New band and port revision

[Magnettaj 0]

I was banded on March 22, 2011 and much to my dismay, found out my port had flipped during my first fill appointment. The nurse attempted to access the port, continuously scraping the needle against it making a horrible sound. The surgeon was called in to give it a try, fished around for about 5 minutes, during which I turned white and nearly passed out from the pain. He decided to put me under his live x-ray machine and attempt one more time even though it was quite clear from the picture that the port had flipped 180 degrees. I left with a black and blue stomach, 3 bleeding puncture holes, and in complete tears from pain and disappointment. I couldn't find many posts by people with a similar experience, but after 2 weeks I received my approval from the insurance and was scheduled for a second surgery. This took place just two days ago on May 24, 2011. I was told at weigh in that I'd lost 34 lbs since I first stepped into the office and that I would be getting my first fill while in surgery. It felt good to know that I was doing well even without a fill. Long story short, the surgery took about an hour, longer than the original surgery. He said that he needed to cut out a large portion of flesh, sew mesh into the muscle wall, then sew the port back down and tie me up. He put in 6cc of Fluid to make up for missing out on my first fill, which ended up being too much. They gave me some Water but it wouldn't go down. I headed back to the live x-ray, drank so barium, and watched it slide down my throat and get stuck right at the band entrance. Out came the 4 inch needle again which he stuck right through my bandage into my fresh wound and sucked out about 1.5cc until the barium rushed down into my stomach. It was a relief to actually see the port on the screen and that he was able to access it this time. The constant poking was pretty much torture, and I have a high pain tolerance. All I can say to those wondering what it will be like is that the recovery time seems to be longer as I am in much more pain the second time around. I'm taking 4000mg of acetaminophen over a 24 hour span but still find it hard to sit up, lie down, and go to the bathroom alone. (Thank God for my hubby!) I never knew how much I actually used my stomach muscles until I could feel the pain from being cut into. Although, it’s only been 2 days so I will need to give it time. All in all, I know this little bump in the road will be worth it in the end. I'm only 21 so I will have plenty of time to recover, lose weight, and enjoy my new life. Best wished to everyone out there getting started or experiencing their own difficulties along the way. With determination and the support of others, we will get through this and have a good time!

[stateofzen 46]

Wow, you've had a tough start! But, I'm glad you've got a fix and this too shall pass. Soon you will be recovered and have a working port!