little scared

Hello everyone i wanted to say hi to all. I been long time reader from time to time. I am going to take the plunge to do DS after years of fighting this weight.

I am one big wuss with it comes to needles and pain. so I'm scared to death about the blood drawings for lab work. never ever had this done and the one time 5 years ago i was going to have it done i had a panic attack and almost passed out.

if anyone else has gone through this before how did you just get it done?

You could ask for meds from your PCP (like ativan)to combat panic attacks. Will you be self-pay or will this be a longer process? As far as labs go, you'll have to face your fears. I pretended I was going on vacation, played mind games with myself.

Yes I'm self pay and on top of that going to Mexico to have this done because of the price. Going with Dr. Gilberto Ungson

What about a high dose of pain meds before hand? lol

    Hey!   I am EXACTLY the same way !!!   I hate needles especially the IV and dont like the blood work either.     I think Im gonna go with Dr Ungson also and it scares me to think Im actually going to do this !!!!     Good luck and if you need another chicken to talk to ,  Im here !!!            PS....when is your surgery date ??

 Well, you will have a set of labs for Ungson's pre op. You have to send him the lab results for him to schedule your surgery. 

Then they will do an IV, but hopefully that is only one. It will be there for all your hospital stay.

They will try to do an epidural, depends on how big you are. If they can do it it will help your pain management. They ended up not able to do it on me and I just had morphine in the iv and it was not enough. That is my only complaint. 

You will have drains that they pull but it tickled me.

You gotta have your eye on the prize. Honestly none of that is so bad I wouldn't do it all over again.

 So did you have any thoughts about using  Dr Aceve ?     I have been torn between the two 

I bring a book to distract myself. If you don't think a book will do it, bring a friend who will talk to you and keep you focused on her rather than the what the lab tech is doing. (I have to bring a friend when I donate blood...books just don't work then! )

Lab work is nothing.  That is all in your head.  I just had my 12 vials drawn and it didn't hurt AT ALL. 

My hints for lab work:  Make sure you are very hydrated.  And keep your inner arms warm until they need them.  Wear a jacket (labs are always so cold) and rub your inner elbow to keep it warm.  Then go to a happy warm place in your head and you probably won't even feel a thing.

Now recovery from the DS is another story altogether but you do get good drugs for that.

~Becky

Do thin people have hard to find veins too?  I give whomever is drawing 3 sticks each arm then they have to get a real doctor who can go for the really good veins.  Anytime a blood draw is needed I draw a crowd..I hate it!  Without all the fat in the way, does that get better?