Be Honest....

[Superdtard 0]

As a registered ER nurse, this task would be simple on another body. To do it on myself would be particulary difficult but in a pinch, I would definetely do it!

[Lynn_Marie 0]

This thread raises a question for me having had my surgery in Mexico. I figured I'd just cross bridges as I came to them, but since we're on the topic....

I haven't had any fills yet but I have a fill doctor lined up. If I ever do get too tight there are plenty of ERs in the area. Problem is, I CANNOT afford to go to an ER! So can I demand that the doc see me the following day if I can't get liquids down? Is there any chance he would give me a syringe to unfill? I'll be asking him questions along these lines, be sure of that.

[short1 2]

I am still new to all of this and have only had one fill. I would NEVER consider letting anyone except my Dr. or his assistant filling or unfilling me. We have a 24 hour emergency hotline to call if we are in trouble. This entire thread scares and angers me.

[mcgreen 0]

I'm a MD - in a pinch (ie I'm stuck and barfing) I would unfill; I'd never try to fill myself. There are too many potential complications if your technique isn't correct/sterile and you don't have the right equipment

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I am still new to all of this and have only had one fill. I would NEVER consider letting anyone except my Dr. or his assistant filling or unfilling me. We have a 24 hour emergency hotline to call if we are in trouble. This entire thread scares and angers me.

Why would this thread anger you? I can see why it would scare you, but why would it anger you? There isn't a single medical professional that is advocating a patient fill or unfill themselves. Just the opposite, quite frankly.

I started this thread because the Sr. VP of Allergan told me that there is such a thing as fill parties and I thought with the poll being anonymous people would fess up if they had ever attended one.

I had my fill in Mexico and I've never been overfilled by my Mexican doc, but I've been overfilled by a US fill nurse.

[Kat817 19]

I have family members experimenting with fills and unfills done at home. The one doing the needle work, has MINIMAL experience medically, as a phlebotomist(sp?), other than a brief stint with UBS doing that, her experience medically would be knowing how to code the procedure.

They will not be getting their hands on me, and all I can do is sit back, watch, and hope for them that all goes well.

They are both banded, as well as another member of the family---do I think eventually she will be doing this for all of them? Yep I do. I will remain the black sheep!!!

Kat

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I have family members experimenting with fills and unfills done at home. The one doing the needle work, has MINIMAL experience medically, as a phlebotomist(sp?), other than a brief stint with UBS doing that, her experience medically would be knowing how to code the procedure.

They will not be getting their hands on me, and all I can do is sit back, watch, and hope for them that all goes well.

They are both banded, as well as another member of the family---do I think eventually she will be doing this for all of them? Yep I do. I will remain the black sheep!!!

Kat

I take it the ones experimenting with fills and unfills don't value their band?

[pmmegm 0]

I have family members experimenting with fills and unfills done at home. The one doing the needle work, has MINIMAL experience medically, as a phlebotomist(sp?), other than a brief stint with UBS doing that, her experience medically would be knowing how to code the procedure.

They will not be getting their hands on me, and all I can do is sit back, watch, and hope for them that all goes well.

They are both banded, as well as another member of the family---do I think eventually she will be doing this for all of them? Yep I do. I will remain the black sheep!!!

Kat

CRAZY!!

[CallMeJim 2]

I feel dumb for asking, but I am not yet banded (Jan. 08) and had not run across this yet in my research. Why would you suddenly need an unfill? Does that crop up unexpectedly? I guess I thought you might need one immediately following a fill that was excessive, but if you're going along fine, what causes the sudden urgent need for an unfill? Does this happen often to folks? Scary indeed!

Thanks,

Jim

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I feel dumb for asking, but I am not yet banded (Jan. 08) and had not run across this yet in my research. Why would you suddenly need an unfill? Does that crop up unexpectedly? I guess I thought you might need one immediately following a fill that was excessive, but if you're going along fine, what causes the sudden urgent need for an unfill? Does this happen often to folks? Scary indeed!

Thanks,

Jim

It can happen for a variety of reasons. What if you have a tight restriction and you have swelling for some reason? If you don't have much room to spare and your stoma swells (maybe you get stuck, something like that) and then you might not be able to keep fluids down until swelling goes down. Saliva is a Fluid. That's not something that is common by any stretch where you are swollen to that degree.

Or, what if you have a tight restriction and you get food poisoning? If you have a lot of violent barfing with a tight restriction you risk a slip. A gallbladder attack with violent barfing, something like that.

In my case I can't count the number of fills and unfills I've had but I have different issues. I have stomach spasms that I didn't know about before banding. So I can't have a tight restriction but I didn't know that in the beginning and neither did my doc, nobody had any possible way of knowing before I was banded. This is also very rare, I'm the only person like this of my docs 1600 banded patients. There is another surgeon in Mexico that has done 3000 bands and he has two of us. So it's rare. I just didn't want you to think my issues are common, they are not.

Not everyone needs a lot of restriction, I don't. Under fluoro I should be getting another 3/4 cc but I do fine without it so there is no reason to do it. I'd just have to have it unfilled later so this works for me.

[Jachut 487]

Gosh Kat, that's scary.

Its is my belief that overfilling and constant mucking around with the band can lead to complications. I just think that, I dont necessarily have anything to support it with. My gut (haha) tells me that the minimal fill you can have to lose weight is the best route to go by.

So I'm not even sure that a remote control band is a good thing.

I do agree above though that doing an unfill on yourself is somewhat different to filling yourself. But overall, if it aint broke, dont fix it.

[Kat817 19]

I totally and completely agree!!! We were banded the same time, and have never seen eye to eye on how to deal wiht our bands!!!

She threw up multiple times daily, and has eventually ended up with what she has self diagnosed as kidney damage from the length of time she went dehydrated, before returning to our surgeon for an unfill. He only did a partial unfill, so she had this other family member remove the rest, they are now in the process of filling her again.

They are convinced their way is right, as she is at goal. She is at goal through sheer starvation, and malnutrition. She is not only risking her band, but her very life.

They will not get anywhere near me, I don't care how simple and easy they say it is. I'll pay my Dr.!!!!

I agree, I have had a total of 2 fills, never messed with my band in any other way. I have had 2 serious PB's...the slime, the pain in the chest/esophageal area. Both times were MY fault, not the bands!!! And yes I learned from them!

I am not now, nor was I ever a perfect bandster....but feel I do benefit from at least a smidgen of common sense, which I am begining to wonder about in my inlaws!!! It scares me, I want to be angry with them, but the overwhelming feeling is of fear!!!

I want to be angry because they are doing it without Dr. supervision of course, so if and when something goes wrong, it will affect the band statistics, unfairly. Biasing the ones out there researching the band for themselves. It just seems incredibly selfish.

Kat

[NanaRenan 0]

Are you KIDDING me?

"Fill Parties"

I'm sorry, but that just sounds 'igganunt' to me!!!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Are you KIDDING me?

"Fill Parties"

I'm sorry, but that just sounds 'igganunt' to me!!!

It is, it's absolutely stupid and a great way to lose a band to infection. Alcohol and a sterile needle does not make for sterile technique. It's NOT like drawing blood, whole different ball game.

[claramae 0]

Be honest....

Have you ever done your own fill/unfill? Even in a pinch?

Scenario; it's late at night, your fill is too much, you are barfing your guts out, you can't even keep saliva down. You can't reach your doc (maybe he's not returning phone calls, perhaps he's in Mexico, etc.) and you are getting dehydrated. Many ER's don't have docs working that have a clue about a band.

What do you do? Or, what have you done?

BTW, this is a private poll, nobody will be able to see your response.

I would not have a clue as to what to do!!!! What would I use?? I do not have anything on hand that would do the trick. Plus, I am squmish even with pimples!!! So, no I would not