In addition to having surgery in less than a month I am also progressing in nursing school.  Due to health issues i withdrew from clinicals as I had bp fluctuations and went from 4 meds to nine.  My greatest concern with nursing is I have some nueropathy in my fingers and getting a pulse is difficult.  I was one skill away from completeing my first section of check off skills when I was hospitalized and had to withdraw.  I have all of my support courses done and just have core clinical classes left.  I guess my concern is getting through nursing school with numbness in fingers.  some days are worse than others.  I am type 2 which is expected to be  corrected with surgery along with the 13 pills i take in the morning.  I just lay awake at night thinking man what if finger numbness derails my carreer that I have spent every dollar I have at working towards, I  am unemployed and have completed most of my bsn as well as rn prerequisites for.  I am not giving up just want a nurse out there to tell me I can find ways to overcome this handicap wether it be with a doplar device or other aids..  

You can always get the apical pulse by listening to the heart with your stethoscope.

Which form of WLS are you planning on having? Given your BMI and the fact that you're diabetic, I sincerely hope it's going to be the DS/duodenal switch.

Your stethoscope is your best friend.  

Another vote for the stethoscope.

And your weight loss surgery is going to help your health a lot.

Hang tough- you're going to make it!

 I used to work with a nurse that was legally deaf and she functioned as a nurse.  She did have a special stethoscope to hear with, amplified, and when she had questions, she would have another nurse double check a patient's lungs.  

I believe you can overcome this type of disability and hopefully after surgery your sensation in your fingers will return.  Don't forget that there are many different areas of nursing that can be practiced including MD offices, insurance companies, telephonic case management, education, etc.  So don't let this derail your dream.  Go for it!!!

 Thanks I will learn to rely on stethescope, it has for what ever reason been hanging over my head,  That couple with the health issues I was really mentally struggling,  The course work itself does not concern me and I have been doing well, it was my physical limitations.  

 If the neuropathy continues, maybe you could look into different specialties that dont require as much hands on......ie-   psychiatric nursing??

 I have given that some thought but stiil need to show I can do all the hands on to get through school.  In a tech school environment everything is hands on oriented. There is not a 4 year program close enough to go to unless i sell the house uproot the family have my wife quit here job so not an option.  I cannot get in at a junior level which is where i will be at next semester as the waiting lists are as long as 2  years at some schools and each program has their own unique class or two that must be taken.  So for now I am stuck at my tech school which has a great program but not flexible.  Bellin college of nursing in Green Bay is a private school that charges 65000 for their program.  I can get in the accelerated program and be done in 15months as soon as I give them the 65000 (the same cost of the 4 yr. program) i have 32 credtis of nursing left and its 75 % hands on to get my RN. Then i have 33 more credits to get my bsn at a 4 yr contiuing education for nurses.  Basically its 33 credits of upper level nursing all online. 

Carotid is stronger if, you forget your stethoscope and you can get it by placing the inner aspect of your fingers on carotid. You can also use a doppler in the real word and many units have automatic cuffs that give a heart rate reading. You can't be discriminated against for this.

 I am a nurse....have been a RN for 20 plus years....You could be a nurse with numb fingers and could be an asset to many types of patient care areas.  You can use a stethoscope to get a pulse...and nowadays the bp cuffs on the machines get the pulse for you.  And there is so much monitoring, etc.  You can do it!  Good Luck, the world can always use another caregiver!