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.

OMG...really, the truth is I never even thought about it...this poll kinda made me think...my daughter will be starting med school this summer...she could unfill me if necessary, I guess. (at least after she's been in med school a bit, huh? ) haha!

I am a RN too and I even often tap ports in my field. I would NOT do it to myself but I dont think I could puncture my bowels or anything cuz I am way thicker then that huber needle!! I'll leave it to the Dr......

Reading this post has given me another question to ponder! Why are us nurses FAT? We should be the thin ones working like we do....well I realize some of you have reached thinness and congrats ! But isnt it amazing that we care for everyone beforee ourselves?? I am so glad we have done this for ourselves!

No I wouldnt, If it got to that point, Id go to St Marys (they have staff that know how to deal with the band) and have them just unfill it and f/u with my surgeons office in the morning. If Im uncomfortable to the point im vomitting blood, Im going to the Er.

No I wouldnt, If it got to that point, Id go to St Marys (they have staff that know how to deal with the band) and have them just unfill it and f/u with my surgeons office in the morning. If Im uncomfortable to the point im vomitting blood, Im going to the Er.

No I wouldnt, If it got to that point, Id go to St Marys (they have staff that know how to deal with the band) and have them just unfill it and f/u with my surgeons office in the morning. If Im uncomfortable to the point im vomitting blood, Im going to the Er.

That is all totally freaky. I would never touch my band myself. I understand if you are nurse and need to unfill on an emergency. You know what to do. But for a layman like me, NO WAY. I would be too afraid of screwing up what I just spent time effort and money to put in. I cannot imagine fill parties. What on earth???? Go buy a purse or something.

To those of you who have done this..You have got to be kidding right? Do you know the risks you idiots take when you something as ill conceived as this. You set yourself up for infection which can lead to sepsis and even death and port injury. I guess you all have received the special training the surgeons have to safely do the fills. This is so offensive..why bother even using the doctors for anything..I'm fairly certain you all would be the first running to the doctor for any of the complications associated with self fills and expect him to clean up your mess.

Edited July 8, 200917 yr by Lolagirlie

Reading this post has given me another question to ponder! Why are us nurses FAT? We should be the thin ones working like we do....well I realize some of you have reached thinness and congrats ! But isnt it amazing that we care for everyone beforee ourselves?? I am so glad we have done this for ourselves!

haha I'm cracking up because I'm an RN, and was reading through this posting thinking wow there are a lot of us on here.

Anywho as others have said, I'm qualified to access mediports and what not. I would hope in a situation like that, that I would be able to find help somewhere. Even though I know the technique and would be able to do it if necessary, I would probably go to the ER and have to walk them through the procedure. Just in case there were any legal/insurance ramifications if something were to go wrong....always have someone else to blame it on Plus I'm one of those better safe than sorry people because it seems like if something CAN happen, it always happens to me.

If I were in a third world country where this were not possible, and I literally couldn't keep myself hydrated or swallow my own saliva, then yea I would. If it was just a matter of not being able to eat the foods I want but still be able to eat sliders, I'd suck it up and stick it out.

Edited August 25, 200917 yr by Unforgettable
typo

id never do it but think its so stupid what some people have to pay for a fill,i think after all the money some pay for lap band the first year should be free foir fills,it really cant cost that much for the stuff in the filljust like i had to pay 400 for classes after lap band i feel should have been my choice,i never went to any of the classes so feel i got that money stolen,in a way.if i didnt pay i couldnt get the lap band

I haven't had the time to read all of the responses, but there is no way that I'd do it myself. My best friend is the surgeon's clinical nurse, I'm friends with my surgeon's wife...I would track them down (even in the middle of the night) to get it done. If that wasn't the case, I'd be going to the ER and make them call the surgeon or someone that had a clue!

I am an RN as well and no...I don't think I would do a fill/unfill on myself. Just as I wouldn't start an IV on myself if I became dehydrated. Just my own opinion..:tongue2:

Hmmm... I voted "I don't know." I think I COULD give myself a fill/unfill, I just don't know if I WOULD. I've given myself several piercings and had to give myself injections when I was younger, so I don't think I'd be too squeamish. If at some point it became acceptable/common practice for patients to do so, I'd probably learn how, and might try to fill myself; until then, no. As far as emergency unfills, I would do it if it was in fact an emergency, was sure that's what was needed, and no other band-knowledgeable medical professional was available to do it.

I voted, "In a pinch I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had all the right supplies."

I voted first, then cruised the posts that followed. I was suprised to find so many people against it. My mentality is different I suppose.

Thinking about the question posed, my main concern about doing it comes down to my level of discomfort. It would take some focus on my part, and if I was so tight I was unable to swallow my own spit, I'd hope to be able to pull it together enough to do the deed. I mean after all we are talking an emergency situation here.

Here is an analogy, What would you do if you were short on breath and gasping for air? Setting next to you there was an ozygen tank and mask. Would you ignore it? My answer is for petes sake NO! I would put the mask on and huff the air into my lungs. Of course I am going to help myself!

I agree full heartedly that safety should come first. Fill party.....hmmm I don't see myself attending one....

Doing my own fills. Now, that is another subject all together.

Edit * I went in for a fill today. Since I read this topic, I payed special attention to the process. I asked questions and we even talked about this topic while I was being filled. I don't see me doing an unfill, not unless I was in a 3rd world contry. My Dr can be reached 24/7 or someone on her staff. Even if I was in a area where they knew nothing of the band, I could call my surgeon and have her walk someone through the process, or as I learned from this thread, ask for a chemo nurse. That is my update.

Edited September 25, 200916 yr by AngieB2009

I'm terrified of needles so I would never be able to poke myself. I can deal with my doctor doing it but I can't do it myself. There have been 2 instances I've needed an unfill. The first time I was up all night spitting into a cup because I couldn't swallow the next morning I went to my doctors and got an unfill. The second time my doctor was on vacation and I got the flu, I needed to puke but couldn't. I called his office and they told me to go to the ER so I did. They had no idea what they were doing but I had gone through enough fills and knew enough about what supplies they needed so I walked him through it and he was able to give me an unfill. I think if I didn't have a problem with needles I wouldn't have a problem doing it myself if I was sick, but that's not going to happen.