Blazn Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Well, I did it. Or at least Darlene did. So I went to the Roswell, GA fill center (Fill Centers USA) today and had my first fill. Darlene, the nurse practitioner that does the fills in Roswell and Moultrie, was great. Everyone was great. Her daughter is the receptionist and her son "works" the patients up - vital signs, weighin's, etc. So I signed in, filled out a little paper work, and was given my welcome package - which included this great Post-lap band do's and don'ts. Within 5 minutes I was in the back and lying on the table. Darlene explained everything to me while she worked. I told her about me getting sick last week and how I was initially afraid of slippage but that I had been eating fine since then. She assured me that we would look at the band and make sure it was still in place. So she accessed my port - which was a cinch - like a little ant bite. Then she sat me up and the fluoro machine was to my left with a screen where I could see it all. Then I took sips of barium (which did not taste terrible). Of course the barium passed through easily. Then she instilled 2 cc's and I took more sips. Then she added a little more because the barium was still passing through too fast. So to make a long story short I ended up with ......get this - 3cc fill in a 4cc band for my first fill. Of course she was hesitant but I drank barium over and over to ease mine and her mind. It all passed through with ease - but of course slower than with no fill. Which is the point!! She then told me what to look for if the band was too tight and gave me a bottle of water. I then went back to the waiting room and sipped water for about 20 minutes (about 3/4 of the bottle) just to make sure it was going to go down. After that I was on my way. On my way shopping, that is. I had a great experience and would reccommend Darlene to anyone. I am on warm clear liquids today, then tomorrow any temp clear liquids, then full liquids on Monday and advance as tolerated after that. I drank some clear wonton soup (without the wontons) for lunch today and all went down fine. So as we say in the south when we are ready to tackle something......It's on like a chicken bone!! Let the games begin. I am ready to continue this weight loss journey. Thanks for all of your support. I will keep you all posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willi333 Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Hi Misty, ... and :lb10: on your first fill! Great that everything went so smoothly =D> Ute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaMichelle Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Congats Misty, I have total fill envy!!! Lol How long did it take her to find your port with no fluro picture? I ask because I just posted this video where a woman gets a non-fluro fill and it took the doc 1min and 4 seconds to find the center of her port, and the whole time he is poking her with the needle it is not good... I'm thinking that is just a fluke thing with that doctor or maybe it's because of her port placement, I just hate to think of you non-fluro girls having to go through that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazn Posted May 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Congats Misty, I have total fill envy!!! LolHow long did it take her to find your port with no fluro picture? I ask because I just posted this video where a woman gets a non-fluro fill and it took the doc 1min and 4 seconds to find the center of her port, and the whole time he is poking her with the needle it is not good... I'm thinking that is just a fluke thing with that doctor or maybe it's because of her port placement, I just hate to think of you non-fluro girls having to go through that!! She did access the port under fluoro. Sorry if I was not clear about that. The machine was over me at first. It all happened so fast - I mean I was laying there, she prepped my stomach, felt around a little, and said "okay, you're gonna feel a little stick" and poof it was over. But when I laid down they put the machie over my stomach. Then they moved the machine over and she sat me up. It only took her like 20 seconds to find and access my port. And she did no probing with the needle. As soon as she went in I knew she had it. I guess that comes from me accessing ports at work but when you go in and hit the rubber center you have to apply more pressure and then you hit the metal backing and that's how you know you're there - I could feel all of that. But I was suprised where she stuck. She went in like 3/4 in. below by port scar. The port must move a little when I lay dow (I can't feel it when I lay down) but when I sit up it is like 1.5 in. to the left of my port scar. So that suprised me. Anyway - don't have fill envy - LOL. You are doing so good I hope this kick starts me again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jena Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Thanks Misty! I'll be using the Roswell fill center as well. My surgery is on Thursday. I arrive on Wednesday and return to Atlanta on Saturday. May I ask how your flight back was? That's a long flight from CA. to Atlanta and I'm just wondering if you were uncomfortable. Thanks! Jena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazn Posted May 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Thanks Misty! I'll be using the Roswell fill center as well. My surgery is on Thursday. I arrive on Wednesday and return to Atlanta on Saturday.May I ask how your flight back was? That's a long flight from CA. to Atlanta and I'm just wondering if you were uncomfortable. Thanks! Jena Jena, the flight back from TJ was uncomfortable. But not from the incisions. I had a lot of left shoulder pain post-op. It actually took about 3-4 weeks to completely go away and now that I have had my fill I can feel the pain every once in a while. But it is bearable. Be sure to take some Gas-X strips with you in case you have the same problem I did. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewAttitude Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Jena, the flight back from TJ was uncomfortable. But not from the incisions. I had a lot of left shoulder pain post-op. It actually took about 3-4 weeks to completely go away and now that I have had my fill I can feel the pain every once in a while. But it is bearable. Be sure to take some Gas-X strips with you in case you have the same problem I did. Good luck. Why did you have left shoulder pain? I've seen that mentioned several times, but no reason why that happens. I've had many surgeries throughout my life, so the surgery is not that big a deal. My concern is the travel afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaMichelle Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Hello "NewAttitude" welcome to our group!!! The shoulder pain is from the gas that is used in the surgery.. In order to give the surgeons more room inside your body they pump your body cavity with CO2 gas most of the gas escapes after surgery but sometimes there is gas that gets trapped and like any gas it tries to rise out of the highest point of your body, this is why there is shoulder pain after being banded!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazn Posted May 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Why did you have left shoulder pain? I've seen that mentioned several times, but no reason why that happens. I've had many surgeries throughout my life, so the surgery is not that big a deal. My concern is the travel afterward. Just like Michelle said most of the time shoulder pain is associated with the gas surgeons pump into you during surgery but that is usually associated with right shoulder pain bacause of the diaphragm pinching the phrenic nerve which is mostly associated with the right side of the body. So being a nurse I started investigating why I was having left shoulder pain and I found this study. Hope this answers a few questions. http://www.core.monash.org/assets/document...ers/2005-52.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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