:help: Hi, I'm Julie from Florida and had my surgery on May 8th. 1 week on and I don't feel too bad. Still sore on the inside and my stomach feels like its being held together with an elastic band and if I stretch it will pop!! Still getting indigestion-like feelings and gassy bloatedness. Is this normal? My doctor says I can start Protein shakes if I want to but don't know if this is helping the bloated situation, but I am so bored with Jello, popsicles and juice!!

Did everyone have to do the heparin shots for 10 days after the procedure? I've being doing quite well so far but am running out of places to put them and it has started to hurt when I inject myself. Any thoughts on this would be helpful.

The protein shakes will help you heal and also help with the gas. Of course, getting up and moving is the best treatment for the gas. I haven't heard of many people needing heparin injections for 10 days post-op. It's used to prevent blood clots when patients are on bedrest. Once they are up walking, it's discontinued. If you're finding it painful to continue with the injections, call your surgeon and he/she will likely stop them. I assume you're taking 5,000 units every 12 hours?

I had a heparin shot before and after surgery and none after. It is now two weeks later and I have these HUGE bruises on my arms where they injected it. One side even has a bump. Has anyone else experience that? I am a diabetic and inject insulin about 4 times a day in my stomach without all this bruising and pain. What is it about Heparin?

I'm actually taking 5000 units every 8 hours! and I am covered in bruises. I'm not on bedrest and do get up and walk around, take the dogs out (not quite up to exersing yet!) It is becoming incerasingly difficult to do these shots

I'm actually taking 5000 units every 8 hours! and I am covered in bruises. I'm not on bedrest and do get up and walk around, take the dogs out (not quite up to exersing yet!) It is becoming incerasingly difficult to do these shots

Do you have a history of blood clots in your family? If not maybe you should call your Dr. and ask if you can now discontinue.

No history of blood clots or in family. Maybe I'll speak to my doc! Thanks for the advise

I had my surgery on 05/10 and my doc also has me on heprin for 10 days. I asked if i can stop they told me no. I also have bruises and am running out of places to inject the stuff and what was once a painful necessary task is now turning to be very sore and hard to stick myself. My mom who had the same doc, stopped doing them on her second week of them and was fine. I guess you either have to decide better safe then sorry?

But I am glad to hear that i am not the only one experienceing these stupid things...LOL

I am being banded on 5/29 & have to give myself 1 shot of Lovenox the eve before surgery, and then 2x/day for 14 days after. To say this was a surprise to me is putting it mildly! I am *not* a fan of needles of any sort... but I figure better safe than sorry and I'll soldier through.

I haven't had my surgery yet. I am scheduled for this Monday. My doctor gave me a prescription for the heparin shots to be taken for two weeks. I do not have a history of blod clots and there is no family history, either. I believe the doctor routinely prescribes this for every surgical patient. Man, it sounds awful. Where are you all injected at?

Heparin and Lovinox are injected into the stomach. It is common to get a shot before surgery and the morning after surgery but I don't understand why it would be prescribed for 2 weeks post-op.

I DO have a history of blood clots... both lungs and take coumadin. I had to stop the coumadin for 5 days before surgery and went back on it 3 days after surgery. My surgeon has done close to 2000 surgeries and does not send patients without a history of blood clots home on anticoagulants.

Heparin is an anticoagulant. That's why you have bruising around the injection area. It helps to prevent clots but does not break down existing clots. Because research studies are inconclusive as to the benefits of intermittant heparin therapy, many MDs advise walking ASAP after surgery and at home and opt not to prescribe it.

Dr. Ortiz is going to put mine in my IV when I have my surgery is this safe?

I too was told (on my very last visit 2 days before surgery) that I would need to do Heparin injections at home for 10 days after surgery. They started the shots in the hospital immediately after surgery.

The injection point for the second shot wouldn't stop bleeding for over 24 hours (the entire left side of my bed was covered in blood) and the bruise is a good 6 inches across.

After that 2nd injection went so poorly and they saw that I was up and about, they discontinued the rest.

Diane

Wow, I was just banded on Wednesday and only had 2 Lovinox injections. I'm back on my daily aspirin (uncoated of course) as of this morning. I'm also not on bed rest, having started walking in the hospital as soon as they moved me from recovery to my room (had to stay overnight b/c of my diabetes). DH was also banded in Feb and wasn't on any anticoagulants. Ten to fourteen days does seem a bit extreme to me too...

Dr. Ortiz is going to put mine in my IV when I have my surgery is this safe?

Yes, heparin in an IV is perfectly safe.

I am so glad you asked this question about the shots. I was going to post something also. I was givin the shot right before surgery then told I would need to learn how to do them because with any stomach surgerys they like you to take these shots in your stomach for 2 weeks. I had surgery on Monday and have been doing the shots but did not get any bruises. Last night I noticed a bruise about the size of my palm on my stomach. Not around any cuts or anything, and it scared me. I did not know that the shots can bruise you. This thing looks nasty too. I just wonder why it may have bruised in one area but not any of the others. Thanks!!!!

Why some injection areas bruise and other do not has to do with technique in giving thee injection as well as proximity to blood vessels. You might have hit a small vessel (capillary) and caused it to leak blood (no big deal) which caused bruising.

Your surgeon did not give you complete info. Very few "stomach" surgeries require anticoagulant therapy. The decision to use it is based on how obese the patient is and the level of activity the MD expects the patient to tolderate.