Headhunter

and a reply to that would be....so what has changed in my story? Intestine to colon? I mispoke. Because I was told by my primary physician (who was the first to see the scans) that it was the INTESTINE. The Surgeon that reviewed later stated COLON. And have I tried to sell you anything? Nope. and i won't. And my story has NOT changed. and it WILL NOT. I have interveiwed those with problems. Bunches of them. I have interviewed other doctors....MANY others. But I can't get any doctors to commit to using their names. I was considering putting my story in ebook form. have i done that? nope. That was months ago. And my condition has not changed. And the story has not changed. and it won't. So, keep trying.

yeah, the only thing worse than talking while driving is TEXTING. Those people are just plain stupid. Should be an executable offense.

Mary, that comment about the Nurse was NOT directed at you...it was meant for another individual....sorry you thought it was, no offense intended!

" "Never....im totally with you..I received a private email from this guy slamming me big time. There is something wrong with him, there truly is. I did contact the site and reported him as well as put him on my ignore list. He was verbally abusive, ignorant and hateful. This guy has some serious issues and I felt it was best not to even answer his private email to me....anyway, glad we are in the same ballpark. Thanks for the post." I am responding to this post for ONE reason: in it, she gives the impression that I INITIATED a contact with her that was unprovoked. this is NOT the case. She PM'd me first, with a rather nasty little diatribe. I responded in kind. I do not wish it to be thought that I am attempting to provoke people individually, off-list. That is NOT the case, but she is attempting to make it appear so. I simply responded to her. End of Story.

Ok., Never, that's fair enough. I don't wish to escalate this any more. I appreciate the good wishes, and send you the same. We'll just leave it at that.

I with ya on this one. PUT THE FREAKIN' PHONES DOWN! I was almost run over yesterday in by some idiot who was talking on their phone RATHER than looking both ways while turning right at the corner where i was trying to cross. Personally, I don't think that these new laws that outlaw Handset use in the car will do much good....I think that ANY use of a cell phone in a car should be BANNED. It's not the handset, it's the DISTRACTION!!!!

I am not all that sure that brains are engaged here as much as emotions are. On BOTH sides. I opted to BEGIN the process of telling about my experience now, because this is a rapidly evolving set of circumstances that may change momentarily. I don't really know. However, it has become very clear that I chose the WRONG place at the WRONG time, and the WRONG people, for the most part. Another regret. Again, I don't know what will happen from day to day. My mother-in-law is supposed to have cancer surgery, but there has been a problem with getting her scheduled for it. We do NOT want My surgery to be the same week as My Mother-in-Laws surgery; that would be WAY too much pressure on my wife. So, it appears that we may have to move my surgery UP a week or two, meaning POSSIBLY next week. We'll find out today. So, as I say, this keeps changing. Which means I may have LESS time to get everything in order that needs to be dealt with. Which, in turn, means I have less time to post the whole thing here.

"I agree that obesity in and of itself will kill far more people than the band.....he hints that is not true" Ok, PLEASE point exactly to the place where "hinted" that the Band is more dangerous than obesity?

You just made an important point about this whole thing....it IS a long, drawn out story, and that is precisely why it is taking me so long to get it all out. And it's not over. And I'll emphasize again that I really don't care all that much about responses....the good ones are good, the bad ones are plentiful. And EVEN the people that have bashed me have made some good points, and have made me re-think some of my stances on some issues. But, overall, as I have said, My experience IS what it IS. I don't really like the attention, I'm sorry to say. Not THIS kind of attention. This has been ugly. And yes, I have "noted" the amount of interest. It IS interesting to see how passionate people are about this subject. But if you are implying that attention is the reason I'm here, you would be incorrect. "Whether we respond or not, I have a feeling he can't help but finish his story." I WILL finish the story, in bits and pieces as time allows. Hopefully, it has a happy ending; the jury is still out on that.

I can't over-emphasize the importance of the "vibe" that Nicole mentions. I don't care how impressive the Surgeons' resume is, if you don't "feel" right about him/her, stay away. Trust your instinct on this. I wish I had trusted mine more.

<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Ok, Nicole, That's a very reasonable question, and I appreciate you asking it. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I DO regret it because I had complications. That's a fact. I regret many of MY missteps during the whole process of treatment, etc. Do I think it's a faulty procedure? Sometimes it is. As I have stated before, It HAS worked for MANY people, and that is a good thing. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> You have brought up an issue that is not possible for me to ENTIRELY address in one sitting, I just want to let you know up front. I say that because I have had several years to dwell on my experience, and the experience is evolving as I write this. I'll try and give you a little info here, and I'll follow it up later with more. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> There were several things that turned my head and made me believe that I should not have had the procedure, and that there are SOME people that need to think twice before having it. One was my choice of Surgeon. I do not think that my surgeon was very experienced...in fact, I KNOW he wasn't very experienced in Lap Bands. He WAS, however, an experienced TRAUMA surgeon and I was "sold" on his ability to do the job. Also, keep in mind that at the time, there weren't as many experienced surgeons around that did Lap bands. But, that was MY decision. It has NO BEARING WHATSOEVER on whether or not the procedure is faulty. This is just a warning I want to offer...CHECK OUT YOUR SURGEON. Make sure he has done PLENTY of these surgeries. The problem is.....EVERY surgeon has a FIRST LAP BAND INSTALL. Do you want to be someones first? <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Ok, I digress....back to your fundamental question, do I think the procedure is flawed?<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> You would think that this would be a Yes or No question for me, but it's not. It’s complicated. I LIKE the fact that it has helped so many people. I like the fact that it has changed many lives. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> But when my band failed to produce the results I had hoped for, I began looking around for OTHER answers. I considered a Gastric Bypass. I began to ask myself a LOT of questions about my TOTAL experience with obesity. It has been a LIFELONG experience, from the time I was just a kid. Why was it necessary to have a plastic band put inside me to make my body work right? Didn’t the Creator get it right? What was it that I …..ME…. was doing wrong? Why didn’t diets work? Why did I have such a horrendous appetite and so little control? Why did it have to be so DAMN HARD? I know that you have asked yourself that as well.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Ok, I have to go out to a client location now, but I will pick this up later and continue to try and answer the question as to whether or not I think the procedure is flawed. <o:p></o:p>

And, no. I don't think I will actually go away. I think there is really a lot more to say. Whether you choose to participate or not is up to you. You can speculate all you want about my motives, what I did wrong in dealing with the Doctors/Hospitals/etc, whether or not I should have Lied to the Surgeon about the insurance, whether or not i should have paid COBRA (I did for a while...), and on and on and on. This would be an ENDLESS discussion, I can assure you. In spite of what some of you percieve as my being "angry", i can assure you I have no malice toward anyone, and I'm not the least bit pissed off....expect for a few people who twisted what i said. You can believe me or not. Or You can stick around and get to know me and perhaps learn the nuances of my experience. Or not. The important thing to me is NOT the responses that I have received here. It would have been fine if there had been NO responses. What is important to me is the number next to the menu....the one that tells how views there have been of this thread. At last glance, there have been well over 1000. Among those 1000 are going to be at least a few people who are having problems. One has already contacted me. And maybe some that are still in formative stages of their decision making, and want to know what I have gone through. I would encourage those people to PM me, Because it's clear that if you post your inquiries in the open, whatever I say will dissected by MacMadame and others who are more interested in the process of argumentation than they are finding out what REALLY happened with me. Again: Speculate ALL you want about me. But I'm the only who REALLY knows my story, and I'm willing to share it with those who are willing to GENUINELY listen, and not just argue about the details. I'll admit that I have made missteps in the telling of my tale. I apologize for that. But this has been a VERY difficult time for me and my family, and it could get MORE difficult in the coming weeks. This is an evolving story. And now I will sit back and enjoy the Dissection that will inevitably ensue. :tt1:

It has been most interesting to observe this “back room” discussion of my postings. I have been on the Internet for many years, long before it was called the “Internet”. I have participated in many, many forums, and I have owned, operated, and moderated many as well. Thus, I am very familiar with the concept of a “troll”. I have (many times) been party to the “outing” of a troll on various forums. There have been times, in fact, when the troll was not actually a troll, but a real person espousing a real point of view and opinion, and I was proven wrong. This is the first time that I have been referred to as a troll, and it is not all that pleasant. There is another type of forum miscreant that we sometimes call an “rtroll”, which stands for REVERSE Troll. This is the person that THINKS they smell a troll, and becomes obsessed with “outing” the Troll to the point where the original message/posting is nearly forgotten. They become obsessed with findings flaws in the argumentation, missing details, etc. I see some of that happening here. This is a REAL situation. Perhaps I erred by bringing up the Talk Show appearance. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, that it may lend credibility to my story, but the reality is that it appears to have detracted from my credibility. I used the expression “more later” or “I’ll have more to say on that later” a couple of times, but that seems to have been burned into your collective psyche as the sign of an impending sales pitch. It didn’t, perhaps, occur to any of you that maybe I have a job or business to run and maybe cannot give all the juicy details in one sitting? Next time I will be sure to state that up front, in language that you will all understand. The expression “target audience” seems to have been engraved in your minds as well. And I would pose the question (again): what part of that don’t you people get? That’s an expression that we use in the business world, and in our private lives EVERYDAY. But you CHOSE to interpret it as an overt confession that I will be somehow soliciting you all. So…howz about “intended listeners” for a replacement phrase. Does that send up any red flags for ya? Neveragain, I was completely unaware that you “tore” me a new “a-hole”. I must have missed that post. All I saw was some inane ramblings about how you don’t “buy” what I’m saying. It’s not important to me AT ALL that you buy ANYTHING I have to say. But it sure seems to piss you off. That’s not my intention.

Indeed i did. And I regret it.

PLEASE point out to me EXACTLY where I stated that.

No, actually, I'm NOT angry. I'm bemused. I confess to being a little surprised by the response here, but that is to be expected from a group of people who have made a descison , and really don't want anyone telling them that there MAY be problems down the road that you might not anticipate. I GET that. There seems to be a range of thought here that this is something I brought on myself. Well, OF COURSE I did! And I would prefer to NOT have someone else bring this upon themselves....by AVOIDING my mistakes.

<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I am amazed at how intent some of you are on justifying your decision to have a piece of plastic jammed in your body, in an effort to get "Healthy".<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> You are SO invested in this that you will debate and argue every single point until you are blue in the face. EVEN WITHOUT HAVING HEARD THE ENTIRE STORY. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> My lawsuit has nothing to with the original implantation of the Band, although I have been told that it may have incorrectly placed. My lawsuit has to do with a SUBSEQUENT surgery by the SAME hospital in which they FAILED to remove the tube that ultimately became embedded in my colon. And there is MORE as well. There are issues involving the Hospitals failure to release important documentation to my new Doctors, etc, etc, etc. It goes on and on.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> But, as I have stated, you seem to have NO interest in looking at this objectively....if you did, you would have waited until I was done explaining my experience. But I have spent MORE time here defending my semantics and replying to snippy little comments questioning my honesty and intentions than I have describing my ordeal. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> As far as the Nurse/legal consultant, or whatever you might be, You are NEITHER a doctor nor a lawyer. I have TWO attorneys that say I do HAVE a malpractice case here, and I have TWO Surgeons (one Bariatric and One General) that agree with that. I'm sorry, but they trump whatever little opinion your years of emptying bedpans and taking temperatures might yield.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Personally, I could care less about the negative comments here. I have had some good wishes from people, which I appreciate deeply. I have had several PMs from people who at least UNDERSTAND what I am saying. One of them is involved in the beginning stages of something similar to what I experienced. I hope to be assistance to that person.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> And the negative people? Well, you've made your decision to have the band, and that's fine. It will probably work for you (I have stated that several times, but you like to cherry-pick my comments). You will probably lose weight. You will probably be happy that you went through the process. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> But some of you won't. SOME of you (a small percentage, but I think LARGER than you know or will admit) will have problems. Some of you will have major complications and regret that you had the procedure. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I am one of those. My experience was unique. Are you saying that because my experience was in the minority that I should simply keep my mouth shut and let you pretend that this stuff doesn't happen?<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I'm sorry to have busted into your little lap-band group-hug nirvana, and presented a REAL LIFE problem. But it happened. And it could and WILLl happen to someone else.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> It was suggested here that perhaps I should just go away and create my own blog and/or website that presents my side of the story. And yes, perhaps I should do that. Perhaps I should let people who are researching this find ME, rather than me go to them, as I have done here.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Did I make mistakes in this whole process I have been enduring? You are DAMN RIGHT I have made mistakes. I made mistakes in how I dealt with the hospitals, surgeons, insurance companies, even attorneys. But you know what? I never had a Lap Band before this. I never had Major Surgery before. I had hardly been in a hospital before this. I didn’t know HOW to deal with the problems. And some other people will experience the SAME THING and THEY won’t know how to deal with them either. So to suggest that I simply shut up and go away is to deprive those who are struggling with this decision of just ONE MORE PIECE of information to consider.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> And, as much as you may hate to hear this…….<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> More later.<o:p></o:p>

"Hematomas happen. Don't mean to sound harsh but they do, I even develop a small one with a blood draw." And just where did I say that hematomas DON'T happen? Of course they happen. But they had never happened to ME. And I would not have experienced THIS very large and PAINFUL Hematoma had it not been for the decision to have a Lap band installed. Previous posters have asked me for more details on what my experience was with regard to the Lap Band I am DOING so. The Hematoma was PART of that experience. Perhaps i should have left that detail out because...well, "hematomas happen"? right. :thumbup::smile: "The insurance issue in America is something I cannot debate here. " And I'm not going to debate it here either. And yes, if there is a problem with a component of the surgical process, the Hospital DOES have an obligation to treat it, insurance or not. Call it a warranty issue. You can debate that all you want, but I won't. They put it in, something went wrong in the short period post-surgery, they need to fix it. "The port and tubing are foreign bodies and I imagine in SOME people their body will not tolerate it." Well, Duh. A LOT of people as it's turning out.

I followed the post-op instructions precisely. I was entirely committed to the process. I began regular food intake about 2 weeks post op, which was a little longer than what was suggested, but fine according to the Dr. I began eating slowly, and eating softer foods. Doctor/Surgeon/Hospital: I will reveal that only when I have been given clearance to do so by an Attorney. If you were in my position, you would not be revealing that either. Of course I told the Surgeon that my insurance had lapsed. Are you suggesting that I LIE to him by omission? By the time he would have gone in to surgically correct the problem, he would have found that out anyway. Contrary to what is being said about me here, I am honest in my dealings with people. And, I believe that they had a MORAL obligation (and a LEGAL one) to correct the problem. Anyone else in my position would have felt the same. I never thought for a moment that they would not stand behind their "work".

I have never said that I would NOT answer questions. I was a bit unprepared for the level of interest that this has created. And the hostility. If you look back over the posts, you will see that I have spent a LOT of time answering questions, but MOSTLY defending myself against those that would call me a liar. My surgery was 4 years ago. The Manufacturer of the Band was InaMed, formerly known as BioInterics. My Hospital was a Major Medical center here in Los Angeles. One of the members of the Medical Group that performed my surgery was one of the original participants that participated in the Clinical Trials that led to the approval of the Lap Band by our friend, the FDA. This doctor was NOT my surgeon. I initially REQUESTED that he be my surgeon, but I was told that he wanted $20,000 in cash payment in ADDITION to what the insurance would pay. That was not an option for me at the time, so I agreed to have the surgery with one of the other doctors. A MAJOR mistake. The first difficulty I experienced was right after my first fill; the day after my fill, to be precise. I experienced TREMENDOUS pain in my upper left abdomen. I could NOT get the doctor to see me. I finally was able to get one of the other associates in the Medical group to see me, and he determined that a large Hematoma had occured, as a result of the fill injection. I had to stay home from work in great pain for several days as a result of this, but it did eventually go away. The Dr. Prescribed some pain medication, but that was it. My next problem began couple of months later when the area around where the port was connected began to get red and sensitive and puffy. It continued to get worse. At this point in time, My insurance had lapsed, as I had been laid off by my employer. The Doctor refused to see me because of the insurance issue. It was my feeling that the problem was something that THEY should deal with, insurance or not. They put it in, it was going bad, and they needed to correct it. I went back and forth with them for a LONG time about this. I could not afford (at that time) to pay for corrective treatment out-of-pocket. And besides, I was VERY CLEAR in my feeling that this was a problem that THEY should take responsibility for and simply go in and fix it. They did not, and it progressed to the point where it exited my body. I will continue to give more details, but some of you need to realize that I can't sit down and write the whole damn thing out in one sitting. And, I have some previous posts that i still need to reply to.

If you are uncomfortable with ANY part of the process at the facility you have chosen, you need to get out, and get out FAST. There are plenty of options out there, many facilities and surgeons that WILL make you feel comfortable. I did NOT listen to my instincts, and as a result I had a very ,very bad Lap band experience. If you don't feel right about your facility/doctor for ANY reason, find somewhere else.

If you are uncomfortable with ANY part of the process at the facility you have chosen, you need to get out, and get out FAST. There are plenty of options out there, many facilities and surgeons that WILL make you feel comfortable. I did NOT listen to my instincts, and as a result I had a very ,very bad Lap band experience. If you don't feel right about your facility/doctor for ANY reason, find somewhere else.

Sorry about that last post formatting...don't know what happened....

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> "It doesn't matter when the port infection happened, you had a port infection. People, what he is saying is entirely possible. I have no clue if it is true or not, but I have a hunch it might be true. It would not be the same as a perf (for the EMT) the tubing/colon would sound more like an erosion type issue. That is not a matter of life threatening TODAY, that is like..."Really important, mega important and this has to be fixed ASAP." OP... I wouldn't be pushing the talk show circuit just yet. This is a potential complication of banding. We all know there are risks to banding including the unknown risks. There is no promise that you won't die of surgical/band issues. Not making light of your issue, just saying that you are talking big right now because your family thinks you should go on Oprah. I knew there were risks to banding and I'm living them right now. So I'll deal with it. But to go into this thinking it is 100% safe and no chance for bad things to happen is burying your head in the sand. I have a hunch that 85% of what you say is true and maybe 15% or so is frustration and ... well, a bit of drama. But maybe if I experienced the same I'd have some drama too. I don't know. Good luck to you." Thank you, wasABubbleButt, for at least your openmindedness. I can assure you that everything I have stated thus far is true. There are those who choose to believe, those who won't, those who will reserve judgement, and those who don't give a damn whether I'm telling the truth or not. They are welcome to their opinions. It is clear that I have not articulated the entire situation to everyone's satisfaction. And there is still more to the story. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Yes, there has been GREAT frustration. But, in all honesty, the frustation has NOT played a role in my adding any drama to this. There is no drama other than what has actually transpired.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> And it's not all just about the Lap band. it's about our nation's medical system, our nation's insurance system, the doctors themselves, and what they will or will not take responsibility for. And it's about what WE as individuals will take responsibility for with regard to our own health and well being.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Let's be clear about one thing: I made MISTAKES in this situation. But these were procedural mistakes, to a large degree, in how I responded to doctors and medical professionals who, I feel, were responsible to ME. Listen, I’ve got NOTHING to gain. An appearance on a national talk show for THIS reason would be EMBARRASSING to me. I didn't pursue them; they wanted ME to talk about my experience. My understanding is that they would have someone from the Opposite point of view on the show as well. But, the host is clearly anti-WLS. I am not anti WLS…I’m just not ENTIRELY for it.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The question was raised earlier about why I didn't wait until the WHOLE situation was resolved, AFTER my next surgery. Well the simple fact is, I'm not %100 sure I'll BE here after the surgery. I'm pretty sure, but not totally. I want to present my experience BEFORE I go under the knife again.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> The surgeon told me that he thought (I quote): "no other surgeon in the country would take this on". It's THAT messy. That may have been his ego talking. But he DID say that he wasn't sure about the outcome of this. Now, about the "life-threatening" issue. Well....It IS life threatening. If i DON'T have the surgery, I'm toast. He told me that. Will I keel over and die tomorrow? the next day? next week? Probably not. But it WILL happen. And I KNOW it will; the Dr. said so. Several doctors have. Someone here said that it couldn't be life-threatening because death is not "imminent". Tell that to Patrick Swayze. I think he considers his cancer to be Life threatening, even if he has 6 months to live. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> There is a lot of discussion here over simple semantics . "Life-threatening". "Target audience"...etc.etc. Well, you can argue as much as you want here about what word or phrase or expression means what. But the simple fact is that I AM experiencing this NOW and have been for a while. I am TRYING to share this with people that might have an interest in my experience. If you don’t believe my story, that’s ok. It probably wasn’t meant that you should hear it. Then you should simply move on. If you think that my story might dissuade someone from having the lap band inserted, well, it might. That’s not my intention. I just want to make sure that people have all the facts, have tried all the avenues, and considered all the alternatives. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I have other replies to other messages, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </o:p>

....and this is a GOOD thing, because you are not my "target audience" anyway. Lonely? hardly. Fictional story? of COURSE it is. And i spent DAYS just trying to find out everything I could about the Lap band so i could appear credible. Right. Of COURSE your time is wasted... you've made the decision. your band is working Mine is NOT. And OTHER people may experience the same thing or WORSE. I simply want them to be AWARE of a different perspective. Truth is scary for some people. Like you.