Keeps getting worse and worse..port sticking out!?!??!

I had the Band on 5/4/2010 and had to have a revision 12/14/2010 b/c there was hole in the tubing. Since the revision I have been in constant pain but it was mainly a throbbing soreness. The idiot filled the band when he did the revision and I could get nothing down for weeks. Now every time I ate things got stuck or came back up. I had been throwing up the past few weeks quite a bit and was in constant pain. Sharp shooting pains and had a hard time standing up straight and lifting my kids. I have a new surgeon and went in to see him. The port had flipped. I had the port unfilled under fluoro and about a week later it was infected, was red, swollen and full of puss., It was also leaking  clear fluid (I think its called serous fluid..) Anyway, I went and had it drained on Friday and was given 1500 mg of a really strong antibiotic. The doctor started talking about taking the port out and dropping the tubing inside until they can put a new port in, blah, blah, blah. I said I wanted it OUT. He said "Then you will have no weight loss". Really?!?! Haven't had ANY weight loss for the whole time!!  Well, last night I went to change the dressing on the incision/red gross area and I thought I saw more puss. No. Not puss - it is the PORT!! It looks like it is about to come through the skin. The skin is clear and tight - kind of like a blister would look and right in the middle is the plastic edge of the port!! Are you effing kidding me!!!! Needless to say I called the new doctor and left a voicemail and should hear from him by 9am this morning. If I don't hear, I am heading to the ER. I cannot believe this is happening - I swear it gets worse,and worse!! Anyone else ever actually SEE their port through their skin!! Creepy and upsetting to say the least!!! 

Sorry - just so angry and freaked out had to vent!! GRRRRR!!!

Christine

Wow!!!  So sorry that you are having so much trouble.  I would assume that because it is so close to the surface ab infected that they wold get it out ASAP!!!  Way too many people have complications with the band.  Seemed soo good at the time. 

Good luck getting that thing out of you!

OMG,
Start driving to the ER where your surgeon operates out of right now ? Don't wait go now PLEASE.

It is not unusual for ports of any kind to come through the skin if they are put in to close to the skin. It is very annoying.....

My ex-husband had had to have 3 ports removed for his baclofin  pump. All 3 times they came through the skin. One was at this waist band and his jeans kept rubbing it till it came through. They finally put in deep in his belly where thank goodness it has not come out again.

Take care of yourself and get this fixed, it can set up serious infections.

Wow

Hope you are at the ER by now.  Hope all goes well, this is very scary.

Oh my gosh, that sounds terrible. I am so sorry to hear of your troubles.

I agree with you, get that sucker OUT. Can you have a revision to a different WLS? I'm a band revision and the VSG has done wonders for me.

Keep us updated on what happens!

Wishing you the best,
Lindsey

Christine, I'm so sorry you're going through this.  You need to get that thing out and start feeling better!!! Enough is enough, ya know?!

I'm thinking of you. I hope you're at the ER or your doctor's office right now!

I pray that you are getting it out as I type. I am sorry you are going through this.

Christine any update yet???

Hi All

Thanks for all the words of wisdom. I will give you the shortest version I can b/c I am exhausted and want to get to bed. I went to the ER on Monday morning at 11:30 per my Dr.'s instructions. I was in the OR by 4pm and in my room by @ 7pm. The whole thing had to come out because it was all infected. The infection traveled from the port, down the tube to the band. I am just grateful it did not become embedded in the stomach wall b/c that would have been worse. I felt ok, just a little sore. My husband came up stayed a bit and went home. I expected to go home the next day. Well, at @ 3am Tuesday I woke up with violent chills and could not get warm. Turns out I had a 105 degree fever. After blood tests and more blood tests short story is I had a bacterial blood infection and a nasty one at that. Three days of IV antibiotics and I am finally home with 8 days more of oral antibiotics to take every 8 hours. My fever kept spiking and they couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong. AND - stupid me - when I was feeling a little better one afternoon starts watching a TV show about Sepsis!! LOL!!! NOT a good choice I can tell you! :) 

Anyway, the whole thing is gone and to be honest I don't think I want to do ANYTHING else. I have never been so scared in my life while I was in there with this blood thing. Really, really scared. Kept thinking of my kids, my husband, blah, blah, blah. Now I have an open wound in my abdomen that the visiting nurses have to come change the packing on daily and may need a wound vac to help in the healing. I had to cancel the camping trip I had booked for all of us, and there will be no more beach or pool with the kids this summer. They don't understand why and I knnow I am grateful I am here but I feel so bad disappointing them I cry everytime I think about it.  The first surgeon was a butcher who obviously never "fixed" the port correctly or is would not have flipped and gotten infected. I have already filed a grievence with the NJ med assoc and called a lawyer. (Hell he will probably read this on here anyway since he trolls the boards...Hi A$$hole!!) I don't want money - just my bills to go away and for NO ON else to have to go through this with him. I want a mark on his record so people will know.

Sorry I couldn't get back on here sooner - my phone was vibrating like crazy with notifications but I was just too tired and out of it to log in.

Thanks for listening! Hope everyone is well!

Christine