Band Rejection - Answer to Port Problems

[HarleyNana 10]

Wow girl, you could write a book on what to pray doesn't happen after banding. Seems like if it's something bad that could happen, you've already been there and done that.

Thank you for sharing your ordeal with all of us. You've certainly given us insite as to problems we could encounter and what to do in order to deal with it.

As for the timely phone call, I don't know your doctor, but do you think it was a set up so you wouldn't expect a freebie? Sounds to me like an inside job, maybe from someone on his staff. Did they consider a different brand band? Are they all made from the exact same material?

You've been such a martyr and inspiration to us all, I only hope that if my body rejects my band I can have half the courage you have shown.

Good Luck!

[paula 4]

Be Careful!

We'd rather have a big Lisa then a dead Lisa!!!

This sounds kinda morbid, but I think you get the point... Listen to your body!

[La_madam 20]

I agree with Pat (HarleyNana)

I think that phone call you mentioned sounds like a set-up and the analogy Pat posted makes perfect sense. It would be hard to swallow that any of the people you confided in would disobey your trust you had in them by telling anyone or calling Lopez's office themselves. All of us here are family and are here to help and support eachother, not to stab anyone in the back like that. Do any of us know of any other member on this board who knows you and does not have a port? I can't think of anyone here who does not have a port.

[New Hope 37]

I thought the very same thing! Did you actually hear the phone call, Lisa? Did it really happen? Personally, that sort of thing isn't worth you wasting valuable energy on. Please focus on getting well.

And what's with signing a release? Like you've had any recourse in the past!

I know I send and receive pms to/from bandsters all the time, with no ulterior motive, just out of care and concern. I choose to take them in the spirit they were sent - friendship. A person could drive themself crazy trying to scrutinize everything.

[Vera 7]

Lisa, You know I wish the best for you too. You are definitely strong!

After some thought I really don't know if any other band manufactured with a different substance would mater. If your body is rejecting a "Foreign Object" it's only a matter of time. I just hope your body gets use to it and time is on your side.

You didn't tell me you've been shot before. How many battle wounds do you have? Hey how bout some pics...

Donali, "Reach for your mate instead of the plate." My latest motto thanks to Marie.

[New Hope 37]

And, Vera, apparently it's working quite well!! LOL

[lapbander081004 7]

Lisa,

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. You are one hell of a trooper here girl. I'm so honored I got to have lunch with you. My son still talks about how cute he thinks you are. Interest in a 21 yr old.. I'll pay you a month fee to take him LOL

And I agree with the others that say you should not waste time on an idiot... get yourself better. But if you do find out who it is and you need someone hurt let me know LOL... I'll post about their mamma...

[Mita 2]

You are such a trooper and I wish you all the best with your new Port and I hope that the previous rejection was a fluke and this time there will not be a rejection.

[molynn 0]

Lisa, I am so sorry you did not get the answer you were hoping for with your wound infection, but at least you got an answer.

If anyone can prove this doctor wrong, you can. You have a great outlook on this entire situation. You are in my thought and prayers. I hope you get to keep this band as long as possible and get closer to your goal weight.

You are truly an inspiration to all of us. You know we are all here for you.

[athykay 9]

Lisa I don't get here much lately, but I think of you often. You are and always have been a great inspiration to me. My thoughts are with you darlin, hang in there.

[babsyintx 0]

Hi Lisa,

I agree with Michelle. There is no one here on this board that would do anything to hurt or sabotage you in anyway. And none of us that I know are portless. I am really sorry that your body is rejecting the band. I bet though that you will go a long time without a removal and I still have faith that you will be able to overcome this. Hang in there and know we are all here for you.

Hugs,

Babs in TX

334/186/170

-148

6/23/03

[DeLarla 22]

Honestly, I don't think Lopez had anything to do with the drama. My best guess is Nora may have concocted the story to get even with me (sounds like something a catty woman would do, not a busy doctor.) Lopez doesn't have time to read the boards, he's extremely busy. I know it wasn't Lopez cuz we discussed how I'd respond once I saw the post, so Lopez himself believed there was a post for me to respond to. But Penni and I scoured all the boards, and no such post can be found. Water under the bridge.

Now that you all know Lopez is still my surgeon I'll fill you in on my experience. No, Michelle, I'm not mad. Nothing's really a secret around here anyway... I'm just trying to prevent any more rumors, so I'm keeping certain things quiet.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending him, but Dr. Lopez changed his staff and took responsiblity for me. I can't speak for anyone else's care.

My plans were to go to Dr. Billy (Penni's doc in Ventura, California.) Billy's staff made my endoscopy appointment and said Billy would call me to discuss the details and my options, but after 2 e-mails and 5 phone messages, the man never called me back. So Penni called Billy on my behalf, but he ignored her messages about me, too. My appointment came and went (I didn't go since nobody ever called me to confirm) and he still hasn't contacted me. He topped off my hell like the world's biggest rotten cherry. And that's when Lopez called me.

Lopez told me on the phone that it sounded like rejection, but he wouldn't be certain till he saw the wound. This time my husband insisted on coming along. Lopez stood in front of us and humbly apologized for the past. After all the "Lopez bashing" I've been involved in, he seemed sincere and very concerned for my band (and many other bands that we discussed.) He took as much time as we needed and answered a page of questions. I even questioned all his current erosions, but that will have to be another whole post. He didn't make excuses or lie to cover his tracks whatsoever.

I must admit, I'm very pleased with his new staff. Everything is so much more professional now. Nora has already been replaced by Marcelo (impressive guy.) She was there, but only temporarily during the transition. What a shame that Dr. Barba isn't a permanent fixture (he's also moving on with his internship.) Dr. Jaramillo was also excellent. And Diane Beck, the new patient coordinator, took care of everything. She picked us up at the airport and made sure we were safe; she stayed with me the entire time and was in my room when I woke up from recovery. She even kept an eye out for Chris and had lunch with him. Nice touch.

After Dr. Lopez and Dr. Barba spent an hour answering my questions, Lopez reviewed my Upper GI results (I brought them with me.) He looked at my wound and said "this is not infection, this is rejection." At least all the other doctors that saw the wound agreed it wasn't infected. Could you imagine how many antibiotics they could have wrongly prescribed? Yikes.

At that point he explained that I'm rejecting the tube. And the tube is made out of the same material as the band, which means my body doesn't want the stuff inside me. I really wanted an endoscopy to check the band, but he said it's not necessary based on the excellent Upper GI results, plus he planned to check the band during surgery. He could have removed the band that day, but he told my husband that my weight loss proved that I was trying to follow Band Rules (he talked a LOT about BAND RULES.) He probably wouldn't have given me a new port if I hadn't lost the weight I lost, but he agreed to give me a new port. AND NOTHING IS FREE.

I was glad he asked me to sign a waiver, because that shows he's taking responsiblity for his actions and running things the way they're run in the US. The agreement is between Lopez and myself. He didn't have to give me options. After everything I've said about him, I'm surprised he didn't yank my band out and tell me to get lost; but he gave me options instead, and he doesn't want there to be any confusion in the future. I think the waiver is more about principal and protecting his reputation at this point, but either way, I was glad to sign it.

And his staff has contacted me several times since surgery to follow up.

One thing I asked Lopez was, "why did you refer me to US surgeons that refused to see me." He was obviously bothered by this and actually had a valid reason. He said he proctored the Vegas doctors, and during that time, they promised him the world and said they would gladly take on his Mexican patients for aftercare. But now things have changed. Mexico is taking so much business away from Las Vegas, that surgeons are blaming Mexican surgeons. He didn't mention anything about problems with med-mal insurance. The surgery in Vegas is about $28,000 while I paid under $8,000 in Mexico.

I also asked why he charges each patient differently, and that's when I learned that you pay based on the facility. You can go cheap like me, or spend thousands more to say at a different facility.

[DeLarla 22]

And YES, I have been shot by a gun! Okay, so it was only a BB gun, but whooosh, that hurt like hell!!! A bad-ass neighbor missed my head by a few inches when I was a kid, and the BB skimmed across the top of my shoulder. To top it off, the skin closed over some metal, and I grew a cyst that had to be surgically removed, causing a kiloid that had to be injected with 9 needles. Eeesh, ain't anything easy?

If a little BB caused that much pain, I can't imagine a real bullet wound, but I'm thinking this boo-boo on my belly is pretty close! It's been almost 2 weeks and still has me bent over.

[Penni60 45]

Lisa, I am just glad that you are on the road to port land for now. I am still pissed at Billy and he WILL hear about it.

At any rate, keep us posted on how you are doing and you know I love ya girl.

[DeLarla 22]

Oh, I forgot to high-5 Megan & Molynn, cuz YES, I finally have ANSWERS. Can you guys believe it, I finally have answers!

Thanks to all you for keeping me sane (well, pretending to be sane.) I would have cracked up and told an ER doc to rip the band out a long time ago if I couldn't come here to freak out. Thanks you guys, all of you.