NewCreation413

Things never quite seem to go as smoothly as they're supposed to, do they? So I was supposed to get my first fill a few weeks ago when I had my follow up with my surgeon, but when I went in for the appointment he decided he wanted to do it under flouro so I had to wait another few weeks for that appointment. Today was finally the day, and I was so excited to get in there and have the adjustment done and FINALLY have some restriction (hopefully)! I went to the hospital first thing this morning for my appointment in Diagnostic Imaging...thinking this was going to be a quick thing and be in and out of there in 10 minutes or so like everyone had assured me. Yeah...not so much! They had me lay on the table, snapped a few shots with the x-ray to see where the port exactly was, etc. I do have to say that it was pretty darn cool seeing the port and tubing and stuff inside me...I know it's there for sure now lol! So he then proceeds with the jamming of the needle into my stomach portion of the program. This went on for 10 minutes or so, me keeping my stomach and ab muscles tight and him pushing and pulling and pressing and snapping x-ray shots...without any meds to numb the area. Finally after hearing me make some kind of noise as he was pushing on the port with the needle (which feels REALLY weird!) he apologized for torturing me and asked if I would like a local anesthetic to numb the area. Yes please! Thank you! We then continued on with the pressing and pushing and x-ray photo marathon for awhile longer until he became pretty certain that he was hitting the back of the port and not the front, since he was pretty sure he was hitting it directly in the middle and the needle still would not go in.:confused2: That's when I started to get a little uneasy and asked "Umm...so...say it has in fact done a 180 and is flipped completely over...what exactly would would the plan be?" He tells me they would have to go back in through the same incision and flip it back the right way again. Wonderful.:tt2: He tried to be creative, and had me lay partially on my side and try that way, and finally lay completely on my side. When we got a clear side view of the port you could clearly see that the front of it was facing the wrong way and it had indeed flipped 180 degrees. Fantastic. SO...45 minutes of poking and prodding inside my belly to figure out that I now need ANOTHER surgery. He assured me it was even less invasive than the first one, and was very simple to do. He apologized again for torturing me with the needle for so long, and said his assistant will be getting in touch with me to set everything up. So I headed out of the hospital the same way I had entered...no restriction!! Grrr. Looks like I'll have to kick my butt at the gym even more and really stay on target with my calories because I REFUSE to remain in this 10 pound plateau that I've been on since surgery! I'm choosing to remain positive and optomistic, there are way worse complications that could have come up, so I'm grateful it's "nothing serious." I just hope that this additional surgery doesn't affect my upcoming vacation in May. I don't want to have any problems with being able to go on an airplane, go swimming at the beach, or go on amusement park rides! Looks like I'm staying in Bandster Hell for awhile longer. Most people just pass on through, I appear to be building a summer home here.:thumbup: I wish I knew what I did, what combination of movments allowed it to flip over, cause you'd think if it flipped over that easily once I could maybe do it again and have it flip back! Anyone else have this experience?

It feels like forever since I've been on here to give an update! Last time I posted, I had just gotten my date for the port revision surgery and was about to be heading off for vacation. First of all let me just say vacation was AWESOME. Leaving Massachusetts and heading to Florida for a week was a much needed break! Little things throughout that week helped me to realize that my body is changing for the better, and at 70lbs lost so far the difference is noticeable, even though I don't always perceive it to be. For instance, the last time I was on an airplane was in Feb. 2006, and I remember it being so cramped and uncomfortable and barely being able to get the seatbelt buckled if I managed to buckle it at all. This time, I didn't feel like I was invading the seat next to me, and not only does the seatbelt buckle, but there's a good five or six inches of extra belt leftover after I tighten it. Such a good feeling!:blushing: Later that week came the amusement park rides...I haven't been to an amusement park in probably at least 4 years for fear of not being able to fit on the rides and having to be asked to get off. I've never actually been asked to get off a ride, but the anxiety of thinking that it was a possibility was more than enough to keep me away for all those years! I guess I figured stop going before that happens, because I cannot even fathom how humiliated I would feel if that happened to me in front of everyone waiting in line. So, even though I knew that this time I shouldn't worry I still kind of did...but happily discovered that my fear no longer seemed to be warranted! Needless to say I had a fantastic time and went on just about every ride in the park.:biggrin2: Came home from vacation on May 11th, and then had my follow up surgery to correct my flipped port a few days later, on the 14th. I met with my surgeon the day before and discussed the procedure and I asked the questions I had. I finally remembered to ask what size band I have, and it's a 10cc band. I asked about what the chances were that my port would flip again later down the road, and he said not likely but not impossible. He did say that of the patients he has had to do the revision surgery on, none have had any further complications...hope I continue that tradition! The day of surgery went very well, and was definitely much easier than the initial surgery. I got to the hospital around 1:30pm, and the procedure was scheduled for 3:30pm, although I think they actually got started a little closer to 3:00. I was out of the hospital around 5pm, stopped at the pharmacy to get my Rx filled on the way home, and asleep on the couch due to the Percocet by 6pm. The procedure itself was much easier, and I only had to have local anesthesia with sedation instead of general. Which I was thrilled about because I hated the horrendous sore throat I had before with general. I was sore afterwards, but not nearly as bad as last time since there was just the one incision and it was just below the surface. I'm barely a week postop now, and feel 99% back to normal...just a little soreness if I try to do too much with my ab muscles, and my incision is nearly healed. My surgeon did my first fill while doing the surgery, and I think he put in about 1cc. I notice a little bit of difference as far as restriction, but not much, definitely not as much as I was hoping for. Perhaps next week at my follow up appointment he will do a second fill. We'll see! How is everyone else doing?

It's been just about a month since my first-fill-fiasco...and I didn't finally find out what the holdup was until TODAY. I know I should have called the surgeon's office sooner to ask them what was going on with the follow up surgery date, and I meant to, but weekdays kinda fly right by me lol. Every morning I would remind myself on my way to work that I needed to call the office at some point, and then things would get busy at work or there was always a ton of people in my office and I couldn't find a place to make a private call, or whatever else, and by the time I knew it the day was over and the surgeon's office hours were already over. And I would kick myself for not having called. Again. So yesterday as I was looking at my calendar I realized that today was supposed to be my post-fill follow up appointment and I don't know whether I'm supposed to show up or not. So I finally managed to call the office yesterday afternoon to speak with my surgeon's office assistant...and she had already left for the day. Freakin' perfect. LOL figures, right? So I try explaining my situation to the receptionist, who didn't have a clue whether or not I should show up either. So I asked her to leave a message for the assistant to please call me ASAP in the morning. So this morning, thankfully right at 9am, she called me back. This is where things got amusing. She says "You don't really need to come to the appointment today unless you feel like you're ready for a second fill." HA. I tell her that I never had one to begin with, expecting that will jog her memory a bit about what the current situation is. She says "You didn't? Well then if you feel like you're ready for one, then you can keep the appointment today and he can do the fill then." I then realize she has no clue what happened last month when I went in for my first fill, so I explain that I met with the Dr. on March 27th for a fill under flouro, but her couldn't do it because the port had flipped, and that he was supposed to have told her about it so she could call me and schedule the follow up surgery to correct it. She says "Hmmm...yeah...apparently he forgot to pass along that bit of information." I love my surgeon and his assistant, but COME ON! Seriously. So she said we could go ahead and schedule the surgery, she suggested next week but I'm leaving for vacation next weekend so I told her it would have to wait until after I return as I'm not going to risk being uncomfortable the whole time or not being able to go on rides at Disney! So, I'm having it done the week after that, on May 14th. I guess it's a good thing I finally called!!!:crying:

Thanks for the advice...I'll make sure to bring that up at my next appointment! I'm sure relocating it to somewhere where it's less likely to move is probably already on his agenda, but I'll be asking about it just to be sure!:biggrin: This is getting a little frustrating...STILL haven't heard back from the surgeon's office yet....it's been a WEEK! If I don't hear anything from them today, I think I'm going to call them tomorrow to try and find out what the holdup is! On the plus side, even with no restriction I've managed to keep my self-control and lose a few more pounds, and finally broke through the plateau I've been stuck at for a month!! 12 pounds lost since surgery, 62 total!:biggrin2:

I found out when I went in for my first fill, under flouro, and he couldn't get the needle in the port. He finally had me lay on my side, and when you saw the side view of the port you could see that it had flipped completely over and was facing the wrong way. So I couldn't get the fill done and now I'm waiting for them to schedule the surgery to correct it. Fun times!:biggrin:

I had one main incision, on the right about halfway down my ribcage, and 4 tiny incisions. My port is on my right side, just below my ribcage. Although my port has flipped, so we'll see where it ends up after I have the surgery to correct it!

For me, I could live without bread and pasta...I like them, but not in the oh-my-gosh-i-have-to-have-them kind of way. Potatoes on the other hand...I seriously believe I could live entirely on potatoes and never get sick of them! :biggrin2: As low carb as I wanna be, there's no getting rid of them lol, so I just try and keep it to a minimum and have them earlier in the day and cut out the starches at dinner and in the evening like my nutritionist recommends.

Thanks...I've found several people on this site who have had this happen as well, so it's helped knowing that this is isn't an uncommon complication to have. I only know a couple of people who have a LB and none of them have ever had any kind of complication or problem with it, so it seems like a big deal to them...just like it was to me when I first found out. Being on LBT and seeing so many with similar stories has kept me sane lol. LilMissBand-Aid---I'm so glad you're feeling better!! :puke: I wish I had some kind of an update to give...unfortunately I'm still waiting to hear back from the surgeon's office regarding what's going on. I hate waiting!!

LilMissBand-Aid---thanks for your encouragement!! No, I haven't had any kind of pain at my port site, and it's not sticking out at all. It appears to have flipped completely over, so it's still lying flat like it's supposed to, just with the wrong side facing up. coolcrystal---I have no idea what kind of band I have lol! I realized that my surgeon never told me the exact one he used, and I had planned on asking him when I went for the fill, but then all the drama of the port flipping happened and I completely forgot to ask, but it's on my list of questions for the next time I see him. I will also be asking about the whole port-anchoring thing to find out why this happened, and how he's going to make sure it stays put this time around! :cursing:

Congratulations!!! That is a major accomplishment and I'm so happy for you!

No, no word from the surgeon's office yet...they have my cell phone number and know to call the cell to reach me as I'm at work during the day...I hope I hear back from them today, but I won't be surprised if I don't find out what's going on until next week. I'm not sure if they have to talk to my insurance company first or what, so we'll see. The next time I see my surgeon I'm definitely going to ask him about whether or not the port was anchored down to begin with, and what steps he is going to take during surgery this time to prevent this from happening again. I don't even want to think about the possibility of this happening more than once! After the whole ordeal yesterday, I have a HUGE nasty looking bruise on my stomach from all the poking and prodding with the needle for so long...it literally looks like I got punched REALLY hard in the stomach lol. I woke up this morning and thought "Did that really happen yesterday or did I just dream it?" Then I looked at my stomach, saw the huge black and blue makr and was reminded it really did happen!

Thanks for the encouragement and support...I definitely needed it today, and it means a lot. It's most certainly a very frustrating setback, but it's one of the risks so what can ya do? I don't think the actual port gets anchored down, from what I understood they anchor the band to the stomach, but the port just sits under the skin. I was a little surprised too when he starting attempting to do the fill without anything to numb the area! It wouldn't have been too bad if it had been quick like it's supposed to be...but I will definitely remember to ask for it from now on! The whole situation sucks, but I'm trying not to let myself get too upset about it...I figure being upset won't change the situation or make it go away so what would the point be? Better to just accept it as one of those things that happen sometimes, even though it REALLY sucks, and just do what needs to be done to fix it and move forward. (These are the truths that I know, today I'm just focusing on making my mind believe them! I refuse to let myself throw a "why me" pity party...even though there have been moments today where that has been very tempting lol!) I believe the procedure is going to be done under general anesthesia, he said it's quick and even less invasive than the first surgery. Supposedly less pain, and maybe only out of work for that day. *fingers crossed* My surgeon DID say that while he is doing the procedure to flip the port back the right way, he WILL do a fill at the same time. At least that's one thing to look forward to about it!

This same exact thing happened to me today!! I was banded on 2/6/08, and went for my first fill this morning, under flouro. After poking and prodding for over a half hour he found that my port had done a 180 and was facing the complete opposite way, and informed me that he'd have to do another surgical procedure to go in and correct it. I left feeling very disappointed and apprehensive about having to go through surgery all over again. Now I'm playing the waiting game...someone from the surgeon's office should be calling me hopefully some day soon to schedule the procedure. At least I know I'll finally get a fill that day, as he said he'll flip the port back and do the fill at the same time. Thanks for posting, it's comforting to know I'm not the only going through this at this time. Also, thanks to those who have posted responses, they've definitely helped put my mind at ease a little bit. I know he told me it wouldn't be as big of a deal as the first surgery, but it definitely has a greater impact when the person saying it has experienced it firsthand. We'll have to keep each other updated on our progress!

The Beneprotein powder can be added to both cold and hot liquids/soft foods supposedly without altering the taste...I just ordered some the other day so I guess I'll find out for sure in a couple days when it gets delivered!:ohmy:

I would recommend Beneprotein powder...you can mix a scoop of it into any liquid or soft food (yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, etc.) and it is tasteless and doesn't change the texture. It adds 6 grams of Protein and only 25 calories! I haven't been able to find Beneprotein in stores, but I just ordered some from Walgreens online and it was very reasonably priced, and right now they've been offering free shipping. Here's the link in case you're interested: Beneprotein Instant Protein Powder | Resource | Walgreens

I am also a fan of the SparkPeople website, they have a lot of useful tools and info. For getting calorie information, I highly recommend CalorieKing - Diet and weight loss. Calorie Counter and more. ...you can find just about anything on there!

Babedoe4---------------March 6th Becca------------------March 6th Shinyhappymommy------March 6th Enchantedruby----------March 7th Ponomimi---------------March 10th Jaxbanster--------------March 11th Angie4b1g--------------March 11th CynthiaMcc-------------March 12th Marathinner-------------March 12th Sadie-------------------March 13th Happy One--------------March 13th Mary04-----------------March 13th purplecandle..............March 13th......so ready for it!!! Sharon160--------------March 17th mhazelrigg--------------March 17th terri guilford-------------March 17th LoupNocturne-----------March 17th Applesmith1226---------March 18th Viridesence-------------March 18th gweniviere--------------March 19th....and looking fwd to it! Danielle......................March 19th AndyisBanded----------March20th (1st Fill—Woohooo) Michelle9003-----------March20th Absofsteel--------------March21st Nurseoffaith------------March 24th Beachbum0519--------March 25th Coolcrystal-------------March 25th Beachbum0519---------March 25th Nicolek-----------------March 26th Mel119 (Melinda)------March 26th Rhapsody♥ ------------March 26th Princess21--------------March 27th NewCreation413-------March 27th Taismommy-------------March 28th Wantolose155(Tammy) March 31st Marathinner................April 2nd (FILL #2!!) Angie4b1g.................April 2nd (#2!) BlessedTwice-----------April 3rd Woo Hoo..Hoping for restriction 1st time! Jennyxo----------------April 3rd StLouisGal--------------April 3rd JaxBandster.................April 4th (Fill #2) LilMissBand-Aid---------April 11th (Correction - Doc only does fills on Fridays) Misspeesh95621--------April 11th tskelli-------------------April 17th (correction) ReadySteadyGo--------April 17th Syndy79 ----My first was March 10th (took me to 6cc's) and I have my 2nd one scheduled for April 9th. I went to see my surgeon for my first fill last week, on March 13th, and he decided he wants to do the first one under x-ray...so now I have to wait until March 27th!

I'm 5 weeks post-op and I finally get to go for my first fill this afternoon! I can't wait!!

I fear this could easily become a long list for me lol! I also stack my mail by length, and read magazines from back to front. I'm also one who needs to have all of my dollar bills facing the same way in my wallet. But I think my biggest quirks would have to be regarding food. I absolutely HATE food in Water...like when you're doing dishes in the sink and there's little food particles floating around in the water...gross!!...and I refuse to empty out the little strainer that sits in the drain. And I don't like sharing food if it's been sitting on the plate for awhile. It's fine when the food is fresh and hot at the start of a meal, but if it's been sitting on the plate for 15-20 mins, forget it! :confused:

Babedoe4---------------March 6th Becca------------------March 6th Shinyhappymommy------March 6th Enchantedruby----------March 7th Jaxbanster--------------March 11th Angie4b1g--------------March 11th CynthiaMcc-------------March 12th Sadie-------------------March 13th Marathinner-------------March 12th Happy One--------------March 13th Sharon160--------------March 17th mhazelrigg--------------March 17th terri guilford-------------March 17th Viridesence-------------March 18th Nicolek-----------------March 26th Ponomimi---------------March 10th Jennyxo----------------April 3rd StLouisGal--------------April 3rd LilMissBand-Aid---------April 10th NewCreation413--------March 13th It can't come soon enough!!

Hi onelove...I'm from Mass as well--Western Mass. Congrats on starting the process...I started the whole process in August, and now I'm about 3 1/2 weeks post-op. As to your questions about how family and friends have handled it...for me, the ones that know about it have been very supportive. I think they were more concerned about the risks of surgery than anything, but after talking with them and educating them a little bit about the lap band they could see why it was the right choice for me. So if you're facing opposition now, hopefully as you go through the process they'll come around and see the same thing too!

I did ok being home by myself. My roommate took the day of my surgery off of work since I was only in the hospital for a few hours, so she helped me a lot that first day, but she returned to work the next day and I was home by myself. I didn't have much trouble getting around...we put a stepstool in the bathroom so I would have something to hold onto while trying to sit and stand up, and put a chair next to my bed to help with this as well. My roommate came home on her lunch break to check on me, and helped me wash my hair in the sink...the next day I was able to take a shower and wash my hair on my own. I was expecting my level of mobility to be a lot less, and my level of pain a lot more than it ended up being.

The shoulder pain in the first week to week and a half was not fun...although the recurring theme I keep finding on here is pain in the left shoulder, and my pain was in the right shoulder. I guess I just had to be the different one! :smile2: I tried to be up walking around as much as I could, and went through a lot of GasX chewable tablets. The shoulder pain wasn't too bad when I was upright, it just hurt like heck when I would lie down to go to sleep, it made it hurt to even breathe at times. Luckily by this point the pain meds would be kicking in and I'd be falling asleep! I'm 3 weeks post-op now and haven't had any shoulder pain in almost 2 weeks, and I'm hoping it stays that way from now on!!

I've never been a fan of the protein shakes either...No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast has been my saving grace! I would think as long as you make sure you're getting the amount of protein that you need, it doesn't matter if it's in a shake or not. When in doubt, check with your doctor!

The itchyness while the incisions are healing is brutal, so annoying! The sticky stuff left from the steri-strips wasn't too bad for me, I would just try to gently scrub around my incisions with some bar soap and a washcloth. What I hated was the leftover iodine that was coated all over my stomach and took like a week to fade away. I hated the way it looked, the way it smelled, and the way it felt! Yuck!