Got my first fill!

blossom · December 13, 2004

It sure wasn't what I was expecting though. I had to actually register and be admitted to the hospital (on paper only). They even put a Bracelet on me!! Anyone else have to do that? What should take only a few minutes to accomplish took up a half day for me! Sheesh!! The dr deadened the area and swabbed it all down with iodine. They had some sort of x-ray machine (flouro?) hovering over me so they could see my port on a screen, then she used a paper clip, of all things, to mark the spot where she needed to stick the needle. The fill was a 2 needle process. There was this big needle with a port type thing on one end and she stuck the other end into my port. Then she injected the needle port with 1cc of saline.

I have seen fills done on TV 3 times and none of them were like that. On TV, the dr had a large syringe of saline and just did a straight injection into the patient's port. Simple.

I feel like I have a redneck lapband!

leatha_g · December 13, 2004

Do you notice any restriction? 1cc sounds rather small for a Vanguard band. I hope it makes a difference for you! Good luck!

blossom · December 14, 2004

Nope, no restriction here! I think I will give it about 3 weeks to kick in and if I still don't have any restriction I will ask for another fill. Unless you think I should ask sooner?

Iluvharleys · December 14, 2004

I had my first fill the 8th and I don't have the restriction either. You have the larger band, I would have thought they would have added a lot more to yours.

La_madam · December 14, 2004

Blossom, your fill experience does sound interesting. My Dr. does it just with 1 needle and saline right into the port. I agree with Leatha 1 cc does sound small with the Vanguard. Maybe it iwill take some time to kick in, my first fill took about 1 week for me to notice a difference. If it were me I would not wait 3 weeks but maybe 2 and if I did not feel a difference then I would call my Dr.

biggun · December 14, 2004

I just got my first fill also...they did the flouro and just numbed the area with a cottom swab and had a very small needle for the injection. They injected a large amount and then made me drink barium while that went down they adjusted the amount to 0.8 which is when the barium would start to go down and only pool a little. It was fast. I just had to drink Water for 30 minutes after in the docs office to make sure there were no problems. I am on liquids for 3 days and mushys for 3 days. I already feel more restricted. We will see once I start eating regular food. Hope this helps!

Kim

HarleyNana · December 15, 2004

OMG, all that talk about needles, I think I'm gonna be sick....I hate needles. I may never get a fill, plus my doc said no fluro. He said he use to treat cancer patients and had to inject meds into implanted device s/a port. Said it was nothing to it, well I guess we'll see.

Why does it take weeks to see if it's working, seems you'd know pdq.

Good luck Blossom

blossom · December 15, 2004

Betty, makes sense to me that I would have gotten a larger fill for a larger band. But then, I still can't figure out why I would have gotten the larger band in the first place...

Michelle, 2 weeks sounds a lot better than 3, LOL!! Plus, I will still be off work for the holidays. Thanks for the suggestion!

Kim, the swallow was something else I was expecting and did not get. Seems to me, testing the fill should be a given!!

Pat, I hate needles, too. But honestly, the needles were the not that bad. Besides, one of my bosses is a RN, not to mention the Director of Health Services in our school district, and she says that your tummy has fewer nerves so you don't feel as much pain there as in other areas of your body. I kept telling myself that as I was looking at all those needles, LOL!!!