First Fill

I had my first fill this past Saturday and it was so not what I was expecting!  I was really nervous the morning of the fill and since being a "Mexico" bandster I had to drive 3.5 hours to the clinic to get my fill under fluoroscope.  Oh, there are clinics that are closer but they either charge 1000 bucks for a fill or don't use fluoroscope.  You will find that if you get your band in Mexico you are like a leper in the US medical field.  Even though my doctor is in the same excellence program, graduated from Baylor and even trains US doctors.  Crap, he was on Oprah and the Dr's.  Oh well.  Anyways, I went with the Fill Centers USA and loved it.  The price was great and the treatment was too.

I got to my appointment an hour early because my husband drives faster than google maps can calculate.  I walked in the clinic and the first person I met was the Doctor.  He was so nice and explained that the nurses were working on other patients and that they would be with me in a moment.  He asked where I was from and I told him, he then asked the nurses to bump me up so that I could get back out on the road!  Needless to say I was taken back and started processing.  They took a face picture for records, measured and weighed me and I read and signed a lot of paperwork.  They then took me back. 

This was the part I was nervous about, the fill itself.  People talked about huge needles and having to sit up with it in you still and I was scared.  So scared that I made my husband go back with me.  They actually let him watch the whole thing!  I walked in and was introduced to everyone and asked some more information about my band.  They had high remarks about Dr Ortiz and that helped me not feel like the leper I mentioned before.  The doctor then had me lie down and I felt a little pin prick around my port area and then nothing.  He said that he found that it was easier on everyone if he numbed people in the port area and he won me over at that point. 

He said that he wanted to start with the starter 5cc's and see how that went. I felt a little pressure and then he asked that I sit up.  I looked down expecting to see this huge needle poking out of my belly but instead saw an iv looking line.  No worries there!  I then had to drink a cup of water.  I was expecting it to go down like butter but instead I went no where.  We waited a second and still just burping and liquid coming up and he had me then start with barium to see what was going on.  The water was hung up in my pouch and not moving.  He had me lie back down and he took it out.  He then started with 4cc and we went through the same process.  It did great.  He wanted to leave it at 4 cc since it looked like it was where it needed to be and he did not want the possibility of me going home and being too full. 

After a couple of days on liquids and soft foods I am anxious to see how regular solids work in my new filled band.  I know that I am not at the "sweet" spot yet since that usually takes a few fills but I want to see if I have any restriction or help feeling full longer.  I will keep you updated and I am so looking forward to losing weight a little faster too!!!!! I hope.