Just got home from the Endo test.

I have cried and now all I am is numb. TO those that I have already spoken with thank you for your words of encouragement.

Yes, I have eroded as well. I am enclosing pictures of the erosion.

Dr. Billy seems to think mine eroded due to all the problems I had with my port issues. That makes lots of sense to me.

He also said he didn't see the erosion on the initial pass through and only caught it after the turned the camera around and looked back on itself. It was hiding the little bugger. You can see that in the second page of pics Number 16 shows the slight white area to the right.

SIGH!! I am making this short as I am rushing to get everything in order before I go back to Ventura and get checked into the hospital for surgery which is tonight at around 7p. I will be in the hospital for tonight, tomorrow, and be released the next day if all goes well. We are not anticipating any complications. He is doing the surgery laparoscopically. Thank goodness I don't have to be cut wide open for this surgery.

At this point, I am just wanting to get this thing OUT and begin to heal and then get through the holidays. After that I will think about what my options are regarding anything else.

I will be out of touch for a few days. I will call Christina or Lisa and let them know how I am doing and they can post for me.

I love you all.

PS: Take care of your bands people. FOLLOW the rules. If you are too tight get an unfill and learn to cope. PLEASE!!!!!! This is too much to deal with right now. I am a mess.

HUGS

Pictures to follow.

Oh Dear God. This is unimaginable. Please tell me it's a dream and we'll all wake up with happy healthy bands.

Prayers tonight and tomorrow for a safe surgery. I'm so so sorry.

Penni -

I'm so sorry to hear this news - it's hard to take. You have done well, you're pictures (the ones outside of your body ) show this to be the case!

What is the difference between the two placements? I'm going to ask Dr. Kuri which technique he uses.

Patti

Kuri uses the Pars Flaccida technique (he did on me), but like Michelle said, it lowers the risk of slippage, not erosion...it has to do with where and how they place the band...above the peritoneum, which is the sac that surrounds the body cavity, your innerds, where all your digestive systems are. I realize that's a very non-medical description, but maybe you get the idea. I hope that's close to correct.

The band is silicone against soft stomach tissue. It's almost like your stomach doesn't stand a chance. I'm never getting filled again. In fact, I'm tempted to go take out what little I have...(please God, let me keep my band)

Wow.....im New To This Site, Was Banded A Year Ago, And Let Me Tell You I Am Learning Soooo Much From Everyone.....

Penni,

My Heart Goes Out To You And I Will Be Praying And Thinking Of You Tonight As You Have Your Surgery...i Will Also Pray For The Strenght To Handle This Hurdle That You Must Jump....god Only Gives Us What We Can Handle!!!

Penni - I too am so very, very sorry for what you are experiencing and hope everything turns out okay. I am a patient of Dr. Billy's out of his Tahoe office and would very much appreciate it if you would have your way with him and then cut him loose so he can come up here and band me! I'm telling you, they don't come much better looking than him....is he single? I know he has children, just wondering....

Penni, I am so sorry to hear that, your daughter is right, listen to her. Crappers that sucks, but being felt up by a hot doc should make it all the more easier to endure. Good luck tonight!

Okay, Penni, I'm staring at your pics wondering what I'm looking at...pics 16 and 17, I think...the last two on the second page of pics...is that a pic of the stoma from the bottom side looking up? So, the stoma going down looked good, right?

Does the endo camera tube thingy (sorry, I don't know the technical lingo here) does the camera go all the way through the stoma so it's able to turn around inside your bottom stomach and look up?

I realize you won't be reading this until you get back but wanted to ask all this. Anyone who knows, speak up? What are we seeing here?

Having just come into this discussion, what does an erosion feel like? Pressure....Pain....what? This may have been discussed before, but I missed it.

Penni, I am so sorry for your problems. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Terri

Kathy,

thanks for asking those questions. I wondered the same thing.

These pics look like (to me and Mike) the outside of the stomach and band... but what do we know??

Gee Penni, what can I say that everyone else hasn't already said, all I can do is offer hugs.

My mom has an appt tomorrow with the same doctor that did our surgery, I've asked her to have him check out your erosion pictures.

More hugs and best of luck to you.

what does an erosion feel like? Pressure....Pain....what?

I can only speak for myself..I had no pain or pressure..I was losing weight and had great restriction, the only difference I noticed was my tummy was gassier but I also have gastritis...

Penni....

I am so sorry that you are losing your band. But think of what you have gained from the time that you did have it. We are all at risk. One thing Im not clear on and I dont know if theres been a clear answer but what the heck causes this? Procedure or compliance? Is it the procedure was done wrong or is it from eatting too much of the wrong things? Is it from being too tight? I guess its a combonation of things. What ever it is, it sucks that you have to go thru this. Prayers are with you lady~

Ohhhhhhh )$#%@)%& Penni !!!

I'm sooo sooo sooo very sorry. You will be in my prayers and please let us know when you can how you are doing.

Hugs and kisses to you darling. We love you !!!

Penni, Wishing you the Best!!!

Okay, Penni, I'm staring at your pics wondering what I'm looking at...pics 16 and 17, I think...the last two on the second page of pics...is that a pic of the stoma from the bottom side looking up? So, the stoma going down looked good, right?

I'll answer for Penni -

Yes, the camera passes through the stoma, and the pics of the band eroding are being shot from inside the lower stomach, looking back up towards the throat.

Penni's erosion looks much worse than the pics of mine did, and I was supposedly at 40%. Mine looks like it's just bulging through a thin lining of stomach, whereas you can really see the actual band in Penni's pics.

I'm reattaching mine for comparison's sake (not trying to steal your "thunder", Penni - I'm sure you're interested in the comparison as well).

OH MY GOSH!!! Okay, I am REALLY starting to freak out now. This is just nuts! Why are so many bandsters eroding. And all around the same time frame (around 18-24 months post op!!)

This is terrible Penni, I am so sorry this has happened!