My first fill was yesterday afternoon. I was excited and nervous and came here to read on what to expect. Well, I arrived and chit-chatted with the PA for a few minutes and then proceded to lay down so he could find the port. He numbed the area and all was good. After a few minutes I was asking did you find the port entry? he said no. Several minutes passed and I am trying to keep my cool and not gross out or get worried. He said he was having difficulty. Then responded to me that he needed to get a new syringe because he had extracted blood into the syringe. GROSS! I am still trying to keep it together. He told me to relax and sit upward, push my stomach out, suck my stomach in, pretend to do a sit up etc. He called for reinformcement and went to the "go to" guy. Which was another PA who had me do the same thing but wanted a new syringe. So this is syringe #3. By this time I was freaking out and I would say it has been half an hour. I asked if this was going to happen every time and he assured me, No that once I lose weight the port would be more prominent. The 2nd PA suggested that I might even have to have another procedure to replace the port. What the...?

They saw my fear and went to get Dr. Le Port (Fountain Valley Regional Hospital). Well, they left me alone!! I sat up and noticed the syringe still stuck in my abdomen. The horror! it isn't even Halloween yet. I am trying so hard to keep the tears back and just keep taking breaths and my stomach is falling in sync with my breaths and I can feel the syringe moving. So, the Dr. storms in and gently takes hold of the syringe the PA's are talking at the same time and the Dr. says that he has seen this occur before. That because the Realize band is Low pro and low pressure that it is diffiult to extract saline. What the...? again. So, the first PA had injected some saline when he attempted and the 2nd PA injected some saline into the port when he attempted and the Dr. had injected saline when he attempted and no-one was able to tell me how many cc's I had in my 9cc band. ARGHH!!!

I drank 4 gulps of Water and on the 3rd I felt the bubble, the heartburn feeling and I was happy that I did have some restriction. So, the Dr. thinks I might have a kink. I proceded to have X-rays and the Byreum (sp?) drink and sure enough it showed restriction. I hand delivered the x-rays back to the surgeon, ate 5 Wheat Thins sips of water and all is fine. But now I am still scared thinking that in 6 weeks I have to go through this ordeal all over again. (This whole ordeal lasted 3 hours). They said that as I lose weight the port will be more prominent but come on give me a break how much can I lose in 6 weeks? 5-10 pounds. Is that really going to make a difference? What are the chances that I have to get a new port? Anybody else have difficulty the first time and now its easy breezy? :smile:

Wow! I am SO Sorry your first fill had to be so traumatic! My surgeon does the fills himself and I do the "sit up thing" but it takes no time at all. I don't have the realize band but I was surprised to hear all that. Keep an eye on the restriction. They should be able to tell you cc's. Next time, if they don't know, they need to extract all the saline out, measure it and then put new saline in. That's what my surgeon does to make sure there isn't any leakage, either. Good luck! I hope you're doing well otherwise!

Oh - LOVE LOVE LOVE the avatar! I'm a total DD fan (gosh, going on 25 years now). It's awesome to see.

Wow, that's just horrible. Especially when the PA's had the nerve to leave you alone with the syringe sticking out of your tummy. That's so careless! You must have the patience of a saint b/c I would have lost it. :frown:

Good luck next time and hopefully they'll be able to do a better job. Although, after your ordeal - you should have the right to request the doctor inject the saline - not the PA's. :smile:

Gosh I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I have the realize band and I always thought the port was easy to find and hit. Now the first time he did bend the needle but he just got a new one and went back in, I am numbed so I feel nothing, completely painless!!! WOW and he left you in there alone that I agree was careless!!!! I was excited this last time to sit up with that needle in my tummy tum tum, but of course under different circumstances as you. I also have had my band 4 months and just yesterday got 8ccs in my 9css band!!! (not at once) YIKES huh??? We looked under fluro and I definately will have restriction it's what we all want right but I think seeing it first hand I am so scared to eat becasue if it took 10 seconds for water to go down what will happen with food, I think "stuck" and I haven't had my first nothing yet, stuck, slim, nothing so I am pretty scared of it happening so scared I have a headache today prolly form not eating. Ok sorry I got off subject...good luck next time keep us posted!!!

Raven.. I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience.. I have not had my first fill yet and reading all these stories makes me nervous, but the one suggestion I have for you is to asking for only your SURGEON next time.. tell them you do not want any PA's .. I know there is a learning curve, but my motto is they can learn on someone else ha ha.. Good LUCK