Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Anyone skipped anti-DVT injections?



Recommended Posts

I had to have an ultrasound of my legs to check the circulation. They saw no evidence of DVT or poor circulation, so the IVC filter was just precaution. I also walked in recovery and was pretty mobile post-op so I didn't get those compression boots they put on pts in the hospital.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Take it from someone who has had DVT in the past, take the shots...take a deep breath, pinch the skin tight, place the needle against the skin, and push it in. Once you do the first one, you will be ok!!! I am pre-op for gastric sleeve in the next few weeks - but I had DVT a year and a half ago - been on Lovenox twice - one time for 5 days, once for 28 days - I gave myself all of those shots after I got comfortable with doing it twice a day! You can do it!!!

@@pezzypooh how did you know?? I'm so scared about clots after surgery it's making me nuts!!

My BFF died a week after having her baby by c section because of a clot.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was sent home with a DVT machince, the same thing they put on your legs during Surgery. You may check to see if this is an option instead of injections.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If you skip and and develop and blood clot it could travel and that's BAD! To your brain and cause a stroke, to your lungs etc.....

And if you develop and clot you will be hospitalized and then at home you will be giving yourself the injections for months until it resolves.

Sorry for the alarmist stuff but it's the nurse in me!

Want to make injections easier? When you prep your skin pinch the skin and then with the alcohol pad RUB HARD! Circular motion for a minute or two...it not only cleanses the skin well but it will act as a topical numbing and then stick fast and push plunger down fast....that's the best way I have found to give things like Lovenox.

My patients always say they never feel it when I do it that way.

Good luck but please please inject it!

Edited by Nurse_Lenora

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Take it from someone who has had DVT in the past, take the shots...take a deep breath, pinch the skin tight, place the needle against the skin, and push it in. Once you do the first one, you will be ok!!! I am pre-op for gastric sleeve in the next few weeks - but I had DVT a year and a half ago - been on Lovenox twice - one time for 5 days, once for 28 days - I gave myself all of those shots after I got comfortable with doing it twice a day! You can do it!!!

@@pezzypooh how did you know?? I'm so scared about clots after surgery it's making me nuts!!

My BFF died a week after having her baby by c section because of a clot.

I had pain in my knee at first....I thought I had just tweaked it running around with my nieces in my parents' hilly back yard on the Sunday prior...the pain travelled down into my calf by Tuesday and then was unbearable by midday Wednesday...I had gone to work that day, called the Dr. in the morning, and they could see me at 12:30pm...I was sobbing by the time 12:15 came and I was trying to drive across town to get to the appointment. I was sent immediately to the hospital for a sonogram of my leg and was diagnosed on the spot and started on Lovenox and Coumadin...been on Coumadin ever since (a year and a half...)...will be back on Lovenox for 30 days post surgery in the next few weeks...it sucks, but it's a lifesaver!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Whoa Whoa - wait I have to give my self shots?! I can't stand needles... no one told me I have to give myself shots... this adds something else I need to wrap around before surgery so I don't get freaked out... why didn't anyone tell me I had to do shots?!...

I'mma talk to my doctors about this - I want to know EVERYTHING I'm going to have to do and deal with after surgery... I don't like suprises when it comes to stuff like this... :(

I am not sure everyone has to give themselves shots long term...I know most get them while in the hospital until they are up and around (nurses give them)...it's protection against not being able to be mobile!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If a blood clot goes to your lung and blocks oxygen that is a pulmonary embolism and highly fatal. Do you know your risks for DVT/PE? I mean besides having a major abdominal surgery which is high risk factor number one and being obese which is high risk factor number two? Also are you walking your butt off? That is the best prevention for a DVT (deep vein thrombosis which is the technical term for a blood clot). There are lots and lots of other risk factors that you should discuss with your doctor, who likely gave you the shots for a reason.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

ohkay - so since I'm mobile and all that - I should be fine and not have shots except while at hospital - I hope... that kinda freaked me out a lil...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

ohkay - so since I'm mobile and all that - I should be fine and not have shots except while at hospital - I hope... that kinda freaked me out a lil...

Um. No.

What this thread should reinforce is that DVTs are serious. You need to follow your surgeon's instructions. Your surgeon's primary goal is getting you through this process safely (alive and healthy).

Do what your surgeon says. If that means shots, then take the shots. If that means pills, then take the pills.< /p>

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Um... Yes - because that is what my Surgeon's assistant said - I probably should have stated that too... I get that it is a serious thing believe me - nothing about this surgery is not a serious issue and I know this, that's why I'm here and paying attention to what is being talked about and am very glad I am or I wouldn't have known about the shots/pills until the surgery...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@ nope you've got that wrong. You should follow doctors orders if you don't want to plug up your lungs with a blood clot. In most cases mobility will decrease risks but in morbidly obese or anyone who was previously sedentary movement can actually shake a clot that was starting to form in the leg loose and it can circulate to your lungs and kill you. This is not a trivial matter and if you think it is please read the rest of the thread and note how many people have lost someone to a clot. Please get up with your doctor in this one.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

All i am going to say he or she who refuses the DVT prophylaxis is nuts! Im an ER nurse and I cannot tell you how sorry you will be if you get a PE. You think the nausea you suffered was unbearable? Hold on for what the PE will do.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×