Has anyone out there done a self fill? I know there's lots of reasons for not filling oneself, however I'm still curious. It's just that I've got this bundle of huber needles that the doc gave me for emergency unfills and I'm sorely tempted to do some self care.

My surgeon is banded and I asked him if he had ever done his own fills and he said blind fills (without fluoro) are a bad idea and he would not do them on anyone - himself or a patient.

I would put that in the "bad idea" category. Although I think it would be great if they designed a band/port system that COULD be self-filled.

I suppose if you were a nurse or something and you had done fills before then you could give it a try. But it seems like you might do some damage if you missed -- like could you puncture the tubing? Or poke at your guts?

Has anyone out there done a self fill? I know there's lots of reasons for not filling oneself, however I'm still curious. It's just that I've got this bundle of huber needles that the doc gave me for emergency unfills and I'm sorely tempted to do some self care.

Im not banded yet but is this common for docs to give you needles for emergency unfills ??

I dont think i have read anything about this before this thread. I mean it makes sense to me but at the same time seems dangerous because of this very thing, leaving the idea open for "Self Fills"

Mindy

I've never heard of anyone doing self unfills before either, but I guess there's plenty of people who wish they could have done so at one point or another.

Barring an emergency though, I'd never go near my own port with a needle. I think its something best done by someone else, not awkwardly with your left hand kinda thing. But then, I dont even do my own manicures, lol.

I was thinking that the other day....how I wish we had a control to adjust the fill. But I am sure if we did, we might adjust it to pig out! I know I wouldn't stick a needle in my belly! My grandma used to want me to help her with her insulin injections and I said NO WAY! I'm not afraid of needles, but I am afraid of me with a needle in my hand!

This just seems like an idea that is best left un-tried.

OMG!! Your Dr. gave you needles for you to do un-fills yourself??? I have never heard of this. I would NEVER go near my own port with a needle. I might miss and poke a hole in the tube. Sounds very scarry to me!

He actually didn't give me the needles to do unfills myself, he gave them to me to be used in the event of an emergency unfill. There's nobody in my town with any experience whatsoever with any kind of bariatric surgery, let alone the knowledge of what type of needle to use, so at least I can provide them.

Come to think of it however, if an unfill was necessary, I would likely be the most experienced since I know exactly where my port is. I'd trust myself more than I would trust some of the clowns locally.

He actually didn't give me the needles to do unfills myself, he gave them to me to be used in the event of an emergency unfill. There's nobody in my town with any experience whatsoever with any kind of bariatric surgery, let alone the knowledge of what type of needle to use, so at least I can provide them.

Come to think of it however, if an unfill was necessary, I would likely be the most experienced since I know exactly where my port is. I'd trust myself more than I would trust some of the clowns locally.

I cant imagine a situation that you would need an emergency unfill. If the situation presented I seriously doubt you would be able to actually do it. Im thinking in that event you are not concious or not physically able. In that unlikely event you need an unfill emergent or not I would drive the 2-3 hours to a Metropolitan area and let someone with experience do it for you. Its nice that you have the needles in the case there was some confusion. I am qualified and I would not do my own fill or unfill. The potential harm to the band and or tubing risking leakage if you missed is not worth it. Besides the fact you need to numb yourself first, and not overshoot how deep you stick.

I just look at it as I paid way too much money to muck with it myself. Nor to allow an inexperienced person to touch it!! Plus I dont want to start over with the 5 weeks of liquid to puree!!!

Good Luck!! Hope you never have to use them.

Hi I'm Judy and a newbie. I was banded on Aug7 2006 and have had 1 fill.MY doctor didn't numb me first or use floroscope is this standard? Dr Fielding has the band too I never thought to question him.

PS this is my first post .....I have no idea if I did this right....

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14619

I thought this thread was interesting. It's old, but interesting.

I like the idea of a doc sending you out into the big wide world with the correct huber needle for an emergency unfill. Very cool.

But I'd put the self fill in the bad idea category, too. I'd be tempted, for sure! but I have also developed this opinion over the last 18 months that leaving the dadgum band alone is a good thing. Since the "real" work is in our heads, especially when we get to that last bit of weight that needs to come off, I find it extremely gratifying (and conversely, frustrating) to lose the weight "myself" without another fill. But then, I have never had that "wide open" feeling and been desperate for a fill.

I still say, ****don't*****!!!! LOL

Hi I'm Judy and a newbie. I was banded on Aug7 2006 and have had 1 fill.MY doctor didn't numb me first or use floroscope is this standard? Dr Fielding has the band too I never thought to question him.

PS this is my first post .....I have no idea if I did this right....

Hey spunky, you did it right! Welcome to LBT. Different docs have different techniques, so no numbing is normal. No flouro is normal (I have never had a flouro fill). And I'm thinking Dr Fielding will do you right. No worries. You have a great doc. :biggrin1:

Ok - stop the insanity! I cannot believe anyone would even consider this. Let me tell you a my story.

I had two fills the first year and lost 85 lbs...doing great. Well, finally my body decided that it was time for another fill - I went to the doc and got another fill - he added 3/4 cc so one would think that would be enough and the weight would start coming off, right? Not so, I had no restriction - even less than before the doc visit.

Now, I am relatively intelligent like I am sure you all are too! Something wasn't right so I take my happy self back to the doc. He starts the process of drawing out to see how much more saline to add...well, I had lost most of the saline..he's scratching his head saying, 'didn't you say that you had almost 3 cc's?' Yes, but I told you I had no restriction the next day after my last fill and after a year and a half, I know the difference.

Then I start thinking back to the fill a few weeks earlier...he had trouble finding the port even with flouro..I am positive that the poked around and knocked the tube loose or something..hard to prove but still makes logical sense to me!

I say, 'well, what do we do now?' He says 'You wait and see if this fill holds then we know for sure'...ARGH!!! I know that something is not right - so I wait just to prove that there is something amiss...a couple of weeks pass - we try again and get the same results...'okay, he says, you are leaking time for a port revision'.

Now, I have a surgery date scheduled so long story short - DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON YOUR OWN NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DOC SAYS IS POSSIBLE!

Ok - stop the insanity! I cannot believe anyone would even consider this. Let me tell you a my story.

I had two fills the first year and lost 85 lbs...doing great. Well, finally my body decided that it was time for another fill - I went to the doc and got another fill - he added 3/4 cc so one would think that would be enough and the weight would start coming off, right? Not so, I had no restriction - even less than before the doc visit.

Now, I am relatively intelligent like I am sure you all are too! Something wasn't right so I take my happy self back to the doc. He starts the process of drawing out to see how much more saline to add...well, I had lost most of the saline..he's scratching his head saying, 'didn't you say that you had almost 3 cc's?' Yes, but I told you I had no restriction the next day after my last fill and after a year and a half, I know the difference.

Then I start thinking back to the fill a few weeks earlier...he had trouble finding the port even with flouro..I am positive that the poked around and knocked the tube loose or something..hard to prove but still makes logical sense to me!

I say, 'well, what do we do now?' He says 'You wait and see if this fill holds then we know for sure'...ARGH!!! I know that something is not right - so I wait just to prove that there is something amiss...a couple of weeks pass - we try again and get the same results...'okay, he says, you are leaking time for a port revision'.

Now, I have a surgery date scheduled so long story short - DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON YOUR OWN NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DOC SAYS IS POSSIBLE! If a trained professional with the aid of a scope makes a mistake think what you

Ok - stop the insanity! I cannot believe anyone would even consider this. Let me tell you a my story.

I had two fills the first year and lost 85 lbs...doing great. Well, finally my body decided that it was time for another fill - I went to the doc and got another fill - he added 3/4 cc so one would think that would be enough and the weight would start coming off, right? Not so, I had no restriction - even less than before the doc visit.

Now, I am relatively intelligent like I am sure you all are too! Something wasn't right so I take my happy self back to the doc. He starts the process of drawing out to see how much more saline to add...well, I had lost most of the saline..he's scratching his head saying, 'didn't you say that you had almost 3 cc's?' Yes, but I told you I had no restriction the next day after my last fill and after a year and a half, I know the difference.

Then I start thinking back to the fill a few weeks earlier...he had trouble finding the port even with flouro..I am positive that the poked around and knocked the tube loose or something..hard to prove but still makes logical sense to me!

I say, 'well, what do we do now?' He says 'You wait and see if this fill holds then we know for sure'...ARGH!!! I know that something is not right - so I wait just to prove that there is something amiss...a couple of weeks pass - we try again and get the same results...'okay, he says, you are leaking time for a port revision'.

Now, I have a surgery date scheduled so long story short - DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON YOUR OWN NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DOC SAYS IS POSSIBLE! If a trained professional with the aid of a scope makes a mistake think what you could do......

Just something to chew on!