Ok, Now I'm Scared!!!!

I just read that a young woman, in her 40's, died after having her BS of a blood clot, she was getting ready to be released. I am scheduled to have my BS Sept. 5, I have been wanting to get this done for almost a year, I have gone throu periods of being scared and being excited, since I was told I can could schedule myself for surgery.  I know it is in GOD's hands and their should be no buts, but after reading what happen to that woman, I am back in my scared mode. I chose to have the surgery because I have other health issues that in the end could cause death, real high chol. and higher tryglicerides, nash, and borderline diabetes, besides being overweight (all of them combined). Just wanted to talk.  THank you for listening.

Don't be scared. I have heard wonderful things about Dr. Overcash - he is a very skilled surgeon. To avoid those bloodclots walk. Walk as soon as you can. And walk every day, as many times a day as you can after surgery. You will be fine!!

Blood clots don't just happen to surgical patients. They occur in a multitude of people with certain jobs: taxi cab drivers, truck drivers, bus drivers, airline pilots, police officers, state troopers, etc--ANYONE that sits for an extended period of time and doesn't move. Thus for some it is an occupational hazard.
Some people have a genetic factor that causes their blood to clot more than the average person.
How do I know this you might ask??
My brother in law is a state trooper with the blood clotting disorder. It was JUST discovered 5 weeks ago.
Now he is on blood thinners for an indeterminate time and MUST get out of his state patrol car and walk more often.
GET OUT of your scared mode. Your surgeon and his team at the hospital are one of the best in the state.
Ask him about blood thinner medication after surgery (Levonox, Heparin, etc). These come in "shot" form.
Also after surgery you will be up and walking with in about 4 hours. Walk every hour on the hour. NO MATTER how much it might hurt. The more walking you do, the better off you are for a multitude of reasons: less chance of blood clots, getting the anesthesia out of your body, increased lung functioning. If your surgery is being done LAP, then you want that CO2 they pumped in your abdomen to GET OUT---and that is done by walking and moving about.
You have come this far, and made your choice. Don't let this incident deter you in your efforts.
We are holding a spot for you on the Losers' Bench.

As you stated yourself - you have health issues that could end in dealth..and honestly even walking across the street can cause death if hit by a car, taking a shower...known people to just die in their sleep...when it is time to go..you will go. Put your trust in God first and then in the goods hands of Dr.OC and follow his instructions and you'll be fine..and if it's your time..who can argue? We were all there at that time of decision of whether we were gonna die and didn't...it's a risk we were willing to take. Please visit Dr. OC's online support group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/floridabariatriccenterw lssupportocala/ And welcome!! Ruthy

Hey BB,

I remember being overwhelmed as I was preparing to leave the house on my day of surgery. My father had just died two days before, and my son had just turned two. So buying the farm was really on my mind (I had also been clinically dead twice before being resuscitated, but that's a different story.)

I remember thinking, well, I can always cancel surgery and WILL die of my comorbid conditions. Or I can take a chance and fight, have the surgery, and *maybe* not have a good result. I chose to go down fighting. Thankfully, the results were positive.

Blood clots can happen for a variety of reasons. Sandy Feets gave you a great response. Do everything your surgeon and his hospital staff recommend, and walk walk walk!!

HTH,

Kristen

Someone from our group posted this from the Washington Post, it's a bit long but worth the read:

By Rob Stein Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, August 22, 2007; 5:06 PM Obese people are significantly less likely to die if they undergo stomach surgery to lose weight, according to two large new studies that offer the first convincing evidence that the health gains of losing weight translate into living longer. The research, involving some 20,000 obese people in the United States and Sweden, found those who underwent surgery had about a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of dying over the next seven to 10 years compared with those who went without the operations. Previous studies have shown that losing weight cuts the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other major ailments, and suggested that might lead to an increase in longevity. But the new studies offer the strongest evidence to date to answer one of the most important and contentious questions about one of the nation's biggest health problems: Does weight loss result in not only healthier lives, but also longer ones? "The question as to whether intentional weight loss improves life span has been answered," wrote George Bray of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge in a commentary accompanying the studies in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "The answer appears to be a resounding yes." The proportion of Americans who are overweight has been rising steadily, and two-thirds are now considered overweight, including about a third who are obese. The trend increases the risk of a host of health problems, but skeptics have questioned whether being fat necessarily shortens life, and whether intentionally losing weight extends it. "This is very exciting," said David R. Flum of the University of Washington in Seattle. "Although we've known for years that weight loss can reduce medical conditions associated with obesity, the link between a reduction in these conditions and an increase in longevity has been elusive. This is huge." The obese people who underwent surgery in one of the studies lost 14 to 25 percent of their body weight. The studies did not examine whether losing only moderate amounts of weight, or losing weight by dieting or taking diet pills, would also translate into longer lives, but several experts said they believed it would. "This makes it clear that if you can get people to lose weight they are going to live longer," said Louis J. Aronne of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. "That is what people in the field have been saying for years. Now we have proof. These papers represent a milestone." Skeptics, however, remained unconvinced. They argued that the longevity benefit in the studies was relatively small, especially when weighed against the risks of stomach surgery. "I would hate to see these studies being used to justify the argument that we should be doing weight-loss surgery to save lives," said Paul Campos of the University of Colorado, author of "The Obesity Myth." "The claim that we have to give people weight-loss surgery to keep them from dying imminently is greatly exaggerated . At best it's a very, very modest effect." In fact, the data could be interpreted as showing that obese people fare fairly well without surgery, others said. Mortality for those who were not treated remained very low, they said. "Until today, we have had little information on how well extremely obese people do without treatment," wrote Paul Ernsberger of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in an e-mail. "Even though the group ranged up to 60 years of age, 96 percent of them survived for 10 years. Nearly 88 percent survived for 16 years. These are far better odds than doctors are predicting for their fat patients." But others said the studies demonstrated a clear advantage from surgery. In the first study, Ted D. Adams of the University of Utah and colleagues looked back at 7,925 severely obese people who had undergone stomach surgery and 7,925 similar obese people who had not. After an average of about seven years, those who had stomach surgery were about 40 percent less likely to have died, the researchers found. Those undergoing surgery were 92 percent less likely to die from diabetes, 60 percent less likely to die from cancer and 56 percent less likely to succumb to heart disease. In the second study, which several researchers said was even more convincing, Lars Sjostrom of the Goteborg University in Sweden and colleagues followed 2,010 obese patients who underwent stomach surgery and a similar group of 2,037 patients who had not had the operation, also known as bariatric surgery. Over the next 11 years on average, those who had surgery were about 30 percent less likely to die from any cause. "This study for the first time offers strong evidence that intentional weight loss, or at least bariatric surgery, is associated with decreased morality," Sjostrom said. Sjostrom and Adams acknowledged that they did not have enough data about different levels of weight loss to determine how much of the benefit was from losing weight and how much might have been from other effects of the surgery. "I think it's certainly related to weight loss, but there may be other mechanisms happening that are also playing a role in addition to weight loss connected to the surgery itself," Adams said. The findings were hailed by proponents of stomach surgery, which has been controversial. The procedures involve reducing the size of the stomach through various techniques. The number of Americans undergoing the procedures has risen quickly in recent years, and about 178,000 are now done annually. Critics have questioned whether the risks of the expensive procedures outweigh the benefits for many patients, and whether they were being done too frequently. "These are landmark studies," said Kelvin Higa, president of the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. "These studies clearly show that bariatric surgery saves lives." Several other experts agreed that the studies provide strong support for the surgery for severely obese patients but questioned whether the procedures were being done too frequently on less overweight patients who might be able to lose weight in other ways. "I would argue that making fundamental changes in our lifestyles would be a healthier and in the long run more efficient goal," said David Zingmond of UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine

I just wanted to add something to the excellent message SandyFeets posted. If anyone  in your family has had blood clots or a stroke It is very important that you discuss this history with your surgeon.  As Sandy pointed out some people have a genetic predisposition to clotting disorders and knowing about your family history will give your surgeon the information he needs to know how to keep you safe.  I had a DVT in Dec of 2005.  A few months later when I started seeing a hematologist I told him that my brother had several very serious blood clots.  With that information he decided it was necessary to do the genetic testing.  When he did the tests we learned I have three (3) clotting disorders!   Blood clots happen but you can be pro-active on making sure it does not happen to you.  If you have serious concerns talk to your surgeon about a vena cava filter.  It is a fairly routine procedure to put one in and it would probably give you peace of mind. Good luck- Red

Thank you all for your kind words.  I am feeling so much better, and again looking forward to my surgery.