Scared to Death

[connie6140 12]

Hello! Thankful I came across this forum! I am waiting for a call from my surgeon's office today to tell me what day I will be getting my sleeve! I have been having anxiety and am in general, just scared to death! To compound my emotions, I have had to stop taking my hormones prior to surgery to prevent blood clots! I stopped them yesterday and I know my mood is going to get so much worse (bless my husband's heart!) I am so scared about the surgery, about my mood and anxiety with the surgery compounded with no hormones and scared I will have the strength to break up with my best friend.....FOOD!!! Can anyone tell me if they were this anxious, nervous and scared right before surgery? Also, insurance isn't paying for one thing and the fact of having to take shots (blood thinners) in my stomach for 30 days is scaring me! I know the needle is tiny and I use to take weight loss shots in my tummy BUT for 30 days! It seems my tummy will be bruised and sticking myself that many times in the same spot will start to hurt after a while!!!

[TracyBar 132]

I haven't moved ahead with talking actual surgery yet - I'm researching it right now. But sending you good vibes and hope you feel calmer once you know the date is set and you can change your mind to preparing for the event itself rather than focusing on the fear. Keep busy! If I do move ahead with this, I plan on making food (pureed) and homemade broths for myself and freezing them. As well as making and freezing meals for my family since I do all the cooking. Just want to make it easier for everyone including myself.

Why do you need blood thinners?

[connie6140 12]

Thank you so much TracyBar! If you find some good recipes, let me know! That's a great idea to freeze things! My doctor said blood thinners because a risk of the surgery is blood clots so you have to take blood thinners for 30 days. I assume the pills are really high when insurance doesn't pay so they give self-pays the shots.

[theantichick 2,204]

Blood thinners are standard procedure for surgery anymore. We're learning so much about blood clot risks and how to prevent them. The good news is that the shots aren't very painful (at least according to the majority of my patients). And it'll be over before you know it!! Good luck!!

[heidikat72 935]

I had to take the blood thinner injections twice a day for 2 weeks post op because my BMI was over 60. I got through it. it's quick (took longer to give myself the pep talk before each one than the actual shot took). It doesn't really hurt per se, just a mild stinging for a few minutes (at least in my case). and it is just a subcutaneous injection so not like you have to hit a vein or anything. not something i looked forward to but a necessary part of the process (avoidance of death by pulmonary embolism is a great motivator!). I didn't bruise too bad from the lovenox injections i did at home but the stronger heparin injections i got in the hospital first bruised me really bad (in fact a month out and still slightly visible) so maybe I just couldn't notice the lovenox ones (although i did try not to inject in an area already bruised). I did end up with some hard nodules under my skin that my doc said were internal hematomas and would gradually clear up over the next couple months.

so you are not alone in not liking doing them, but in a year it probably won't seem like it was that bad and preventing blood clots is important.

[connie6140 12]

Thanks ladies about the blood thinners! I have done injections on myself with some diets I've tried. I was suppose to do the stomach, and did a few times, but just something about the stomach that made me end up chosing to do them in my arm. The top part where we get flu shots and stuff. I guess I just felt tougher in my arm lol! Do you guys know if they send us home with injections over pills because of cost and what the price difference is? If it were just like $100 or less for a month, I think I would opt for the pills. Or maybe there is some other reason for the injections. My packet said if you don't have prescripton coverage, you would get the injections so that's why I assumed it was because of cost. Also, were most of you this scared and have anxiety right before your surgery?

[heidikat72 935]

I don't know cost is the reason. I think pills are for people who need it long term/ permanently. I haven't heard of anyone using pills for short term post op risk.

[TracyBar 132]

Blood thinners are standard procedure for surgery anymore. We're learning so much about blood clot risks and how to prevent them. The good news is that the shots aren't very painful (at least according to the majority of my patients). And it'll be over before you know it!! Good luck!!

@@theantichick - are a doctor?

[TracyBar 132]

Thank you so much TracyBar! If you find some good recipes, let me know! That's a great idea to freeze things! My doctor said blood thinners because a risk of the surgery is blood clots so you have to take blood thinners for 30 days. I assume the pills are really high when insurance doesn't pay so they give self-pays the shots.

This is the first I've heard of the blood thinners. Recipes: I would think you could just make broths like you would for chicken Soup or beef stock and then strain everything out. See if you can get hold of the post op food guide so you know what you can and can't eat, i.e. amounts of salt allowed, etc. The pureed foods I don't know about but I would still make some of that ahead - I'm not sure if you can just puree what you're making for your family on a particular day or not. If you could do that then it would be easy to just puree potatoes, meat, etc. separately. Hope you're feeling less anxious!

[KathyawesomeSmith 10]

I want you to relax and don't worry about the surgery. I was literally scared out of my wit's, I was terrified!!! I was worried I wouldn't be here for my one and only daughter, but as you can see it as for not... The surgery is a piece of cake, a walk in the park and same for the shots. This will be the best decision you have ever made. I had no pain except for my big b_tt from laying on the op table.

Don't worry be happy!

[theantichick 2,204]

Blood thinners are standard procedure for surgery anymore. We're learning so much about blood clot risks and how to prevent them. The good news is that the shots aren't very painful (at least according to the majority of my patients). And it'll be over before you know it!! Good luck!!

@@theantichick - are a doctor?

Nope, RN.

(working on my Master's so I'm in the medical research databases constantly... )

Edited July 21, 2016 by theantichick

[TracyBar 132]

@@theantichick - are a doctor?

Blood thinners are standard procedure for surgery anymore. We're learning so much about blood clot risks and how to prevent them. The good news is that the shots aren't very painful (at least according to the majority of my patients). And it'll be over before you know it!! Good luck!!

Nope, RN.

(working on my Master's so I'm in the medical research databases constantly... )

Good for you! My daughter just received her first degree (Psychology) and wants to be a nurse - more school! She's applying to two universities here in Canada and also Hawaii. Her dream would be Hawaii but so expensive for an international student, plus cost of living there, and our dollar. We'll see... :-)