Headhunter

Actually, the direct answer is no; the port infection occured a few months after the surgery.

You can smell anything you like, my friend. Again, I never used the term perforated. I have, however spent time in the emegency room as a result of this, and "septic" was the term used. I spent 12 hours in the ER, and then was transported over to the the hospital that has performed the ORIGINAL surgery, because they couldn't figure out what had happened. I spent a week in the Hospital because of the sepsis, Again, another layer. MAJOR bullshit? I think not. Please explain to me what I might possibly gain by spending hours reading and responding to these questions, other than to possibly help someone. I received a PM from a member of this forum who asked me for the name of my doctor, because her mother is experiencing the SAME problems that I had when this whole thing started. I am going to do everything i can to help her, because NO ONE should have to experience what i went through. Hers can be caught in time, it's only in the beginning stages and can be repaired. Some of you people need to open your minds up a little more, and not be so quick to pass judgement.

"Are you saying you have a perforation? If so, get off the computer and go to the hospital. If not, you'll grow septic and won't be able to post much more. " I am NOT saying I have/had a perforation. My doctors have not used that term. They used "burrowed" and "embedded" to describe what has happened in THIS chapter of the saga. As I have stated, there are many layers to this going back over several years.

ok , NOW I'm going home..... :rolleyes2:

Here it is, Shortgal: "If you have a "life threating" medical condition, I would think you'd be in surgery this very minute." And if I had the option, I WOULD be. As I have stated, this is a very complicated issue on a LOT of levels. The Doctors are STILL doing tests (One more colonoscopy this next monday, and another Esophageal Endoscopy), and there is the little issue of this being a "pre-exisiting condition"...meaning that my present insurer does NOT want to cover the cost of this. They told me to plan on two weeks in the hospital, in addition to the surgery. Any idea how much that might cost me? And the life-threatening portion of this, it is my understanding, comes at the TIME of surgery. Again, this is a very complex issue. Doctors from FIVE hospitals, lawyers, insurance companies, and whole lot more people will ultimately have their fingers in this pie.

"One question I asked ( and you havent' answered) is If your problem is "life threating" then why is surgery being postponed or is able to wait until May 7th. " Shortgal, I DID answer that question....I think it's on page three....

Ok, I'm going to go home right now (I'm at my office) and later I will attempt to answer some of the other questions that were presented here.

Thank you, Susan, a good question. People here are hounding me for details on the Hospital, the Surgeon, the Date, photos, etc. What you describe is WHY i'm not more forthcoming with the details. BUT...imagine what people would say here if I said "well, i can't say anything because my attorney advised me not to". I think most of them would come back and say I'm even more full of BS than they already have. As I have stated on this forum, this is a RECENT decision to go "public" with this, and file a lawsuit. I don't even have a firm deal with an attorney yet....several want to take it, but I am waiting for my Cousin (who is an Attorney) to return from a vacation to Morocco to help me decide who to go with(she is not a Malpractice attorney). Everyone I have spoken with has claimed it's a "slam-dunk". There was negligience in the way the hospital responded to the problems, and there MAY be negligience in the way the surgery was conducted. THAT will be known when I am "dissected" the my new surgeon. I have opted to post the photos (when i find them) because I can remove my face from the picture. I think in a few of them, it's just a close up without my face. I do not think that would create an issue with any legal action. Again, I'm sorry that I do not have all my "ducks in a row" for you all to dissect, but this is a very recent decision I have made, prompted by my upcoming surgery.

Ok, some of these more recent comments are more of the type that I actually expected to get! LOL!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> To those of you who have offered your good wishes and prayers, I thank you...it means a lot. This is a kind of an ugly time for me and my family.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> For the others here that question my motives for being here, well, there's not a lot I can say. It is what it is. My experience is simply MY experience.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I would, however, like to address a few of the more caustic remarks. I’m not going to address everything here and now. Remember, I’m here now just to introduce myself and my story. I’m surprised that this has taken off like it has.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> First, some of you have zeroed in on my “Target Audience” comment. Have you never heard anyone use that expression before? It is a generic comment meant to indicate the class of people I am trying to address. Not a “show biz” or advertising expression. I am a little surprised that some of you have singled that out as a possible indicator of my motives. It’s just an expression.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> One other thing that some of you have glommed onto is a comment I made about Milk Shakes and Mashed Potatoes, etc. I’ll quote myself:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “You can't chug down a piece of steak easily, but you CAN shove down a few chocolate shakes, mashed potatoes, ice cream, and all sorts of other things pretty darn easily, even AFTER your maximum fills”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Some of you apparently took that to mean that THAT is what I DID. That is NOT the case. I simply stated that I realized early on that it was POSSIBLE to bypass the system. People need to realize that going in. I was NOT counseled in that way. Some of you have been, some of you (I’ll bet) were not. But I did NOT behave in that manner. I had committed myself to the surgery AND the process. It also shows me that some of you are NOT reading my comments; you are reading what you WANT to read INTO them. You’ve had the surgery, and you want to justify your decision in doing so, and you are attempting to do so by defaming my comments. You don’t HAVE to do that. I’m not saying YOU made a WRONG decision. I’m saying that I made the wrong decision for ME. I am simply presenting the results so that others that are preparing to make THEIR decision can have the benefit of my experience. Or perhaps you think that the only information they should have is POSTIVE outcomes?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “I have to believe that you are exaggerating a bit on some of your issues. I mean DID your port really POP out of your skin???”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Yes. It did. And why would I exaggerate this? Again, there are details to this that I simply have not had time to articulate. In the weeks prior to the Port Popping out, it was clearly working it’s way to the surface. It was not entirely without warning. This is part of where the lawsuit comes in: the Hospital’s refusal to act on this impending problem. I did NOT, however, expect it to exit my body the way it did, or when it did. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Again: to those here who have MADE the choice and HAVE HAD the LB installed;<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My Motives: Think about it, people. What do I have to gain by taking the time to post all of this stuff publicly? A Book deal? Hardly. Who would buy a book about a Procedure gone wrong? Not me. Talk Shows? Ok, let’s say I did 5 of the biggest talk shows. And let’s say they paid for everything (flight, hotel,…not all of them do). What would I earn from all of that? Maybe $10,000? I would lose more than THAT by taking the time off from my business to go be on the talk shows. And “15 Minutes of fame” that someone mentioned? Oh yeah….THAT’s what I want to be famous for. Lap Band Surgery Gone Wrong. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Sorry, folks. I have nothing to sell you. I have no interest in being known nationally as the “guy who had WLS that failed”.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> And so many of you seem to TOTALLY miss the points I am trying to make:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Weight Loss Surgery CAN and DOES work, but it is NOT RISK FREE.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It is SURGERY and has potential Complications….it is NOT for everyone.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I had a BAD experience. You MAY or MAY NOT have something similar.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Obesity does NOT happen because you were born without a plastic noose stitched to the top of your stomach. It happens because you eat TOO much of the WRONG STUFF. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I’m not saying DON’T have the surgery…..I’m saying Think TWICE, and TRY HARDER. Look at the alternatives in eating. I know, I know, you’ve tried all the diets. They don’t work. And it’s true…they don’t work. If you want an Eye Opener, get a hold of Tony Robbins “Living Health” series. It’ll change your life. Read “Fast Food Nation”. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> But DON’T MAKE THE CHOICE WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT ALL THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> This is NOT a Botox injection, people! This is a guy (or girl) going INTO your Body with cameras and scalpels and sewing a piece of plastic onto your stomach….ect,etc,etc.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> That’s all for now……<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p>

Thank you, Trell....the kind words are refreshing..... :rolleyes2:

"I'm sorry but after reading all of your posts and responses to people. I'm going to have to call bullshit too. If this really did happen to you (which at this point I highly doubt it did) I'm sorry that you are going through this. And if I am correct in my feelings/instincts (as other people are feeling as well) SHAME on you for posting such total and under CRAP on a forum like this. Oh, and I want to see this port sticking out of your belly in a picture - because you can bet your butt that if that happened to 98% of the Lap Band public they would be photographing that like mad. So go on, show us." Actually, I DO have that photo. The client I was visiting at the time accompanied me to the hospital, and took the photos. I'm glad he was there, he's a lawyer. I would not have thought to bring a camera. I will find that photo, and I'll be happy to post it here. It won't be any time in the next 24 hours. You need to understand that this entire idea of "going public" on this issue has only surfaced VERY recently. I don't even know exactly where the photo is, but I have recognized that i will need it for any lawsuit that might come out of this. I do know that I burned it onto a CD, AND it is also one of of my Hard drives. I am simply stunned that you people think i'm here to sell you something or play some kind of stupid game. This has been MY experience, it is not the FIRST time it has happened to someone, and people need to know the potential going in.

You've already had the surgery, and appear to be progressing nicely. I am happy for you, the band is, in your case, doing what it is intended to do.

Think what you wish. It is not you I am addressing.

"It was my understanding from your original post, that your actually surviving the removal surgery is uncertain.....so why in heavens name are you waiting another month for removal????" "If you have a "life threating" medical condition, I would think you'd be in surgery this very minute." And if I had the option, I WOULD be. As I have stated, this is a very complicated issue on a LOT of levels. The Doctors are STILL doing tests (One more colonoscopy this next monday, and another Esophageal Endoscopy), and there is the little issue of this being a "pre-exisiting condition"...meaning that my present insurer does NOT want to cover the cost of this. They told me to plan on two weeks in the hospital, in addition to the surgery. Any idea how much that might cost me? And the life-threatening portion of this, it is my understanding, comes at the TIME of surgery. Again, this is a very complex issue. Doctors from FIVE hospitals, lawyers, insurance companies, and whole lot more people will ultimately have their fingers in this pie.

Shortgal: "Hmmmmm, looking to sell THE answer? Sorry, I'm not looking to buy." and I'm not looking to sell.

"Am I the only one that has the feeling that everytime he says "more on that subject later..." or "more to come later..." is setting us up to try to buy something from him?" Perhaps you should simply those two or three "later" comments as they were meant: That I don't have the time at this moment to write a comprehensive history of my difficulty. I am taking way more time than I had planned to answer some of your inquiries. I am happy to do so, but I'm afraid that I cannot do it all at once. And what exactly would it be that I would want to sell you? A book about me nasty LB experience? Yeah, THAT would be a big seller. A weight loss program? Sure, that's it. Sorry, folks, I have nothing to sell except a couple of good Kidneys, and in about a month, I'll have a used Lap-Band for anyone that wants one.

I'm in agreement on the move. Not appropriate for introductions! :rolleyes2:

Dreamsize8; "If the doctor says theres alot of risks doing the surgery and the negitives out way the positives then why the hell is he still doing lap bands? I dunno..This whole thing seems fishey to me. I had gotten seizures from a diet pill but after I didnt shop around to oprah,Montell or tyra." As far as my "shopping around" to talk shows, it didn't happen. I worked at a Major Studio for 22 years, the studio where one of the top shows is taped. I know the Staff at the show very well, they have observed what I have gone through....THEY approached me. I am very reluctant to expose what has been a very private issue for me so publicly (I am actually quite shy...), but I just think that people need to know the truth about what CAN happen...and DID happen to me. As far as the Doctor continuing to perform LB installs, I'm not sure why he still does them, or even IF he still does them. I will ask him and report back. He did state that he STRONGLY encourages patients to NOT have one. It is possible that he gives that patient off to another member of his Med group. I honestly don't know. He may (wisely) recognize that there are SOME people who may die without WLS, and if the LB is their choice, then he won't say no. One other point I need to make is that if an individual is VERY morbidly obese, and the choice is death or lap-band, then yeah, get the band. It DOES work for MANY people. I just see a trend in the Medical Community now to position WLS as a solution for people who are NOT MORBIDLY obese....they just have a whole bunch of weight to lose. The standard USED to be 150 pounds of excess weight or more. It's now being pushed down to 50. You are stronger than you think. I struggled with nearly 300 EXTRA pounds of weight for MOST of my life. I thought WLS was going to be the answer. It wasn't. I found another way. David PS: and Tyra Banks??? Plueeez....I wouldn't Touch her with a 10-foot curling iron!

Hi, Kat; Thanks for your reply. You ask some legitimate questions. And I have some legitimate answers! Actually, I did not plan on getting into this in the "Introductions" forum. I didn't look far enough to see that there was a "complications" board, so I suppose that all of this should be over there. I just wanted to introduce myself, and state up front that I am not a fan of the Lap Band. Which brings me to your "why Here, why Now" question. It's been a long journey from the installation of my LB to where I am now. The simple answer to your first question is that there is a POSSIBILTY that I might not be here in a month. The problems I have experienced as a result of the Lap Band are somewhat life threatening, and there is a possibility the surgery may not go well. I am confident that it will be fine, but if it does not turn out well, I want people to know what happened to me. My bottom line is that it DIDN'T work for ME....and the pain and suffering has been enormous. The Bariatric Industry is painting WLS as a "simple" and "safe" procedure, and while most of time it is, sometimes (often,actually) it is NOT. I think that the proliferation of WLS ads on TV, radio, etc, are making people give up TOO fast on finding the power within. The human body is a wonderful, miraculous thing. It was DESIGNED and BUILT to function a certain way. When it is given proper nutrition, rest, exercise, Water, etc, it arrives at it's NORMAL weight. But, our society has manipulated our eating process (processed foods, fast food, junk food, etc) to the point where we have just become bags of fat. I'll have more to say on that issue. "You have been dealing with this and knowing you had issues, and could have been "warning" others to "be aware of possible problems" all along. So....why here? And why now? And why put the obvious complication issue topic into an area devoted to newbie bandsters?" My target audience here is not the Newbie Bandster....it's those who trying to make a decision as to whether or not it is the right option for them. There are many on this forum that have not yet had the surgery. I want them to think twice. I have been encouraged by friends and family that have watched me suffer to come forward and tell my story. I have not been "looking into the talk show circuit", THEY have been looking into Me. My stroy has been getting around. So, my answer to your questions is simply that I hope to be a voice of caution to those that are considering the LB. Those that have already had it done, well, I do wish the VERY BEST for you, and I am confident that most of you will not experience what I have. David

Hi, Theresa; Thanks for your comments. You bring up some excellent points regarding the experience of both My Surgeon and Myself with regard to our attitude toward the LB. The Surgeon became the "go to" guy for LB problems because of his extensive experience with it, both positive and negative. He has seen successes with it, more successes than failures. But, the failures were most certainly significant, enough to allow him to form his opinion that the Lap Band is NOT a viable option over the long run. I was very interested in him, he's quite a likable and open guy. So, we chatted quite a bit, and I learned a fair amount about him. Now, as far as whether I lost any weight with the Lap Band, yes, I did. I lost NINE pounds. But, there's more to the story than that....after the port popped out, the Fluid drained out, and there was NO constriction, I discovered that I could indeed do it myself, without the help of the Band, and I proceeded to lose nearly 90 pounds. Again, a long story, but one I'm ready to tell. I will tell you that I discovered within a WEEK of having the band installed that it is VERY easy to bypass the effects of the constriction. You can't chug down a piece of steak easily, but you CAN shove down a few chocolate shakes, mashed potatoes, ice cream, and all sorts of other things pretty darn easily, even AFTER your maximum fills. For those that have had problems controlling your eating, the LB is no guarantee. There are ways to bypass it if you want to. Again, this is a long, complicated story. I am not suggesting that NO ONE should have the Lap band....it HAS saved lives. But it has also TAKEN lives, and may ultimately take mine. The more I learn about it, the more I feel that people need to be educated about the REAL risks of it, and the POTENTIAL for damage to your innards. Here in the Los Angeles area, there is a company that is advertising on the radio that is calling it the "One-Hour Weight Loss Solution", implying that the whole process is an hour or less. They also state that they will do it if you are only 50 pounds overweight. I think that is CRIMINAL. And just plain WRONG. David

Hi, DancingLamb....what an adorable name! "Anatomically speaking, the band is nowhere near the colon. Are you comfortable elaborating further?" You are correct. The tube detached from the band, and burrowed it's way down. I'll post the whole story later, perhaps even some of the photos of the CTscans and Xrays when I get them from the Hospital. My whole surgery will be taped and documented as the basis for lawsuit, and probably some appearances on talk shows. There are some TV Talk Show Hosts (National) that are very opposed to the concept of WLS, and are VERY interested in featuring my story. Later on I'll also include the story of how the Port broke through my skin, and actually popped out of my stomach while on a visit to a client in Salt Lake City (I live in California). That was a WHOLE lot of fun! The emergency room in Salt Lake ( a small suburb, actually) had never seen one of these before, and everyone in the hospital was coming by the ER to see this....kind of like that scene from "alien"....LOL! David

Thank you for your nice replies! I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get from those who have had the Lap band, and those who are going to have one. It is true that it works fine for many people. But, I think that it's important that people REALLY do their homework, and make SURE that they have exercised all of their options. And by that I mean that they have really given healthy eating a chance. Most people don't. Weight Watchers is not the answer. Nor is NutriSystem, or any other of those systems. I'll talk more about that as I become better acquainted with the good people here on this forum. But here's one thing I'd like to mention up front. When I had my initial consultation with the surgeon who is going to "repair" me, he had some interesting comments. Last year, he performed over 600 Bariatric surgeries. MANY of them were Lap-Band REPAIRS. He is the "go-to" guy for Lap Band mishaps. He stated very firmly that he believes that the Lap Band will be pulled from the market within 3-5 years. There are just TOO many problems with it. He also stated that it was likely that soon you will begin seeing Attorneys on Television saying that "If you have the Lap-Band installed, call ME!" He said that it was inevitable, based upon what he has observed in his practice, and the practices of his associates. he DISCOURAGES lap-band use in his patients. He also stated that he has been asked on a number of occasions to write articles on his experiences in various journals, but he has DECLINED to do so, because he would fear for his safety if he ever told everything he knows about the Bariatric Surgery Industry. He was very clear about that. He said that the Bariatric surgery Industry is a Multi-Billion dollar industry now, and doctors and hospitals are just making SO much money that they are ignoring some of the clear and present risks associated with the procedures, JUST TO MAKE MONEY. He said that if he told what he knew, he is quite sure that he would go out to his car some morning, turn the ignition, and be blown up. The Bariatric Industry is THAT powerful. I have a lot more to say on the subject, I have done an enormous amount of research on this, and my experiences will soon become very public. David