My 1st fill was a little scary. My doctor had told me after surgery that due to some scar tissue they had to implant the band a little deeper than usual which would make it harder to fill. I was scheduled for my first fill 4 weeks after being banded.

Again the scar tissue is the biggest culprit in this debacle. I have quite a bit and its a little painful to touch. Sometimes just sleeping on my stomach can be uncomfortable. Well as you fellow banders know - the doctor has to push on your stomach quite a bit to find your band. Well the doctor was pushing and prodding and he couldn't quite locate my port. Once he did find it he had a hard time getting the needle in. He kept moving me around. He had me laying flat, tiltle backwards almost upside down, for a while he had me sit up and then even stand up. He kept calling the nurse for a longer needle. After like the 4th needle she came back and said - we have no longer needles. That's when the nurse got in on the action. She gloved up and was pushing and prodding to trying to get a solid hold on my port. They must have stuck me at least 10 times. I was a little scared and all the pushing on my scar tissue was painful. Every time they get a hole of the port I could feel it inside me which was making me a little nauseus. Despite this, I was okay until I saw the Dr's hands covered in blood. I started to cry - when my doctor noticed I was crying he called the game. Said that he had put me through to much - this whole process was atleast 30 mins. He said we'll try again in 2 weeks. I left the office and cried on the phone to my sister in the parking lot.

I am so sorry that you had this experience and I'm glad the next fill atempt was better, but please don't tell the newly banded an unbanded that the doctor always has to push in a bunch on your stomach for a fill because my doctor never had any problems at all finding mine with a tiny bit of palpation.

Good luck on your latest fill. I know the one I just got kicked in immediately which was a big change for me. Keep us updated on progress!