I was filled and its been HELL ever since. This is the worst feeling in the world and it has NOTHING to do with wanting food.

I went to get my fill on Monday in TJ ...

He filled me to 2.0 and had me go down and eat something.

I ordered chicken quesedilla and was able to eat way too much of it..

So he gave me some more.. 2.4.. I sat and sipped Water and then I went back to the airport.

At the airport I ate two bites of some banans bread I had bought before my fill, I was real carefull eating it BUT that didnt matter. (MISTAKE!!! STUPID ME)

My chest begins to hurt and then from 10pm to about 2 am... I am gagging and vomiting and spitting up ad heaving and all that FUN PB horror.

(at the airport.. on my clothes... no way to clean up, crying my head off.. alone..trying to hide my predicterment)

Once home.. I think that some Hot broth will help.. I take a few sips and all it does is hurt.. so I just go to sleep, but the entire night I have to sleep with a towel to spit my saliva up in.

I assume the banana bread and PB episode lasting 4 hours has Inflamed the band and I just gotta wait till it settles down.

BUT... at 10am.. I am in Mass pain, not having been able to take my PAIN pills for a while.. (this is back pain, sciatic pain)

SO I think taking two of my morphine pills (each the size of half a pea)

and ONE tiny sip of milk to get them down will be OK.

NOT OK!!!!!!!

From 10am till 4:45pm I gag and choke and puke and vomit and I FILL 4, 6 ounce cups with my own slime and saliva.. plus I am spitting my saliva every 10 seconds to keep it from being swallowed as well..

Its impossible to sleep when the body has to spit up every one to 4 minutes like that.

Finally at 4:45 I have this one huge vomit and BOTH of those little Morphine pills come OUT into the spit cup IN TACT!!!

I feel a sudden rush of "feeling better" Like this is over...

But its not.. I havent attempted to drink or eat or take a pill since But I am still not able to keep my own saliva in..

The Episode lasting 6 hours when the pills got stuck.. has prolly inflamed me way way more than even the 4 hour episode when the banana bread did.

AS I am typing this.. and spitting up my saliva about once every 5 minutes..

It hurts so bad. every muscle in my neck and chest and shoulders aches so bad. PLUS my back pain is not covered.

I called my docter to get a morphine patch or something and he wanted to get me liquid and he just cant het the fact that I cannot even keep down my own saliva.. My stomach is completely closed.

He says to call my band doctor..

BUT WHY?? HE is MY doctor to help me with my back pain!

I will go to ER tomarrow IF my back pain is not covered. I am crippling up, soon I will bed ridden if I have no pain meds.

I have been covered with meds for a long time and FREAKING out at the prospect of not having any for even a few days.

PLUS, when the swelling goes down, I want to be able to eat some mushies.. no have to use all the room I have on pain pills..

I wish my doctor would work with me better than this..

I even have to pay for the pain Patches my self..

I have a whole bottle of liquid viccodan, I just need some patches becasue I cant swallow.

Oh well.. Tomarrow I will try to convince him again that I REALLY REALLY cannot swallow and see if he has the time to listen and help me

YEs, I realize I may be filled too tight.

WE will see..

NO PAIN< NO GAIN

Hope that fill settles down and you start feeling better!!!!

Nykee,

Sorry you have had such an ordeal. Don't worry about getting your fill right now just focus on getting better!

PLEASE use a mortar and pestal (pill crusher) and put the crumbs ior powder of the pain pills under your tongue your system will absorb them and you can get some pain relief. it may taste bad, but i do this will all my meds.

Good luck sweety!

Susie

Great advice, Susie. I just posted a fill problem, and the doc insisted that ALL pills much be crushed for one week. I crush & drink from a tablespoon of juice & the crushed pill followed by more juice or water. It tastes a little better that way. Anything EX or XR (extended release) must be substituted.

glad to hear you are on the mends

I saw Dr. Martinez Saturday and he said that there is no truth to the idea that you can't take ibuprofen. Good thing, because I have it for headaches. I am looking for a good substitute (it tastes just like soap when crushed). I always crush pills. I didn't know we could do it for just a week! Good luck!!

Sue, you can certainly take ibuprofen for headaches but please keep in mind that non-steroidal antiinflammatories deplete the cytoprotective layer in the stomach increasing your risk for ulcer formation. If you have an ulcer while you are banded erosion my result and you know what that means. In addition all nsaids are acidic and can cause direct irritation to the stomachs mucosal layer. So I just wanted you to understand why banded people generally try to avoid nsaids like ibuprofen.

its not a nsaid thats in the hydrocodone is it?

I just did a google search on it. I have no idea how complete this list of NSAIDS is, but hopefully it can give us a good idea.:

http://www.lyberty.com/encyc/articles/nsaid.html

Hydrocodone is Not a nonsteroidal so it is safe to take with the band!

Hey Nykee!! I am so sorry that you arent feeling well...sending hugs your way! I had my first fill today and was scared to DEATH...everything ok so far....TAKE CARE and stay in touch!

Steph

I bet if you tell Ortiz about your money issues he'd give you a break. He might even let you sleep at his facility if it's not a busy day. Heck, ask him if you could sleep on the couch in the lobby.

But here's the question of the day: If your Oregon doctor was able to remove the fill, why not beg, plead, hell, threaten if you gotta for them to put the fill back in after you're healed? Have you even asked them? Maybe if you become their new "pet patient" they might consider taking on other fill patients. Stranger things have happened.

I understand your money troubles - many of us have been in the same boat. I certainly didn't have money for this band, then the complications I had nearly bankrupted me. I'm in huge debt over the whole thing but we're talking about a life-saving device here. I struggled horribly when I lived in Oregon cause the job & income situation sucked back then. Don't feel bad about asking Ortiz for help. I have little secrets about Mexican surgeons that were very generous to me, I just don't post them because then everyone would expect the same, regardless of how much money they have. Human nature and all.

Nykee, when you're ready to go for your fill, just post here. There are generous and helpful people here. You never know, maybe you could hitch a ride or share expenses.

Good luck. Glad you're feeling better.

SanDiegoSue, Dr. Martinez says that occasional use of Advil (he likes the liquigels & so do I) is o.k. He doesn't recommend every day. He said using 2 days a month for my menstrual pain was o.k. & he also recommened it for that pesky shoulder pain that takes so long to go away for some of us after banding.

I know. I mentioned to him during my fill on 6/11 that I had heard "such and such" on this website and he said I should not be on here because is dispenses so much misinformation. That if I have any questions he is only a cell phone call away. I don't think we do too bad!

Anyway he always accesses my port before he uses the fluoro. Mine is very superficial (hard to miss) it feels like a lifesaver just under the skin. That's because the last time I was thin I got a tummy tuck and lipo. He said if i wanted it deeper it would have to be in muscle and would cause pain and possible problems, so i will just wear one piece swim suits. I am way to old for midriff baring apparel anyway.

Susie

Tracy I was in the ER last Tuesday getting the steroid injection & IV also. It saved my sanity. I was banded on the June 7th, everything was great, ate some French Onion Soup broth, took a pain pill and everthing went to hell in a hand basket! Same spit-up, throw-up, vomit - could keep nothing down. Within 5 hours of the steroid shot - I was totally better! This is something we all should keep in mind!

NyKee glad you're feeling better!

Dixie Dallas

Hi NyKee,

I had something like that after surgery and I had to have shot of steriodes to get it to go down. I don't know if you can get your Dr. to give it to you or not. I was put in the hospital for hydra. and they gave it to me. You will be ther in a few days if you can't even keep your own saliva down that is what happened to me do something fast see Dr. Eubanks or Kelly for a unfill or other wise you might make your band slip with all the problems and Im sure you don't want that to happen. Good luck and let us know what happens. Tracey