My wound is still open and leaking. I just got back from having a Cat Scan, so I'll take the films to the appointment I have with a local surgeon on 10/21. I had to drink a bottle of Cheetah before the scan - this milky digusting stuff that tastes like (RATED XXX)... well, never mind what it tastes like, but I had to gag down a 15 ounce bottle that's flavored with coconut as if that would cover the taste.

This whole time I thought there was a hard cyst under the incision, and I've been waiting for it to break down and dissolve. I even massage it to help it along. But DUH, that's my tube! I always assumed the tube was part of the port, so all this time I thought they removed the tube when they removed the port. So the hard lump is tube.

I wonder if I should cancel my local surgeon's appointment and just take the films to Mexico to save time and expense. Since this incision is apparently not healed, maybe Dr. Kuri would consider putting a new port in low in my belly. There's no way on earth he'll ever put a port in this place that refuses to heal. Then again, a new port is gonna be another $2,000, which I don't have. So I'm not sure what to do.

Wow, Lisa, you've had an essentially open wound now for like six months, right? Gads. Is there anything medical science can do to make that sucker heal??

If I were you I'd be very reluctant to do anything at all until that baby heals up nice and clean.

Lisa -

I can imagine what the Cheetah stuff tastes like .... Coconut would not be a good choice for a 'flavor'.

I was wondering. You have no port, but you still have some restriction. Did they clamp the tube while you still had some fill?

Your health insurance should cover any treatment necessary for the open, leaking wound - even if it is band related. Open leaking wounds need to be repaired, no matter what the cause. I spoke with my PCP about this type of stuff before my surgery and she assured me that these types of complications would be covered.

That being said though - Dr. Kuri may have more experience with this type of thing than US docs. And besides, I like him better!!

You seem to be doing fine - even without a port. Look at you, almost to goal!!

Alex, my original surgical incision only closed for a few days before it started leaking. It briefly closed over at one point, but then the Urgent Care doc lanced it. So yes, I've basically had an open wound since May.

Now I was thrown a curve, because I didn't realize I still had a tube, so does that mean it's clamped off and just floating around? Would the tube be stitched down? Or is just the port that was stitched?

So far I'm really disappointed with all my local care. I've seen my veterinarian, two primary doctors, two urgent care doctors, two radiologists, and my Gastroenterologist, and not even one of them has a clue. The only one that's even heard of the band is my Gastro. Not one of them has ever heard of a "seroma." I think Donali told me about Seromas, so I'm educating all these doctors along the way.

Thank you, Kim, for reassuring me that my insurance has to cover these things, because I was afraid they'd give me problems. My Gastro said he'd refer me to have an endoscope, but when I tried making the appointment he retracted his statement and refused to give me the referral since he "never told me to have weight loss surgery." So I have to deal with getting an endoscope separately.

The only reason I was thinking of having Dr. Kuri do a port replacement in a different area is because all of the rest of my incisions healed so nicely, so I was thinking it's just this particular area. I remember how sick I got after the original surgey with a bronchial infection, so maybe all that coughing put pressure on my ribcage and jimmy'd the port loose - which is where this bad wound is.

I was on the phone this morning with a brand new wound center that's opening the same day of my surgeon appointment. They were very interested in seeing me, so they're going to see if my insurance covers them. But they also asked for pictuers of the tube protruding out of the incision - they want a case history of this type of thing for their files and future studying.

Kim, I got the band on May 5. Then in June they gave me a fill while I was on the operating table, then took the port out. So at least I got one fill out of the deal.

Oh sweetheart, that sounds terrible! Is it very bothersome? You seem like such a sweet and happy person, I never knew you had any of these types of problems! Bless your heart! Honey where do you live where NO doctors know anything about this? Do you think flying to see your Dr. in Mexico would aggrivate it even more? Maybe this wound center will be able to help you out...maybe not with the port but at least with getting rid of the infection!!!!! I'm def keeping you in my prayers and please let me know what you find out!!!

Katie

Yep, Katie, this has been going on since my original surgery. My port incision became a problem, got infected, blah blah blah. It's not infected now, it just won't heal over. Then a couple weeks ago it actually started to look a little better, but I had a bit of a motorcycle incident. I was in a motorcycle class and the instructor grabbed hold of my throttle and revved the engine so hard that smoke came out and spooked me, so the bike yanked out from under me and landed on my foot. That caused the incision to pull open worse than ever.

I live in Las Vegas. There are several band surgeons here, but they refuse to see me since I had the band done in Mexico. You get what you pay for. But I'm very happy with my weight loss, which is why I keep the smile on my face.

Sooo... exactly what have you been snipping with those little scissors of your sweetie pie???? I tell ya girl... it is time for something to be done... tis just not a good thing to have an open draining wound for this long. Gawd I feel horrible for you! (((hugs)))

Darcy

Darcy, the guy at the wound center said it's fatty tissue that popped out... nothing to worry about. I don't want it to form a big ugly scar on the outside of the wound, but I haven't touched it in weeks. Just cleaning & covering it. I have a new gauze & tape habit to support.

I think the wound center sounds like a good place to start. I know that when someone has an open wound in the hospital where I work they always consult the wound care nurses. They are really specialists and always seem to know what to do. So I hope that works out for you. Best of luck, Lisa. Something's got to work!

Nancy

Lisa: I have an email out to Dr. Billy about your case. I know you said you can't afford him but I am working on that as well. So, as soon as I know something I will let you know. You should consider him for the port replacement.

I agree with Penni..get an opinion from an American doctor, not that Mexican docs do not know their stuff but for convenience and reassurance. Who knows, maybe your guardian Angels will help cover the cost to a visit to Dr. Billy : ) You need to get this port incision cleared up once and for all ..6 months and still leaking and oozing not healing is not normal. You need and deserve answers this is your health we are talking about!

Lisa, Please hang in there and get some answers! And get your health insurance to pay for as much as you possibly can. We certainly pay through the nose to have insurance! Didn't you say one time that you had an immune deficiency? Would this affect your healing? No matter what, you have been one of the top "LOSERS" in the amount of time that you've been banded! Best of luck to you!

I do have an autoimmune disease called Sarkoidosis, which could make healing difficult. But why are the rest of my incisions looking so good. I have to be very careful about the wound center though, because I could almost guarantee that my insurance would want me to have the whole band removed. It's the tube that is keeping the incision from closing.

At least I have the Cat Scan out of the way. My surgeon wouldn't see me till I got it. Maybe the surgeon can get me an endoscopy. I'm surprisingly handling it pretty well mentally. It's become part of my daily routine to change the bandages. I'm lucky that I live by the "everything happens for a reason" motto, otherwise I'd be a basket case.

If they want my band, they're gonna have to fight me over it.

Penni my love, Dr. Billy already said he'd take care of me, but Kuri is half as much. I still owe Kuri $400 for the last operation. Plus, Kuri doesn't make me pay till I have the money - can't beat that deal!

At least I don't have a huge cyst like I thought I did. I'm actually a little more like everyone else than I though. Ha Ha, I still have my tube!

Sending you best wishes that this can finally be taken care of.

I can't help but think of you in that pool, with an open wound...

Hopefully the chlorination killed anything that might have been living in the Water...

Donali, I stayed out of the pool for months at first. But I used extra bandage tape over the weekend. Swimming did something to the tape and made it stick like glue. I had a hard time getting the bandages off. It's not really open all the time. Kinda like a flower that blooms late in the day. I wouldn't be in the pool at all except I have insurance in the medicine chest - an extra round of antibiotics - remember? So far, so good. It's not red, inflammed, or infected. Just a nuisance.

Actually, the only thing that really bothers me are the rashes from bandages. Lucky me - allergic to bandages. I have tape for sensitive skin, but you know how delicate I am (snort.) Even the delicate stuff leaves me with itchy rashes.