Hi friends. I'm sad girl today. Had to get my incision lanced and drained at Urgent Care this morning. Major infection. I feel worse now than I did after my surgery. They had to pack the wound with 4 inches of gauze to keep it open. I have to go back tomorrow for them to repack it. Truly disgusting. They also gave me antibiotics. I'm usually a big girl about this kinda thing, but I feel like being a baby today so I'll take all the sympathy I can get.

Hold me. Sniff sniff.

Lis

Oh, ouchie wowie, honey! You poor thing!! I know something of how that feels because I had a couple of boils in my armpits lanced about 20 years ago. I will NEVER forget that pain, and how incredibly weird it was the way they packed in the gauze.

Poor baby! I hope hubby is being extra good to you and that you heal up fast and easy now. You definitely deserve loads of sympathy! :(

Oh no! What a horrible thing to have happen! I'm so sorry. I hope the antibiotics kick in real soon and you get rid of that nasty infection real fast.

I'm sorry to hear about your infection, but you must have some relief in your mind now that you know what is going on withyour port incision. Antibiotics will kick in soon, hope you are up and around soon!

Michelle

Hopefully, once the hurting stops, you'll feel much better. You certainly don't want that stuff trapped in your body! Besides hurting, you probably had to wait for medical help for hours. Hope the rest of the weekend is calm and uneventful for you and your husband. Take care!

Thanks everyone, I knew I could count on you. I just woke up from a fat nap with my dogs and feeling a little less pathetic already.

Yes, it's a huge relief knowing that disgustingness is out of me (hair standing up on back of neck.) I was shocked at the amount of stuff that was damned up inside. When I showed her the wound, I thought it was just the round pea-shaped thingy that needed to come out. She said, "no, no, no, this entire area needs to be released." I refused to watch, but I felt the pressure of her cutting me, then suddenly she scramble behind her for extra towels to absorb even more than she anticipated. I felt a waterfall go down my side. She massaged the entire area and went through quite a bit of gauze before packing the area. I have to go back tomorrow and Monday. Then she wants me to see my surgeon, but as always, Dr. Lopez's office never returns my calls.

And of all things, it was my veterinarian who told me what was wrong, and she was 100% accurate. The hard ball pea-thingy was an infected pustual. I'm pretty mad because I called Dr. Carmen 2 weeks ago and described the hard bally thing and the swelling, and she told me not to worry. Then I e-mailed her the pics I posted last Monday and she promised she'd call me back after looking at them. Nothing.

I planned on meeting Donali in Tijuana next Saturday for a fill and a wound check, but I'm not flying to Mexico till this wound heals because I won't spend all that money and get sent home without a fill. So I'm making an appointment with Dr. Teng, the expensive local guy on Monday to follow up on my wound. It's $150 just to get in the door, but it will be worth knowing I've established a local doctor for emergencies.

Deep sigh... so glad you guys were all here for me. Knew you would be. Thanks

I didn't have to wait too long because Urgent Care wasn't opened till 8:00. I was the first one at the door at 7:30, so they saw me right away. What a nice, caring doctor, also. And I still have the nagging cough, so she said the antibiotics would kill 2 nastys at once.

But now I've slept the day away and hope I can sleep tonight. So I'll probably post a hundred times tonight!

Thanks again.

Hey girl,

I'm sorry to hear about your infection. You knew that something wasn't right with your port for quite some time now, it must be a relief to know that it has been diagnosed, treated and you're on your way to getting straightened out. Best wishes out to you, hoping you have a speedy recovery. Denise

DeLarla, I think you're doing the right thing by biting the money bullet and establishing a relationship with a local doctor. I was ready to go to Mexico if I couldn't win my insurance battle but it was fear of a situation like this that kept me from jumping on a plane at the first denial. I'm sorry you had to suffer and wonder for weeks before finding out what was up.

But all that is behind you now and you're clean and clear and ready to move forward. I'm sure things will improve for you day by day from here on out!

Wow, you really did have an alien inside! Please take it easy!

Alex, I sure hope you're right because I'm so ready to put this surgery behind me and move on with life. I'm really angry today. I just got off the phone from leaving messages all over Mexico. I even talked to Dr. Ortiz's staff Friday to see if he'd consider taking me on as an aftercare patient. I also left a message with his assistant, Dr. Martinez. I'd have already made an appointment locally, but Dr. Teng's office number was busy all morning last week... what kind of luck is this? Why would a doctor's line be busy in this age of technology with voice mail, call waiting, multiple lines? I need a lap band surgeon immediately to give me information about my surgery to pass on the the Urgent Care doctor tomorrow. Today's doc doesn't work Sunday, and she said my problem was that she did what she could do, but she doesn't know how far or deep, or anything about my surgery to know how much farther in the infection can be. I have to see a different Urgent Care doc in the morning, who will only be able to repack the wound. I'm too scared to look at what else comes out. On the upside, I felt the damn break when they lanced me and it felt like a good pound of stuff that came out, so maybe I'll lose an ounce or two!

But this bummer feeling of mine has me wanting to eat. I ate too many leftover tortilla chips from last night's party today and now I'm fighting the urge to eat even though my stomach isn't hungry. I'm having tea with honey to shut me up, but the night is young. At least I have this board to keep me occupied from time to time. And at least hubby is only making burgers on the grill, which aren't my big thing (instead of his usual buffet of my favorites.)

There was an entire alien community in me! I'm taking it even easier now than I did after my surgery. Back then I felt it was important to move around. Today I feel it's important to lay around. I've only gotten up to check the boards & go potty & to chat with friends. Now I'm taking my tea & going back to the big bed with my loveable mutts, who take very good care of their sick Mamma. My husband comes in every hour to see if I need anything. I said, "yes, could you go rent me some videos" but that crossed the line. He's not that advanced and wouldn't know how to rent a video if his life depended on it! He tells me he married me cause I'm smart enough for the both of us! Other than that he's taking good care of me.

((DeLarla))

I am sorry you are having such a rough time! I am keeping my finger x'ed that the infection is no further than the wound! Keep your head up. Now I maybe confused but did you say that VET told you what was going on when you doctor told you not to worry??!!?? That's kinda freaky. But at least now you know. I don't know if I am out of line by saying this, because I know we have different opinions, but don't worry about food right now, worry about getting yourself better. Remember that this is a journey and we all will get there. Take care of yourself and please keep us posted!!!!!

Birdee:)

Awwww Man!!! Bummer Lisa!!!!! I wish I lived closer to ya... I LOVE PACKING WOUNDS!!!!!! The truth is out... I'm a freak. I think you'll feel a lot more at ease with a local Doc... it makes me uneasy that my surgeon will be an hour and 45 minutes away... can only imagine how you are feeling! SO SORRRRRRYYYYY LISSSSSAAAA.... ((((((((((((HHHHHHHHUUUGGGGGSSSSSSSSSSS)))))))))

Yes, my little Bird, I made an appointment with my Veterinarian, who gave me the answers I needed!

A few years ago while getting my dog his shots, the vet asked how I was doing. I told her about this long medical mystery I'd been struggling with, and she had the solution at her fingertips. So I went to the pharmacists, who confirmed the vet and mentally flipped off my useless doctors.

Too bad the vet won't actually see me, cuz I'd saddle up in a heartbeat, but my Kitty had a cyst so we went to the vet yesterday. While there, I showed the vet my incision. She winced and told me exactly what it was, an "infected pustual that needed to be lanced ASAP." She even told me which Urgent Care to go to.

I was left on my own at a very early age. Forced independence made me pretty darn resourceful! If a vet can help me, hell, I'm not proud!

And now Nightengale's name makes sense! I'd have let you do it. My best friend is Gross Mary. There's nothing gross about her, but she's like you and loves that kinda gore. But she was out of town. She's going to be devastated when she finds out all the grossness she missed out on!

Last night I had a few margaritas and decided to lance it myself. I got the surgical area prepared with alcohol, peroxide, steralized blade, fresh gauze (looked very impressive.) I was trying to act like Patrick Swayze in that movie where he gives himself stitches. I sat there psyching myself out but couldn't do it. Chickened out. Good thing, too, cuz I'd have feinted. No doubt about it. Maybe if I'd gone with straight shots of tequila.... Better off now though cause they gave me antibiotics!