I haven't had my first fill yet and am getting a little nervous. I'm not thrilled with the idea of a horse size needle going into my belly. I've had many surgeries including 2 knee replacements but I'm freaking out more about having my first fill than any of those. Just wondering what the average number of jabs is before the doctors find the port. Also, does it hurt much? I'm a big old baby here. :Angel_anim:

Hi, I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana and I am going back there for my first fill. I am nervous too, but Dr. Ortiz does it under floroscopy, so I don't think they need to poke around from my understanding it is like having an x-ray...maybe you need to find someone who does fills this way?

One PAINLESS poke is all it took for me yesterday:thumbup:

My doctor scared me because he said on the first fill we do it a little different, we put the needle in and then have you sit up and then fill the band when your drinking Water until you can not drink anymore.

Let me say again IT WAS TOTALLY PAINLESS as he put the needle in and helped me sit up and then told me to start drinking water, as I drank water with the needle hanging out of my stomach (little weird) he pushed in the fill until my chest started to hurt (not bad, but you could fill it) and the water stopped going down, then he said let me know when you feel the pain go away and the water go down. After having a short panic attack thinking OH MY GOD THIS HURTS AND THERE IS NO WAY I CAN LEAVE THE OFFICE LIKE THIS………The pain quickly went away and the water went down.

I ended up getting 3cc in a 10cc band. He told me that is the most they give at any fill appointment. He told me to come back Monday if I still feel hungry and if not come again in 2 weeks.

TOTALLY PAINLESS NOT EVEN A PINCH FROM THE NEEDLE :Angel_anim:

I got my first fill today and it was not bad. The doctor felt around for my port then inserted the needle, a quick prick and it was over in less than 30 seconds. I feel great. Don't sweat it. It will be fine.

Had my first fill two weeks ago...Hurt like heck! Doc said that there was still swelling from the surgery since I was only 3 weeks post op. Got stuck twice and the second time I thought I was going to come off the table. And that's with a fluoroscope.

Had my second fill yesterday...totally opposite...one stick and it was done...easy!

I've had about 8 fills and my doc got it in one shot every time. No pain, no fuss. Good luck.

You won't even feel the needle for the fill. You will feel the needle with the lidacain that numbs you, but it's quick and feels like a pinch.

Nervous here too..Going for my first one next week.. WE CAN DO THIS.. If it were that bad no one would go back for the second fill ... Thank-you for keeping us informed it really helps.

I never had licocane for my fills don't need them there is no pain,when I saw the needle I was scared but a paper cut hurts more.:blushing:

One quick prick.

(Oh my, there are soooo many things I could write here......)

My doc numbs me. It's usually one poke through the skin. One time he didn't get it in right away, but he didn't pull the needle out and jab me again, with the needle still in, he just gently angled it a little different and it popped right in. I didn't feel a thing. I too have semi sit up and push like I'm having a baby, and push the port closer to the surface. Once the needle is in, I drink water through a straw with the help of a nurse. When it backs up, he begins slowing taking the saline out until the water passes through. I rest for about 10 minutes, then he has me drink several ounces of water again before I leave, just to make sure I'm not to tight. 1st fill 3 cc, 2nd fill 1 cc and 3rd fill 1 cc. I already had .5 in from surgery when he filled and emptied it and tested the band for leaks so I have a total of 5.5.

Had my first fill 9 days ago easy as pie and I am afraid of needles. 1 stick and I was outta there.

No bruising either.

I've had 14 adjustments over the last two years. My doctor always does a Lidocaine local before the fill. There's a slight sting with that; otherwise I'm numb, no pain. Usually it's two sticks: 1 Lidocaine, 1 fill. There were a couple of times early on when they had a hard time finding my port and I was stuck multiple times. Being numb, it didn't bother me the least.

My surgeon is so skilled & experienced that all he does is insert a tiny needle with a numbing agent & then a slightly bigger needle with the fill. He doesn't use the one that came with the band. Out of about 6-7 times I've had this done he has NEVER had to poke me twice & the numbing agent doesn't hurt either.

Last month I had some issues with my band getting tight 6 months after the last fill (wierd things happen with the band & everyone is so different!) & was having acid & pbing issues as well as over salivation. I made an appt. with the new Fill Centers USA in Austin & they were going to charge me an arm & a leg but I was willing to pay. The bariatric center flouro machine broke the day I had my appt. & the Fill Center Dr. refused to unfill me without flouro. She made a HUGE deal that she thought my band had slipped & that I should be in the ER....quite dramatic but then I found she is an ER Dr. so that explains it.....self employed so I have a really high deductible so ER is not cheap for me. She really freaked me out & I did not appreciate that she couldn't at least try to unfill me when my surgeon has never even done a flouro on me & I was in a really bad place.

This is one of the reasons I went to Mexico aside from cost for those of us that are self paid....there is not this attitude that every patient is going to sue their Dr. - I sometimes get the feeling that Dr.s in the States are so cautious now because of all the lawsuits that there should be a form that we can sign that says we WON'T sue them so they can relax & actually give us an honest opinion & try to help us out.

I then learned that some of the Dr.s in the US - I said some so don't e-mailing me defending your surgeon...don't have enough exeprience to find the port & are not yet comfortable with the fill / unfill procedures & feeling their way around the area so they heavily rely on flouro even when it really isn't necessary.

I bought a ticket & flew myself to Mexico to see my surgeon for 1/2 of the cost that Fill Centers was going to charge me. He immediately drained the band completely & PROBLEM SOLVED!! He is the type of Dr. that reassures you & doesn't make everything into a catastrophe. He said there was almost no chance of the band slipping because of an extra stitch that they are now doing in Mexico to prevent this.

I even went back to my old tricks of over eating I was feeling so good for the last month - I just went down & started with fills again.

Don't be scared of the fill - It doesn't hurt at all if they do it correctly....some have gentler hands than others but in this whole "Band" game it all comes down to experience.