My first fill

I check in for my first fill and all seems normal. I already knew it was going to be done at the hospital.  I  assumed the Bariatric Nurse was going to be doing the fill since she is now licensed or something to do them in AZ.  She said she was the first in AZ.

I'm waiting to be called back in and I hear the nurse before I see her. lol.  I love her outgoing personality. What surprised me is that the nurse called a few of us to go back.  We get back in the room and get on the body mass scale. (Something that gives about 50 readings and a print out). According to that scale I am down 57 pounds. I kept staring at the two printouts with the past and present information. Stunned is about the right word for how I felt.  Keep in mind only 14 of that is post op since August 19th. 7.5 weeks later. My home scale gives me a higher loss than any other scale.  I also had some stress eating while out of town for my daughter's surgery and over my grand niece Isabella.

I noticed that my surgeon and nurse are both wearing x-ray smocks so of course I ask why.  The answer is fills are done under xray & we have a barium swallow test too.  I am shocked. Stress level instantly goes up.  I sure as heck did not expect that.  I thought I was just going to get a poke with some saline.  The guy to my left was having his first fill also.  He handled it a lot better than I did.  Some are saying they have been poked up to 9 times at one fill.  Its now my turn, I go back and am immediately given my barium.  Stand, swallow, & I'm good to go.  Time to lay on the x-ray table. My eyes are all bug eyed because I am trying to see everything.  It looks like everything for a fill comes in a box.  Let me tell you that I've never really been afraid of needles. I used to take Depo and that was a huge needle so I am still thinking no biggie.  Yeah right... today was a BIG needle. The nurse is squirting saline out of the syringe and all I could think is I wish that was going in me.  Next thing you know saline landed on me.   Close to what I was thinking but not quite what I wanted. 

My surgeon is feeling around and looking on the screen as I am holding a half sit up pose.  She says ok here goes the 'big poke'.  OUCH it was a miss.  I think I moved on her.  My port continues to be sore so I am sure I flinched.  She tries again... here goes the poke... OMG it felt like she was trying to hit a wall or something.  I swear it thudded.  She is pushing and pushing on the syringe plunger I don't really feel anything other than the 'big poke'.  She gave me 3 ccs so I now have 4 ccs.  I was given 1 cc at surgery.    I get to stand up and go have more barium.  Yummy. :(

Time to sit out in the room and drink my water. I felt nauseous. Not too bad. It passed fairly quickly. I then move on to lightheaded dizziness. I'm kind of used to that now because my blood preesure keeps fluctuating,   I keep talking with the other people getting fills all the while absorbing everything they have to say.  Water is all gone. Yay!  No gurgling. No throwing up.  Not feeling the best but not too bad.  I think I even like the 'assembly line' of fills since you get to talk with each other while you wait & drink. 

Now my concerns. Has anyone ever gotten 3 ccs at once?  Is that a nit agressive or is it just me thinking that?  My surgeon did say it is better to get it off in the begnning faster because the loss does slow down.  Is it normal to feel nauseous after water?  I had soft serve ice cream and had no problems with it. (Of course I wouldn't its ice cream).  I have a bit of a headache which could be my stress level.  It sort of feels like the water is 'sitting' in my stomach but its not swooshing.  I actually feel like I did the first two weeks post op.  

What's your experience with a fill?

What's your take on the fill size?

Goodnight my dears!