mccabesmom

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It all started in july 07. I had been very sick for going on 2 weeks and went to the ER the first time on 7-5-07. I was complaining of excruciating pain in my back, unable to keep anything down and nausea. Well the first night they checked to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack. I kept telling them it wasn't in my chest ...that the pain was  in my back and radiated around to the front, there fore that was why it was difficult to breathe. Well they gave me an IV, intravenious nausea meds and a shot of morphine. Then sent me home telling me that I had an inner ear infection, sinusitus,  bronchitious and the back pain was from all the throwing up. Well they gave me an oral anti-biotic and of course I told them that It wouldn't stay down and by the time I got home, it was coming back up. I had informed them from the very beginning that I had had  the lap band (we are told to do that, because we pose different treatment options than others.) well all they wanted to tell me was that it was my band. I kept telling them that it wasn't. So on with the story... I ended up in the ER on 7-6 and 7-7 because I just kept getting sicker, every time they would tell me that it was my band and I kept telling them that it wasn't. They Doctors were only interested in the fact that I didn't have my band here and that I had gone to Mexico for my surgery. I tried to explain that I went to Dr Kuri in mexico because I was more worried about the quality of the surgeon than the cost. The surgeons here had only been doing the surgery for about 3 months and when I called their office for answers to my questions, I knew more about the procedure, diet and follow up care than the person in charge of that department. they didn't even know what a fluoroscopy was or how the doctors did a fill. She didn't even know what a fill was. That sealed the deal. I wanted a Dr who had experience. Well I ended up hospitalized on 7-7 for severe dehydration and excessive vomiting. I sat in the hospital for 3 days and all they did was give me an IV, pain meds, and nausea meds. I finally asked what they were treating me for because 3 days later I felt worse than when I was admitted. The nurse then told me they were only treating me for nausea and dehydration. I was furious, I asked what about the sinus infection, the inner ear infection, the bronchitis, which was probably now pnemonia. I was not impressed, I requested antibiotics and checked my self out of the hospital. I still was throwing up bloody looking foam and no one was concerned.  I got out and called Dr Kuri in TJ. He said that I needed to have my fill removed because all the throwing up had irritated my stomach and it was probably swollen, thus causing restriction like having a over fill. So I tried to find someone here to take out my fill....not one of 6 bariatric surgeons here would touch me because I hadn't had my surgery here. The ER wouldn't do it either. So I made an emergency trip to mexico where Dr Kuri met me on a sunday morning and took 1/2 of my fill out, there fore giving my stomach some relief. We did a fluoroscopy and determined at that time that my band was definately still in place. I came home and over the next six weeks lost another 30 lbs. I just quit eating and just drank vitamin water and liquid vitamins because every time that I ate, I was just miserable. Finally the end of August It got unberable, I went back to the ER, They gave me the same old run around. I finally got an appointment with a surgeon on the 29th, I sat in their office for 3 hours and finally went to ask what was going on and the girl told me that she was sorry but the Dr had decided that he was not going to see me after all. Gee thanks for telling me and not let me waste 3 hours of my time. I was furious, I went directly to the hospital and launched a formal complaint because with all the trips I had been to the ER and the time that I spent in the hospital with all the doctors telling me that they THOUGHT that the problem was my band not once did they send in a bariatric surgeon, the only person that I say from the bariatric department was the nutritionist. That didn't impress me, I tried to explain that I had lost 100 lbs in 4 months, I thought that I had the diet part of it under control. I felt that if they were going to continually tell me that they thought that the problem was my band, with them being a bariatric hospital, they should send in a bariatric surgeon to verify the problem if that is what they think it is. Not just send in someone who has no experience with bariatric patients. The hospital just said they were sorry and that they would take it into review. And that I should get with my personal physician. So I went into see my Dr the next day and she just gave me a stronger anti-nausea medicine. The stuff that they give to chemo patients. Well, I was so sick and in so much pain  that the next day I did a google search on web-md and came up with gall bladder attacks. Well, i went back to the ER one more time and told them that I wanted them to check my gall bladder and if that wasn't the problem I would leave them alone and live in pain. Well, they didn't want to do it, but come to find out, I needed to have my gall bladder out. I had my gall bladder removed on 9-1-07. they wanted me to spend one more night for observation because I still couldn't keep anything down. On monday 9-3 they did a scope and found out that I had bleeding ulcers all up and down my esophogus. Well after the scope the surgeon came in and told me that he had a hard time getting through my band. I was furious, I couldn't believe that they hadn't taken the rest of my fill out before scoping me. The next day 9-4, they did an upper GI and tried to decide if my band had slipped, they said that they thought that it had. I was so pissed to say the least, because I knew that the band hadn't slipped, they had pulled it back through the band when they had scoped me and they were trying to cover their butts. Well on wed 9-5, they kept me all day, then later that night they came in and told me that they wouldn't treat me any farther and that I needed to go to mexico and have my surgeon fix the problem. So essentially, they kicked me out of the hospital. We made an emergency trip to TJ on 9-6 met Dr Kuri there first thing in the morning and when we did the fluoroscoyp I could tell that my band had slipped. I was devastated. Dr Kuri took me into surgery immediately and tried for over an hour to pull my stomach back through the band but, it was so swollen that it wouldn't stay, so it had to be removed. So, needless to say I am now bandless, I have gained almost 60 lbs back. The depression has been horrible. Not only over the fact that I no longer have my band, but all the medical expenses that I have incurred this past year have put us so far behind that we are probably going to lose our house, I have all ready had to close my business, and am probably going to have to take out bankruptcy. Even If I could make a payment , no one would finance me now because my credit is shot.  Unfortunately, the old habits came back and with a vengance. I was always an emotional eater, and boy are the emotions running rampant right now. The hunger pains are horrible, I loved my band and would do anything to get it back. I know everything will work out, but I all ready  don't have any clothes that fit, because I gave all my old clothes away as soon as I was out of them, I never thought that i would ever have to go there again. so I am back to the worst thing that I can wear. Sweats and stretch pants. This sucks... Well, got to go,, I have to go pick up a son from a dance. Please pray for me, I need all the help I can get right now. Thanks...Bonnie