Leticia

Girl, I had my surgery not this past Tuesday but the one before. A week ago about this time, I was in so much pain, I have no energy to be sitting down on the computer believe me, this really was a bigger surgery than I thought. But time does amazing things and today I even did some light cleaning around my house. I don't really know if I have a specific plan or not, but if for the past two years I have been eating a little of everything I like, small amounts and more than 3 meals a day, I don't see why I can't continue doing that I just hope that works. Besides I was told that my liver is still big and the best treatment for that is to loose the weight (it was huge when I had the original surgery) My Dr said He can put the band back in about six months but I don't think so. He also mention the gastric sleeve, but who knows, it would be as a last source, well the band for me was kind of that, and I always knew that it was going to be temporary because my body soon or later would rejected. (mind is powerful) and right now I'm putting my mind on not seeing my self gaining any weight back. I think what is helping me is that for the past year I had an empty band, actually I only had two fills in two years because I was always so restricted. Ok, I will keep coming to see how you guys are doing and of course I'll looking forward for good news. God Bless Bill thanks for all the information you have given! Leticia

Hi Guys... Thank you so much for your concern. You you know what? actually I'm not disappointed at all. I had my band for two years without any complications other them a little swollen, food stuck, little things like that. But now, I knew something was going on inside, because this kept draining and draining over and over, very little though, but it came from deep inside. I had no pain, no fever and no other symptoms, so when I got to the hospital in Mexico to see my Dr, He said that He had to open so he could bring the camera in and see what's was going on and then decide if it was necessary to remove the band or not, and I agreed with that. Now I'm glad I did, because what He found inside was a huge infection that had spread all over, even though I had been taking strong antibiotics for a month, an eroded band, and therefore a whole in my stomach that was cause by the bacteria in order to get out. He removed the band very carefully He said, fix the stomach whole with stitches, clean the infected area and leave drainers in two sides, It was like 4 hours surgery, and they had just brought me back to my room when the Dr came to see me, He notice that I was very pale and my pulse was going down, so He rushed me back to the operation room, (more anesthesia) open again to take a look with the camera and make sure there was not an internal bleeding. Thanks God, there was not, it was just that I had lost a lot of blood, so I need it two transfusions. I had to stay in the hospital for 5 days and three more days at the hotel so He could keep an eye on me then I came home, and been recovering kind of slow but it is healing well. I also went to a different Dr here who is an specialist in infections and did some blood work on me. It came up negative, no sings of infections, so I feel relief. I'm actually not disappointed on this like I said. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to have a band for a long time, I lost about 100 pounds already, I'm still about 25 pounds to my goal, which I'm going to loose, I know is going to be harder without the band but I'm going to do it. I think the band did its purpose on me, which is teach you how to eat slow, chew very well, and then exercise and make healthy choices on what we put in our mouth that is up to us. I take my hat off on you guys for fighting this so well, I wish nothing but the best, and thank you so much for sharing your journeys here, it sure makes me feel that I'm not alone. God Bless you Leticia

Here I'm recovering from surgery last tuesday. The band had to be removed!!!

Bill, thanks so much for taking the time to share your story. You are right this sound very similar. Now this is what is happening to me. After 7 days in Levaquin 750, nothing happen, for the first couple days I thought that was going to be it, but no, two days later this thing started draining again so bad that I got a little scare, so I made plans to go back to my Doctor in Mexico this next Monday and hopefully He will have an answer to this by then. In the mean time, I went off the Levaquin yesterday so I'm only going to be out of antibiotics for two days. My family Doctor had prescribed them here, but He said that was it, since is the second one He does. He had mention before that I should have a lab test and them try to in a IV antibiotics but to be honest I'm not sure if I can handle this anymore. I think that somehow I have been preparing my mind to have the band remove all ready, since the beginning I always new that this was not going to be forever, that's why I made the decision to have the band because it was reversible. I have no regrets however, it has been wonderful to loose 100 pounds. I would never be able to do that in my own so now it is time to probe to my self that I can do this with out the band. What I forgot to mention is that my band has been totally empty for a while and all though I have not loose anymore weight I have not gain either, but I have not been able to exercise because of the pain. Well good luck to you, I hope you feel better soon and congratulations on your weight lose, I saw your pictures and you look very good. God Bless Leticia

Hi, I have actually not been tested on that. Since my Doctor is in Mexico I don't got to see him much often, but last time I was there it just look like the port was infected and it was removed. So far no one has given me a clear explanation on why that could happen. I have contacted a different Doctor on the matter but just over the phone and He mention that could be what is happening. In the mean time this has not stopped draining and it has been almost a month by now, so I'm planning on going back to my Doctor in Mexico on June 3 which is next tuesday, but all I have in my mind is that I want this out of my body, but lets see what happens. Thanks Leticia

Sorry to heard this, I guess we all go for this never expecting any complications, but they happen. The only thing I can said, is that everything happens for a reason and we have to take it as it is. You will be in my prayers. Leticia

Thank you, I need a miracle too! Leticia

Ok, here is an update. I went to the Doctor yesterday, and at the beginning He look at me and said... I think you should go back to Mexico and have that thing removed!! (I had my surgery in Mexico 2 years ago) but then He wanted to look at it, and He cleaned the area really well and got all this liquid out. It did not had any odor or dark color, so He said, well does not look that bad, so maybe we can try one last thing. He prescribed Levaquin 750 for 7 days once a days. After the second day, I must said, that is looking a lot better, however I don't want to get to exited but I do have faith that this will do it.

Has any one has or have had this problem? and what did they do? did your band had to be removed? This is what is happening to me right now. About to months ago I had a stomach virus so they had to remove all the saline from the band, since I was vomiting a lot, but the Doctor had a hard time finding the port and he had to pinch me a few times and after that, I had a pain in the port area to the point that I could not bend down, so I went to se my Doctor in Mexico and He had to removed the port because it was infected, that was three weeks ago, and everything went fine, but a week later, the wound started to drain this bloody Water so I went to see my family doctor here in Chicago and He put me in an antibiotic but it has not help at all. So I'm going back today to got a stronger one, just to see what happens and if this does not help, than my Doctor in Mexico says that is the band that got infected and it has to be removed. Nice Ha? Any similarities? I'll appreciated. Leticia

Hi I'm not new here but I have not post for a while. I was banded two years ago in Monterrey Mexico by Doctor Arturo Rodriguez, and had have no complications but a few months ago, I had to deal with a stomach virus that kept me vomiting for days, so I had to go to get an unfill here in Chicago, two actually one after the other. Well the last one, this doctor could not find the port, and kept pinching my skin with the needle and trying to place the port manually in position and after that it just has been painful, it felt like it was stuck to the skin it kept pulling, the area around started getting hard and red. I kept putting ice on it, but finally I send a email to Doctor Rodriguez with some pictures and guess what?, He told to get there immediately because I had a port infection. He had to removed the port last Friday with a small surgery that only require local anesthesia but he did had to make a little bigger incision than the original one to got the port out and he said it look bad. Hopefully the infection did not got all the way to band, but I wont know this until later, for now, I have an empty band with no port and not much restriction. Leticia

Hi, I have been using pine nut oil and it has been very helpful with reflux. I actually stop taking any anti acid pills after I started taking this product. What you do is just take a tablespoon twice a day before meals and that's it. I hope this helps. There is a website where you can buy a bottle for about 29.99 but it is worth it. It does not taste bad. Leticia