I' filled, but...

knitchique · February 5, 2004

Yes, that's right, I finally got my first fill yeasterday. There were three others in front of me, a first for one man, and they all came back saying, piece of cake!

Now, I don't know if any of you saw this movie where they say NEVER say "piece of cake", cuz it's a guarantee for something to go wrong? I can't remember the title, but the point is, the other fill-ees shouldn't have said "piece of cake"!

Where I go, they have you stand up for the fill, looking at the screen. first I was numbed, then he proceded to stab the port. It kept moving around, and when he thought he got it, he pushed the needle in and it bent inside of me...all the while I was watching this, and at this point, I started to faint! I have never fainted before in my life! I couldn't hear what they were saying, the noise of the fans in the room went away, and everything else was muffled. I announced that I was starting to faint, and they rushed to get me a chair. Then they sent out for a special table that works with the flouroscope, and I waited with my head between my knees.

When the special table arrived, they started all over again. Thankfully I was laying down, and couldn't see the process. He still had trouble finding the center of the port, even with flouro, and he did a lot of pushing with his fingers, and twisting the needle. What finally worked was he pushed the port down against my stomache muscles (of which there is barely any) and held it in place and got the needle in the right spot. Whew!!

I then was asked to stand to drink the barium, and I didn't realize the needle was still sticking out of me, and I touched it by accident. Nothing bad happened, I just wigged out a bit. I stood up, and then did the swallow. Apparently it went through just fine, then he turned me to show me, and I sipped some more of that wonderful stuff, and it wouldn't go past the pouch. Just up and down, up and down. So he took a bit of saline out, checked again, and had to take some more out. That wonderful faint feeling overcame me AGAIN!

He was finished at this time, and I went to lay on the table again, and apparently I was bleeding a bit, and I got a big ol' bandaid.

I felt very silly for almost fainting, twice! They assured me that I wasn't the first. But it sure surprised me. They told me that any furture fills for me will have the table there before I get there. "Look out, she's a fainter!"

I was there for a total of two and a half hours, from the admitting, to the waiting, to the fainting. Nurst Kurt waked me out and gave me a can of boost to drink, and when I took a drink, I drank like I have been, and quickly realized that I have something I think you all call restriction. So sipping is what I think I will have to do!!

Oh! I was told that he put in 1cc.

Well, there is my first fill experience. Again I say, "Whew!"

Sheryl

242/216/140

Bright · February 5, 2004

Eeek :confused: Sheryl, sounds really traumatic! You now win the "Most Challenging Fill" award from Donali! I really don't blame you for fainting - sounds like the doc was taking a stab (!) in the dark at you! You poor thing - sending u hugs!

Hope you have the restriction you need now - let us know how it goes

Chris S. - L.I. · February 5, 2004

Wow. I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience. I've had 3 fills so far and they all have been fine but I do have to admit to getting a little queesy and I'm not like that. The fill is a weird experience to go through but usually not a bad one. Now be careful as you go through the learning experience of having some restriction.