Zoey2

I just want to thank everyone that has posted and given me advise or just given me support. I so appreciate it you cannot believe. I have been doing this alone, or nearly as I don't really have support of family and nobody is familiar with what I have been through. So at times, it is very hard on me and not knowing what to do. I really cannot afford (or borrow for that matter) the money to go to Dr. Ortiz, however, I will get into this other doc as soon as I can and if he thinks there is a big concern or something then we will cross that bridge when I get to it. This has been going on for over a year now. October, 2008 is when I had the surgery to re-attach the port and when it all started. Better now that it was last year as their was a lot of drainage, etc., but still in somewhat the same situation. I really appreciate everyones honesty and openness with this and it isn't too harsh. I've thought about all these things and wonder myself at times. I guess you just get so used to it after awhile and then things don't seem quite so bad. Thanks again and look forward to learning of all of your wonderful stories. I enjoy reading them so much. I need to get back to that point again with the band functioning and loose the weight that I gained back during all this bs. Have a great night! Zoey:)

That is a thought, when they took the first port out (when they said it was infected) they didn't stitch it at all, they left the wound open and I had to have it "packed" for about a month or six weeks. A visiting nurse had to come to the house every few days they had to take the packing out and repack it -- it was very painful and the incision was almost 4 inches deep. But, it did heal fine with no port and never re-opened. This new incision when they put the port back in they used glue and steri-strips for it so there were no stitches. I even asked the doctor if he stitched it up would that work (this as after the fact) and he told me that would make no difference. I'm going to try and see a doctor here (in Arizona) who had seen me once in the ER a couple years ago before I was properly diagnosed with the port being un-attached. He was very nice and said he would see me. That will be a third doctor who has worked with the situation (2 in the states). Thanks for your input. Zoey:)

Dawn: Thanks for the info. I had my surgery done in Guatemala and was seeing a doctor here in the states who has been following me. I don't know if he cultured it for staph, but I would also assume that. He has never talked about having me see an infection control doc. I have been on so many antibiotics and nothing seemed to make a difference. When I had the port re-attached in Guatemala 2 years after the surgery (approx) a hematoma formed and then started the problems with the incision never healing. Back then I had a lot of discharge from the site and had to keep it covered at all times. At least now that isn't the case and the opening is very small when it is open. When the doc took me off the antibiotics, I went on the Celebrex and it healed right up and he said well I always thought it was just inflamation, but seems like if I stop the Celebrex it opens up again. I have no pain at the area and no other symptoms. He told me I just might need to have the port removed. I want to avoid that if I can as I paid cash for my surgery and want this to work for me. I want to exhaust all possibilities before I go to that measure. Thanks for your help. Zoey:)

Thanks so much. I'm really doing fine, it has been going on so long it is just a part of life at this point for me. Just would like it to be OVER already!!!! Thanks again and good luck to you. Zoey:)

Hi and thanks for the note. I know exactly when the port came un-attached. I felt it and subsequently had many hospital and ER visits and even had my gallbladder removed because they didn't know why I was having the pain. Before this time, I couldn't feel my port and their were no issues. It was only after I had the port re-attached that it all started. Since that time, however, my port actually protrudes from my abdominal area and is felt very easily. After the surgery when they put the port back in I had a fair amount of pain for awhile after the surgery that I didn't think would be normal. It is so frustrating for me. All these surgeries, all these hospital visits, etc. and still not totally resolved. Hope you don't have the same problems that I have. Good luck to you, Zoey:)

Thank you Tamara and keep up the good work. I never had a fill until I had lost all my weight. I got greedy and wanted to do a little more. I lost all mine with just the surgery and felt very little restriction. I am same as you with a low bmi as well. I hope the fill goes well for you. I lost 27 lbs my first month and a total of about 50 I guess and was doing great and loving life. Then when my port came un-attached and wasn't functional gained almost all of it back. Have lost about half of my original loss and still working on it. It has been much slower this time and I vomit all the time. I'm afraid to have an unfill thinking that I will start to gain. I'll be interested in hearing how your fill goes. It really is no big deal, but just don't watch since you are afraid of needles. Zoey

No, I am not diabetic. They have said that for some strange reason my body may just be rejecting the port. Now, originally I did have a bad infection after they re-attached the original port. Had that surgery in Guatemala and think that is how I got the original infection. When the doctor cultured it at the time of port removal he said it was indicative of the band eroding into my stomach, but the testing didn't show that and he even repeated it. He really is at a loss. I was so excited when the incision originally healed perfectly, thinking okay now we are fine. Well to my surprise it opened back up. The good news is, before the opening of the incision was always draining making it necessary for me to keep it covered, at least at this point there is no or very minimal draining so it isn't as inconvenient as it was before. My doctor was telling me that they are working on a procedure to do adjustments without the port that hasn't been approved yet. He said I would be the perfect candidate for that. Not sure how long off they are from that. I keep a close eye on things and we will see what progresses. Thanks again for your input. Zoey

Thanks for that information, I was so surprised and thought WOW, maybe not a place I want to be. Thanks for the inside information. How have things been going for you so far? I hope awesome. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose compared to most, but it was so easy and the best thing I've ever done until I started to have some problems which I believe will be corrected in time. Thanks again and have a great day! Zoey:)

Thanks so much and good luck to you. Zoey:)

No, I didn't see your response. That was my first post and I went to find it and couldn't so figured I screwed something up and it didn't get posted (just tried to find it again before responding and couldn't). I'm just looking to chat with others who may have had similar issues. I've never been on a lapband forum in the past, but have on other topics and found them to be extremely helpful. Just a bunch of people in the same "boat" sharing information. That is all that I am looking for. I've seen my doctor several times for this and he is stumped as well. I think it was pretty obvious by my post that I've seen the doctor as I mentioned a couple of different surgeries! Sorry that you seem to be having a bad day!

Thank you, I was surprised by the response as well. Oh well. When I said professionals, I didn't mean it like medical professionals, I meant like professionals on the topic. Hope this helps. Just wanted to gain some input from people who have talked to many and done much research on lapband, thats all. Zoey:)

Hi, I am new to this group and hope to gain some very good information. My case is somewhat different than the others here, but hoping your expertise can help. I had lap-band surgery done in October,206 with excellent results and no problems until after the first year. After the first year my port needed to be re-attached (this was only detected after many ER visits, hospital stays, removal of gallbladder, etc). The incision from the port re-attachment never healed properly after a number of tries with antibiotics, etcs. Therefore that port was removed and we let this incision that wasn't closed heal properly. Then months later, I believe in May, 2009 a new port was inserted. Seemed fine in the beginning and healed then after my first fill the incision wouldn't heal back up. Still to this date, it will heal, then open up, etc. Anyone else with these types of problems. It is very irritating. Also I am vomiting a fair amount, how often is okay, etc. I just feel if a do an unfill that I won't loose anything. I haven't lost much since the last fill. I only have about 2 cc of saline in there now which I know isn't much. Please help, I need some information from you professionals on this topic. Thanks, and good luck to all. Oh forgot to mention that my band had been non-functional for well over a year and I gained weight back and am now working to get rid of it the second time. Don't want this to happen again. The first time losing was extremely easy this time not so. Zoey

Okay need some help from anyone else experiencing same problems. I had lapband surgery in October, 2006 and have had some trouble starting a year after the surgery. I had the port come loose and had to have surgery to re-attach the port and that was in October, 2008. Since then trouble the whole time. The incision never healed properly after the port re-attachment. Therefore, in May, 2009 (I believe) I had the port removed as I had an infection that wouldn't heal after many antibiotics. Then had the port put it again in August, 2009. The incision healed this time, but has opened up again after a fill. After taking anti-inflamatory meds for another reason it healed up again, but only temporarily. I am fearful that I need it removed again possibly my body is just rejecting it. Any others with similar problems? Thanks, Zoey