Update on my problem port

Sonia · December 8, 2004

Sonia, none of my posts are meant to scare anyone. I live on this board for answers. These people have saved my life. I'm actually glad to go through all these problems if it means someone else won't have to suffer one day. I don't mind being an experiment! We're all glad you're researching beforehand. It's important to know that there are risks involved. But please know that even after all I've been through, I'd be banded again in a heartbeat.

Thanks. I know they aren't meant to scare. I am worrywart by nature, so I obsess about every little thing. I don't mind if there are problems that can be fixed. I can handle that. I just don't want to die trying to get healtheir. I read the WLS memorial page on obesityhelp.com, and read every single person to make sure that none of them died from the Lap Band. I am constantly on the Internet searching for any mortalities and if found, reading the circumstances behind it. That is just the way I am. THis is probably something I will discuss with the psychiatrist before the surgery. I can't really discuss it with my husband. He is not against it, but really doesn't want me to do it. He is scared something will happen. How do I handle this fear in me? Hey, I will take any suggestions?

Your attituide in dealing with what is going on is a great inspiration to me and others also. I love reading your posts. Thanks for sharing, truly.

Sonia

lauri · December 8, 2004

Sonia, the more you educate yourself and your husband the more at ease you will be. You see the scary thing is not really the surgery-it's NOT having the surgery. If a person is carrying around all of this extra weight, it is killing them. Complications are a minor thing when we consider the alternative. But, really-the band is very safe. Most people do great. Continue to read posts and do your research. You will do fine. Good luck to you! ;-)

Zoe · December 8, 2004

Lauri said it: the scary thing is NOT having the surgery. If you're like most of us here, Sonia, extra pounds are already affecting your health, whether it's through diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint trouble, high cholesterol. . . the list goes on. And (not to scare you) it doesn't get better as we get older; on the contrary, the risks increase. If you read some of the past threads, you'll see that the health of a lot of bandsters improves just weeks after having the surgery. That certainly was the case for me; my blood pressure, while still high, is going down.

I realize that my post is looking at banding from the negative side, that is, how we lose bad stuff after surgery. Truth is, we get a lot of good stuff: not just better health, but smaller clothes, compliments, confidence, and hope.

babsyintx · December 8, 2004

Hi Lisa,

With all my recent woes, I missed this post. There is good news and bad news all wrapped up in one!!! I sincerely hope you can keep your band and that your wound heals once and for all. And 66 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. You have done really really well despite all the of issues you have had to deal with. All I can offer you is cyber hugs and some love from TX! Hang in there!

Babs in TX

334/188/170

-146

6/23/03

Angeleyes · December 8, 2004

I know of two people who had open surgical sites that wouldn't heal after surgery. They finally used a pack of dampened gauze with proxide and Water. They changed it every two hours and replaced the packing (new gauze with the proxide and water). With in two days the wound closed. I am not giving medical advice but just passing information on that you may want to think about. Also have you thought about going to bed and taking it easy so your body has a chance to heal???. Not easy this time of year.I read everthing you write and am learning so much from you. Hope you are better soon.

DeLarla · December 8, 2004

I've tried laying around for a couple days and taking it really easy. I usually ride my motorcycle on Sundays, but last week I didn't get on it - just took it really easy. I've never heard of the peroxide thing. I'm working on getting another doctor appointment. If I don't get anywhere with the doc, I'll rent a box of movies next weekend and lay in bed with a gallon of peroxide and a box of gauze! I'll try anything!

Vickums · December 8, 2004

Hey Lisa darlin', I hope your port incision is looking better. Did the Benadry help? If so, that might indicate more of an allergic situation than an infectious one. Also, keep checking your temp, 'k? (I know, I'm SUCH a nag).

I think that open wounds are probably more common than most people think; I know I've cared for my share of them (and the poor folks who had them). But they usually close much quicker than what we're seeing with Lisa. It's almost like her body needs it open for a reason -- like it needs a drain for that Fluid. That, of course, makes me wonder about putting a drain inside and closing the area around it. Obviously that's for a surgeon to decide, but it makes me wonder if that would be beneficial.

The open wounds that I cared for all involved a wet packing material, which was then covered with dry gauze. We called them "wet to dry" dressing changes. I'm not going to go into detail here because of sensitive tummies, but changing out the packing actually seems to speed healing more than just covering it up. So I was kind of surprised in your case, Lisa, that they didn't continue doing that.

But hey, I'm a fairly new nurse (I still have that new nurse smell, although after the last couple of shifts I've worked it's fading fast), so I admit there is lots I don't know, especially since my specialty is maternal child health, not surgery.

Best of luck to you, darlin'. You're so unbelievably strong, you know that? And congratulations on the weight loss. You deserve it.

DeLarla · December 9, 2004

Smiling here. I've made calls to lots of people including a several band doctors and Inamed reps. I have a couple different options that I'm tossing around, and I'll follow my instinct to make the right decision. I just hope my band is okay today (and tomorrow and for all of 2005 hee hee.) xoxo

DeLarla · April 12, 2005

Now that the wound has finally closed, here's my plan. All I want to do is maintain my weight loss for one year. If I can manage to stay withing five pounds, I'll be happy. Then in another year or so I hope to get a new port. Once I have a port and a fill, it should be like having a brand new Band, so maybe I can lose some more another year. Today all I care about is keeping off what I lost.

Zoe · April 12, 2005

That sounds like a great plan. I wish I could be as philosophical as you are about accepting long-term results!

hagerteresa · April 13, 2005

Lisa, are you sure your insurance won't cover a new port? I asked my insurance twice before getting the band if they would cover complications and they said yes. That even includes the flouro expense when I get fills. They won't cover the fill but consider the flouro neccessary due to complications getting them done blindly. As far as I'm concerned they'll cover anything unusual as it comes up and I'm assuming that includes additional surgeries for fixing or replacements. You might check for the heck of it. Teresa

DeLarla · April 14, 2005

Teresa, I've checked and checked. They would rather remove my band than pay for a new port. They don't consider a new port a medical emergency or even an urgency. But I'll keep trying! Dr. Billy won't put a new port in for at least 6 months though, so I'm in no rush.

Zoe, I wouldn't mind being thinner considering summer is right around the corner, but I'll take whatever I can get at this point. I bought some size 18 shorts, really cute ones. They are tight in the crotch area and do that horrible camel toe thing, so I'd be happy just being able to wear them in a few months. Like 5 pounds is all I need, but I may have to wait till next year.

DeLarla · June 20, 2005

Thanks for all the PMs asking when I'm getting a new port. I've been feeling blue and hopeless waiting for a port to magically appear. Today the Powers that Be spoke to me and told me to get off my ass and see my surgeon. The reason I haven't followed up with him is because I didn't see a reason to, considering I can't afford a port surgery now anyway. Why see him if there's nothing he can do for me?

Sometimes we just have to take steps towards our goal even if we can't see light at the end of the tunnel. Earlier I posted that Dr. Billy hasn't returned my calls - that's cause I'm being punished! He had his staff call me to get my butt to him cause he wants to see me every 4-6 months (he wants me bad, I know he does.) Kidding - laugh there. So in order to discuss my issues, I have to see him in person.

It's a huge ordeal for me to see him considering his schedule and mine totally conflict. I have to take off work to see him, but he doesn't even work Fridays so I'd have to take off 2 days to see him. (He does work Fridays but at his clinic in Northern California which is way too far.) He's actually meeting me at his office on 4th of July, this way I don't have to lose time from work. So I'm off to Penni's then for a check-up, and most likely, a few good laughs.

It just makes me sigh deeply, because after making the huge trip, I still come home portless and will have to back again for the surgery, that is, if a port falls from the sky. The part alone could bankrupt a gal! I heard the port part is like $800.00, and that doesn't even include labor! We all know the labor gets us, right? Cha-chinggggy.

That's Step-One... baby steps.