Went and had my endoscopy done today.

The doctor found "many" ulcers in my stomach. He also took three biopsies.

I was on Versed, and Demerol, but don't remember getting an answer to my question of "how many?".

Patty was there, watched the whole procedure. She said that there were several ulcers. She said more than three, though she wouldn't commit to an exact number. She also said the biopsies were SAP with all those ulcers present, not to worry.

I'm concerned, not worried.

I have never had any discomfort, any pain that one would associate with an ulcer. And if they take a biopsy, it's for a reason. It may be CYA, or he may have seen something that really needed to be investigated further.

He prescribed meds, said we could heal the ulcers in as little as eight weeks. But there will be no band placed until the ulcers are healed.

So, here I am, ever waiting, still ever hopeful, I can do this, I can heal the ulcers. I actually heal very well. Gotta stop the ibuprofen for the arthritis tho. They figger that's the bugger that gave me the ulcers.

Don't mean to dump, but I had to vent a little, somewhere. I'm going to take off work tomorrow, and go for a long leisurely ride all by myself. I'll ride to Lake Michigan. There's a different kind of healing there.

Well, finally got in to see Dr. Cudjoe today (he'd been on vacation) about those pesky little stomach ulcers.

Seems there were a LOT of them, and they were creeping up my esophogus.

The biopsies came back. No cancerous stuff, but I do have H. Pylori. A tenacious little bugger who only responds to a full fledged attack.

He told me that my surgery would not be possible until all ulcers are completely healed.

Then he asked if I had any questions. I asked him where the port would be. He said I would'nt have a port. Then he looked at my chart again.

He thought I was having the RNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When he read that it was the lapband he said that my surgery date would NOT be postponed. He can band me even if the ulcers aren't completely gone with the band because he still has access to the stomach and can give medication.

SO I AM BACK ON SCHEDULE! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My chart was right, but he was confused, since my wife is well known in the medical community here perhaps he got us confused.

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have woken up after surgery with a vivisected tummy. Yep. Pretty sure. It was in the chart right. I think I'm gonna remind Doc before surgery that it's the band.

Maybe I'll write a little something on my belly that day. "Lap Band goes here". Yeah, good idea.

Family Doctor will be sitting in on my surgery as he wants to learn to do the procedure as well. I'll be sure he knows. Just put the hose clamp on my stomach, no choppy choppy on Ryan's tummy.

But, I'm back on schedule. Am I rambling? Yep.

Bye.

Alright! I am so happy for you! Lots of worry for "nuttin" huh?

I am doing the happy dance for you, I know you were so dissappointed.

Now, you can start making your plans. I too would write on my belly "LAPBAND ONLY":D

What a relief! Now you can concentrate on an all-out attack on H. pylori (good name for a comic-book villain) and give your mind and soul a break. How disconcerting, though, to think the doc had you pegged as an RNY guy. Maybe he conflated RYaN and RNY! Yeah, a message with a big marker on your belly should do the trick.

Congratulations on getting the thumbs-up, without delay. Do you still have that November surgery date reserved?

WHOOO HOOO!!!! This is FANTASTIC NEWS!!! Finally, something is going Ryan's way!!

DEFINITELY on board with the indelible marker "LapBand ONLY"...

Happy dance for sure for you!! :banana :Bunny :banana !!!!

So glad you are moving along with your plans again. Be sure you get going on healing those ulcers right away, especially the esophageal ones. Since I've been having trouble with that darn food tube, I know how difficult it is to eat anything substantial if you have pain in there.

Do you have the same date or know when you'll be tattooing your tummy with "Lapband Only"?

yes, the same date. November 16.

This is another plus on the lapband side if anyone is teetering between the band and the RNY. Because the stomach is still accessible problems like ulcers can be addressed even with the band. With RNY the stomach is no longer accessible to medication without a high level of invasion.

Wooo hooooo!

Thanks for the support guys.

YAY!!!:banana :Bunny :banana :Bunny :banana :Bunny :banana :Bunny :banana :Bunny :banana :Bunny

I'm so happy to hear everything is a GO!! I really hope everything goes well for you from here on out!

A Great Big WooHoo!! WOoHoo! WooHoo!

I knew it would work out I just knew it - or at least I was really really really hoping it would work out!!

You're too nice a guy to suffer such a set-back.

We'll be right here waiting for you on the 'other side'!!

Whip,

Good to see things are working out for you.

Good luck with the proceedure, all should be well and I know you'll keep us posted.

See profile says your a published writer. I love to read so how about a name on your book(s) and I'll get it from Barnes & Nobles.

Well have good thoughts for you on Nov 16....(actually will have good thoughts for you everyday but we'll have extra good ones on 16th).

Greg

Ryan, so happy to hear that your ulcer problems are fixable and won't interfere with your Banding! I know it's hard, but try to take it one day at a time. We forget that's how we are going to live it. I'm the world's worst about worrying. Then nine times out of ten, those worrys don't even materialize. They just result in a loss of good sleep.

You will have someone with you on the day of surgery, right? I think the marking for the Band on your tummy might not be such a bad idea. When my husband had his dialysis catheter (shunt) put in, we were in preop, talking w/the anesthesiologist. I noticed the paper taped on his gurney showed a different first name, different date of birth, and then I saw "brain shunt" listed as the procedure! The anesth. quickly ripped that paper off. I have to hope they would have found out before they got in the O.R. But it just reinforced my thoughts that someone doesn't go into surgery alone! Sorry, not trying to scare you, but just take care of yourself!

Yeah Ryan! I'm glad you got the "go ahead" on your band, and that the ulcers were h pylori. I mean, if you got 'em, they're the kind to have! Keep us posted on your news.

Hey Ryan, congrats on the go ahead for your band. I know you must be excited!

I think marking your abdomen is not just a funny, it's a damned good idea. We mark patients prior to all surgery's with a sharpie marker, and then have it double checked for accuracy, because charts get mixed up, doctors and surgeons miscommunicate, etc... and mistakes do get made. Not all facilities follow such strict guidelines.

It's YOUR body, with the uncertainty your physician already displayed, I wouldn't think twice about marking myself. You can do it in a humorous way if you want, but I'd seriously do it.

Nothing like a big bullseye to mark the spot is there? LOL

One of the conditions of being human is fallibility. People, no matter how conscientious make mistakes. Some make many, some make few, but none make no mistakes.

My Doctor may be brilliant, but like any human, he is capable of error. I don't want to be his first, or even his only error.

It'll be humorous, but there WILL be some sort of marking on my body (I have a nice large canvas to work upon, lol) telling Dr. Cudjoe that I am getting the BAND, and not the RNY.