La_madam

Yes please tell us how you found out? is there pain? Im going to my dr tomorrow becasue I think something is wrong with my band, did it feel like it was broken inside? I feel like something is broken in mine because what Iam experiencing is not reflux or being filled to tgiht, I can eat and drink but I have the strangest pain, it is almost like contractions. Please tell me your experience that led up to you finding this out.

Contempt is an understatement... Lisa & Penni must of been sick the day you posted your survey or questionaire here on the boards in June..because I highly doubt if the'dy seen a post asking about Lopez they would of missied it (both of them). Maybe I will check the archives and look for that post Esophagitis is inflammation, irritation, and swelling of the esophagus, the tube that leads from the back of the mouth to the stomach. Erosion is when the band erodes into the wall of your stomach, the stomach tissue actually grows around the band and the band ends up on the inside of your stomach rather than on the outside where it is originally placed. And she asks us to be accurate with our facts?? LOL

Chrissy..I am so sorry to hear this. I could only imagine how you are coping. I'm having some issues with my band and am going to TJ tomorrow to find out whats wrong and I am scared that something is wrong with my band and if I lose my band I dont know what I would do. As far as your Dr. telling you it is how the band was placed in the original surgery. I asked my doctor the same question just 2 weeks ago about Lopez and all of his erosions and he told me the exact same thing..funny thing is my Dr and Lopez used to be partenrs but my Dr. has not had many erosions, it is very interesting. I wish you the best..you will be in my thoughts..please keep coming here for support band or not we all have the same goal. Let us know how is goes..

Today Im doing bad..Im going down to Mexico tomorrow.I cant live with this. I do not beleive it is from my filled being too tight. It feels like something is broken. It is not reflux or heartburn.The prevacid has not worked I have taken it twice. I have been doing the Maloxx and yesterday it worked great but today nothing. I'm in pain and uncomfortable. I will let you all know what happens. I'm miserable and a little scared. Keep your fingers crossed

Hi Welcome..Like Betty said..every Dr. is different. My Dr. required no pre -op diet. He only does if your BMI is over 50 but mine wasn't. I would follow your Dr.'s instructions, he has them it for a reason....Good Luck tomorrow

Thanks Betty..I'm feeling a lot better..today was the worst so I finally called my Dr. and imagine he answered his cell phone on a Saturday and took time to speak with me...its amazing what Maloxx and the prevacid has done..What I was feeling I did not think an antacid would cure or help so that is why I never tried it until today but it seems to be..guess I was wrong....Liquids suck though! Thanks again Betty for thinking of me..you are a sweetheart!

Sultana I had my last fill in August also and have been doing great with it, but this past week something strange has been happening. On Monday night I ate bread and a piece got stuck..I almost PBed, I had the watery mouth and the slime but the bite passed through and ever since then I have been having this weird pain/ sensation whenever I eat or drink..I did not think to do liquids for 24hrs ( like my Dr. reccomends after a PB)since I did not actually PB so through the course of the week I continued to eat but very little since everytime I did it was so uncomfortable. Today was the. worst..so I called my Dr. we spoke a length about what was going on. He reccomended I start prevacid and do liquids for 3 days he believes I irritated my esophogus and for me to also take maloxx and I can honestly say just with that one swig of maloxx coating my esophogus I feel better. I am on liquids for 3 days and if I still havethese symptoms Iwil lgo in for a slight unfil..He does not believe I am filled to tight since just 2 weeks ago I went in for my check up andhe did the barium swallow test and saw that my band was in place my esophogus looked great , my port was in palce and no dialation of my pouch and my restriction level was good, if anything not tight enough but since I told him I was still losing every week and I felt good with my level of restriction he left it be and did not fill me but he also told me on the phone today that even though my fill was in August he has seen it in some cases where your fill can get tighter overtime..So for now I'm on the liquids, prevacid and Maloxx and going to see how it is in 3 days but I can all ready say I feel better..maybe try some Maloxx see if it helps you. I did not think it would help me since I have no heartburn or reflux but he thinks it is my esophogus that is irritated ..we will see. I hope you are feeling better since you posted this..

The ones who have had to endure these problems are good people I'm sure. Sometimes in the stress of living through it, venting is a healthy part of the recovery process. I want to encourage those who are venting to keep commentary honest and accurate Margaret I can not believe you would say something like you did in the above quote..those who are venting about Lopez are real live patients from Lopez who are being honest and accurate. They have nothing to gain by lying here..why would anyone lie about a horrible medical experience. They have nothing to gain by doing so..all the are trying to do is make others aware just like you are doing by stating what a wonderful Dr. he is.. Whatever expereince a patient has good bad or other is the right of the patient to post it or to warn others about...It is offensive to me that you think these people are not being honest..For the record..I have met 3 of these women personally who all have had problems with Lopez 2 with port problems and one with erosion..I saw and heard of their problems first hand from their own mouths and saw Lisa's open wound which I might add still has not healed 6 months later. How dare you come here and insinuate these women are not being accurate...I find it very offensive.. Again , Good for you that you have had such a wonderful experience with Lopez I'm so happy for you but please do not come here and make light of the fact that so many others have not..some are still suffering today. If Lopez is so concerend about changing the ways of his practice and aftercare..then tell him to call those he knows are upset and those he knows were having problems that he promised to call back and NEVER did!!! , that would be a great place to start dont you think..as long as these people are unhappy with their aftercare and as long as these poeple come forward and speak of their erosions and port infections...his reputation will never be salvaged until he does something about it himself personally to all of those he has sqrewed!

I agree Leatha ..also the fact that the other 3 women on this board who have had erosion with Lopez is not here say or rumors either. For every good experience with any Dr. there is a bad experience. Margaret is the fortunate one to have had a good experience and I wish her the best and am happy for her but the fact still remains there are many unhappy Lopez patients here and on other boards. Just becasue a Dr. is good at installing the band does not make him a great Dr. there is so much more to just the actual surgery in my book...aftercare and patient follow-up being one of them! P. S. Do any of you find it interesting that whenever there is a negative thread about Lopez someone comes out of the wood work and posts a thread totally defending him? I'm wondering why Margaret never comes here to share about her experience since banding but only to boost Dr. Lopez and his practice...Margaret how else is everything going for you? Hows the weight loss? Hows the band working for you? We would love to hear how you are doing instead of just always coming here with a "tooting Lopez's horn" thread. Oh and one last thing...Margaret are you saying that the 3 other women who have posted here with erosion from Lopez are just rumors and they are lying? Why would anyone lie about that?

Carmen..What a great inspirational post on the day we give thanks,, indeed you do have something to be thankful for. Congratulations to you..I'm very happy for you

Hi & Welcome..I know several people who have had the lap band and have had diabetes and have lost weight and no longer take there med for it. There is several people on thissite who have or had diabetes..I'm sure they will post all about it.

I spoke wit Sandy at Orti'z office, there was a delay and she said they should be sent out this week. Also for those of you who ordered, please make sure you were not overchargerd. It has been posted on other boards that some have been charged 129.50 on their credit card statements instead of 12.95. If this is the case for some of you please call the publishing company MWP Publishing at 949-715-7924. It seems to have been an error on the part of the publishing company and they are aware of it as well as Ortiz's office and are working to correct the problem.

Getting a fill is when you go in to get your band tightened or adjusted. It is what gives you the restriction you will need to eat less. Some people do not need fills but that is the minority, most of us need fills anywhere from 3-5 fills until we get to our goal weight. It is adjusted with saline through the port the doctor places under your skin and the saline travels through the tubing top the band to tighten it..

Glad to hear everything went well for you and that you had such a possitive experience with Dr. Lopez & his staff. I loved the Lucerna it is a beautiful hotel and the entire staff was so helpful. Best of Luck to you on your weight loss journey

Congratulations on getting a date..you are going to love your band! Best of luck to you

Congratulations Kim I wish you the best with your new band!

Like Marie said..if you live here in the US..make sure you line up aftercare in your area prior to your surgery. I have heard it many time when a patient gets banded in another country and plays hell trying to find a doc in their home town who will see them. Many docs wont touch patients banded in other countries and if they do they charge alot! Best of Luck to you? Why Belgium or France? Just curious?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you my extended family Like Lisa I have lots to be thankful for this year.. Be Safe Everyone... And dont eat too much

Hi Carol..so glad to see you are back but sorryto hear of your illnes. I hope you are on the mend soon. I'm doing good, have lost 10l bs since Vegas. I will be in those 14's soon. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I think of you often

Thanks Greg ( I think) for noticing I had not joined this challenge yet. I just can not get motivated to exercise..I promised my self that once I got to ONE-DERLAND that I would. I need HELP!! Is there a prize for this challenge :laugh Maybe that would help! My weight loss is going great without it so I dont want to mess up a good thing ...Excuses Excuses..Someone kick me in the ASS Please!!! I did go shopping for 4 hours today and wrapped all my presents when I got home ...Does that count :ermm

Lauri..there are other ways..I went to Mexico and was a self pay..Dr. Ortiz offers financing through Capital One.so do other Dr.s in TJ..if you want this and your insurance will not cover you ..Go to Mexico. Many of us here have and have NO regrets. I sold my most convertible mustang to have this surgery thats how bad I wanted it...and I know when I'm thin I will want that car back but I also wanted this surgery badly and I was not going to fight with my insurance company and take months to do so..I'd probably still be fighting them 7 months later and now I'm over half way to my goal weight 67.50 lbs lighter

I'm telling ya Betty..I really believe this weekly weigh in has helped me to be so successful. If I get on the scale more then once a week I obsess and I do poorly and end up sabatozing myself. Plus weighing in with all of you keeps me accountable and focused...Glad to here we are doing it right & your nutritionalist agrees with our strategy

Nancy What was on that list of yours? The only thing on my NEVER to have again was NO CARBONATION! Other then that, I can eat what I please. Some Docs I have rread will give post op instructions based on the Gastric Bypass..could this be what your Dr. did with al lthe NO NO's?I was told from Inamed told me the reason that every Dr. is so different with post op instructions is when the band was approved there was no set standards for post op diet that each Dr. and their nutritionalist made up there own per say Some of the Dr.s who proctor will pass theirs along to the Dr.'s they have proctored. this is why we see such a variable degree of post op diets among all of us.

GLitz I'm almost 8 months post op and I experience the same pain in the left side ( like I just ran a marathon) from time to time..I have asked my Dr. about this and was told it is normal. He said it is nothing serious and is most likely trapped gas or just a muscular strain from doing too much. I know I have no infection or flipped port since I just had my check - up last week and everything was fine. There are several women I have spoken to who also get the sideache pain..mine comes and goes..somedays I have it and other days I dont....

Go to the Dr. and get an unfill..you know your body better then anyone. Do not listen to this nurse. If you can not eat mushys or solids you need an unfill..everytime you throw up you are risking slippage of your band. everytime you throw up you are damaging your esophogus..this is not how the band was designed to work. Getting as little as .2 cc's removed can make a huge difference. Don't be foolish..tighter doesnt always mean you will lose faster. With the Holidays coming , do you really want to be miserable like you have been? Call you Dr. today!