Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

Hi,

Here I go again asking ignorant questions but Ive been thinking about this for 2 weeks now.

My Doctor told me on my first review that he will see me in months time for my first filler. It will now be in 2 weeks and i can't help freaking out.

I HATE needles!! yep Im a chicken, lol i can put up with child birth but when it comes to needles I freak.

Can anyone describe to me the feeling to expect. Do i tell the doctor how much to put in or does he decide.

How much in enough and how much would be too much or not enough?

Will I faint? or will it be like "Oh is that all it was"

The way Im stressing is that I will rather starve myself to avoid getting a filler.

Would I be the only baby worried about this or has someone else felt the same?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@@Victoria Mora don't worry!!! I promise the fill experience is not like getting blood drawn. The Dr. or PA will feel for your port and the initial "pinch" feels like just that a pinch. The needle only pierces the layer of your skin and goes right into the port.

The Dr. will use a special kind of needle that is meant to permeate the port and not damage it or you. Once the Dr. access the port it felt a bit to me like a mechanic doing an oil change or something. The Fluid is then pushed into the port through the tubing and eventually to the band.

Some doctors are aggressive with their fills and may do up to a 1 cc or more. Some doctors like mine are very conservative with their fills and would only give a .5cc fill each time.

It can take up to a week to two weeks for the fill to fully settle into the band, so don't be shocked if you don't feel any changes right away. If that amount of time passes and you are still able to overeat, or you are eating sooner than 3 hours between meals then you will probably need another fill.

there is no way to measure what fill level will work for each person. Everyone is different. There are some who just having the band is enough and they never need a fill and then there are some that are mostly filled to the highest level of the bands and find that to be their sweet spot. The average I feel of most people seems to be between 5-6 cc's in a 10 cc band.

More than likely your Dr. will ask you to be on liquids for a day or more and then slowly move back to solid foods, this is to allow the stomach to ease into the fill and not be overly stressed out by the increased pressure in the band and the pressure of foods coming through.

Let your Dr. know when you go in your a bit fearful of the needle so they have a little more patients with you, lean back and close your eyes and you will be done before you know it. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I couldn't sleep for three days in anticipation of my first fill after surgery. I HATE needles and I have NO tolerance for pain. I have an excellent surgeon and I never really feel the needle or have pain. It is more like pressure. If I can do it, ANYONE can **smiles**

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Furthermore, you can ask for a numbing agent on the skin before they put the needle in. Then you truly feel almost nothing. I'm not afraid of needles, but I always get the numbing agent anyway.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You can have your Dr write you a prescription for embla cream. You rub it on before you leave for your appointment and will be completely numb by the time they do it. My daughter is a diabetic and we did this before her blood work every three months. At 3 years old, she never even blinked an eye when they stuck her.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×