ManhBill

I've met Dr. Kurian a couple of times. I think very highly of her. I hope everything is going well with your recovery. I didn't make it to the support group meeting tonight, but I hope I'll meet you there next month.

Staph infections can cause a number of different problems. Toxic shock, cellulitis, impetigo, among others. One of the more serious possibilities is that it can infect your heart valves and actually require valve replacement. It's not an infection to take lightly. Scabbing over of your incision may be a very good thing. When I was hositalized, Dr. Ren was waiting for my incision to stop leaking serous Fluid (clear, looks like water). After the incision healed over, I still had some fluid collecting behind the scar. The amount has diminished with time. Your body will eventually absorb the extra liquid. However, if you're producing pus or a colored fluid, your doctor may want to keep the incision draining. You should definitely stay in very close contact with the doctor to be certain it's getting better. I know how difficult it can be to stay positive when you're having complications. There were times I was ready to have the whole thing taken out. But, if you can hang in and allow everything to heal, the benefits to your health will make it worth all the frustration. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

It does sound like we've been through a similar journey with the infections. Don't discount the staph a. infection, though. That's actually what put me in the hospital for 10 days. Even though it's normal on the outside of your body, it can do nasty things inside. I don't blame you for not wanting to go through two more surgeries. I felt the same way when Dr. Ren told me that my 2nd port might have to come out. Although, she didn't give me an option to have another put in immediately. She was going to have me wait 6 months just to be certain everything was totally healed. It appears that won't be necessary, but I'm still watching it very closely. I've been totally off antibiotics for 1.5 weeks now. So I should be past the major danger point. Your weight loss so far is really impressive! I'm finally beginning to lose a bit again. I'm hopeful that I'll begin dropping pounds again now that I can get to the gym. Keep us posted on how you're doing. We'll all be keeping good thoughts for you.

Hi Leticia, I'm so sorry to hear your band had to come out. I know how disappointed you must be. I'll be thinking good thoughts for your recovery. Bill

Hi Justice, I've met Dr. Kurian, she is very nice and is also a well-respected surgeon. She may not have told you, but she wrote "Lap Band for Dummies." It's available on Amazon. I think they keep nearly everyone overnight at NYU. I've heard of some people going home same day, but if you have any serious co-morbidities (and most of us do), they'll want you to stay. Particularly if you have sleep apnea, they'll want you on a CPAP and hooked up to monitors overnight. They generally release everyone fairly early the next morning. Anne or one of the doctors will come around to go over your discharge plan and then they'll let you leave. Be sure to either bring a small pillow with you or have the nurse make a cushion for your belly. You'll need it when you cough. It's also good on the ride home if you hit any bumps in the road. Applying some gentle pressure on the incisions keeps the pain down. My experience has been a bit out of the ordinary, but I"m happy to answer any questions, too. I've also written quite a bit about my banding on my blog, The link is below. There are a few "before and after photos, too. Best regards,

Hi Justice, I was banded at NYU in October of last year. I live in Rego Park. Which surgeon will be doing your banding?

Hi Leticia, I've been through a very similar process, although my infection never got as far as the band. I was banded 10/6/07. The port site incision never healed properly and became infected despite taking enough antibiotics to kill every germ within 3 blocks. Anyway, on 1/2/08 I had my port removed. I had to wait until 2/25/08 to have a new port installed. Dr. Ren wanted to wait until the original incision was totally healed. About a month after the new port was installed I returned to Dr. Ren in a great deal of pain. I had been on augmentin the entire time. She took one look and admitted me into the hospital where I spent the next 10 days. I had a staph infection at the new port site. The site had never stopped draining serous Fluid. When I was in the hospital, they did a CT to be certain the infection had not traveled up to the band. Fortunately it had not. After a week of IV antibiotics and not much improvement, they decided to do an endoscopy to make sure the band had not eroded. Everything came up good, except for the stubborn infection. After 10 days in the hospital, the incision was still leaking slightly, but we agreed that I could try going home on heavy oral antibiotics. I was taking both Cipro and augmentin. About 2 weeks later, I developed an allergic reaction to the Cipro and had to stop taking it. Dr. Ren started talking about removing my second port and told me I would need to wait 6 months for a 3rd one to be installed. I convinced her to hold off on that and give antibiotics one more chance. She changed me to Levaquin (750 mg)....and the incision started healing. I did 4 weeks on the heavy Levaquin and have now dropped down to 500 mg daily for almost 2 weeks. My incision is almost totally healed now. I'm not having any more pain. We're keeping me on the Levaquin for a few more days just to be sure. I have a couple of ugly scars on my belly now. But I also have less belly....so the tradeoff wasn't too bad. Obviously, you need to follow your doctor's instructions. But before they remove your band, ask them to do a CT to be sure the infection has traveled all the way up. In my case it was just a matter of finding the right drug. I hope it will be for you, too. Bill

My final countdown has begun. I report to be admitted to NYU Medical Center at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Today will be spent checking all my lists to be certain I'm as prepared as possible. (I'm one of those people who can't seem to do anything if it's not down on paper.) I know I'll be making one last trip to the grocery store to pick up a few things to drink in the first few days after I'm back home. It's funny....during the past week, I've been pretty nervous about this. For some reason last night I slept like a baby. I'm taking that as a sign that I'm mentally prepared for this step. I think some of the loving e-mails I've received from friends and family in the past couple of days helped with that, too. I've lost 18 pounds on the liquid diet and 5 pounds between the last appointment with my PCP and my pre-admission testing. I'm really happy to see those gone & can't wait to send a bunch more to join them. My best friend will be with me at the hospital tomorrow and will bring me back home on Tuesday. He's been a great support. He's seen me wrestle with my weight and other health issues for years. It's great to know a "skinny person" who gets it. So, it's on to Bandlandia for me! Bill

Hey boyz & gurls, Tomorrow's my big day. I'll report to NYU Medical Center in less than 24 hours now. I am so ready for this. I went through the nervous phase last week. But last night I slept like a baby. I think the support I'm receiving from my gay family has a lot to do with it. I'm afraid the waiting room at the hospital may look like Saturday night at the bar! I have such a great group of friend, all of whom have offered help and support. My best friend will be with me during the whole procedure. As a single guy, I was a bit worried when Dr. Ren's office insisted that a relative or partner needed to be at the hospital. When I mentioned it to Mikey, he immediately responded with "Where else do you think I would be?" For a cute skinny guy, he really does understand what I've been through. I'll be spending tomorrow night in the hospital. I'll let you all know how it went when I'm back on Tuesday. It's on to Gay Bandlandia for me! Bill

My insurance is with Oxford which is a UHC company. They approved mine after we sent them about 50 pages of my medical records. My BMI is under 40, so I had to jump a few extra hurdles. The best way to find out, is to call the information number on your insurance ID card. They can tell you right away if WLS is covered in your plan. Best of luck! Bill

Hi All, Well...I got the call I've been wanting from Dr. Ren's office this afternoon. The insurance company approved my surgery! Apparently, they initially denied me for not weighing enough. Nilsa, the insurance clerk, immediately asked for an expedited appeal. The person who did the appeal review reversed the decision & faxed an approval letter right away. We submitted about 50 pages of medical history and other documentation. One of the advantages, I think, of taking 9 months from deciding to have the surgery to actually getting it set up is that I was able to get all my facts together. With the exception of a chest x-ray, I already had done everything the doctors and insurance company wanted. So, a week from Monday, I'll be checking into NYU Medical Center for my band. Only 50 more Protein shakes to go! :rose:

The liquid diet helps to shrink the liver & make the surgery easier for both the doctor and the patient. My preparation took 9 months in order to get everything lined up properly so the insurance company would approve without problems (I hope). Although I had done Weight Watchers, my doctor recommended that I do 6 months with him so we could claim medical supervision. I haven't had a moment's doubt about doing this. I wish it had been faster, but things happen at their proper time. Bill

Debbie & Maria, I'll look forward to meeting you both at the next support group meeting. We'll all be brand new bandsters by then! Bill

Hi Folks, I'm about to join so many of you on the Bandster journey. I'm scheduled for October 8 with Dr. Christine Ren at NYU. I've spent the past 9 months researching and preparing for this step. So, providing that my "good friends" at Oxford don't throw me a curve, I'll be banded 15 days from now. :clap2: Several friends and family members have asked me if I'm nervous about the surgery. My response so far is "No, I'm nervous about NOT having it. But check with me on the 7th. I may have a good case of the jitters by then." In preparation for my big day, I've spent the morning cleaning out my kitchen cabinets, removing all non-bandster food items. I called a neighbor who's on a tight budget and invited her to come over and pick up what I'll no longer need. If it's not in the kitchen, it won't be so tempting when I'm having a weak moment. I'm looking forward to making many new bandster friends here.

Hey Alfie, Double check with your insurance company to be certain they require the 6 month supervision. Not all of them do. I did the entire 6 month thing & then found out that Oxford doesn't always require it. I could have been half way to my goal by now. I'm looking to lose about 75 pounds. My BMI is 37.1, but I'm diabetic with high blood pressure and very severe sleep apnea. I start on the liquid diet on Friday. The nutritionist at NYU recommended SlimFast Optima instead of Optifast. She said the taste is better. I think that's probably a relative thing. I don't think any of them taste even remotely good. I'll be telling myself that it's just a small hurdle to jump on the way to my goal. I hope your appointment goes well. Bill

Hi, Dr. Ren is great so far! I liked Dr. Fielding, too. I was able to get in with Ren a lot faster. I live in Rego Park, Queens & work in midtown Manhattan. NYU's not the easiest place in Manhattan to reach, but I think they're well worth the extra effort. My attitude toward medical care is that you should go for the best you can find, even if it's a bit more expensive or a bit less convenient. Let me know how things work out for you. I hope you'll be able to get past the qualification hurdles very soon! Bill

I lived on 120th near Lefferts Blvd. for a couple of years. I've spent the weekend purging my apartment of non-bandster food items & stocking up on the things I'll need during my liquid time. Dr. Ren requires two weeks of liquids prior to surgery. My kitchen looks like a Slim Fast warehouse right now. It's great knowing someone else from Queens on the bandster journey. I hope you'll get your approval very soon. Bill

Hi Everybody, I am SOOOOO happy to find a GLBT bandster thread! It will be great to have support from other members of the "family." I'm a 51 gay male in New York City. I'm scheduled for banding on October 8. Working up to this point has been a real experience. Like everyone else, I've tried many different weight loss methods. Of course, none of them work for long. Then there's that added social pressure in our world. Having been a big boy for so long, I really don't identify with the twinks and muscle queens who seem to be the ideal for so many. But.....I'm not willing to label myself a chub or a bear -- not enough hair for that, anyway. I've actually lost a boyfriend and a couple of prospects when I told them that I had decided on this surgery. It hurt for a few minutes, then I wished them "good riddance." Fortunately, I do have a great bunch of very supportive friends. I definitely won't be lonely during my recovery from surgery. I think they've scheduled who's visiting me at what time. I'm looking forward to making new bandster friends. Let's have fun getting healthy together!

Hi everybody, I'm scheduled with Dr. Ren at NYU on October 8. I've been working toward this since last December. It's hard to believe the date is so close. I begin my pre-surgery liquid diet on this coming Friday, the 21st. I've already apologized to my staff at work for any grouchiness that I may exhibit over the next couple of weeks. I spent this morning exorcising all tempting foods from my apartment. I'm not giving myself any easy excuses for not following the program! It will be great having a bunch of us sharing this journey.

Hi Alfie, I live in Rego Park, Queens. I'll be banded on October 8 with Dr. Ren at NYU.

Hi Chiqui, Thankfully, my PCP is also a good friend, so I haven't had that kind of experience. However, as an experienced a**kicker, I do have a couple of suggestions for you. First, speak with your surgeon and see if he/she will contact your PCP to request the revised letter. Some doctors respond better to their peers than to their patients. Second, write a letter to the local medical society and another to your insurance carrier explaining the facts in detail. Stress that you provided your PCP with the information he was supposed to include and that he refused to do so. Third, find a new doctor. Yours obviously does not have your best interests at heart. (You should do this even if he relents and writes a new letter.) Your new doctor will be able to request your medical records and may be willing to write the letter based on what's in them. In New York State, your medical records are your property. A doctor can charge a reasonable amount for copying, but most will provide copies to other physicians as a professional courtesy. If all else fails, as another New Yorker, contact "Ask Asa" at the Daily News. He's amazingly effective at getting help for people. And if he can't, he lets everyone else know not to be victimized in the future. Best of luck. I hope you'll be very successful.

Hi, I'm scheduled for October 8 with Dr. Ren at NYU in New York. I start liquids on this coming Friday the 21st. It's taken 9 months to get to this point. I'm ready to get on with it!