I'm overwhelmed over here

[SJB41976]

Had my diet class today. And my pre-op testing. And met with the NP at the doctors office. It was a long day. The diet class itself was 4 hours long. Then I drove home for 3 hours. I'm pretty exhausted so I hope this doesn't come off as whiney.

Everything went well. Everyone in Dr. Boyce's office is great. The hospital is great and all the people I interacted with were great. Reassuring.

The most frustrating thing was having to listen about the BariLife supplements and how fabulous they are. I'm not really good at smiling and nodding, either. I knew I wouldn't be. The NP told me to stop all of my supplements a week before surgery and use BariLife. I didn't get the feeling I had a choice. Even in the diet class the teacher said I didn't have to buy them kind of....They really believe in that stuff. That it works better than anything else (they've done a study of over 300 patients, you know!) And that since I have already had the sleeve that I should be on Bariatric Vitamins already. Ugh.

I also found out because my BMI is over 50 I have to take Lovenox for 30 days after surgery so I don't get a blood clot. I inject myself. Never had to do that with the sleeve and I weigh about the same pre-op as I did then. I was not happy about it. AT. ALL. I am very good about moving after surgery. With my sleeve I made sure I walked every hour...anyway, it doesn't matter. I really don't know what I'm going to do about that.

I am now on my 4 week 800 calorie diet. Spent almost $400 on Barilife food. Uuugggghhhhhh. That's all I get to eat before surgery. I'm actually not starting it until Monday, exactly 3 weeks before surgery, but shhhh!!! Don't tell on me.

I don't know how many times I thought to myself today "why am I doing this" I had to process it. Because the alternative is being morbidly obese. I've done it all. Many times. I've already had surgery. Gained it back. Tried my hardest. As scared as I am to do this (and I am scared) I know I have to have faith and trust that I am not doing all this for naught.

So whining session over. I'm just going to process everything for a few days. And get a good nights sleep. Thanks for reading.

 

[Clematis]

I know it just seems like all too much right now. Just take it one day at a time... sometimes one hour at a time if need be. You got this.

I've heard some docs require the lovenox. A long time ago I had to inject my stomach with blood thinner for an infertility problem. It took me nearly an hour to do it the first time. I'd pinch my skin with my left hand, the right held the needle but would come to a screeching halt a hair from my skin. Once I managed to break the skin, though, I never thought twice about it for the many months I had to do it. So the first shot is scary -- the rest won't be.

But, damn, can't believe you had to shell out $400 for the barilife crap.

 

[DianaCox]

Lovenox is a PITA (I didn't have to do it, but my husband did after his broken hip, and again after his abdominoplasty/multiple hernia repair - his father died of a blood clot/pulmonary embolism after surgery to repair a broken hip, but he was dying of brain cancer anyway, so it probably was a gift), but it is not difficult to do. I gave myself shots of an experimental obesity drug for 16 months (guess what? it didn't work). You'll bruise easily, but that's a small price to pay for not dying of an asymptomatic and sudden PE - that would REALLY.

 

[Kristaz]

I had to do it with my first surgery... The nurse in the hospital helped to teach me and I took my first shot there. ( got a big bruise) but after that doing it at home is no biggie!

 

[newanatomy]

You will be just fine. You are a badass chick! Plus, you can come here and whine anytime you want

 

[DSRIGGS]

Lovenox is easy peasy. Cameron at 16 gave himself injections in gut for 3 months after his PE. It is no biggie at all and doesn't go cry deep.

 

[duh_Mom]

hugs to you @SJB41976 - oh yeah, the barilife vits - I did take them pre-op for about 6 weeks probably - took them post op too till my first draw when everything but my CBC was decreasing.
i'll be thinking of you and sending you good vibs.

 

[southernlady]

Smiling and nodding come hard to me too...MY ONLY saving grace was that due to my BMI of 35.2, Dr. Boyce tole me NOT to lose any weight so I was able to skip the diet crap they peddle. And I successfully avoided buying the vitamins, except for ONE bottle pre-op, cause I just told them I didn't have the money for it that day and implied, WITHOUT saying, that I would get it later in the week once we got paid.

As far as the lovenox...a trick I learned from taking insulin and then being on an insulin pump...place the needle on the skin. IF it hurts, move it a bare smidgen. keep doing that til you find a spot that doesn't hurt when you place he needle and use that spot. Skin has pain receptors but not every single spot. You have to find a spot between them for a painless shot.

 

[Clematis]

I was told to put an ice cube (I used a plastic reusable ice cube from a boo-boo bunny) on the spot for 60 seconds before and after the shot to ease pain and reduce bruising. Honestly, these needles are so thin, it really never hurt. But because these are blood thinners (mine was heparin) the bruising can be pretty dramatic.

 

[Larra]

Sounds like a rough day, but you are stronger than you think you are and you WILL get through all these pre-op steps and get to your surgery. As far as vitamins go, go by you labs and don't spend another penny on their stuff once you get your surgery. They can't take it back once you have it, right?

 

[k9ophile]

Just another 2 cents worth about injecting yourself: I did it after my knee replacement for 2 weeks. Then I did it every damned day for 2 years for my osteoporosis. The only reason I say damned was that it had to be refrigerated so traveling was my concern. We stayed at the Biltmore in Asheville and they did not have fridges in the room. After telling them we needed it for medicinal reasons, they placed a mini in our room. The needles are short, thin, and extremely sharp. Half the time, I didn't feel them. I did have an occasional little bruise. The best part of those injections: my bone density increased. I'd do it again, but the FDA only allows it for 2 years.

 

[SJB41976]

Thanks, everyone. I am feeling much better today. I told my trainer today (who is a nurse also) and he gave me some hints to take amino acids before we workout the next three weeks before surgery and he said he wanted any information that I thought would be beneficial for him to know, including video or diagram of the surgery. I knew he would respectful and he didn't ask too many questions, which was nice.

I am gearing up for the 3 week diet, trying to wrap my head around it and just continue to prep. 3 weeks (from monday) will be here before I know it.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Sounds like a rough day, but you are stronger than you think you are and you WILL get through all these pre-op steps and get to your surgery. As far as vitamins go, go by you labs and don't spend another penny on their stuff once you get your surgery. They can't take it back once you have it, right?

^^^^ this, so much!

Nod, smile, comply as best you can and then once you have your surgery you can hit the ignore button.

Thanks, everyone. I am feeling much better today. I told my trainer today (who is a nurse also) and he gave me some hints to take amino acids before we workout the next three weeks before surgery and he said he wanted any information that I thought would be beneficial for him to know, including video or diagram of the surgery. I knew he would respectful and he didn't ask too many questions, which was nice.

I am gearing up for the 3 week diet, trying to wrap my head around it and just continue to prep. 3 weeks (from monday) will be here before I know it.

Honey I know this is a tough thing for you to do, but you really need to shut your brain down and stop thinking about this so much. I know it is the huge factor in your life but as the song says Que Sera Sera.....whatever will be will be, and you know from this site that it will be good! You know you made the proper decision. You have seen countless examples of the revised DS working for people on this board and you know what to to do once you are revised. It is all good and you will handle things just fine. As the youngsters like to say, "you got this". You are going to do well so just chill and relax your mind so you can rest your body for surgery and recovery.

 

[hilary1617]

I've had lovenox for extended periods. It's not fun, nor as easy to inject as insulin, but it is doable. I always asked my husband to do it because it worked best in an awkward part of my thighs to reach and because I'm a wimp. Weird thing is that sometimes it really burns and other times doesn't hurt at all. Never figured out why. I did have a lot of bruising around the injection site (makes sense given it is a blood thinnner). Anyway, I've had a horrible history of DVT and PE and would never want anyone else to go through that. Lovenox is not anywhere near as horrible as calling your loved ones and telling them to catch the next flight.

Can't wait for this to all be a distant memory for you!!! Hang in there!

 

[JuliaDS]

Had my diet class today. And my pre-op testing. And met with the NP at the doctors office. It was a long day. The diet class itself was 4 hours long. Then I drove home for 3 hours. I'm pretty exhausted so I hope this doesn't come off as whiney.

Everything went well. Everyone in Dr. Boyce's office is great. The hospital is great and all the people I interacted with were great. Reassuring.

The most frustrating thing was having to listen about the BariLife supplements and how fabulous they are. I'm not really good at smiling and nodding, either. I knew I wouldn't be. The NP told me to stop all of my supplements a week before surgery and use BariLife. I didn't get the feeling I had a choice. Even in the diet class the teacher said I didn't have to buy them kind of....They really believe in that stuff. That it works better than anything else (they've done a study of over 300 patients, you know!) And that since I have already had the sleeve that I should be on Bariatric Vitamins already. Ugh.

I also found out because my BMI is over 50 I have to take Lovenox for 30 days after surgery so I don't get a blood clot. I inject myself. Never had to do that with the sleeve and I weigh about the same pre-op as I did then. I was not happy about it. AT. ALL. I am very good about moving after surgery. With my sleeve I made sure I walked every hour...anyway, it doesn't matter. I really don't know what I'm going to do about that.

I am now on my 4 week 800 calorie diet. Spent almost $400 on Barilife food. Uuugggghhhhhh. That's all I get to eat before surgery. I'm actually not starting it until Monday, exactly 3 weeks before surgery, but shhhh!!! Don't tell on me.

I don't know how many times I thought to myself today "why am I doing this" I had to process it. Because the alternative is being morbidly obese. I've done it all. Many times. I've already had surgery. Gained it back. Tried my hardest. As scared as I am to do this (and I am scared) I know I have to have faith and trust that I am not doing all this for naught.

So whining session over. I'm just going to process everything for a few days. And get a good nights sleep. Thanks for reading.

I had to do the Lovenox twice a day for 30 days (my BMI was 54). It was not fun but I got used to it. The key for me was to do it with intention - just decide on a spot and jab it in. If I hesitated, it hurt much more. If I just did it, it was fine. Sometimes some burning afterwards but again got used to it. The worst part for me was the bruising which took well over a month to fade completely. Try not to stress and have the nurse in the hospital help you practice on yourself a couple of times (preferably after you get your pain meds!). You can do this.

 

[robs477]

I got no advice here other than to say that there has been some real good info. I just wanted to tell you that we are ALL right here with you. Believe me when I tell u that those are NOT JUST WORDS. The peeps that come on here are ALL birds of the same feather, (for the most part)..lol. VERY real and sincere and as Scott said, "You got this"...the worst part is actually over believe it or not, that's just getting the surgery approved, scheduled etc. It will all be easier and just a memory real soon, so hang in there, you have my best wishes.