Been a month exactly since my surgery. I've lost a lot of weight (see below). All good so far, so I go in for first fill...

I knew going in that the plan was for a nurse to do it, not the doctor. I wasn't too happy about that already, but whatever their procedure is, right?

So I'm on the table, and she's feeling around for the port. She is feeling way higher than where I thought the port was, but I assume she knows better than me. Wrong! Stab, OUCH, hmmm... no port there. Oops, that's just scar tissue from one of the other incisions... Strike One!

Oh, HERE'S the port... Hang on... Stab, OUCH, just... can't... get it... Nope, not in. Strike two...

Gee, it seems deep. Let me try again, and move it around alot, and make it hurt like shit! OUCH!!! Nope, no dice... Strike three!

Gee, sir, you sure bitch a lot. Want some lydocaine? Yes, please. She puts some topical on. Why didn't we start with that??? Stab, small ouch, wriggle around, test it, no dice. Strike four???

As she goes to get the fifth needle, I tell her to go to hell. She says that the doctor can do it, and he can give a lydocaine injection. Why are we just now suggesting that????

So I wait an hour, doc gives me real lydocaine (tiny pain, compared to Nurse Ratchet), get's into the port (zero pain, but it took him a few seconds too, but nothing like the nurse)...

Go into the barium room... he puts in 3 cc's - too much. Pulls out 1, better. We decide to pull out another .5, as I am out of the country for two weeks starting Monday, and better safe than sorry. Plus, I've lost a ton already, on no fill.

Morale of the story is... nurses are for bedpans... Sorry if I offend any nurses here, but I am beyond pissed right now...

Edited July 17, 200818 yr by gigem

Dude, I feel you. I don't allow my doc's LPN to get me. She sees me and starts sweating. I'm a tough one to fill and my doc and I talked about repositioning my port because of it.

From now on insist on lydocaine always and a doctor. I do.

Just wondering - do any other doctors make you do anything funny to find your port? Mine always has me lie flat on the table in the room, then lift my legs a couple inches in the air which I guess contracts the muscles around the port. He says it's much easier to locate it and get the needle in on the first try. Fills are usually pretty painless, but he always numbs the area before hand, too. The only part that sucks is having to lift my legs and keep them up for a little bit, but I'd rather have 2 minutes of that than 10 minutes of pokin' around with a needle. :Banane03:

gigem: I'm sorry your fill was such a bad experience. Hopefully in the future, it'll go much smoother.

I asked for fluro for my first 3 fills for fear of going through just what you did. Only on my 4th was I brave enough to do it in the office, and even then I insisted on the doc.

I guess it goes without saying that you'll do the same. My daughter is a NICU nurse and a darn good one and they would never allow a patient to be stuck that many times without calling for backup. In her case, she is the back up, but the peds nurses call her after 2 tries and before their patients are traumatized. Bad nurse, bad!

Sorry to hear that Gigem...that sucks!

Secretstolen,

I just came back from my first fill and that is what mine had me do. He said that it makes the abdominal muscles push the port forward and makes it easier to get to.

That really sucks. My original doctor had the same procedure...always had his PA or nurse give me fills. I changed doctors earlier this year due to lack of restriction and my current doctor performs all fills under fluoro at the hospital. This is easy-peasy and he uses a butterfly-style needle to hit my port everytime.

my fills are always hard today was my forth fill, three of the four fills ended up at the hospital and one unfill cause my port is really hard to get into for some reason it sits right under my rib cage when i lay down. even with the fluro i am getting poked more than once and wiggle in.

I don't think it depends on doctor or nurse - some have the touch and some don't whether it's injections or fills or whatever. My doctor does my fills and they hurt! And the first time he dug around in there forever with multiple sticks and I had tears in my eyes. Not good. Second fill was a better aim but still very painful. No numbing, no nothing. Just jams it in - hard. Definitely not a gentle touch. Maybe I should request his nurse do it instead - LOL!

Gigem.... no words, man, no words. Well, maybe just "Ouch!" and I am sorry you had to go through that.

I had my second fill today. I lay on my back, she palpitates the spot under my ribcage where my port sits, and she sticks me. The first time she used a port finder ("like a stud finder," she says) to be sure, as my port was not in the usual spot near the incision line.

Today was much quicker and over fast.

Thankfully, it has been a "so far, so good" experience.

Just wondering - do any other doctors make you do anything funny to find your port? Mine always has me lie flat on the table in the room, then lift my legs a couple inches in the air which I guess contracts the muscles around the port. He says it's much easier to locate it and get the needle in on the first try. Fills are usually pretty painless, but he always numbs the area before hand, too. The only part that sucks is having to lift my legs and keep them up for a little bit, but I'd rather have 2 minutes of that than 10 minutes of pokin' around with a needle. :Banane03:

gigem: I'm sorry your fill was such a bad experience. Hopefully in the future, it'll go much smoother.

I've raised my legs, put a pillow under the small of my back, I've stood against the wall....I'd do a freaking hand stand if they'd get me on the first try.

My first time wasn't successful so I did flouro twice after that. I got brave for the last two, but still it's the doctor only and forever, always.

You guys are scaring me a little I have my first fill on the 25th, next Friday

:Banane03::confused2::confused2:

I agree that the nurse was in the wrong here. After the 2nd stick, she should have gotten someone else to try. Personally as a nurse, it's the rule of thumb and respect to try twice & then get someone else. It would have also been a good idea to try some topical numbing agent before trying to access the port. There are many things that you do not want your doctor doing, you want the nurse. These don't necessarily relate to the lapband, but in the hospital setting. If the nurse is having trouble with something (getting IV access, putting in a feeding tube, etc.), you don't want the doctor, just a different nurse. The doctors don't do these procedures all the time like we do. Just an FYI.

I agree that the nurse was in the wrong here. After the 2nd stick, she should have gotten someone else to try. Personally as a nurse, it's the rule of thumb and respect to try twice & then get someone else. It would have also been a good idea to try some topical numbing agent before trying to access the port. There are many things that you do not want your doctor doing, you want the nurse. These don't necessarily relate to the lapband, but in the hospital setting. If the nurse is having trouble with something (getting IV access, putting in a feeding tube, etc.), you don't want the doctor, just a different nurse. The doctors don't do these procedures all the time like we do. Just an FYI.

I agree with you. Most Docs are good at writing orders and telling you what needs to be done, but couldn't do some of the procedures themselves.

I haven't had a fill yet, but reading all these posts makes me nervous to get one. My surgeon told me he gave me a "low profile" port placement, which would make it harder to access, but wouldn't be noticeable when I lost weight due to being placed deeper. At first I was happy, but now I don't know.

Both of my fills have been by my doctor's nurse. She is a doll and is the sweetest thing. My fills consist of my telling her how I've been eating, can I keep food down, etc. Once she determines that I'm not too tight and can handle a fill she has me lie down on the table.

She swabs my port incision with alcohol first. Then she has me push my stomach out and she feels around with her finger until she finds the port. She then inserts the needle and withdraws what's in there to make sure there aren't any leaks, etc. She then puts it back and add's in the fill amount.

Bandaid goes on and I'm out the door stopping by reception to make my next appointment.

I've never had to drink barium, have a fluro or anything else. Not even a Dixie cup of Water. I also don't have to raise my legs. Yesterday I had them bent at the knees because it's easier on my back and the nurse asked me to lay them flat so she could reach the port easier. It's so different for everyone! Sometimes it seems too easy. I'm sorry to hear about the problems some have. I consider myself very fortunate.

I've yet to see my doctor at a fill appointment. I couldn't be happier with my nurse or the University of Washington. They rock!

Edited July 17, 200818 yr by Snapdragon

My port is pretty easily accessible and I can feel it just under the surface and I have had 3 fills with relative ease. The Physicians Aid that does mine is pretty cute girl so I dont mind her touching me anyways. She only does 1cc per visit and I go every 2 weeks until Im at my sweet spot. Yesterday i told her I was not happy with the past 2 weeks since I actually gained a pound so she did 1.5cc so Im at 6.3 in a 14cc band. I feel more restricted now and going back in 2 more weeks.

Haha Brad! A cute PA certainly is nothing to complain about!