With great saddness, I learned of the passing of a new surgery friend

Thank you for the prayers for her family,, how hard to deal with.. I can't imagine.. it scared me really bad to think we were right there the same day the same time for surgery and she didnt make it.. I Thank God for my making it through this so far.. and going on to try to achieve my dreams.. 

I am glad you are walking and exercising.. keep it up.. keep those risks down..

luv ya.. huggs..

I've always wanted to ask this but....how do they put in a filter???  I heard a surgeon mention it at a seminar and I really am curious and scared about all of the blot clot things.


I am so SO sorry for you, joe and all of her loved ones...how tragic!!!  :(  It's really scared me a good bit on this night. I feel so helpless sometimes I jsut wish I could take everybody's pain away... mine too but I tend to not dwell on mine if I can help it.

I am not sure how they are put in but it is a surgery to put them in.. They go in the very top part of the thigh in the main vein.. My old surgeon wanted to do a seperate surgery about 3 weeks before the bypass.. but the new surgeon said that if I insisted on one that he would do it right before doing the bypass.. an all in one surgery..  I did not insist becasue he thought it to be an unnecessary surgery.. well I bet Pat and Joe thought that too and now I bet Joe is wishing they had it done..   My surgeon had never lost any patient so to him it was unnecessary.. I wonder if he feels the same way now..

The old surgeon did surgeries on ver high risk patients and had lost some to blood clots so he insisted it be done..

The choice is your's .. if your surgeon does not do it as a regular thing I would def ask about it if you want it done.. I think if I had to do it over again I would have chosen to have it put in..

I will keep you in my prayers over the decision.. do not let this scare you off from WLS.. the blood clots are a risk we take with ANY surgery..

I am so very sorry... this was very sad to read and my heart especially goes out to her family. 

As someone who has lived through having deep vein clots in one leg, I can say with experience it is extremely scary business.  First off, that pain was worse than giving birth to my 9 1/2 lb girl without pain meds!  Then, even if you survive it, there can be long term damage such as scarring in your vein, vericose veins, swelling problems, etc.  It's been more than five years since I had it (in my young 20's to boot!  Girls, be careful with the birth control!) and my bad leg is a wreck from them.

When I had surgery they put me on blood thinners for two weeks (shots into the belly) and while in the hospital I wore the compression boots pretty much at all times.  I was up and walking as often as I could bear.  I had a lot of fear about reoccurance and my surgeon and his team took that very seriously.  I get frustrated when I hear people complain about the compresion boots... I LOVED having mine on, because I knew they were helping to prevent a life threatening problem. 

Anyway, if you find yourself having pain, not breathing right, skin discoloration, seek help fast.  Blood clots travel and the sooner you get help, the more likely they can prevent more serious damage. /end soapbox

Thanks for the info.. many need to read this..

I have never had a blood clot, Thank God.. but with the extra weight on my littel short legs, and high blood pressure, and high cholestro,l and two past mini strokes, and so many other health issues.. my surgeon too took many precautions.. I had the boots on all the time.. only off to walk.. I had to do the blood thinner shots in the belly for 10 days after surgery.. I was told to walk walk walk.. I did all that because I was so scared not too.. the doc really drummed it in my head how big a risk it was..

I hope people do read and take it to heart.. the blood clots are very serious..

I am sorry you have had one in the past.. it put you more at risk.. Thank God you did well and are here to tell others of the risk..

I am so incredibly sorry to read about your friend...  A Pulmonary Embolism is my worst fear when I think of having this surgery.

Read up on it.. find out about the filters and discuss it with your surgeon.. if it will make your fears less and make the posibility of this happening you might want to consider it.. If I had it to do over again I think I would have went for having it put in..

Most of all listen to your surgeons advice adn walk walk walk.. do not let it happen to you because you didnt walk.. this is an easy thing you can do to help prevent it.. It wont be so easy right after surgery .. but it is necessary.. so walk walk walk..

do not let this scare you off from having the surgery.. we may face many surgeries in our lifetime and the blood clot risks come with all of them..

face your fear and find out your choices..