So, I went to see Dr. Billy on Friday the 9th of July. I showed him the protrusion thingy on my belly. There are pictures of it somewhere on this site. Do a search for "Protrusion thingy".

ANyway, he said it was due to the tubing being bunched up in that area. He can fix it with a quick surgery. I have called the Insurance Coordinator and she called my insurance co and lo and behold they WILL cover the surgery. The only thing is he is out of network but I would have paid the whole cost just to get this fixed. I have talked to the office nurse and just waiting on a date to schedule it. I want it done this week or Monday of next week. I have family coming in from out of town at the end of the month and I wanna be able to enjoy the visit.

While he is in there he is planning on doing a revision of my port as well because it is tilted. That made it hard to access the other day for the fill. So, I will keep you posted on the surgery date.

Isn't it amazing that you call someone and get an answer right then or they actually call you back. LOL!!!!

Penni, We are talking about the same Lopez, right? Dr. Juan Antonio Lopez Corvala?

Yup one in the same. Hey email me Penni60@aol.com got some things to discuss with you about the recumbent bike and a couple other things.

I am not a happy camper either. But I have made a decision to NOT go back to Lopez for any reason. I am really disgusted with his staff and how they treated me during the last visit. I know he is a decent surgeon and some people will still go to him and not have any problems but not getting in touch with me or you for our problems is UNEXCUSABLE in my book and just plain bad medicine.

Thank God I had the presence of mind to ask for a list of Docs that take his patients. BILLY came highly recommended. He is a great guy and I think he is the sweetest thing. Very supportive and concerned that we get this taken care of soon. It was emergent but he did not want to wait till it popped through the skin. Which it would have done. I knew all this when I went to TJ last month. But I was apprehensive about Lopez touching me at that point. So I am glad that Billy is taking care of it for me. I feel better about him diong the surgery than Lopez at this point. And it will be covered by my insurance as well which is a HUGE plus.

OK finally got a return call from Sara Lee ( she has been working on this for awhile).

My surgery date is July 23, 11am at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, CA.

It is so nice to get return phone calls.

YEAH the protrusion thingy will be GONE after next Friday. She said the surgery will take about 45 min tops.

I highly encourage anyone with this type of incidence to please seek a surgeon and get them to fix the problem. IT can cause major problems down the road. The tubing is NOT supposed to bunch up like this. I am just glad I am getting it taken care of now before it pops through the skin no thanks to Carmen, Lopez and staff. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Oh Inamed called me the other day and said I was the first case they had heard of that had this situation. Leave it to ME! LOL!!!!

Penni, maybe you are a firsty! But everyone please report all problems to Inamed from now on. I learned that all doctors are required to report all port problems, infections, erosions, etc. However, not all doctors are reporting. So maybe this happened before... heck, maybe one doctor, who shall remain nameless, has had 100 bunched up ports? Whack!

As a side note: After I heard from Sara Lee I got a personal phone call from Dr. Billy in regards to my pictures I sent him about the irritation around my fill site. Remember when I had that irritation when I thought it was rejection? Well this is just like that (looks like an allergic reaction actually) only on a smaller scale and locally to where the injection fill site was last Friday. He, Dr. Billy, called me (he is on vacation by the way) to discuss those pictures I sent him of the irritation at the site. Don't you just love him. The sweetie!!!!!

Here is what he said could be causing the problem. I have already cried and got it out of my system and he assures me that this is probably NOT the case but it is a possibility.

Can we say EROSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He said a POSSIBILITY of the cause for the irritation is that in the initial surgery a small area could have been compromised on the outer part of the stomach. This area was then covered by the band. It has allowed some stomach content to leak; then it migrates along the tubing and then sets up infection around or near the port. This could have been the initial redness I experienced.

Then it, being the stomach content, subsided or collected or whatever and did not rear it's ugly head again till he accessed my port for a fill. As he inserted the needle it passed through this stomach content area / infected area and as he withdrew the needle it carried some of that Fluid to the surface and caused the irritation again.

This ALL makes sense to me. So, that all said. Here is the plan.

Still have the surgery to reposition the port and fix the tubing on Friday the 23rd as planned. He will insert a camera up to the stomach area and view the outer area and see what that looks like. If it is suspect then he will do a endoscopy after I heal from this surgery. I am gonna try to get him to do an endoscopy while I am under to get it over with and not have to wait. I will even pay for it myself just to get it done. He said if the stomach is looking fine then he will explore other options as to the cause of the redness.

I will wake up Friday with a band still in place. He will NOT remove the band in that surgery. He said removing a band is not as simple as placing one especially if erosion is suspected. He said that is a decision that he and I need to discuss to infinitum. Also, we would discuss my other options for weight loss as well at that time. But he said that is only IF the band needs to be removed, which he doesn't think so at this point. We will know more after the surgery on Friday.

He does suspect some kind of infection around the port though since I am presenting with this redness area after the fill. He said he has never had the redness happen unless it is an allergic reaction to betadine, latex etc. Neither of which I am allergic to.

He sounded so concerned for me and wanted to make sure I had all my questions answered. He made it clear that we would find out what is causing this problem and fix it.

I am just so impressed that he called me directly and did not have his nurse call me. And And And he called me on his vacation. I just love him.

I should get a commission on his patient referrals. I have sent him I know 3 or 4 people now and they all have appointments with him. LOL!!!!!!!!

OH, Penni - I do so hope it is not erosion.

But listen - it does NOT make sense to me for you to go through a port fix surgery if erosion is suspected. The endoscopy should be done FIRST, and the possibility of erosion should be removed BEFORE doing any kind of surgery. There is NO point in fixing your port if your band has eroded, and it makes NO sense to make you go through two possible surgeries.

Please insist that the endoscopy is done first before you submit to any surgeries. It is my understanding that endoscopy is the ONLY definitive test for erosion. Once you determine your band status, THEN you can have your port fixed, or band removed, whichever is called for. But that's only ONE surgery, instead of a possible two.

I'm thinking about you, and hoping for the best. sheeesh!

Thanks I have already thought of that to ask for the Endo first before this surgery. His nurse is calling me MOnday to talk about surgery issues, admission, etc. So I will tell her I need to speak to him before the surgery about this.

Hi Penni,

Hopefully none of that is true and your just getting the irritation from something else. I agree with Donali though, I would try to keep it simple and solve this suspect problem before trying to treat the lesser problem. My thoughts are with you and I'll only think good positive inspirational ones for you. Teresa

*** as her head spins off her neck and slams across the wall***

Penni, I'm ashamed of you. Of all people, to consider port-revision before an endoscopy after Dr. Bill said erosion was a minor possibility? Come on, girl, you know better! Actually, I'm not ashamed of you, I'm damn proud to know you.

This is serious stuff cuz I leaned on Donali the hardest through my whole surgery. To think she had her band removed is unthinkable. Now Penni, you've been my personal nurse, so for you to have erosion isn't even in my realm of thinking. So get your ass to the doc and have the scope done.

As far as my infection is concerned, I guess at this point, I'd be proud to be in Donali's court having my band removed. I can say that clearly now since I've had a couple coctails... no, I don't want my band removed, but it's certain that my body is rejecting the foreigh object. My port incision is infected again... still... actually, again and still.

Penni, I'm hoping the best for you. All my love... Lis

Penni, I'm ashamed of you. Of all people, to consider port-revision before an endoscopy after Dr. Bill said erosion was a minor possibility? Come on, girl, you know better! Actually, I'm not ashamed of you, I'm damn proud to know you.

Cowering in corner from Delarla's wrath. LOL!!!!

I have sent Dr. Billy an email stating that I WANT an endo before the surgery on Friday. I will also call them on Monday if I don't hear from the nurse before noon.

I'm reading and just stuned, Penni, my heart drops. I do agree with having an endoscopy first.

Good caring doctor!

We've been hit with one title-wave after an another.

Sending Love

Lisa,

Perhaps you should get an edoscopy thing just to relieve your troubled mind. Those wounds you got from the port and revision are very deep wounds and will be prone to infection. The week after I got back from my surgery I went straight to my family practitioner to have him look at everything and though he didn't see anything wrong he immediately prescribed another 15 days of antibiotics. He said the wound was so deep and felt so hard still that he didn't even want to risk any infections. You may be worrying for nothing. I think your body has been thru a lot with two surgery in the past 3 months. Go to your family practitioner in the U.S. and get his help with your infection, get the scope. It is not healthy worrying all the time. Just like you told Penni, chances are it is NOTHING! I worry too, trust me. I check my incisions dozens of times thru the day and contemplate any new sensation. I know we are all on pins and needles and I can't blame you but you have been kind of stressed sounding on the boards the last couple of days and I think you do need to do something to relieve yourself or confirm your fears. Teresa

What is it, the Water out there in the west? Can we hear from some people who healed right up neatly with no infections or twists or protrusions? I think newbies are going to run screaming from these stories!!

Penni, we all know you're a smart cookie and will do things in the right order. Here's hoping there's NO EROSION and that you turn out to be allergic to, well, something. Dr. Billy sounds like a peach and you are lucky to have him for your care. I wish there were docs like him in every major city!! (Someday, maybe, there will be.)

Lisa, I agree with Teresa that you need to find a way to relax (and I don't mean with more cocktails). You clearly heal slowly, which is something you knew already, so maybe you want to give your body a week or month off from alcohol while you're doing it? Just a suggestion. Repeated infections are very troublesome, of course, so do everything you can to let your body be as strong as humanly possible to heal completely. Including sleep!!

Penni,

I'm so so sorry to hear all of this!!

I'll be praying that your endo assures you there is NO erosion and this is all something simple to fix.

After what I've just been through, I know you're all just overwhelmed with worry.

Truly, my first year of banding was perfect. My initial incisions never bled, never bruised, healed perfectly and I never had serious PB problems.

This all sounds so unreal, compared to most other banded people. I'm really glad you have Dr. Billy there close.

Hugs to you and I'll be praying for a good outcome.

Leatha

I already put myself on restriction starting today. The remainder of July is dedicated to getting my exercise back on track. As far as my drinking, even Chris said I've had more alcohol since my band than in the entire decade. Alex, yes, I've been drinking too much... it's weird. It's been over 5 years since I've had so much as a glass of wine on a weekday. The whole port protrusion thing started it when someone offered me a glass of Zinfandel to help me relax. Of all things, I tolerated it better than broth, and it made me not care that tubes were sticking out of me. I swear, I turned into a drinker in one month at 41 years old. Yes, I drank a lot in my youth... 20 years ago. But it's so weird that suddenly I can understand the alcoholic mentality. Tonight I had a cherry slurpie. Not the best choice, but I worked my butt off today and didn't have dinner (yeah, restriction!)

I can't even imagine making any more doctor appointments, but I guess I should. With my insurance, first I have to see my Primary, who refers me to the gastro. Then the gastro refers me to the lab. Then the lab refers me back to the gastro for results. So it's 4 appointments in the middle of the busiest I've been in years at work in addition to taking time off for 2 recent surgeries plus my camping trip. And my gastroenterologist just moved to the other side of Planet Vegas.

Another reason I'm hesitant to have my band scoped is because other than the port incision, I'm not having symptoms. If I get scoped and they find erosion, it will only mean removal, which would put me over the edge right now because if someone told me they were removing my band, I'm sure I'd opt for a bypass. EEK. But I'm done being obese. Period.

Meanwhile, I'm starting another round of antibiotics.

Penni, sorry I chased you in the corner, but now it looks like it's my turn to cower.

Guys, be tough with me cause I'm a stubborn one!

As far as scaring new people away... Yes, I've been dragged through the mud with my band and port. Yes, it's cost me over $10,000.00 so far. Yes, I'm working 2 jobs to pay for it. Yes, I'm infected again. But YES, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Originally posted by DeLarla

I already put myself on restriction starting today. The remainder of July is dedicated to getting my exercise back on track. As far as my drinking, even Chris said I've had more alcohol since my band than in the entire decade. Alex, yes, I've been drinking too much... it's weird. It's been over 5 years since I've had so much as a glass of wine on a weekday. The whole port protrusion thing started it when someone offered me a glass of Zinfandel to help me relax. Of all things, I tolerated it better than broth, and it made me not care that tubes were sticking out of me. I swear, I turned into a drinker in one month at 41 years old. Yes, I drank a lot in my youth... 20 years ago. But it's so weird that suddenly I can understand the alcoholic mentality.

You've had a tough time, Lisa. I don't know how you've managed the port infection and holding down your jobs too. I applaud your tenacity. But, I also love Alex's gentle way of approaching what could not only be a big issue for you mentally/emotionally but could also affect your band. Alcohol is an irritant which you probably don't need right now and it does cancel out any good antibiotics might be doing.

On the other hand. I know all too well what you mean about 20 yrs ago. Keep your chin up!

((((Lisa))))

Leatha