I use Tacoma Radiology (TRA) in Tacoma, WA to get my fills done. I just got my first fill of 1.6 and then sat there for a bit with the needle sticking out of me ... looking something like a human dart board and drinking my Water and eating my applesauce. My mind was racing ... "Is this enough fill?" "Am I feeling restricted?"

I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON! Don't eat or drink before going to a fill appointment! I had a lunch date to meet my coach, Elma, who's a Bandster Pro and known on the Yahoo groups. I hadn't thought much about making a lunch date until realizing that maybe I shouldn't be eating before my fill appointment. However, TRA hadn't said anything about it when I made my appointment and I realized I couldn't really recall ever hearing the Bandster boards talk about this before. So when I went to my appointment and was there trying to decide if I was restricted enough or not ... I said to Karen the tech ... "I'm not sure if I'm full from the applesauce and feeling a good fill ... or because the fill is choking back my lunch from going south inside me."

So after returning home and having a couple days of eating with my fill ... I realize I most definately need more fill. At first I felt the restriction but my guess is because of eating before going to my appointment. I'm now scheduled to go back this next Thursday. Yes, another LONG drive up the freeway. And when I called back for my adjustment, the receptionist said, "and we ask that you not eat or drink anything 4 hours before your appointment." By gosh, they caught on to what I was saying!

Has anyone else heard this discussed on the boards? Is there any such rules at your fill doctor's offices about not eating or drinking before a fill? There are several of us here that have repeated the same thing ... "After first fill I felt no restriction." So I'm wondering if those that have reported lack of restriction that they ate or drank before their appointment.

Other than that ... the fill went fine! And to hear that some of you got fills without being numbed first??? No way! I would have refused! There's absolutely no reason they shouldn't have numbed that area before giving a fill. Are the doc's too cheap to spare the supplies it takes to numb someone or are they just being sadists? And after reading about the tossing and turning and man handling of a port ... that's uncalled for too. To me that seems like inexperience showing. Isn't that why we pay them BIG BUCKS to do the fluoro? So they can see right where they are with the needle and port?

Hope to hear some posts about the eating and drinking before a fill.

Lori in Oregon

Dr. Rumbaut 07/09/03 (265/243/140

You are not to eat or drink at least 2 hours before a fill.

I had heard of not eating before fills, and I have followed this, but have never been told or heard of not DRINKING before fills. I'd like to know if this is a common instruction, and if so, what the logic is here. I would think liquids would just go through the stoma and not cause any problems with the fill process. Anyone know more about this?

Mary in Sacramento

I ate before my fill today and I had no problems. According to my doctor after your fill you should be on a liquid diet for 2 days and 2 days on a pureed diet.

As far as numbing first, my doc doesn't numb. I am a huge needle phobic, and even I have to admit it is no big deal. I have an abdomen port, and have my fills done under fluoro. The doctor presses down with a finger on each side of the port to immobilize it, then watching the fluoro monitor sticks me once directly into the port. It feels almost more like pressure than a prick. The needle is left there and the Fluid allowed to drain out. Then the saline syringe is attached and the saline added. I drink the barium while the needle is still in the port and the dr keeps pressure on the syringe, adjusting the amount of fill until the barium just barely trickles out.

I have had three fills, all done this way, and do not think twice or dread the procedure.

I have heard people who've had it done both with and without the numbing shot say that they prefer the fill to be done WITHOUT - that the numbing shot hurts as much/worse than the fill, and they'd just as soon be stuck only once.

I was told I could eat prior, but other bandsters there recommended being empty for the tightest fills.

Dr. Lopez says a week of liquids after a fill. I manage a few days...

Donali

(big medical procedure chicken - lol)

Dr Lopez, 1/23/03

303/245/135

Hi Bandster Friends,

Thanks for the replies. It's an interesting topic and we can see just how different everyone's experiences are.

Mary - So far I've only heard that patients are instructed to not EAT anywhere from 4 - 8 hours before a fill. You're right, drinking doesn't seem to be a problem ... or a requirement by many.

Donali - It seems there are THREE different ways of getting a fill. One - is just a fill without any equipment or seeing what's going on inside you. Two - is with a flouroscopy to see the port and needle. Three - is with the barium swallow added to the flouroscopy. I always assumed that when someone said they had flouroscopy that that included the barium swallow too ... but that's not the case. And as for weather to be numbed or not - it seems there are a few things to take into consideration. What comes to mind is PAIN TOLLERANCE; if a port is close to the surface or deep within; and if you're asked to do a "sit up" with a long needle sticking out of you.

This subject seems to be one of those that we can only draw on from our own experiences. Anyone with a port near the surface doesn't know what it feels like to have a deep port that's harder to get to ... and vice versa.

Thanks again Bandster Friends for your feedback. I'm sure hoping this fill adjustment does the trick for me because I'm ready for the scale to MOVE again!

Here's to success for all of you,

Lori in Oregon

Dr. Rumbaut 07/09/03 (265/243/140)

http://www.cascadeaccess.com/~kbauer/Lori/lorilapband.html

I have the relize band and my doctor makes it clear

"On The day of your adjustment, you may only have Clear Liquids, then do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours prior to your appoinment. You should remain on liquids the rest of the day then progress to soft foods the next day. Remember, chew your food well. WE CANNOT DO AM ADJUSTMENT IF YOU HAVE A FULL POUCH!!!!!

That is what our papers say hope ithelps..

Well, this must be the shortest length, but longest duration thread ever? It started in 2003.

One thing that I have decided is to get my fill in the afternoon. I had my first fill in the morning, but since I am naturally a lot tighter in the morning, I wasn't able to take much. I figure on my next fill, it will be in the afternoon, so that I can take more fill. Yes, this may mean a very tight band for me in the morning, but that is fine with me, I prefer because of time contraints and convenience to have a Protein shake for Breakfast anyway.

I know --- I looked at 2003 and thought -- no way

we do not have a choice my doc does fills on Mon and W afternoons -- what is hard for me is the days of clear liquids

lol u know I replyed to this and didn't even relize the dates wow what a dumb dumb I am lol well I hope the info I send helped someone lol........or maybe it was just to remind myself:)

The date caught my eye too lol. I NEVER eat the day of a fill and drink very little before. For me I have found this to work best because when I get a fill I always feel yucky the rest of the day. I don't know why but I do, not eating helps

I had a meatless Egg McMuffin prior to my first fill and they made me reschedule. That was 2 weeks ago. I've been filled since then. I had a small glass of milk before the fill, but had a half-hour drive + 1.5 hr wait and it balanced out nicely.