I just lost my new port. Dr. Billy took it from me. This just in: IF YOU HAVE A LEAKING, WEEPING WOUND THAT WON'T CLOSE, THIS IS A BAD THING.

The surgery I had two weeks ago in Mexico has been undone. The "mystery fluid" that has been oozing out of me for 8 months was infected (this time cultures were done.) It wasn't rejection, it was infection. It baffles me that not one of the other docs I've seen since May were interested enough to do a culture. Disturbing. No matter how deep they clean an infected wound, some bacteria will stay behind. When Lopez passed the brand new port through the old wound, the new port became surrounded by infectious bacteria. Also, even though my port was placed away from the incision, he left part of the long tube laying across the infected area under the surface of the incision. Dr. Billy has identical cases, and a wound simply will not close when the tube has bacteria and is so close to the surface. Maybe I'm not explaining this exactly, but gimme a break cuz drugs have me, well, drugged.

With the last surgery, Dr. Lopez said an endoscopy wasn't necessary at that moment, but he would watch my progress and do one down the road, either in a couple weeks or later depending on how I was doing. Let this be a lesson to all of us that we have to be aggressive in our own care because I'm sure if I tried harder, Lopez would have done the scope for me. The reason the scope was so important is that Dr. Billy found the beginnings of an ulcer in my stomach, and we have all heard that ulcers can lead to erosion. So, if I kept waiting for time to pass, the ulcer could have gotten much bigger. Billy was fab, I mean it. He reinforced the importance of not taking NSAIDs, which can cause ulcers, and he prescribed 6 months of Pepcid to hopefully cure the ulcer-looking-thing. It's not a true ulcer yet, but it's the beginning, and only the Angels know how long before it became a monster.

Penni is just now telling me that Billy also found some plastic sutures that were left inside me, but he didn't know why they were still in there. Yes, Billy is all they say he is and much much more. He spent all morning with me, sitting by my side with Penni answering so many questions and counseling us both on getting back to Band basics... he even gave us homework that we are not looking forward to doing. However, he is right, that if we want our Bands to work, we have to work our Bands.

To top it off, he threw in a laparoscopy (sp?) which meant he opened 2 of my old incisions plus made a tiny new one in my belly button to look inside my stomach with a camera. He covered me from all angles, and I made a complete ass out of myself upon awakening in the recovery room. According to Dr. Billy, I was hugging everyone in the room and I begged for asthma medicine, even though I'm not asthmatic. He had me and Penni in absolute stitches. Kind, caring, knowledgeable, experienced, and not too hard on the eyes, ahem!

As far as Lopez goes, even Billy agrees he's an excellent surgeon. However, Mexico doesn't carry the same accountabily that US doctors are forced to face due to litigation proceedings. I still have a lot of respect for Lopez because he did what doctors do... he "practiced" medicine, and since there is no exact science, he followed his standards of practice.

If you don't read anything else, please read this. I have an entire new outlook on getting surgery in Mexico. If you do not have a doctor lined up for aftercare, do NOT get a band in Mexico. Get your ducks in a row first. Don't rely on what people tell you, but instead call and speak directly to a local Band surgeon to ensure you are taken well care of throughout your entire journey. Peace.

It makes sense to me that an ulcer INSIDE the stomach wall could weaken the stomach tissue enough to possibly aid any erosion from the band, however, the band is OUTSIDE of the stomach. I don't think any pills will lead to any real erosion of the band itself because they will never touch it.

True band erosion comes from the outside in, where the band erodes into the outer walls of the stomach, much like a wire or rope invading the bark of a tree after having been there for awhile.

I would definitely think it would be a good precaution to minimize the amount of irritants to the lining of the stomach either way.

Erosion can happen a couple different ways. One is how leatha mentioned by the band eroding into the stomach wall from the outside in. Another is from where the stomach lining gets irritated and forms an ulcer then continues to erode from the inside out exposing the band. This can be seen on an endoscopy as a white patch in the stomach lining.

The misconception is that the band itself actually erodes and breaksdown. That does NOT happen. The band is simply exposed to stomach acids only after the stomach wall is compromised by an ulcer or other stomach irritants.

Hope this has clarified things.

Leatha, that makes sense. But what if the ulcer inside my stomach got so big that it made a hole to the outside? Or is that what Penni said? Heck, I'm on pain meds. What do I know?

Another wound update... Bloody Mary (that's what I call my gross friend) just did my daily unpacking of the wound. When she re-packed it, this time she had to cut an inch off the gauze, which means the wound is closing and doesn't need as much packing.

Had to leave work early cuz my belly is so sore. The wound feels fine, but all the lower bruising has me walking hunched over, ergo, OUCH.

Lisa, I think that's what Penni was saying, that erosion can happen from the outside in, or from the inside out, which is caused by ulceration.

I'm so sorry you're in so much pain, honey. Here's hoping that Dr. Billy fixed you up good so you've seen the worst of it. And yay for less packing material. I've done my share of wound packing (unlike some here, I hate it but it's a necessary evil) and it's always a good sign when you need less gauze. So yay for Bloody Mary's excellent packing skills.

Lisa: I feel so sorry that you are having such pain from this last surgery. But at least the packing is less. Um,... for all us gross people WHERE IS A PIC??? Get Mary to take one then send it to me and I will post it so you don't gotta see it. LOLOL!!!!

I love you guys so much that I am taking time out from my weekend with John to post here. ISn't that true love?? OOPS!! Should be true love to JOhn HMMM!!!!

We are in San Simeon on the oceanside. Lovely!!

This time I remembered the camera, but I forgot to take it out of my purse till the wound was packed. But here's Bloody Mary throrougly enjoying the grossness of my disgusting wound. This is a horrible pic of her though - right outta bed with no makeup and a new poodle-perm. She's my darling cutie pie.

This is her bent-over my belly, just finishing up the packing.

This is the best I can do for now - here's the wound all packed up. I'll try to remember to take a picture today.

It's looking really good, no redness or anything. I think it's going to heal up good this time.

All I can do is dream about the day that "underwear" doesn't include bra, panties and bandage. Mary just did my Saturday change and cut off even more excess bandage. She thinks it looks really good. Thanks, Betty!