Hi Friends-

Feeling a little discouraged today and need to feel some love. I haven't shared with many here, but I have been having lots of problems since having my infected port removed at the end of December:think . Although I relish in the compliments of how good I look and how well I am doing with my weight loss, I have been too embarrassed to admit to my friends here that I am vomiting a minimum of 2-6 times per day!!! :help: Yes, I KNOW I'm too tight.:bananadoggywow: But I feel helpless in that I can't just go into the office like others and get a slight unfill in 5 minutes. I can keep liquids down and depending on the time of day, the food, and whatever unknown factors my fickle little band decides on....Generally I can't keep much more than 2-3 bites down at a time.

I was perfectly restricted (thank God) with my last fill just 2 weeks before the port had to come out. But since the port removal, for some unknown reason...I have been even tighter. My wonderful doc has been very surprised at this, since there should have been a small amount of fill loss when he had to clamp and cap off the portless end of the band and hide it in my abdominal cavity. So now we are almost in May, and over the past 4 months...I have been experiencing worsening signs of being too tight....with no further fills!!! I have lost more weight, which should have made the band losen...not tighten!!!

The acid reflux started in January and has worsened and worsened. I made an initial call to the office early on and asked for some Nexium. It worked well at first, but then not anymore. I never called the office back to let them know the agony I was going through because I knew what the answer was.....YET ANOTHER SURGERY because I was too tight!!! I have always thought....."ooh big deal" for people who mention they have acid reflux. But let me tell you, for those of you who have never experienced it...thank your lucky stars!! Mine is now so bad that I am sleeping with my head elevated on 4-5 pillows every night, and still waking up choking on mouthfulls of stomach acid and literally GASPING for air! This morning I finally had enough when I woke up and VIOLENTLY vomited mouthfuls of pure acid immediatley after waking (having not even eaten anything for 8 hours prior).

When I finally got the nerve to call my doc this morning and let them know what was going on, they stressed the urgency of me being seen and got me in to see the doc within 2 hours. He had a good old fashion talk with me and let me know how worried he was about my band, especially if this continued. He all along has felt so bad for all of my complications...not only does he say it, but I can see it in his face. The plan right now is that he is going to have his nurse call the facilities he works with to see what if anything we can do to get the costs down. And he is waiving his normal surgical fees all together (which unfortunately the majority of the cost is anesthesia and facility charges). Problem is.....I know this is a necessary step...but spending more money on this band is just so difficult for us right now. My husband has been so incredibly supportive, but I can tell even he is getting frustrated.

Now here's my problem.....Problem mostly comes from being self pay and not having any more money to blow on this experience. The total cost of the original surgery topped out over $17,000.....then add in the cost of an unexpected hospital stay related to an accidental 'knicking of an artery' during my first fill resulting in internal bleeding topping out over $13,000........luckily the removal of the port was covered by my insurance since due to the massive infection it was deemed 'medically necessary'.....Now add in the cost of approximately $5,000 more to have the port put back in. I guess the real kicker of the whole things is that the infection could happen all over again...no guarantees. So we are talking costs now totaling in excess of $30,000...with no guaranteed end in sight.:tired

So friends...what should I do?? Try to wait it out and go against his advice until I can someday truly afford it?...thus gambling with the possibility of slippage, erosion, Barrett's esophogus, or even esophogeal cancer.....Be on liquids and mushies the rest of my life.... okay...okay...you're right I think I already know the answer:faint:

Thanks for letting me vent. Love you all!

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I know we all want to succeed at weight loss -- but at what cost? You know from your post that where you are at isn't where you're supposed to be. You have to do what is best for your health or else it doesn't matter how skinny you are because you won't be able to enjoy it.....Please follow your Doc's advice. Take care of yourself. We are all here for you..............hang in there ((hugs))

Oh Robyn! I'm so sorry you're going through this!! The others have had great advice, so I'm just adding a ((((((( HUG!! )))))))

Since it is an emergency surgery due to vomiting, which could lead to dehydration, could there be a chance that your insurance would cover it?

My insurance no longer cover anything obesity related, but when my band slipped and I could not eat or drink for 5 days and was dehydrated they paid for the removal. I don't think that you want the band totally removed, but maybe they would help with a port? My insurance required me to be admitted through the ER. I did and they admitted me and then the doctor came and did the surgery.

Maybe your insurance would help you!

Robin,

I had the same question as one of the previous postings. Why did you pay for a nick that caused abdominal bleeding. I have never heard of a fill leading to bleeding to death.DOesnt your doc take responsibility for this??? Not trying to make trouble but if it were me and I had to cough up the cash for something that is an UNHEARD of complication due to a fill, I would be the first person on line talking to a lawyer. I dont care how nice the doc is. Thats negligence.

Please seek another opinion. I know that here in DFW area, they can do an unfill on a portless person with a twilight in office rather than being completely knocked out at the hospital . If a doc is really willing to help you, he can use a procedure code that will be accepted by your insurance. Just some ideas. Please get the unfill and a second opinion.

Babs in TX

334/180 ish

You have alot on your plate"literally" . All I can add is that I will be praying for you & I hope you stick with what ever the doctors feel is best for you. Its your health that should be your one & only concern right now. I know about not having finance & wondering what will happen, I pray that the doctors & insurance co. will work with you instead of against you. Best of Luck- truely!

I want to be honest with you Robyn and tell you that your post just freaks me out soo badly.

The certainty of uncertainty....freaks me out. I will pray for you. I don't know what else to do, having never been in that situation and hope to never be. I'm just going to pray that you'll be ok. And that whole artery thingy...I don't want anyone touching me now.

Robyn,

I second the suggestion to just stay on all liquids for now. I have a feeling that you getting tighter and tighter is due to you irritating your esphagus, it swelling, you irritating it, it swelling more... so maybe if you can be on liquids and not pb/vomit so much it might not get worse? Can you have your doctor inject you with an anti-inflamatory? I know when Nykee was too tight and her doctor was out of town, they gave her these injections and she was able to eat (though I don't know if she was as tight as you). *Maybe* if you can get the inflamation to go down, you can do liquids for a while *safely* and hold off on surgery..?

Has anybody heard from Robyn? I am very worried about her. Myra

I just saw this... I'm worried, too...

Robyn, I hope everything is ok. Dr. Benavides is in Dallas (Richardson) and he's pretty good. You might call the surgery center of Richardson and explain the complications and see if they can bill it to insurance as medically necessary. I don't see why anyone wouldn't.

Take Care!!!! And - I'm so sorry you're having so much trouble! (((hugs)))

Robin, I don't understand why it cost YOU $13,000 because THEY nicked your artery?

Of course I agree with everyone else that you should have this fixed ASAP. If your Dr brings you can say this is medically necessary, as he did with the port, perhaps your insurance will cover it again?

I wish you wouldn't have felt embarassed to tell us this months ago. We might have been able to convince you to go in earlier and save yourself this misery. *hugs*

Robyn,

I am so sorry you're going through this. I hope that we haven't seen a post from you today because you're recovering from surgery which was covered by your doctors and the hospital.

Thank you for sharing your story with us - I'm sure it was hard to do. Try to let go of some of the guilt you're carrying over the expense of these surgeries. You made a decision to make your life - and the lives of your loved ones - better, which you absolutely deserved then, and STILL do now. Give yourself a break - you haven't done anything wrong.

Nothing in our common situations are guaranteed and your post helps me to remember how incredibly lucky I am to have this tool at my disposal and that I have to take advantage of it every minute of every day because I may not have it tomorrow.

Robyn, please be well - recovered and back in the battle as soon as you have healed from this, (please God) your last, surgery.

Hi Guys-

I'm still here, tight as ever...... On liquids today, and still not a PB'less day (is that a word??) I'm supposed to call the nurse tomorrow to see what the official word is on the pricing. Pray for me tomorrow afternoon.

I noticed many of you mentioning the knicked artery thing......Guys here's the thing....it was a fluke, it was not negligence in any way shape or form. When you accept the risk of someone sticking a 6 inch needle blindly into your abdomen in close relation to your internal organs, you have to accept that this is a known risk. Being an RN (in the sue happy specialty of OB), I know that in order to have a legitimate lawsuit (legitimate being the key word), you have to prove that the medical personnel has to NOT have acted as any other reasonable 'prudent' doctor. My doctor is wonderful, and it is not his OR my fault that I had this freaky blood vessel grow back and weave its way into the area of my port after surgery. It just happened......I dealt with it.....it's over. Now I have to deal with the new issue.....and hopefully someday I'll be able to say "I dealt with it...it's over!"

Thanks for all of your words of encouragement. I know what I need to do...just praying it works out. Has definitely put in my plans to go to Florida to work for 13 weeks this summer :angry I'll keep you posted

Robyn

Hey Robyn, I also have never had that horid night time acid reflux.

argghh. That sounds horrible. I'm glad to hear your in touch with the Dr and keeping him updated. Sending some prayers your way. Keep your spirits up. ((((HUGS)))

sam

Robyn~

Don't have any other advice to offer, but everyone can always use another hug. Will be sending prayers your way that the financing works out because going on as you are is just so dangerous. If I had it, I'd send the money to you! Keep us posted.

Hugs~

Emily

Robyn,

I guess I'm still confussed on the knick thing. Are we all at risk for the same type of knick? I don't think I've every been informed of ricks like that from the fill needle?

Also, I didn't think you should sue your doctor but I though he could make it "easier" for you on the cost of the surgery that wasn't your fault either. I just paid for my surgery on self-pay but then my insurance also paid so I'm getting a refund. The insurance only paid $800 for surgery that it cost reguarly people 17,000.

If an insurance company and negotiate discounts that deep surely you doctor can negotiate less then $13,000 for an expense you didn't elect.