Emergency Removal of my friend, my band.

Libby R.
on 8/6/16 2:23 pm - Aurora, CO

 

My band is gone. I'm scared, but knowing what was happening to my body from it is really frightening.

I hadn't been feeling well for 10 days. I went to the ER and by the symptoms that thought is was my gallbladder. I was admitted and surgery scheduled for the same evening. The surgeon that was able to to my surgery also practices bariatrics. We briefly spoke in pre-OR. My labs led him to believe there was more than just my gallbladder infected.

Surgery was to be 1.5 hours. They awakened me 4.5 hours later.

When the surgeon scoped my stomach he could see that a lot of the band had eroded Into the stomach. From outside the stomach, he started cleaning off the abscess that had form, with gunk trailing down the fill line, heading for the port. Once he cleared some of it, he discovered a once inch hold in the stomach, which was by then flowing abscess and infection through the abdominal cavity. Thru the laproscopic incisions, they had to clean and flush over and over  

So now here I am, in the hospital, day 6 of a probable 7.

There are already millions of bacteria in the abdominal cavity, and now all of the infection caused from the eroded lap bans. Treatment plan is currently IV antibiotics lots of them to hit all the major strains. Labs show it is a strep. No food or drin****il tests show the stomach is healed not leaking, which could be a few more days.

I'm allowed ice chips, as few as possible. Once discharged from the hospital I will be self administering IV antibiotics for the next 8 weeks!!

I had always been the once to be positive about the band, it worked well for me with a total weight loss of 140 pounds.

So not sure what to do next. I'm pretty used to how I've been eating to be at the weight I am, and hopefully won't need any other WL surgery. Time and effort will tell.

0 comments

       

  

cheyenne000
on 8/9/16 11:13 am
VSG on 03/25/16

Sorry to hear you had so much trouble, that had to be scary. Hang in there, keep us posted on how your doing.

Lapband - Jan 2009 weight goal reached with lapband. Revised to VSG- 1/25/16

Libby R.
on 8/9/16 3:13 pm - Aurora, CO

Thank you Cheyenne. With so much infection, for such a long time, I had been really struggling for any energy and even to make it to work daily. So this now answers some of those questions. My body was fighting with all it had, but just couldn't overcome it. So now 8 weeks of IV antibiotics!! Thank goodness I can administer them myself at home. Tonight will be my first time and I'm anxious about it, but I'll get it. I have 2 weeks off from work to regain my strength and hopefully get the surgical drains out and under control. 

My main focus now has to be on nutrition. Putting the best things in my body to help it heal. I'm ona learning curve for sure as everything they are telling me to eat were not band friendly. So I'm having to re-think it all 

 

thank you for the encouraging words. It helps a lot!

       

  

rachelp
on 8/9/16 2:06 pm
VSG on 08/01/16

Wow! That is scary! And to think one time I almost got the lap band. I wish you a speedy recovery. take care!

Sleeved 8/1/16

HW 285 / SW 276 / GW 160

 

 

Libby R.
on 8/9/16 3:07 pm - Aurora, CO

Thank you! I'm not sorry that I got it. I only wished that my employer would have allowed gastric bypass surgery as a covered benefit. The only thing they would pay for was lap band. Unfortunately, with the removal and infection, it's very expensive. My surgeon did say he had 800 patients with lap bands and only 2 have eroded the stomach. 

       

  

Peanut15
on 8/19/16 12:22 pm

Prayers for a speedy and uneventful recovery! You were extremely successful with the band, you have learned new eating habits and workout habits that you can continue to use. 

Libby R.
on 8/19/16 2:25 pm - Aurora, CO

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. There are moments when I think, hmmmmmmm..... I could actually have some steak now (my band didn't like steak), but then I think about when I was so overweight that even the hospital,had a difficult time assessing and helping me. Whispers heard that they needed extra assistance to move me. I don't want to ever be that girl again. I'm never going to be "thin", but I'm thrilled to be "normal/average" range. 

 

And i I know I could just have a small amount of steak, but I'm afraid that just one little of this, or just one little of that, will end up taking me back down that path. 

       

  

sheriberi29
on 8/28/16 7:02 am - Cleveland, TN

Just wondering how you are doing ?

Banded 6/9/09 HW 242 LW 142 Revision 198 m 1 loss 16 lbs 182. M 2 loss 4 lbs 178. M3 loss 6 lbs 174.m4 loss 4 lbs 168. M5 gain 2 lbs 170. M6 loss 7 lbs 163 M7 loss 5 lbs 159 M8 loss 1 lb 158 M9 loss 0 M10 155 loss 3 M11 154 loss 1 M12 loss 2 152 M13 loss 3 149 M16, 17 0 loss M 18 loss 4 lbs 145 (18 months 53 lbs)

Libby R.
on 8/28/16 8:04 am - Aurora, CO

Show sweet of you to check on me. Thank you!  I'm doing much better and all the lab tests show that the infection is decreasing.  One reading (platelets) is still high. I'm at 670 and it should be 150 range. Although my dr said it would take some time for those numbers to come down. 

 

Im feeling pretty well. The pain has gone away. The only thing is I get tired easily. I was warned to be prepare for that. My body is using all its resources to heal that hole from the eroded lap band. I've see photos of it and can't imagine why I didn't have problems arise sooner!  Just glad to be on the mend with a great team of physicians to take of me. 

 

The he surgeon that was on call that day had started his hospital rounds at the hospital rounds at 6am, then non-stop the rest of the day. My surgery was schoolmate 6pm, and he got,stuck in traffic, so he got started at 8pm and finished sometime after 12:30a. Very long day!!  I've told him thank you in every way I can. 

 

How are things going for you?

       

  

sheriberi29
on 8/28/16 9:03 am - Cleveland, TN

Things are going good in comparison to your story. I was banded in 2009 and last year began vomitting blood, tried band adjustments and nothing resolves my problems. Insurance denied me 3 times for removal and conversion to rny but they finally came through. I was converted to bypass may 3 and am losing my regain slowly but I still feel 1000 xs better than I was feeling that last year of banding . I hope that you continue to recover and fee better !!

Banded 6/9/09 HW 242 LW 142 Revision 198 m 1 loss 16 lbs 182. M 2 loss 4 lbs 178. M3 loss 6 lbs 174.m4 loss 4 lbs 168. M5 gain 2 lbs 170. M6 loss 7 lbs 163 M7 loss 5 lbs 159 M8 loss 1 lb 158 M9 loss 0 M10 155 loss 3 M11 154 loss 1 M12 loss 2 152 M13 loss 3 149 M16, 17 0 loss M 18 loss 4 lbs 145 (18 months 53 lbs)

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