First Fill - If it's not enough, I get more next week

dustout · 11-29-2007, 02:05 AM

I had my first fill today. They asked me how much I could eat at one meal, how long until I got hungry, how closely I've been following the diet, any problems, if I wanted to ask the nutritionist anything, etc, etc. The doctor/my surgeon came in and had my lay on my back. He put on gloves and sterilized the port area. He then felt around the port and pressed some. It was a LITTLE sore but not bad. Just like pressing hard about anywhere. Kind of like when a doctor presses on your stomach for who knows what reason at a normal checkup. He then warned I would feel a little stick and put the needle in. The first time he hit it but the angle wasn't quite right as my port was just slightly turned. He had my tense my muscles like I was going to do a situp which straightened out the port and it slid right in. I could fill a bit of a pop when it went in. He added the saline and quickly pulled the needle out. I then had to drink some water to make sure it went down okay. It was pretty simple and mostly painless. The needle stick hurt less than taking blood and the pressure didn't hurt much at all. Lastly, and this is what I really liked... he told me that if I feel like I didn't get much restriction from the fill to call next week and they will get me in quickly to "tweak" it and add some more. If I feel too full, to go on liquids a couple more days but if it then doesn't get better to come in and they will fix that too. I've heard on here that some doctors make you wait between fills even if the fill did NOTHING. He does make you wait between major fillings but if the first doesn't do much then they will put a little more. Tweakings right after a fill/unfill are free. I go back in 3 and a half weeks to get another fill or more tweaking. The first 90 days of fills after surgery are FREE. Unfills are always free. Very cool. :) I also like that the surgeon does the fills/unfills. Oh, and I've lost 30 pounds now since the day before the pre-op diet! I about stopped the last week so hopefully this fill will get me back on track. Drinking water I can already fill a little restriction if I gulp. It's like it goes down slowly. Good luck to all other October bandsters!

Teal · 11-29-2007, 03:42 AM

My doctor will only do my fills once per month, unfills are as needed but he beleives that it takes a couple weeks for the fill to kick in so he waits a WHOLE month. I have had 2 fills so far and I hope fill #3 will give me that "Sweet Spot" I want.