Make your next fill more successful

Just read a really great post on Who Hid the Donuts. She provides a number of really excellent tips on how to make your next fill more successful.

There's lots of new info here I hadn't read previously, so definitely check it out!

My first fill

So yesterday I went to NYU again and had my fill. Our surgeon asked Alex and I to come together, so he was there too for his 7-10 day follow up. Alex is doing well and got an all clear.

The surgeon seemed more hesitant about giving fills this time. She was like, are you sure, not everyone needs one. But I told her I've been hungry, so she gave me one.

I've read that a lot of places put a local anesthetic, but she didn't. She was also pretty rough about putting in the needle and jerking it around to find the port. I asked Alex his take on it and he said she seemed a bit aggressive about it. Basically, for some reason, she put the needle in where my scar is and then tilted it over an inch or two to get the needle into the port. So that was uncomfortable.

She told me originally that it wouldn't hurt and that I'd feel it less than taking blood. Not true at all. I think it might not have been *that* bad if she'd been gentler and more efficient about it.

But it's done. It didn't click beforehand that I'd have two full days of liquid and then two days of soft foods. That'll be a good kick start to losing again I hope!

I thought the band went in with either no fluid or .5cc's (out of a total of 10 cc's i think); however, the doctor wanted to do an unfill (by removing the liquid in there) to see how much I started with. I was thinking, didn't they document how much was in there in my file when they put it in?

So she removed it to measure it, then put it back in plus some. Turns out they put in 2cc's during surgery, plus added another 1.5 yesterday.

When I got home last night, I was starving, but I just tried to refocus myself since I couldn't have any real food beyond liquid. However, given my calf injury, I had a fair amount of distraction, so I just put my leg up and stayed in bed.

Didn't have too much to eat today either. It's hard to get much down. I guess that'll change a bit over the next few days as I adjust.

It'll be interesting to see how what I can eat changes. I'm going to take it easy so i dont gag on anything!

Just pulled a calf muscle

I felt/heard a pop in my calf while on the eliptical at the gym today and there went my leg. Ouch! I just looked it up and read that it is likely a sprained calf -- when the muscle pulls away from the tendon.

Having trouble walking, which in NY without a car just suxors, as Alex would say. And the gym is all stairs on three levels, so that was fun getting back to the locker room and then back up and out and over to the office. Walking back to work, I was just reminding myself "never take my health / physical abilities for granted."

I happen to have my first fill today, more on that later, so I'll just mention the sprain to the doctor since it did happen while working out to lose weight. So it's not entirely unrelated!

The surgeon asked Alex and I to come in together as this is his 7-10 day follow up. I'm a bit afraid of the fill, but I'm trying not to think of the big 'ol needle. DON'T LOOK!!!!