Hi,

I am new to the forum. I was banded 9/29 in Costa Rica.

I was given the liquid diet and that is it. I didn't realize that when I was discharged the next morning at 6:30am (surgery was at 7pm) and still a bit out of it I was not given any discharge instructions. I am home now and still feeling tired and sore. I would just like to know what if any danger signs I should be looking for? I can still feel the stitches in my stomach....is this normal? I'm nervous that I may have popped some of them due to the way they feel. I am in the process of getting a Lap Band surgeon in my area and have my medical records transferred. Do I need to have a check up 2 weeks out? Like I said, I wasn't given any post -op instructions other than the liquid diet.

I could not afford the prices in the US, but didn't realize that by going out of the country that I would not have any follow-up by this Dr...... at all. I appreciate any help you may have for me!

Thank you in advance!

I really hope you are able to find a doctor who is willing to follow you and do fills, etc. Many doctors won't follow another doctor's patient. Did your doctor say that he won't provide follow-up care? Or is it just that you can't afford to fly there all the time (which is understandable).

I can't exactly remember, but I don't think I had a follow-up appointment except to get my first fill after five weeks (most doctors say 6 weeks). My doctor wanted me to be on liquids for two weeks and then mushy food for two weeks. After that I was able to eat solid food.

I wouldn't necessily be worried about danger signs at this point. I don't think it is really unusual for you to still be feeling tired and sore. It is very easy to worry a lot in the beginning stages of being banded because you experience a lot of new and alien feelings. But I think in general, as long as you are able to get adequate nutrition and fluids down and as long as you are not infected (fever, redness and swelling at the suture sites) you are probably OK. Good luck and go find that follow-up doc!

Nancy

Nancy,

Thanks for your reply to my post. I feel a bit better now!

The Dr. there said he wanted to see me in 6-8 weeks if I chose to continue to see him. I don't mind going back there for fills etc. But what if something goes wrong here? I figured if I get a doctor locally that if there was a problem n the future I would have a doctor here to take care of me. My PCP won't even see me for this at all. She didn't do the surgery, doesn't know anything about the Lap Band and said to find a local Lap Band Dr. I'm so confused as to what to do here.....continue with my Dr. in Costa Rica only, or transfer my records from him to someone locally (if I can find someone). Ths Dr. in CR charges 200. for a fill, so it's probably the same around here.....I just don't get the Dr.'s not wanting to take a new patient....what if I just moved here and needed a Dr.? What then? ............sorry to go on and on with this!

Thanks again,

Be prepared...Many docs here in the US will not see pateints banded in Mexico and if they do, they charge an arm and a leg. I would be very surpised if you found a doc locally that would only chaqrge you 200 for your fills. I do not know where you live..but there are doctors in TJ that will see any patients banded by any doctor, so that could also be an option and maybe not as expensive as going to Costa Rica. Some Band docs here in the US..use a different larger port then many of the docs here in the US..they place them differently and the liability involved taking on Mexican patients are the reasons behind it all I am assuming.

As far as post op diets..every doc is different. I was on liquids for 3 weeks, then 2 weeks of mushy and then solids.

Congratulations on you band. you have come to the right place for support and guidance. Everyone here is like family. It's why I keep coming back..I'm still a newbie sort of (6 months post op )

P.S. If you gotan Inamed band and did not get any info on it you can contact don mills @ inamed and he will send you out a bookletthat will come in handy I believe his email address is Don.Mills@Inamed.com

He is very helpful

Also this site may possibly give you doctors in your area who may take mexican patients ( just call them all in your area)

www.lap-band.com

Just click on Surgeon Locator

Hi there! Congrads on your band. You sound normal to me because all of us felt like something was wrong in the beginning! I remember well now, that every time I felt the strangest thing I was convinced I was dying! I'm surprised they didn't give you any post-op instructions. You'll find all sorts of great info here.

Most doctors make you stay on Clear Liquids like broth, Jello and juice for a week. Then start introducing thicker liquids like Protein drinks and cream Soups, then eventually add mushy foods like mashed potatoes and cottage cheese. You have to make sure your band is set in place before introducing solid foods, and when you do, try a food to see if it works for you, then gradually add foods that work. Make sure to chew your food better than you ever have before, and stop eating after 20 minutes. No liquids with your meals. No carbonation.

A lot of us started feeling better after a couple days, but then we felt worse for a while. Go easy on yourself. It took me 2 full weeks to stop feeling horrible. I used a heating pad for all my discomforts, and it felt great.

Just remember to listen to your body and your better judgment. Don't rush to exercise hard - just walk a lot in the beginning starting slowly then gradually increasing. Soon you'll be dishing out advice!

Good luck, and welcome to Bandland! You got banded on my birthday, so next year we'll both share a birthday.

Congradulations! I will be getting my band soon too. Keep us posted on your progress.

Ladies,

Thank you for your help and support! I feel better nowing someone is out there to give me advise.....whew... what a good feeling! Thanks again!

All I got was the diet from the Dr....Is there anything I should be looking out for? Strange feelings etc? I don't mind keeping my Dr. who did the surgery, but what do you do if you have an emergency?

Thanks and good luck to you too!

I got the 11cc. Lap Band from Inamed. I did get the booklet with it. What's the difference between an 11cc. band and the other one? How do you know how much to eat? How would you know if the stomach pouch gets stretched? I am having protein shakes (thin ones) and am I to have just 1/2 cup as a meal? Then keep drinking water all day? I'm a little confused.

I don't mean to scare you, but I feel we all deserve honest facts. For me, there are no local doctors in case of emergencies. My Mexican doctor referred me to local doctors, but they all refuse to treat Mexican patients. My only choice is to fly or drive to Mexico.

I did have an emergency, and I'm still not healed. My port incision never healed, and I needed emergency help. But nobody here would help me, so I had to go back to Mexico and have my port removed. I'm still having problems with the incision, so I might find a buddy to travel to Mexico with in November. I can't even get any fills till I heal, because they need to do a 3rd surgery to replace the port in order to fill me.

But don't worry... the good news is that there really aren't any "band emergencies" that will require immediate attention. Most band problems are things that can wait till tomorrow - but don't take me the wrong way, if you feel it's an extreme emergency, listen to your body and get on the phone to your surgeon. They'll direct you what to do. I ended up in my local Urgent Care a couple times, but all they could do was give me antibiotics till I was able to get to Mexico.

We're all in this together. You're home now.

DeLarla,

Thanks for your reply. I'm relieved to hear that most Lap Band problems are not emergencys. How did you know that the port incision didn't heal? I'm just nervous that something will be wrong and I won't know it! When you had to go back to Mexico for more surgery, what kind of a fee were you charged? Just wondering if those kinds of problems are covered by the first surgery fee?? (Hopefully!)

Thank you again for your support.........I feel better.

Sorry about all my questions, I hope you don't mind.

You are experiencing a very common symptom of the band. Worry! Because it is relatively new and few people know much about it, living with a band can cause us to worry about what every twinge might be. This doesn't mean there's nothing to watch out for, it just means that it takes time and adjusting to get used to our new friend.

The main thing to watch for in the beginning is increased redness with heat at the incision sites, indicating an infection. Don't lift for a few weeks. Don't shower until the holes are all healed up.

If you feel pressure or need to burp or pain in the belly, try Gas-X to relieve build up. Use only Tylenol for pain, not Ibuprofen or aspirin. Walk a lot. Take a stool softener if things aren't moving -- Protein drinks are digested like food.

And most important...when you have questions, come ask for help. : )

Hope your recovery is quick.

I was able to shower the day after surgery. But, you do not want to immerse your incisions until they have at least scabbed over.

I'm really sorry that you had no post-op instructions and I agree that you should have a local Dr in the event of emergencies because things can and do happen with the band. This really is one of the most important parts of preparing to be banded - aftercare. I wish you luck with it. You can go to www.inamed.com and click on the surgeon locator. They will send you a list with all certified banding/fill docs in your area. Also, there is a link for you to see the patient handbook and an article explaining the difference in the two bands. Good luck to you!

http://www.inamed.com/pdf/health/94829F_LB_Patient_Book.pdf

http://www.gisurgery.net/OverviewObesityBariatricSurgery.pdf

Unfortunately, I have the list that Leatha is referring to. It shows a couple local doctors in Las Vegas, but only one that is willing to do fills on Vegas patients. But he won't even touch an infected port or any other band related problem. So no, there's not even one doctor in Las Vegas that I can go to for my port problem.

I was able to shower immediately after surgery, although I didn't fell well enough for two days, but I had liquid stitches. My port incision was the only one that bothered me after surgery, and it was red from the time I first noticed it. Five days later, it was pink and warm, so I called my surgeon. They told me "that's normal." Five days later, it was warmer and redder, and the doctor said, "leave it alone, let it heal." Then one night it sprung a leak and scared the hell out of me - it was clear Fluid, but my doctor's 24-hour emergency number gave me nothing but voice messages. I was horrified (thought I was dying, naturally) so I came here and learned that my wound was "weeping." I kept calling Mexico, and finally got a doctor on the phone - but he wasn't my doctor, just one nice enough to explain that "weeping" was normal in some case. However, the wound continued to weep and was red, swollen, hot, etc. After a month of this (while nobody at my doctor's office would acknowledge my problem) my veterinarian said I needed to get to a doctor right away to have the infection lanced. Kitty had an appointment, so I showed it to the vet. So I ran to Urgent Care, where they immediately lanced the incision and drained a bucket of infected liquid, then packed my wound. But 3 days later, the tube started popping out, so off to Mexico I went, where I found a second doctor who removed the port. But before I went, I got 3 different opinions, and all 3 surgeons agreed that if the infection was bad, the port needed to come out. I had to pay for travel, hotel, and about $1000 out of my pocket for the removal. If my doctor paid attention to me from the beginning, he could have written a prescription for more antibiotics.

The moral of this story is never, ever give up. Keep calling, deman attention. If you think something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up. I should have gone back to Mexico and sat in my doctors office till he showed up.

So, going to Mexico is a gamble, but it was one worth taking (for me.) I'm sitting here looking at my disgusting, leaking incision almost 4 months old, yet I'd do it again tomorrow. It's worth the 55 pound loss. To me, anyway.

And yes, I'll have to pay for the 3rd surgery, which will be about $2000.00 plus traveling expenses... choke, like I have any money left? But that's just a dream, since I can't get a new port till I'm healed, and I don't think that's gonna be anywhere in the near future.

There is only one problem that I know of that would truly be a band emergency and that is if the bottom stomach moves up and through the band. It's very rare. But it did happen to my band doctor who has the band herself. It's an emergency because if that happens you won't be able to eat or drink anything. So if it happens (I'm sure it won't) you won't have to worry and guess. You'll know immediately that you have a serious problem. You will need to go to the EC and they'll probably need to take the band out.

I do think it's true that worry is a symptom of being banded. We've all heard of things that can go wrong and when we feel a little change - say we are PBing more or burping more or whatever - we wonder whether our band has slipped or perhaps even eroded into the stomach (which has happened to someone on this board). But most often these changes mean nothing. It just takes time to get to know and trust the band.

nancy

Hey,

I know there is a doctor in Dalton, GA., Dr. Jaime Ponce, that will do fills, but they are $750.00. The cost of a flight to Costa Rica would be cheaper. But just in case of an emergency you could contact him. He is at Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton. the phone # there is 706-272-6000 and ask for the Weight Management Center / his nurse is Bev. I'm not sure where in Atl. you live, but if it's the North part of Atl, the drive will only be about 1 1/2 hrs. away maybe less. Airport area is about 2 hrs. away. Buckhead, about 1 3/4 hrs. away. anywho, good luck.

Also, there is a Dr. Champion in Atl, but I don't know his 1st name or if he will see a pt. after another dr. has seen them.

Good luck.

gagirl

Just found this on

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/mexicanbandsters/

Just thought it may help you as well as others

fill doctors in the southeast

The info that follows was obtained in late August and early September of 2003 in my search for a fill doc. I was banded by Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico on August 5, 2003. I utilized Inamed’s website surgeon locator, called around and FAXed my surgical report to several. I used my zipcode (Birmingham, AL) and was given all currently approved lap-band surgeons within a 175 mile radius. I also used the zip of my hometown (Jackson, TN) which ultimately led me to the doc I chose. Even if your insurance didn’t cover banding, ask the docs about coverage for flouroscope, barium swallow and other necessary procedures because sometimes if they bill just right, I’ve heard it‘ll go through. I made sure to tell the doc/nurse that I have had no problems since banding (thought that might help persuade those on the fence about doing my fills). I asked several questions - price for fill, price for flouroscope and whether doc uses flouro or not, what other procedures the doc requires and how much they cost (barium swallow), do they offer free fix if too tight or loose within 30 days, how much experience do they have. And much like with my electronics at home, one of my biggest criteria (along with price, experience and location) is accessibility. The best computer in the world does me no good whatsoever if I can’t get anyone to help me when it malfunctions!

My choice was *Dr. Charles Morton* in Nashville (615) 832-8186 He agreed to do my fills for $150 due to easy placement of my port. He doesn’t use flouroscope and it’s done in office. I guess he might do it differently for everyone, but that’s what I was told. Shauna was my contact person. VERY nice and returned call promptly!

Dr. Barry McKernan (Woodstock, GA - 770-924-8808) does fills for those he didn’t band for $400 per fill -or- three fills for $1000. Each flouroscope is $200 extra and he requires a barium swallow prior to the first fill on people he didn’t band. That’s $250 if you’re paying out of pocket. Office staff named Kelly is very helpful.

Dr. Rick Finley’s prices are the same, though I’m not sure about the “three for $1000” deal. His office staff seemed a bit disjointed. He has an office on Peachtree Street as well as one in Woodstock that he uses once per week. (404) 688-1934

Dr. Dennis Smith in Marietta (770-928-9299) does fills for people he didn’t band ($400), but requires review of the surgical report and doesn’t use flouroscope.

Dr. Robert Miles (Birmingham) and Dr. Douglas Vanderbilt (Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga) only adjust those they banded themselves.

Drs. Steinberg & Quinones (Surgical Associates in Atlanta) continue to be impossible to reach and calls don’t get returned.

Dr. Leena Khaitan at (Emory Bariatrics in Atlanta - 404-778-5671) is new to the band so Adrianna was going to call me back. I FAXed my surgical report. I never followed-up since I found someone else.

Dr. Michael King in Oxford, Mississippi has a nice staff person named Micki who told me that he has only done 3 bands and doesn‘t feel comfortable doing follow-up for patients of other surgeons just yet.

Drs. James White & Ron Goncalves Cleveland, TN

(423) 479-1647 FAXed my surgical report and Tabitha was going to talk with the docs about it, but I went with someone else before she even called me back.

Dr. Walter Rose was impossible to reach. He’s located in Chattanooga.

Drs. Ponce, Fromm, Manaham & Paynter are located in Dalton, GA and Chattanooga, TN. They charge an arm and a leg to adjust those they didn’t band ($740). Though they have a fantastic reputation, please don’t reinforce this price gouging by using them!!!

other fill doc info

Dr. David Carroll in Jackson, Mississippi

Dr. Jeffery Caylor in Foley, Alabama (beach trip anyone?!) will do fills for those he didn’t band. Cost is $500 for first fill and $350 for all others. He gives a 30-day guarantee. I don’t think he uses flouroscope. (251) 970-1295

Dr. Allen in Louisville, KY (502) 583-8303 does fills for those he didn’t band and is recommended by Dr. Rumbaut. Cost is $250.

Dr. George Woodman in Memphis (901) 869-2000

Dr. Clark Warden in Pascagoula, MS (228) 762-3131

Drs. Booth, Bellanger & Kim in Ocean Springs, MS (228) 875-3778

Dr. Anthony Terracina in Panama City, FL

Dr. Ray Compton in Paris, TN (731) 642-2011