jojo7

I had the infection at the beginning and they believed it healed with IV antibiotics and the wound did close but then the infection came back and they had to open the wound and then it would not close. Not sure if the infection ever did truly go away or just lingered. Now that it is over I think of it as a bump in the road toward my goal. At the time it seemed like a mountain to climb blocking my road. I know it is tough because I've been there. I've done the whole "why did I do this". I got though it and so will you. It will be worth it in the end. Good luck and try to keep thinking of the future. I know at 123 pounds lighter my future is definately brighter. I have 50 pounds left to lose and I'm going to focus (that really means get my butt out and excercise) and try and get them off by Christmas.

Evidently my doctor uses two size ports. The low profile port is harder to fill so he does not use it on anyone who has a lot of weight to lose. But after you lose the weight a lot of people opt to put in a low profile so it does not stick out as much. I had lost over 100 pounds before the port replacement so I felt it would be a good time for me to switch. The less surgery the better for me. I'm a poor healer. He tried to talk me out of it but I was adamant that is what I wanted. Now that I know I probably will never get a fill, I'm so glad I got the low profile port. It is not as big of a problem now that it is in my lower belly vs between my breasts. Before it interfered with my underwire. I told him that was a bad place before surgery but he said that is where he puts them all. Not any more. I'm always ahead of the time. :biggrin2:

When my port was removed I had no fill due to other complications. It was out for 6 weeks while I healed. Then a new port was put in and I let my doctor talk me into allowing him to fill me on the table. I had to eventually have that fill removed because when my band has fill it changes the shape of my stomach and causes me to build up gas and then throw up gas. Very uncomfortable. The symptoms from the infection were clear. I was first red and had a bump where my stitch was. The doctor opened me up and clean out the infection but I would not heal properly. I had an open wound I took care of for about 4 weeks. I kept telling him something was wrong and the port had come to the surface and he said I was crazy. It was only after I made him pack the wound and he hit the port that he decided I needed it removed. Again I had no fill so it was not big deal. I still have no fill in my band and I'm doing fine. Since banding I really am rarely hungry. I do have some willpower and when I don't the band is there and stops me.

I'd do it again and I'd recommend it but mine was not without problems. I had an infection in the port right after surgery. I didn't eat for a week while and had to get IV antibiotics. Then I was better for a while and then the first fill and all hell broke loose. I was vomiting air for two weeks. Saw a gastroenterologist and lap band doctor (who took out all my fill) and neither could figure it out. Was diagnosed with H Pylori. Took the meds and got better. Then the infection came back. Wouldn't go away so I had to have the port removed. 6 weeks later had it replaced and a small fill (ok I asked for a small fill but the doctor went overboard). Got sick again. Didn't eat for three weeks while both the lap band doctor and gastroenterologist went through the series of tests. Got unfilled again. Finally it went away. It was decided but not known for sure that fills change the shape of my stomach and cause it not to work so I will not be getting a fill. I haven't needed one and have lost 123 pounds in a year. Yes I've been sick but I am so much healthier now and I know without the band I would still be morbidly obese and facing diabetis and high blood pressure and all the other things I was dealing with. I won't say I didn't have days that I said WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING. But now they are in the past and I'm moving forward to loose my last 50 pounds without a fill. I've been on a plateau but I'm starting to excercise and I'm seeing a difference. Good luck and hang in there. No one said it was an easy solution. It takes work. Anything worthwhile usually does.

Yes my original port got infected. I had mine replaced. It was not that bad. I actually had mine put in a new location and opted to put in the low profile port at the same time. It is in a much better location. Before it interfered with my bra underwire.

Missy Congratulations. I'm so happy for you. I'm glad to see that someone else thinks people are looking at them. I was beginning to think I was paranoid. I think it was because I was so uncomfortable with myself before I "knew" everyone was looking and talking about me. Now I think it is because I've gotten a bit more daring in the clothes I wear and I'm still huge on top. I too can buy clothes from the regular department now but still find myself in the woman's department looking. Then if I try it on, it is too big. Good feeling. Best compliment I've gotten was from my mom who was looking for me in a croud at Disney and said I just blend in now. She said she used to be able to spot me in a croud and now she can't. :biggrin2: I don't know if I'm going to make my goal of under 200 pounds by Wednesday. I've had kindof a rough weekend and didn't excercise my butt off like I wanted to. If not be Wednesday, I'm sure I will soon. I've been kindof on a plateau and realize excercise is the only way off. It is so hard for me to find time with my son. I need to just set aside time for me and do it. The band has been such a blessing for me. I want so bad to get one for my sister. I keep hoping I'll come into some money and be able to give it to her as a gift. She has let her health deteriorate over the last few years and is in crisis right now. She is even talking about quitting her job to get health care. She said it is either that or die. Wow what is this world coming too. It is so good to see all the success everyone is having and to hear about all the NSVs.

Hi Everyone I haven't written in a while but as I approach my 1 year mark I wanted some company. My local message board has been dispanded. I miss it. So my losing has slowed recently and I still have a while till goal so I decided to step it up a notch and excercise. I went to a physical trainer to get some things to do at home and I've been swimming, walking, and bike riding whenever possible. My son who is two loves all the excercise and it seems to make both of us sleep better. My next goal is to be under 200 by my anniversary date 6/11/08. One week to lose 4 pounds. Not sure I will get there but I'm going to try. Next week I have to go back for my one year anniversary check and I know my doctor is going to try and get me to get a fill. I am scared to get a fill. I do not ever want to be as sick as I was again. I really thought I was going to end up in a hospital. As long as I'm not gaining I'm going to try and stick it out. I'm so happy so everyone doing so well. I'll check back again soon.

Toni I'm sorry the band caused you problems but don't give up. I don't have fill in mine and will probably never have fill in mine. It turns out the fill changes the shape of my stomach and then it decides not to work and causes me to get sick. You can do it. Just stick to eating the 4 oz meals, 3 times a day and try and excercise when you can. We are all here to support you.

Hi everyone I tested negative for H Pylori and seem to be having similar trouble to Nvalicia and your husband missy. I have what I call an attack. I end up in the bathroom throwing up air into a sink. I've had so many tests now and nowone seems to know what is causing it. I've been to my PCP, a gastroenterologist and back to the lapband doctor. He made me do a 3rd barium swallow (I should be radioactive by now) and everything is moving fine. I feel like everything is moving fine. He says it is not the band. I have had all the fill taken out for the second time. My gasto gave me pills to make my stomach work even though all the tests he put me through show that it is. The latest and greatest combination stopped a 3 week bout with whatever ailes me. I hadn't eaten in 3 weeks and was about to go to the PCP to get fluids and he had me try Zegerit and Arithromycin in pediatric liquid form. Magically the attacks stopped and I've been eating for a week. Then today out of nowwhere I had an attack. As soon as I can get the air out I feel better for a while. The lap band doctor says I'm burping but I keep telling him it is throwing up air. I get flush, my mouth waters and I feel it in the bottom of my stomach. That is no burp I've ever experienced. I'm at my wits end and I was close to removing the band but I can't. I hate that others are having problems but it makes me feel better because it seems in Melbourne I'm the only one. They discontinued our message board (probably because of me) for legal reasons but before they did, no one on it had problems except hunger and too much fill. Since I have no fill, I know that is not it. I'm glad to see everyone doing so well. Missy I looked at your pics and now I have to go do mine. I keep thinking I'm still huge and people tell me I look great but I just can't see it. I remember in high school I lost down to 125 and still felt like I had the fattest thighs. I was on the tennis team and wished my thighs were like Kim's. I recently saw a picture of the two of us and mine were smaller. Really woke me up. I'm trying to see the thinner me.

Don't know if you like to work out at home but there are Zumba videos. I enjoy them. No harsh accents either. I need a good kick in the butt. I went to get my wound checked and it is finally healing. New port in 6 weeks. I can't wait. In the meantime my head is telling me I'm hungry and I can't stop eating. I know this is in my mind because I didn't have fill before they removed the port and I was losing. Now I gained. It was only a couple of pounds but boy did it wake me up. I worked very hard to loose weight and I don't want to get into bad habits. I need to stop eating between meals and eat better meals (especially breakfast). I can't seem to find anything I like. I'm going to look for that protein bar. I also need to work out more. I find so many excuses why I can't and I just need to do it. Ok I feel better. I'm going to get back on track on move forward not backwards.

Missy - I'm glad your husband is doing better. Every time I think about what I went through I think of him and how he had it much worse than me. Also that you probably saved me months of them "trying" to figure out what was wrong with me. I think these message boards are life savers. When I finished my meds, the doctor did a stool test to make sure it was gone. Better than being rescoped. You might want to check into this. I asked him about the breath test and he said he didn't have it because it was expensive to buy what he needs. He said the stool test would work. Anyway, I'm so jealous you are way ahead of me now. I know each of us loose at our own rate and I'm loosing much slower now without fill and being able to eat again now that the H Pylori is gone. I will just have to get my butt out and excercise. So I've been packing my wound and boy is it gross. I don't know how anyone can be a doctor or nurse. Kudos to all of you. I think it looks better but it is hard for me to even look at it. I'm going to have a huge scar in the middle of my stomach. Hey maybe that can become my new belly button later. LOL Thanks for the support. Jo

Hi everyone I haven't posted in a while. I was sick with H Pylori. I've been on my local message board and now the people on it think I should not tell people the problems I've been having and that everything should be positive. I've always said I love my lap band. I have had my share of problems but I think I've kept a positive attitude through most of it. The woman who is our after care coordinator has been so rude to me and when I mentioned it, you would think she had Saint in front of her name. So I'm now discouraged with the whole message board. I liked the support though. So yesterday I had surgery to remove my port and clean up an infection I've had since the lap band was put in. I didn't have any fill and haven't in months because of the H Pylori. I've done well but now I'm scared. I don't want to slip. I shouldn't because I have been loosing without fill but you know how your mind can play tricks on you. I also have a gaping hole in my stomach and get to play nurse and pack it twice a day. When I was deciding what to be in life, nurse and dr were out because I'm squeamish when it comes to blood. I have been dealing with a small hole for 2 months but when I saw this one for the first time today, I was shocked. I can do it. I can do it. I just have to get to my happy place and face the challenge head on. Thanks for listening. Has anyone else had to have their port removed?

Missy I just have to thank you for telling me to go back and read your husbands experiences. I went to the doctor yesterday after reading up on H Pylori and he is now sending me to a gastroenterologist to be tested for H Pylori which he came up with on his own. I took all the literature out of my purse and he was shocked. In the meantime as I wait for an appointment, he perscribed and acid blocker which has helped a lot. If this is what I have, I must not have it as bad as your husband because off and on I can eat. When it flares up I eat nothing. I was at my wits end because I knew it was not esophogial spasms and that is what they kept saying it was. I would have one good week and one bad. I kept track of the flare ups and it seems the lemonade I enjoy so much sets me off. Again thanks for the advise. I feel like I'm on the road to recovery even if I haven't seen the doctor yet. I'm at work today for the first full day in about a week. :clap2: I will keep your husband in my prayers and hope he is doing better.

So I'm feeling better today. At 4 oz at dinner and felt good. I still have a lot of gas but it is not building up like it was causing the nausea and vomiting. I keep hoping this is it and rest will go smooth but I know I'm in for a long haul. It is helpful to read that others struggle too because it seems on the local board nobody has problems. That just frustrates me and makes me feel like there is something wrong with me. Sometimes my doctor makes me feel that way too. Not intentionally. He is great but I have to deal with the after care coordinator before I can see him and she keeps telling me it is esophogial spasms. I don't think it is. Missy I'm going to read back on your husbands trials and tribulations. See if it help me find out what is wrong. Rhonda I had 3 cc in a 10cc band but the after care coordinator thinks that maybe I was overfilled and it caused the problems. After the fill I had excrutiating shoulder pain but it went away in 3 to 4 days. Then I was eating lunch and got something stuck and that is when the tailspin started. I'm not hungry so I think I'm going to hold off on a fill until I have too. I don't want to gain what I've lost so I will get filled but probably 1 cc at a time.

Missy you and I seem to be in the same spot as far as weight loss wanted and where we are. Nice to see. I've been worried because I've been so sick. I've been loosing lots of weight which encourages me to keep going but I'd rather loose slower and not be sick. Last week they took all the fill out of my band to try and make the nausea and dry heaves stop. After not eating for 5 days I was finally able to eat yesterday. Today I've eaten a little but still don't feel 100%. I felt so good like two weeks ago and then went in for 2nd fill. It seems every time they touch me I get sick. They want me to come back and get a fill Wednesday but I told them I'm going to hold off for a week or two. I just don't think I can take another week of not eating if I get sick again. It is encouraging to see everyone doing so well and it keeps me thinking it will get better.

Now here's a question: What is "kwim"? It means "know what I mean" Hi everyone. So I went to lunch with a friend today and I took 3 bites and got stuck. I can usually unstick myself but today was bad. I asked for some pineapple juice. I drank two small sips and ended up running to the bathroom. It came up not down. Is that what it was supposed to do?

I have my 2nd fill on Wednesday. I am so nervous. I cancelled my last fill because I was loosing and not hungry. I have 2 cc in. I just don't want to be overfilled. It does not sound fun at all. We have a local message board but there is no activity unless I start it. I did this for a week or two but now I'm tired of initiating everything. I love reading the diversity of this board. I'm going shopping for pineapple juice tonight. I got steak stuck last night and it was not fun. Thanks for the tip.

I have a question. I have a 10cc band with 2cc in (1 fill). The doctor wanted to put more in last Wednesday but I told him I was not hungry and loosing pretty steadily so why mess with it. I guess I thought I only have 10cc and I don't want to fill up too quickly or I won't have any left to fill and still have weight to loose. I have so far to go still. Am I looking at this wrong?

I refused to let them do my second fill after they told me it was mandatory. I'm loosing weight consistently and I'm not hungry. I don't understand why the doctors can't listen to us more. I am so glad I didn't let them bully me into it after reading about too much fill. Thanks.

I get a pain where if I take a deep breath it is excrutiating. I didn't know what it was at first but now I know. It is gas. Try Gas-X and see if you can try forcing yourself to burp. Most of all relax. Anxiety makes it worse. Try walking too.

Ok you guys got me. I was a lurker and after seeing how active this thread is I decided to join. I was banded 6/11/07. I had trouble at the beginning but things are going well now. I've lost 50.5 pounds. I have a long way to go but feel like this is the tool I needed to get there. I have a 19 month old who was my motivation for doing this. I don't want to be the fat mom. I want to travel with him and show him the world. I've felt alone lately even though I have the full support of my family. I started reading the posts and said these are the people who will understand what I'm going through. Anyway, here I am.