atroglet

I also have been "opened". But 8 weeks after lapband surgery. OP what does your surgeon say about his ability to do sleeve laparoscopically or will he have to reopen you because of scar tissue?

I am a dental hygienist here representing the dental community. How would you like your hygienist to be obese? Probably not much...I recently had a patient report back to the doctor that I was messy and unkept. I shower, do my hair and makeup everyday and iron my uniform. Had to be my weight. I'm a pre-sleever!

My story starts in July of 2010. I received my Lap-Band on the 23rd. My surgery was performed by Gerald Kirshenbaum in Denver, Colorado. He said it went well after the surgery but mentioned that my liver was lacerated during retraction and he had to repair a hiatal hernia. He felt that the laceration was no big deal because it stopped bleeding before he ended. Fast forward 8 weeks and 20 pounds less. I started having stomach cramps, vomiting and body aches. Dr. K's office felt I was having after effects of having food stuck. It lasted five days before I couldn't take the cramps and went to the ER. After blood work and CT scan I was sent home with no diagnosis except for a slightly elevated white blood count. My Lap-Band looked to be in place. The next week I continued to feel horrible. Went back to Dr.K and he prescribed antibiotics for elevated white blood count. After four days I went to my general practitioner because I figured I must have that damn swine flu. He gave me a shot for the pain and said I should feel better in about four hours. After five hours I felt so much worse that I ended up in the ER again. They did new blood work and my d-Dimer was elevated so they did an ultrasound looking for a bloodclot. None was found. They sent me home around midnight with no answers. The next day my symptoms worsened. I had a fever of 104.3 and was retching violently. I lost consciousness for a period of time and when I awoke my lips were blue. This resulted in another trip to a different emergency room. When I got there my BP was 80/50 and in severe pain. They quickly diagnosed me with Septicemia (also known as Sepsis). After taking a new CT scan they decided I had air or Fluid around my liver. The ER doctor started an Internal Jugular central venous line and started aggressively treating me with multiple antibiotics. My life was on the line. I live in Colorado Springs. I was transported by Flight for Life to a hospital in Denver where my lapband surgeon was located. When I arrived they wanted to go in laparoscopically to explore my liver situation and check my lapband but my blood pressure was so low that I was unstable. They put me in ICU for a blood transfusion and platelet expansion to hopefully stabilize me. My kidneys were starting to fail. The next morning they wheeled me down to the OR but my blood pressure was too low to use laparoscope so they had to cut me open from chest to naval. I was so full of infection that it was pressing on my organs and that was what was causing my pain. He found the infection under my liver cleaned it up and placed a drain. While in there he also removed my lapband. I was put into a medically induced coma for two days with my family receiving a 50/50 chance of survival. When my organs started rebounding they brought me out while still having a respirator placed to help me breathe. After my body proving to them it could breathe on its own, they removed the respirator. I spent the next 10 days in ICU and CCU recovering my health. I was sent home with a picc line for six weeks of IV antibiotics to be given up to four times a day. After a few weeks I was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs resulting in having one tapped for the extraction of fluid. What a mess this all was! I can't explain what I went though physically, emotionally and financially. I'm not telling you this story to scare you or make you change your mind. But I just want you to know that not everybody's outcome is a success. When they tell you there are risks..you should believe them!

Wow, you are one RUDE lady! Unlike you, I have not disrespected one person or poster on here, including the surgeon. The less you respond to rude, critical, argumentative people, the more peaceful your life will become.

You guys win! I'm done

Amen, sister! I found out the hard way by posting my story on here and unless it's positive - forget about it! I wonder what makes all these people so defensive. They have success on their side but have to bash anyone that didn't have a positive experience! So sad! As I was told you must just be doing it for the "I'm sorries" I get. Ya okay! Good luck OP on your sleeve!

Be Wow! Angry much? Let me touch on some "points" you made. Please quote where I am implying that you shouldn't get a lapband. NOWHERE in what I've said or implied has been to stop someone from getting the lapband. If you had done your research on my story (to get my I'm sorries like you say) or my doctor you would have noticed that he retired a few months later. So, yes, I felt that posting a terrible review about someone who was no longer practicing wasn't in my nature. Whether or not I have contacted an attorney regarding a lawsuit is my business and not yours. Maybe you should go back and read my story again. It's been three years since my surgery and less than three years since all this happened but however you want to do the math is fine. Have a happy day!

A few posts back I answered what bacteria were found. Nobody could give me answers.

Oops...in reply to bayoufirlmrsc. Although I appreciate the suggestion, this my story and I get to title it anyway I see fit. That is why it includes "with" instead of "because of". I am fully aware of the fact that a complication of my lap-band surgery almost killed me.

I did follow a pre-op diet to a "T". Lost 10 pounds.

I never implied that it did! Fortunately, he retired afterward.

Awesome! Thank you!

How do you book direct?

Let me try to answer some of the questions. I am doing fabulous right now! Although three years later I have gained back my 20 pounds I lost. I truly loved the band and was devastated that it was taken out. I had been at a good spot and seemed to be managing well with the band. Honestly, if I could be GUARANTEED no problems I would get it again. I don't have another $10K laying around! As to the bacterial cultures they had a hard time identifying. It must have been cultured three or four times. I believe my blood cultured positive for lactobacillus and my lesion cultured positive for streptococcus anginosus. At one point they had talked about dialysis but my kidneys started improving and back to normal two post discharge.

Couldn't have said it better myself! BUT, what I want people to know is that I did all that. My bariatric surgeon had a perfect track record! It doesn't matter...other things can happen. Check him out on this website. Why can't somebody come on here and state their experience? There are plenty of successful stories on here. I just want people to KNOW THERE ARE RISKS!

YES, that is why it is titled '...with the Lap-Band' instead of '...from the Lap-Band'

Congrats & enjoy that feeling. When its dialed its awesome...unfortunately I'm sitting in the CCU without my band. Very long story but I became septic and almost died a week ago. My liver got nicked during band surg. We had all thought it healed But it became infected then I got bacteria in bloodstream because no one could diagnose. Blood transfusion, platelets kidney failure. Etc. Bye bye my band.

Has anyone heard of band erosion after 8 weeks post-op?:thumbup:

Just wondering how you were doing today, dman? Do you have restriction? I got my first fill yesterday, also, and have restriction but I'm starving every 1.5 to 2 hrs. Ugh.

I don't have anything to add....your post cracked me up....where's my tape measure?:thumbup:

I would like everyone's opinion on a good online food log. I have been using the one on lapband.com and it seems I have to enter every food I eat. It seems there should be one out there that has more foods in their database. Thanks!

Thank you for the replies....update - I used The Daily Plate today. They had every food I ate on there including my protein shakes! Loved it!!

Wow, I wish I could trigger my nose to run when I'm supposed to be done! LOL How does that work!

Been there recently, rode that ride and NOT fun! I too am (was) a speed eater. I got panicky when I got that stuck feeling. I didn't think I had any restriction either and unconsciously put the last bite of my child's hamburger in my mouth and had it down before I even figured out it might not be good. Ugh! I have a lot of work to do! I also have my first fill on Aug. 24th. Good luck!