The First Fill

So.  I had my first fill yesterday afternoon.  OMG.  Not my most favorite thing I have ever done.  It didn't really hurt, it was more uncomfortable.  And when I say uncomfortable, I mean, I am amazed I managed to stay upright while getting said fill.  So for the yet to be filled and my friends and family, I will give you the blow by blow (disclaimer - all fills are different.  This is just my experience.  Don't sue me).

My doctor does the first fill under fluoroscope.  This means he x-rays to find the port and x-rays the saline going in.  So I get escorted in to the fluro room and meet all my new friends: Fluro Guy, Nurse Girl, PA Girl and of course my Doctor.  So nice of them to gather in honor of my first fill!  Anyway, the doctor has me stand up and the fluro machine (it is a big C -shaped arm) goes around my mid section.  Then the doctor tries to find my port by placing a surgical instrument (not sure what) where he thinks my port is and then asks fluro guy to take a picture, we keep doing this until the instrument points to the middle of my port and then the doctor marks it with a pen.  Time for needles.  So he rubs alcohol on my belly and says the typical "you're going to feel a pinch".  HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.  I don't know what I was thinking it would feel like, but considering he had to stick a needle through my abdomen wall and THEN through a port, he had to push that sucker in hard and far.  Did it hurt?  Not really.  The feeling just totally grossed me out.  Next thing I know he is asking Nurse Girl for another needle.  Oh, Amanda!  Did you really think it was going to go smoothly and get done on the first try??  Must we revisit the IV episode?  On to take 2.  This time he hits the port.  I think it was because I said about 10 Hail Mary's.  Now I have this needle in my belly with some type of device sticking out of it (again HOLY MOTHER OF GOD).  Why does this have to be so GROSS?  The device sticking out of my belly is used for the saline solution the doctor is going to inject into my band.  In the saline goes.  Time to drink the Barium (aka the most God awful crap ever).  I take a gulp (doc's request) of the Barium and we watch it flow through my esophagus into my upper stomach where it totally stalls.  Doctor:  "see?  That's too tight.  Nothing is getting through".  He removes some saline.  Another gulp.  This time it breezes right through my band.  Too loose.  He puts more saline in.  Gulp three.  And what do you know?  Just like Goldilocks, this fill was just right!  Out came the needle, PA Girl slapped on a band aid (thank God for PA Girl, who else in the room would have known how to do that?), and then I was good to go.  Oh!  But doc, one question before I leave.  How many cc's did you put in there?  Doc: "one".  Me - in my head - "crap".  I say crap because I am hoping that little amount will give me enough restriction.  Only time will tell I guess.  I am still on liquids until tonight.

So there you have it -  a whole 1cc in my 10cc band.  If there is a restriction angel, please bless my band with good restriction.  Amen.