klyn13jwl

Let me tell you about abdominal drains folks......I had an exploratory scar from about 21 yrs ago. It herniated in three spots. The surgeon fixed them and placed a drain in my abdomen. It was supposed to be removed in 10 days or when it stopped draining......the dr. was on vacation! It had long since stopped draining. On it's 12th day being in......it was finally removed. A very painful experience..... with it being infected. It took about 1 1/2 months for infection to spread through out the drain, back to the mesh. Needless to say, I was re-cut open and everything was infected to the point that I had to have a wound-vac. Because I was left with a creater (an open wound) from my breast plate to my belly button and it went all the way to my stomach! Never let them put you on steroids when there is a possibility of an infection....the steroids mask the infections symptons.......high RBC, fever.....trust yourself......I found out that 10 days is still pretty long as far as the AZ Med Board was concerned. Just words for you to think about.

Congrats!!! I am soooo envious! You go girl! Have a peaceful recovery.

Can someone, please, explain to me what slime or PB means? I've read it in a couple of your posts. Fill me in, K? Thanks.

I was wondering how you know, before you go to Mexico to have the lap-band surgery, if you're a candidate? Do I need to make an appointment with them to get a physical before? I've had extensive surgery to my stomach. How do I find out if they can do the surgery or not?

My question is regarding plastic surgery. How soon before it can become an option.....how will you know that you're not going to lose more and need more surgery. Is it really needed. Can the skin just shrink up, as if by magic, if you do a massive amount of gruelling exercises? I haven't even made an attempt to get an athorization for the surgery, I've just got a lot of questions. That's another question that I have, 'Do I need to get all the crap for Dr. O that I would need if I was getting it covered by an insurance company....dieting logs, weights from the past 5 years, 1 month of documented weight loss attempt'. I really appreciate all the info that I can receive on this site.....thanks everyone.

[My question is regarding plastic surgery. How soon before it can become an option.....how will you know that you're not going to lose more and need more surgery. Is it really needed. Can the skin just shrink up, as if by magic, if you do a massive amount of gruelling exercises? I haven't even made an attempt to get an athorization for the surgery, I've just got a lot of questions. That's another question that I have, 'Do I need to get all the crap for Dr. O that I would need if I was getting it covered by an insurance company....dieting logs, weights from the past 5 years, 1 month of documented weight loss attempt'. I really appreciate all the info that I can receive on this site.....thanks everyone. =D>

Thank you all very much. I was told that healing would take up to 2 years for the sort and size of open wound that I have. I still have pain where the fluid collections were building on the mesh. Tonight, as a matter of fact, it was hurting pretty bad. I know that it is still healing.... and that is a good thing. You are right, I don't want to aggrevate these certain spots....... they have been through a lifetime of infection.... I don't want to even present the possibility of infection. Thanks to everyone, once again. I think that you have helped me to make up my mind to have the surgery done in Mexico.... especially seeing as how I live in the White Mountains of AZ and it would be just as easy to drive across the border as to the Valley (Phoenix).

What is OCC?

QUOTE:"I'm a little confused about your original question. Most people who go to Mexico for surgery are those whose insurance will not cover it in the US. Generally, insurance will cover emergency complications even if the original surgery isn't covered, but slippage isn't usually considered an emergency." I live in AZ and I have insurance through my husband's job (hospital) they do cover lap-band surgery but only for the employee.... not the spouse, even though my husband pays a premium for me. I also have Medicare parts A & B....I've been disabled since I was 19, hence, the Medicare. Medicare will cover it if it's done in the states, but I have had doctors in the states screw up so bad that I needed to have my wound heal from the inside, out. My 'original' question is who pays for the band to be reinserted after a slip.....and I believe you covered that, thank you I think that I'd be willing to go to Mexico, just to see what the doctors there could do for me. I'm not a special case.....I just want to know that whoever it is that is going into my stomach, can be reliable. I'm not ready for another case of Staph. The rehab, which I am still going through, is hell. Thank you for any help or referrals to Mexican doctors. I would really like to find out more on a Dr. Ortiz. Thank you. :girl_witch:

I was wondering.....I am seriously considering going to Mexico to have this surgery done, but as far as I can tell, by what I've read, when a person is rebanded, due to slippage which means they have the original band removed and another one inserted, they pay for this expendature with a grin on their face. I don't have 10 thousand+ dollars laying around the house for when the possibility of a HUGE problem, such as this one, arises. Maybe I'm just stupid....but isn't that what health insurance in the US would cover..... that and the possibility of an infection? Someone expain it to me like I was a five year old.... cuz, I am really confused. BTW, the reason I am so hell bent on the slippage thing and infection..... I just had a hernia repair (three to be exact), over an old exploratory surgery scar. The drain was left in too long and the mesh became infected. I had to have the incision cut open and the mesh removed (which was infected on both sides of the mesh) and I was left with an open wound! 5 in. long and 3 in. deep. The idiot US doctor, did nothing. Four trips to the ER. I had to drive 3 1/2 hours away to another hospital. There they told me I had Staph. This is why I'm just a little worried. It looks like, either way, it's quite a big roll of the dice. I really do want the surgery. I just want to be sure of the best route. :pardon: