April Bandsters!

[running_scared 125]

went to doc today for a FIRST fill, had surgery on 4-18.

The port is infected and needs to be removed!! I never had a fill.

I asked how this could happen and he said it is hard to tell...could be a microperforation where the band peforated the lining of the stomach and caused the infection to travel down to the port...

Yesterday i noticed a lum near the port site....today it is red and he said to placeme on antibiotics and then see him this Friday and take it from there,, he is not the one that did the surgery as I had surgery out of state I live in and he was one of the doctors i considered but went with someone out of state...the doctor I went to today, was for a fill and whe he saw the port he said no fill, of course and he said the only way to get infection to be gone is to take out the foreign body(lap band)...so he said to get it out and then in 3 months place another lap band...

Marlene

Are you having the whole band removed, or just the port?

I'm sorry this is happening to you.

[Lauracat 14]

The dr said 3 mouths and they booked the apointment I have been such a pig today I was just so hurgery. I think i need another fill but i am afaird to ask so soon. I give it another week or two

[running_scared 125]

So I am also having some, albeit unrelated, medial issues at the moment, that are frustrating me.

I got a bug bite in the back of my leg last week, and it got infected. I am now on a 24 hour antibiotic IV at home, from a portable pump. I have a super fantastic fannypack to carry the pump around.

I have to go back to the hospital tomorrow, and hopefully I can get this thing off!

[NewLife4Jen 28]

Wow....I haven't been here for a while. I was filled on April 27th and have lost (including pre-op diet) a total of 40 lbs. Yay! I realized though that I do recognize that I am getting smaller but I am the same size Because I haven't been exercising like I should. So today, I went back to the gym and worked out for an hour...it felt really good!

Cindy-I made the mistake on my first fill to have eaten right before....I mean right before my fill. I had taco bell pintos n'cheese and some chips. That was a huge mistake! Rather than being able to put in 3cc, they had to keep taking some out (for a toal of 1.5cc out) as I kept almost throwing up. It was like a major stuck episode where thewater wouldn't even go down. I asked the substitute dr. if eatinghad something to do with it and he kind of passed by my question. I am sure it did so the next fill with the nurse practioner...I went with an empty stomach (well I had lunch about 3 hours prior) and the NP said absolutely, eating before a fill is not advisable. That fill went great! Hope that helps. Good luck!

[Moonlitedi 24]

So far Since surgery I didn't get my first fill until 6 weeks after. Then it was 2-3 weeks after for each fill. My surgery was 4/4

First fill: 4ccs

Second fill: 3cc

Third fill: 1.5cc

Forth fill 1cc

Total 9.5ccs in a 14cc band

I didn't feel restriction until my 4th fill. This was something they didn't tell me at the beginning. I kept thinking why is it not working yet. lol It really working now! lol

[running_scared 125]

Good job on the loss, and getting some restriction Moonlitedi!

[cleescruggs 13]

Great Job, I have lost 43 lbs and hopefully get a fill July 12th. The last time I went they wouldn't give me one because Im still losing weight. I was banded April 6th and today was the first day I fell off the bandwagon. I have been doing this on my own since the first month. NO restriction I have been on my own and today I ate an awful lot plus downed 6 oreo Cookies. Oh God, Ive got to make it til next Thursday and not gain weight. Plz someone give me some help or advise.

[running_scared 125]

My surgeon's office gives fills based on how long I can go before getting hungry, not on how much weight I am losing, because, like you, all of my weight lost thus far, has been because I've been diligently tracking my intake.

[SashaWLS 412]

Ladies would either one of you know when you get a fill, do you go with an empty stomach. Ive had one fill but forgot if I ate before or not. My cousin works at one of the drs offices and she wants me to have lunch with her before my appointment but I wonder if I shouldn't eat at all before a fill.

I am more comfortable if I haven't eaten anything. But my last fill I went in and was in the middle of a stuck episode! I was afraid they wouldn't fill me, but instead she pulled out all my liquid to let the food pass through, and then put it all right back in with the +.7 — didn't even require a second stick with the needle. Did it all in one go-around, and it worked great.

Next time though I'm going to let a few hours pass between eating and filling!

[SashaWLS 412]

went to doc today for a FIRST fill, had surgery on 4-18.

The port is infected and needs to be removed!! I never had a fill.

I asked how this could happen and he said it is hard to tell...could be a microperforation where the band peforated the lining of the stomach and caused the infection to travel down to the port...

Yesterday i noticed a lum near the port site....today it is red and he said to placeme on antibiotics and then see him this Friday and take it from there,, he is not the one that did the surgery as I had surgery out of state I live in and he was one of the doctors i considered but went with someone out of state...the doctor I went to today, was for a fill and whe he saw the port he said no fill, of course and he said the only way to get infection to be gone is to take out the foreign body(lap band)...so he said to get it out and then in 3 months place another lap band...

Oh Marlene, what a drag!!! Do you really have to get the entire lap band removed, or just the port? Did you think about maybe getting a second opinion? I feel so bad for you!!!

[running_scared 125]

I think she posted an update somewhere else, saying that they had to take the whole band out.

[newme0617 6]

Hello,

I had whole system out...on 6-16...rethinking it all will not do me any good...I miss the band...but have to move forward...with that said, I did make an appt on Aug 13th to discuss my next step...I have medicare and medicare just approved the sleeve gastrectomy...so new is the news that even Medicare people are confused right now..but I found the ruling. so maybe by Sept, I can have medicare pay for the surgery...I would go with the sleeve..I am trying to maintain the weight loss and have done that(actually lost 2 more pds)..but that is pure me...

I wish I was in the 1% in income(billionare)..not 1% of those that get a lap band get infected.

I did have 2 opinions...one said to just take the port out and one said to take all out...I felt that I did not wish to take the chance of another surgery to remove the port and then re insert and then just maybe it also gets infected...so I went with total removal.

Good luck to all....

Marlene

[Lauracat 14]

the worst thing happened with the band well one of the worst. I had a massive kidney infection in both kidney and i vomited well over a 100 times and i mean hard vomiting on sunday t went to who will alwyas be called as Dr stupid who asked me if i was dizzy yes and then gave me antibotics that could not be crushed and zolfran that could not be crushed they. T

hen when i called back and said i was misrable becuse of dr supid could not give me the medicaltin i needed they said go to the er where i got a pesrtion for a second antibotic but they could not find out if it could be cushed so the put in the iv and went to work they were just going to give me the antibtic iv and nothing else and send me home they asked me when was the last time i drank anything i sat firday they said we give you 500 cc of fuild and some pain meds zolfran dots sent me home.and said call your primary care dr id you still can not keep anything down, Called they tols me to go back to the same emencey room that told me not to, i said it was a wast of my time and why would i go, Truned out this might have saved my life. I insted on seeing the dr who said you need to be at a hospital she said i calling beth israil they will admitt you. I get there the same thing started happeing I said look i just going to be back here tomorow in the same cycle They said yea your probley right. So they adimitted me I preced to be very sick the next day. But my vomiting changed to a white froffy vomit every time i sollowed my nurse that night said the me Laura i think your band maybe tight. She said when i see the dr I talk to them. That night i still vomited the white froffy stuff all night i could not even sollow my own sliviia i keep renching and coufing up white stuff. July fouth in walk the dr and I said to her you know have we talk about my band. two ekg and and x-ray latter becuse i was haveing pain like i was stuck but could not expan stuck to an skinny dr doctor who did not have a lap band. She said I know nothing about lap band Let me call the GI. 10 min latter in walk my frist hero one of the fellows of the progrom i said to him i can't sollow anything i can't even get Water though I said i fell stuck like you know when you eat to fast and something is sitting on my band He nods his yes he knew excitely what i was talking about. Finely someone who under stood in walk my real hero Dr joes new fellow not the frist one the new one. I said to her i not a big fan of Dr Jones fellows I said i hated the last one he yelled at me i said if you yellow at me i so out of here. She said OMG i think i heard of you dr Jones tell a story about how he made the guy say he was sorry to all his Fellows now She said If i yellow at you please do get out and leave she said I promice i listen to what you have to say. I told he my what was going on. She asked to look me over i said okay she even was nice to do it on my side since i could not lay flat on my back becuse of my kidneys hurt. Then she did something I never thought she would do she called Dr jones on Juily 4 and told him what was going on i told he he going to be mad at you and me for runing Juily 4th for him. She said No she promiced me if he was going to be mad she make it at her only she said no reson to be nevous your going to be fine. I oped for an unfill She tryed 4 time on the 4th try I screamed You need to stop you need to stop the other fellow tryed to make me laugh i she said it not good to make her laugh when i am sticking a large neadle into her. Finaly she said look it not that i can do this it just it painful for you and i keep sticking large neadles in bllind hopeing i find it, She said i want to do it under flocepy I promice one stick thats it she siad what do you say. She said we will take an exray of your band. She saod or we can leave it till dr jones and if he can;t get it oh well he do it under florcepy. She said but were going to need an xray no matter what you decised. I said i can't live like this for much longer so she adjunsted it under folceply takeing out my whole fill i sat up and could fell my slivia again drining but i also felet like my whole in side was raw, The next day the sent me for an Upper GI and it show prolaps my stumic had moved up thought the band. with in 10 mins in runs not walks but run into my room and she said i have two chocies lose the band with sugery or two let her try an endopey to save the band and move my stumic out of it. She siad I need to know now so we can be makeing argrments After talking it over with her I thought endopey was the best optopn. With in 30 min I was taken down to endocpey and given enough happy medison to make me fell no pain she promiced me she would try and would not do sugery with out wakeing me up and told me not to worry. Things started to fo my way she was able to fix the problem and even held my hand as the pushed me up to my room and helped get me in bed and sat there till i was awake enough to make sence of eveything she said I fixed it I was very lucky i came to BIDMC and not newton wesley becuse that could have been life threning and she said i made you a promice i think i keeped it. Last night i was felling better then i got massive dirrea probley form the dye but again she came up and was with me and only left this morning keep makeing sure i was okay.

Dr jones came in this morning I said said you new fellow is an impovment on your old one she great I like her alot I said i hope your keeping her. He laughed and he advanced my deit so i am back on protine sakes for 3 weeks and dr jones said to me your be skinny by then. I laughed So i was able drink and keep everything down today and was sent home and could not be more glad

[running_scared 125]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Perhaps you could fix the typos, spelling errors, and add some grammar and white spaces.

[newme0617 6]

I was really interested in the story, but extremely hard to follow....I am reading I think about an infection and numerous times at an ER...and finally getting someone to understand what was happening