Scared after painful fill, really no-fill

[skyeblu79 0]

I went for my first fill 3 weeks ago and I wasn't able to get it done b/c I had a senoma. My follow up surgeon drained the senoma and told me to wait until today to try to get a fill again. I go in today and he feels around and can't find the port. Then he does an ultrasound and pokes w/my the needle at least 4-5 times. He basically says he lost it. He then gets a larger needle (called a spinal something) and tries again. It hurt so bad, I almost felt like jumping off the table. It didn't hurt when it went in, but it felt like he was hitting something. Then he tries it again and I have that same horrible feeling. The 1st time I just said ouch, the 2nd time I told him it felt like he was hitting something. He says well I know I'm not hitting the stomach. I was like well, I'm not sure but it hurts really bad. I tell him that I think I will have to stop. While I am saying that he sticks me yet again!!! :faint: It was horrible. I felt like crying. He tells me that it may be some leftover stuff from the senoma and that either me can try it again or give it a couple weeks. I ended up rescheduling for the 15th of May. I felt horrible when I said to reschedule. :cry I have only lost 1.5 lbs in the 3 weeks since my last visit.

At this point, I am scared to go back for another try...The sticking w/the needle hurt, but no as bad as that feeling when he pressed the needle in. I have a horrible needle phobia so I am doing a little better than I thought I would. We both decided numbing won't really help b/c I can take the initial prick.

Honestly, I am beginning to question the competency of doctor. Is it normal for someone to have to poke me this many times and still not find the port? He did tell me that as I lose more weight it will be easier to find the port...If he can't find my port w/the ultrasound machine, I don't know what to say....

Any advise please. Has anyone gone through anything like this before?

Thanks!!

[Wheetsin 714]

Request lidocaine. (It's seroma, btw). THat's a long time post-op to develop one. Was it there before and just never treated, or had it just shown up?

[skyeblu79 0]

Your right...It is seroma..I finally figured it out when I couldn't find any info on it.

My doc asked me if I had any pain or anything. I haven't had any pain at all since the initial after surgery pain. He noticed it when he was trying to access the port the first time and drained it. I looked a seroma up online and I didn't have any of the symptoms listed. He just told me that I should take some antibotics and try again after about a month.

[ghettofarm24 0]

I know exactly what you are talking about. When I get a fill I dread it because my port is tilted and its a pain in the butt to get. In fact I got a fill yesterday and every time I have a fill they do it under flouro-are they doing you under flouro? Well my doc tried like umteen times but the needle kept sliding off the port and like poking my gizzards or somthing and yeah it hurts-I jump a little bit. After 30 min of him trying he called a radiologist in and he couln't get it-then like 15 min later another doc in practice with mine-praise GOD- just walked by and after 10 min he finally got it. I have to lay on my side just a little bit they line the port circles up then he has to go in a like a 20 degree angle so I just tell myself no pain no gain. My doc also says as I lose more weight he will be able to get to it in the office. If your doc puts you under x-ray you can see it plain as day-next time you go request x-ray and ask him if the port circles are ligned up because if they are not they may have to ley you lay on your side a little bit. Hope everything gets better!!!!

[skyeblu79 0]

Wheetsin- I think that may be what the doctor suggested for next time, lidocaine. I had something similar injected prior to surgery (I think), before my IV was put in...It hurt really bad, worse than the IV normally does. The doc said that's why he normally doesn't numb. And the pain from sticking was bothersome, but it was something internal that was really hurting...The doc said it may be something internal that's still healing or has to do w/the seroma. He said to just give it another 2 weeks and that numbing the area wouldn't help.

Ghettofarm24- He only did an ultrasound. That sounds like how I felt...Like my insides we were being poked. Everytime he hit something I had a horrible pain. I was just sore from the actual needle going in. After he lost the port the 1st time I was thinking he should have put a mark on my stomach or something. I was trying to ignore the pain, but when he hit something w/that spinal needle I just felt like he was doing something wrong.

Thanks for the good wishes. I hope it gets better too.

[ghettofarm24 0]

My Doc marks me with a dot so he knows were to go in. He puts me under the x-ray and finds my port then he puts a paper clip on my stomach that way the clip shows up on the x-ray--then he will move it until it lines up with the middle of my port and then he marks it with a little dot, that way he is not just poking to find my port he hits it but he has a hard time getting it in the diaphragm part. You should tell your doc to adjust you under x-ray and to definatly numb you up a little bit it really helps it only stings for a second. If you are like really terrified and anxious tell your doc you need a muscle relaxer or somthing because the more anxious you are the worse it is.

[Ariel 1]

I have a tilted port so when i get a fill, its usually multiple sticks and alot of searching around. What helps is if they put a pillow under the middle of your back its a little uncomfortable but makes it much easier to get to the port. You really should get the lidocaine. It helps way more than with just the inital prick. I don't mind the inital prick at all its the searching that's painful. With the lidocaine I don't feel the searching at all. You should really use it. Ask you doctor to do an xray as well. I hope the next fill is much better.

[skyeblu79 0]

Ghettofarm- I think marking the point is a good idea. After my doc lost the location I wondered why he didn't do it. I did ask him about taking a nerve pill before the next time. I think that is what I will do w/my new doctor. I wish I had done that the last time now.

Ariel- I guess I will suggest the lidocaine next time. I am willing to give almost anything a try. We did try using a pillow, but that didn't really help him either.

[Marimaru 7]

Alot of people have a '3 sticks' rule. If it takes more than three needle pokes, you go under flouro to find the port... in the case that he couldn't find your port even under flouro, I'd honestly be asking for someone else to do my fills...

[juliegeraci 7]

It drives me crazy to hear that some doctors don't use a numbing agent. My fills are painfree. He can stick me 10 times I wouldn't feel a pinch. Ask for a numbing agent.

[DrewsLou 3]

It drives me crazy to hear that some doctors don't use a numbing agent. My fills are painfree. He can stick me 10 times I wouldn't feel a pinch. Ask for a numbing agent.

For me the numbing agents hurts worse than the fill needle!

Sky... have you called Dr K? What does he say??

[enterprise01 0]

For me the numbing agents hurts worse than the fill needle!

Sky... have you called Dr K? What does he say??

My doc uses a topical numbing agent, not an injection, so it truly is pain free.

Sky, Dr. K has a really good reputation on this board, so I would think that he's a very competent doctor. Maybe that seroma is causing all the problems. I've heard that a seroma can result in a knot of calcified tissue, which is thicker and harder than regular scar tissue. If that happened near your port, I can see how it would be difficult to find the port. Good luck with the next try, and please do use a numbing agent. The topical stuff only takes about 10 minutes to work well enough for a fill procedure.

[skyeblu79 0]

Dr. K was very concerned....He basically said that it sounds like the doc didn't know what he was doing. He was concerned about the type of needle he used too.

I really want to go back to Dr. K for my fill...Right now I am getting the run around regarding my refund. I called today and I was told that they would follow up w/billing. Hopefully I will hear something soon. I really dread flying back out to Denver, b/c of the expense, but at this point I am only trusting Dr. K.

Oh, and I watched a fill on youtube today. They used some type of spray to numb and not a shot. I e-mailed the video clip to my friend that went w/me on the 1st fill attempt and she said that my doc definitely didn't use the huber needle. She said it looked like a regular syringe.