Hi guys,

I posted somewhat about this a while back, but i really need your help, feedback and prayers.

i was diagnosed with what they thought was bronchitis back in nobember. well, i still have it only now i know its not bronchitis. i go through many many coughing attacks a day lasting sometimes 30 minutes. while coughing, bringing up mucas, brown crud, and alot of times whatever i've eaten. its usually the worst in the mornings and at night. still sleeping in the recliner, cant sleep in bed. i am on my second pulmonologist, the first one did nothing. they thought it was maybe valley fever but everything they have tested comes back normal. i had a cat scan last week and the only thing they found was a subtle haziness in my right lung. he thought that may be an infection of some kind, so now i am scheduled for friday to have a bronchialoscopy to biopsy. i now in the meantime think ive developed yet another problem. there is some type of acid thing going on either in my stomach or pouch. whenever i eat anything,spicy or not, it triggers and i end up having to go and get rid of whatever is in my stomach to make it feel better. now i have hit my lapband goal and gone 15lbs past that, im now this morning 125, but that is concerning me also. so far just this week ive lost about 6lbs. my lapband appt is not until next friday the 20th and after calling, there is no way to get me in any earlier. my family is freaking out because im sick, they dont know how to treat me, and im losing too much weight. i have absolutely no energy, havent been able to eat anything really except mashed potatoes and maybe cream Soups and then just a little. i am also afraid that with all the coughing and yacking up, my band is going to slip.

if anyone has any feedback, please let me know. thanks guys.

Oh my....I am so sorry to hear you are sick. I don't know what to say, I am sure some of the others that have been banded already may have some suggestions. I just wanted you to know I will add you to my prayers.

thanks lee ann.

i was worried about my band slipping too. my next lapband appt is 4/20 and i will ask then,, but in the meantime, i dont know what to do. what is aspiration pneumonia? i figured that when i go in to the band doctor she is going to take out some of my fill because i am way below goal. but for now, everybodys freaking out.

It sure sounds to me like you have a problem that needs attention FAST. Don't wait for the 20th, go get all your fill removed right now. If you have aspiration pneumonia--a lung infection caused by breathing in regurgitated material--you need treatment for that. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? This situation sounds serious and you really need medical attention.

I too would seriously question if the 2 issues are not related. My DH had a serious GI bleed, and developed problems following it---relux problems---that we didn't know about. He had a sore throat, cough, nasty breath---but until he began choking on his food, it went undiagnosed! Now he is on meds, and it has changed things dramatically! He was coughing so much at night, it was interupting his sleep, his lungs were constantly congested....now he actually sleeps at night, and he can breath deep....it was a HUGE difference!

I agree with Alexandra---I would NOT wait. I would call my band surgeon, tell them the fear of aspiration, and if they are not willing to see you today, tell them they will be hearing from the Dr. in the ER. This is not something to mess with, we only get one set of lungs!

Good Luck!

Kat

Could this be aspiration pneumonia due to the band being too tight or possible slippage?

This is what I am thinking too.

I don't mean to scare you, but It's not something that can wait either. This is a very hard to treat and dangerous lung infection. Get a doctor who can give you answers ASAP

This is one of the things that has concerned me from the git go! If a person is having problems like this and it appears to be something that could have something to do with the lapband, WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH can't your gastric surgeon find time to see you? You would think they would have some sort of sense of urgency about this! I would definitely be in the ER and have them put a call into my surgeon!

Ok, first of all.. my thoughts and prayers are with you. I know you are very scared right now. I think, with the proper attention, you will be OK. I know that it might be intimidating, but you need to insist that your doctor see you sooner. (Even if you offer to just sit in his waiting room and get 'squeezed in'). If the doctor cannot see you TOMARROW, go to the ER. You need to have an unfill, and then some antibiotics, fluid, and rest. Then you can get the nourishment you need. You will be OK.

Sending positive thoughts and comfort your way.

I was just going to suggest the same thing. Go to your ER and they will have to get in touch with your surgeon. You might also be dehydrated. It sounds to me like you have two different problems at the same time. The only way to get aspiration pneumonia is if you vomitted food up and then inhaled into your lungs. It sounds like you do have GERD. If you have straight forward pneumonia and it is not treated with anitbiotics it will get worse and you will loose energy, not want to eat and feel like crap. The thing that worried me about your symptoms was the brown sputum. Sometimes that is blood mixed within the sputum. However, if you have been coughing for the last few months or so it is not uncommon. You have little sacs in your lungs and the can rupture causing the bleeding. My biggest suggestion is if you have a doctor that you can not get into see and does not make exceptions to appointments what good is he to you, you may as well not even have a doctor. Please get medical attention today. Good luck to and god bless. Also, please give us an update :>

ok guys, i havent replied to your posts because i've been really sick and in the hospital. i just got home yesterday. here's what happened:

went in last friday for outpatient procedure, i was having a bronchialoscopy. well. while he was doing this, and i was out, i got sick and started throwing up "coffee grinds" as they call it, which is blood. he stopped, called in another specialist who then did an endoscopy on me. after he was done, he said that my esophogus was looked like hamburger. i was then scheduled for an upper gi the next day, which was sunday. let me tell you, that was disgusting. it was like drinking a large glass of elmers glue. wrong thing to do. during all of this, my hubby and i had been telling them i had a lapband and showing them the picture of it and our doctor who did it. every one of them looked at us like we were aliens. they knew absolutely nothing about lapbands. after having the upper gi, the cigna doctor came in and decided to give me a hospital pass to go see my lapband doctor to get my fill taken out. he had talked to her just before that and she told him she wanted to do an unfill and take an exray. so i went there and they were only able to draw out 1 cc because i was so swollen. i went to get an exray and afterwards she came out to talk to me and told me she needed to remove my band. apparantly about 3/4 of my stomach was now above my band instead of below it. she was afraid at this point if she tried to just fix it that they might put a hole in my stomach. so, i am now officially unbanded. there were complications after my surgery and i ended up on life support and in a medical induced coma. let me tell you, i never saw this coming. she said that she couldnt say whether my band had slipped because of my caugh completely, but she thought that the scoping had something to do with it and if they would have just called her we may not have ended up this way. i will never go back to the first hospital and am just thankful i was able to get to the second one in time. she did say that in four months, we could look at possibly putting it back in. i just hope and pray that i can do this without the band now. my hubby still has his and is doing great. he has lost 190 lbs so far and has gone from a 52% body fat to a 27%. i still have gunk that need to get rid of in my lungs and im pretty depressed right now about waiting so long to get the band and now its just gone. i would love to talk to others who may have lost theirs to see how they are doing.

thanks for letting me post.

peggy

Oh my gosh Peggy! I am so glad you are OK! I have lost all faith myself in most of the medical community as of late and have become my own physician more often than not for success..... I have my band and am still working on getting to goal, so I am not speaking from experience...It seems to me though that you still have old fears, but you have a new routine and probably don't give yourself enough credit to stick to it by habit by now. Try to concentrate on getting better, rehydrating, drink ensure or something too, and focus all your positive energy foward that you can do this even without the band, trust yourself. Our doubts and fears can often get the better of us and we sabotage. I am so glad you are home and recovering we were all worried about you.

Peggy, I know you're upset at losing your band but I'm so glad they were able to remove it an you can heal!! You'll be so thrilled at feeling healthy again. Yes, you will probably gain some weight, but you need to! Take the next couple of months to heal, get the nutrition you need and haven't been getting, and in time you can reassess and see if you think you need another band.

Yes, it's hard to lose the band after all we go through to get it. But in the end it's all about health, and the great thing about the band is that it IS removable. And when it's taken out you're still whole and your body is working the way nature intended. Remember why we chose the band in the first place!

Take care of yourself and thanks for letting us know what happened. All best to you!

The most important thing right now is that you start the healing process and start to feel better. It's a shame that the docs didn't consult with your band doctor earlier, but what's done is done and the most important thing is your health.

I truly feel that you start feeling better soon. Take it day by day and don't even think about weight or the band for a while. I'm really glad that you're ok, you've really been through an ordeal....

Take care

Peggy.. your post caught my eye when I saw your screen name as I have a grandson named Ethan.

I'm so sorry to hear about all of your problems. I'm go glad you got in and at least got things taken care of so you can heal and get healthy again. With your DH being banded too, it should help as he can support you and be with you on your eating without the band in place. Know that you are in my prayers and I hope all is resolved very soon. Take care.

Judy

thanks for the encouragement everyone. i am feeling better but im just gonna take it a day at a time. i still need to lurk here tho cuz i need your support and advice.

thanks again

peggy