stomach, two drain tubes coming out of the left side of me, and a large open wound where the port had to be taken out. I had two types of strep infections and the worst staph infection you can get. I spent another week in hospital and before sending me home they put an IV Pick line in my left arm so that I could change my antibiotic IV bag every 24hrs. They arranged for a home nurse who came to see me 1x's per week for 2 wks. They showed me how to change the packing in my 2" long 1.5" deep open wound. Thank God my neighbor is my primary physician and my friend!!! She came over 2x's per day and changed it for me until it got to a depth and size that I was comfortable to do it myself (about 1.5 months). I missed 5 weeks of work and I had only taken 1 week off, for my outpatient surgery!! I had air around my diaphragm for weeks that was sooooooooo painful I was on Oxycodone for a long time. The doc that did my band, had my primary order a CT scan and to this day, about 7wks later, HE hasn't made sure that I have the results!! Luckily, my primary is my friend!!! She let me know that the pain was the air and she started me on the pain therapy that I needed to start feeling better and getting me back to work!! So May 19th was 3 months from the band application and it was the last day that I felt the air bubbles in my back around my left lung!!! I've been off of pain meds for a few weeks now and I'm finally starting to feel like normal again. The infectious disease doctors said that the germs that came out of my stomach, when it was accidently lacerated, is what probably caused the infections around my band, then all the way down the tube and around the port. Here's what I'm thinking and most of my friends think I'm totally insane!! I want to go back, to the same doctor, and have the band put on again. My husband doesn't want me to go to the same doctor. I am a forgiving person and I also know that accidents happen and what happened to me was just a FREAK SERIES OF EVENTS!!!! I also think that if I use the same hospital and the same doctor, that I would probably get extra special treatment and they would really take care to do a really good job. My doctor specializes in the liver and a transplant doctor for crying out loud, it's not like I'm seeing a student!!! He's done thousands of bands and this was the first time anything like this has happened to him. You should have seen the devestation on his face after the second, much longer, surgery!!! You can't fake that! My kids are 16, 13, 11, and 6. The 6 year old doesn't want me to do it again because I was "gone too long". I'm thinking of bringing him this time and I'm planning on walking out of the hospital the same day, this time!!! So what do you all think?????????????????? Carrie Banded 2-19-07 UnBanded 3-2-07 Lost 22 pounds and holding now See doctor again 6-7-07 Try again????????????

Thought I'd stop in and let you know what I'm leaning towards this time! First let me say, Dr. Selim probably has not done THOUSANDS of bands but rather HUNDREDS. Sorry for misleading there. That does not change what he did during my surgery to cause my complications or that I have no band and how hard it's going to be to find a doctor that will fight this scar tissue inside of me now to attempt another surgery! I did sign off on the possibility of infected band but not on infection caused by doctor cutting hole in stomach. I still haven't heard from my doctor on the CT scan he ordered for me back in early April, when I called for more pain meds. And I still haven't talked to a human in his office since early April. I really think that if he ever acted like he cared about what happened to me, I'd have had that band put back on this past month! If it wasn't for my primary care doctor, I would have had to quit my job! She put me on the pain control therapy that made it possible for me to go to work, which made me to be up and moving all day long (just 3 days a week the first 2 weeks, 4 days the next week) Being up and moving all day caused me to heal so much faster and start feeling better. I have a great primary! There were other problems related to my surgery that she helped me with, yeast infections and depression! I'm off of all prescription meds now! Just have to take Aleve or Ibuprofin. My open wound healed very nicely. All scars still hurt a little and I think it must be the scar tissue that makes me hurt inside. I just couldn't force myself to go back to KU on the 7th of June and I'm leaning towards the Mini Gastric Bypass or MGB, that my mother had 4 years ago. I wanted the band for the obvious reasons however the MGB is reversible. I will wait a year for my body to heal, so it'll be next spring. I'm not sure if I'll be able to have it because of the scar tissue from infection around the band, down the tubing, and around the port. I talked to the doctor ON HIS CELL PHONE for over 20 minutes one day and he did not say NO (yet) He will have to see all my notes on both surgeries and a CT scan. Dr. Hargroder is in Joplin, Mo. I still have alot of time to research but I think this is the route I will end up going. There is a 2 year limitation on filing suite and if I'm unable to find a doctor to do another surgery, then I may file. I don't want a "decent surgeon" I want an "great and compassionate surgeon"

drcollier, How do you get Dr. Selim to pay attention to you? Do you know his cell number? How many times do you have to call his office before you get a real person or a call back? Did your surgery go without any complications? Perhaps if mine had gone without complications (caused by the doctor), I would be very happy with him and my band. I wonder if he mentions me when talking to knew patients? I asked what and how many complications he's ever had and at that point he'd had a couple of slips and a couple of flipped ports, if I remember correctly. You are right about the bands that he's placed. I think I got a little excited while typing and meant to type hundreds, I am sorry about that, in anycase he's done alot. I do appreciate your thoughts and I'm very happy for your success!

Thanks EVERYONE for your thoughts. It's the first time I've really had time to think about things with the help of people who can relate (sort of!!LOL) I've been researching the Mini Gastric Bypass this week. It's reversible, the whole reason I chose the band. What do you think about this bypass??? By the way, my husband is "all about" the lawyer thing!!

I was wondering just how long to wait to heal?! 3 months isn't long enough?? My doctor wanted to put the band back on 5 weeks after taking it off! At five weeks post-2nd-op, I was still on serious pain meds, and anti depression meds, having problems with bowels, yeast, and I'd just gone back to work! My primary doctors NURSE told me not to do the band again and go for a gastric bypass!! My husband is so angry with my "after care" from my surgeon that he says he doesn't know if he'd be able to go with me if I let Dr. Selim do it again. It's not because he doesn't want me to have surgery, it's because he doesn't even want to see the doctors face again!! What I'm hearing is; Wait longer (I so don't want to!LOL But, will if it's best for my body). Have the bypass instead of a band, and change doctors!! I have BC/BS Federal and St. Johns won't take it anymore BUT my insurance will pay a % after, when I file. I may look into that doctor in Springfield although after this mess, I'm kinda out of ALOT of money!LOL If I let the same doctor do a retry, it will be a "freebie", I'm sure. I also think I'll look into the University of Missouri and a gastric bypass. You have all been so helpful and encouraging!! I have much to think and pray about now! What do you all think about the bypass???? My mom had a mini-gastric bypass. I didn't want something so invasive and she has gas and diarrhea all the time!! She is too smelly to be around sometimes!! I really think it's because she doesn't eat right, though!! Do people that are banded have that problem?? My husband is not for bypass! Too serious of a surgery and too permanant, he says. I want something permanant! Carrie

Oxycodone, my dear!!! You're doctor won't want to give it to you BUT he may be compassionate enough. You need to move, move, move, and move some more! The more you move the quicker you'll start feeling better!! I thought I would die the first two weeks back to work but the more I worked the better I felt, every day. I work with 15 little 3 year olds. Up and down, up and down, on my feet all day long. When I got home, I'd eat and go straight to bed!! Asleep by 4:30 or 5:00pm. I didn't have the pain in the places that you are describing, I had a large air pocket around my diaphragm.....WOW, THAT HURTS!!!

I call my insurance to find out what doctors and what hospitals do what I need or would like to have done (the band) and they help me figure out how to use their web sight or just give me the info over the phone. I went to a seminar first and then saw my family doctor and asked her to write me a letter of necessity and send it to my insurance (my insurance wouldn't pay for that visit but it was minimal cost) My doctor was perfectly happy to. Then the Surgical Weight Loss Center filed with my insurance and called me back to let me know which Doctor, in their practice, was in my network and that I couldn't use their new facility BUT the doctor that I had to use also did the surgery at KU Med in Kansis City (in my network) and I was in surgery 2wks later! I did it backwards but it happened to work out for me! Call your insurance and DON'T BE AFRAID OF THEM or being turned down!!! The lady I talked to at my insurance company, was asking me all kinds of questions about the lapband because she was interested in getting it done, too! Best of luck!! Get busy doing it, you'll kick yourself later for letting so much weight losing time go by.........I'm still kicking myself

I was approved in December or January and my approval was good through the June 1! Maybe your insurance does a similar thing?? I would find out or keep myself "Just Fat Enough" until I'm done nursing. I'd NEVER give up nursing!! I also have 4 kids and lost all my baby fat plus more after each baby, because I nursed them, dieted, and excersized at the same time! My thyroid went nutso a few years ago and I gained about 100lbs in less than 6 months, after they killed my thyroid. Now I'm just too old (38) and too tired to try to get all this 140lbs off by myself!!! Do what you have to, it's worth it!!

My doctor said NO coke, bread, and beef for life!!

Oh my! I sure hope I can eat popcorn, after banding, as I have a $500 popcorn maker for my family!!! I do have a large family and we have popcorn several times a week!! It's great fiber you know!!!LOL

My Mom had a gastric bypass and is sometimes unbearable to be around because of smelly gas and diarrhea. I think it's because she doesn't eat properly. Maybe I'm wrong. Would some of you that have been banded several years tell me honestly if you have problems with these things or does it happen when you eat the wrong things??? Banded 2-19-07 DeBanded 3-2-07 due to strep/staph infections Down 22 pounds and holding Trying again??????????