Band Rejection - Answer to Port Problems

[DeLarla 22]

First, let me apologize to my band buddies for not posing this sooner, but some drama (B.S. to be exact) kept me from being honest about the latest on my port situation. I told only a couple close band buddies that I had an appointment a couple weeks ago to see my band surgeon about my still-open wound (it had closed over a couple times but kept opening and draining.)

While I was at my surgeon's office, he received a phone call. It was very disturbing, because the caller knew my business and asked my surgeon for a "free port since you're giving Lisa one." Till this day, I don't know who that caller was, or where they got that information. I haven't seen any posts, and the few people that knew of my appointment swore they didn't say anything, but the whole dramatic nonsense had me pretty ticked off. I've been playing "Detective" since that day. Nothing is free. And as far as a new port, when I made the appointment, I was going in with a blindfold on. I was under the impression I'd be put to sleep for an endoscopy, then I'd either wake up with a new port, or without the band depending on the endoscopy results. To top it off, I came home to find several different PMs to me from various people, all asking about my port and about my surgeon. Sure, they were probabaly coincidental, but it was too strange.

So, I'm sorry that I had another surgery last week without telling you guys, but you can all probably understand why I felt better keeping quiet.

On to the important stuff: Most people know my whole story, but for anyone new, I got my band on May 5, 2004 but the port became infected. On June 16, I had a second surgery to remove the infected port. But the port incision never healed, even after the port was removed. When they removed the port, they left the tube in (this is the standard procedure for an infected port - to remove the port and clamp off the tube so that the area can heal.) But my incision area never healed. It remained an open wound most of the year with a little Fluid draining every day.

I saw several doctors about the open wound, and nobody was able to tell me why it wounldn't heal, although everyone agreed the area was definitely not infected.

So January 6, I went to my band surgeon for an endocsopy. I gave my surgeon results from an Upper GI that I had last month. My surgeon reviewed the Upper GI and said my band looked good. But then he took one look at the incision, and he told me that I'm rejecting the tube. And that, my friends, is why the wound refused to heal - because I'm rejecting the tube.

I will eventually need my entire band removed. The tube is made of the same material as the band, so I will eventually reject the band also. Based on the good Upper GI results, my good weight loss, and my desire to lose more weight, my doctor said he would try to help me lose even more before having the band removed. I had to sign a waiver stating that I had already faced one port removal and tube rejection, and that I understand a new port will also reject in a matter of time. I willingly signed the release, and then I went into surgery, where he gave me a new port. He said it could reject in one week, or one month, or one year... it could even reject today or in three years, but there's no way of knowing when it will happen.

Meanwhile, he removed a lot of inflammatory tissue from the old port site, and OUCH, this was a painful one. Yahoo, it still hurts like a bullet wound. He removed the tube from the old incision and removed all that inflammed tissue, then put a new port in much lower and to the left in some clean, healthy tissue. He used the same incision but made it bigger. He didn't make any other new cuts. I came home with five stitches (about 2 inch incison) that was much more painful than any other incision, and after a week, the incision opened and drained like a faucet. So far the new port site (he put the port away from any incisions) is calm and quiet, but this incision is taking it's time healing, and is still draining. I took 3 stitches out myself, and I'm seeing my local sureon tomorrow to check the wound and hopefully take out the other two.

He did not perform the endocscopy since my band looks good right now, and since we are on borrowed time. He said we will do the scope once I start having signs of port infection, and that we'll keep my band inside me as long as possible. Two hours after the surgery, I got dressed and walked to radiology, where he gave me a fill under fluoroscopy. My surgeon was very pleased with the way the entire procedure went. I was very pleased, as was my husband (who stayed with me the whole time.) I told my surgeon that my first fill was 1.8 cc, but he disagreed. He told me I only had 1cc of saline in my band, so he gave me a total of 1.7. Honestly, I can't feel the new fill because my port incision is so hard and swollen and bruised that it's all I can really focus on.

This was the hardest of my 3 surgeries. I actually layed in bed for 3 days and every single night after work cuz this bugger hurts! It's been 10 days and it still feels like a bullet wound, so I hope my local surgeon says it looks good and takes the last 2 stitches out tomorrow.. crossing my fingers.

Part of the reason I haven't posted is because I don't want any sympathy. This is the hand I've been dealt, so I'll deal with it accordingly.

Just for today I have a band, and a port. This is my last chance to get my eating back in control, and for 2 days I haven't done so well (after a whole week of fasting I went a little junk-foodie.)

[Chris S. - L.I. 0]

Lisa,

I just want to wish you the best outcome and tell you I admire you for being so brave after all you've been through.

[leatha_g 4]

Hugs to you, Lisa. You're definitely a trooper! I hope you can prove him wrong and not reject this thing. Good luck with that!!

[claraluz 2]

Lisa, God bless you. I hope you get the results that you want from your now complete band and port. But most of all I hope you are OK.

Nancy

[TrishS 3]

Thanks for letting us know, mostly us not banded.. because there are cases out there, nothing is 100% and its good to know. I hope everything goes well with you, and sorry this had to happen... Again thanks for letting us know

[New Hope 37]

Lisa, glad you finally got some answers to a very long-drawn out problem. Do you and/or the drs. think your scerodomis (sp?) could be causing your body to reject the band? Are any of the other brand of lapbands (Midband, etc.) made of a different type material? I know I pm'd you because you had recently been absent from the board (see you are missed when you're not here!) and you had posted earlier about having this done. You've done an excellent job w/your weightloss. IF you do lose your band, I bet you'll be just as successful as Donali has been! Please take care of yourself and get well.

[Jammin & Losin 1]

Good luck and I hope that everything goes okay and that you get to keep your band!

[MeganA 35]

Lisa-

I'm so glad you have some answers...I just wish they were different ones. I am amazed by your strength to continue on with the band even though it hurts and you don't know how long you'll be able to keep it. Your story has inspired me to not take one day with my band for granted. I hope that your wound heals up this time and the pain gets better every day. You deserve to have this band work for you after all you've been through.

Thinking of you,

Megan

[Banded14yr 2]

Lisa,

I'm truly sorry that you have gone through so much with your band. You are a SUPER Trooper in my opinion and always seem to maintain a positive attitude. After everything you've been through, you always seem to make the rest of us smile and laugh.

I truly hope that everything works out for you, take care of yourself!

Tricia

[nightingale2u 42]

Lisa (((hugs))) and hope that you feel better soon and that the outcome will be better than your surgeon has suggested. I think it's wonderful that you are sharing your experience and you have many friends here pulling for you!

Darcy

[Iluvharleys 15]

My prayers are with you girl! Hopefully this time your body won't reject it at all. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you! Take your time healing, you have been through a lot with this problem, it isn't going to heal overnight. We just want it to heal!

[La_madam 20]

Lisa... I too am glad you finally got some answers. You have a great attitude about this whole entire thing...Wish you the best!

[Alexandra 55]

Wow, Lisa, what an experience you've had/are having! You deserve an enormous amount of credit for staying sane through all of this. I'm glad there's an explanation, even if it isn't what you wanted to hear. Now at least you and the doctors all know what you're dealing with.

Good luck and I hope you heal up fast this time!!

[donali 57]

Hey Girl -

No sympathy from me. Buck UP!! So you have a little ouchie - get over it, already! Sheez. With all your whining and caterwauling one would think you'd been having some kind of problem or other since May of 2004 or something!! :dead

Seriously, you know I'm wishing you all the best. :sleep

IF you do lose your band, I bet you'll be just as successful as Donali has been!

This is a horrible thing to wish on anybody!! :tired Although today I was only 25 pounds above my low... Sigh. I wish I were more like my Mom, who wasted away during her 3 month courtship with my Dad - he kept her so entertained during their dates that she hardly ate anything, and he would always finish off her portion... lol Maybe I just need a more entertaining S.O.? JUST KIDDING, My Love!

Boy, am I full of vinegar this morning? Waiter, more caffeine, please!!

Lis - you know I love you to bits, and think about you everyday. Hugs, kisses, and some major flirting thrown your way!! :devious

[kimalicious 5]

D...

I'm glad you got some answers and hopefully can live with the band a little while longer before rejection. Just one question?? How do you know what a bullet wound feels like?? Please don't tell me from first hand knowledge!! HA! Hang on to that band as much as you can!