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January 2017 Surgeries
- Thread starter Louisex21
- Start date
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
What!!! Bloody hell I know there are bed shortage's but this isn't a small op! Now I'm really worried with my condition it reacts to so many things it can kick off over anything. I hope they take all that into consideration.
Xx
Suffolk Joy
Active Member
Morning
Yes these ops are not small little surgeries and because its all hidden inside with only tiny external cuts it can look quite disappointing. But inside your bod, the world has changed and nothing will ever be as it was before. It does seem they want post ops up and out but I also assume there are those who do not cope as well and whose medical condition means they can not walk round the hospital just after waking up and do need a bit more medical care post op. Personally, I would love to leave the hospital after only 1 night as i absolutely hate being in hospital but I equally expect to be one of those who may have to stay in hospital longer than 24 hours.
When you go and see the nurse next or surgeon discuss your worries with them so they are aware that you may need more time. When I saw the anesthetist I told him I normally have a problem with breathing as I am trying to come out of the anesthetic he noted that down (he also checked that I don't have sleep apnoea).
SJ xx
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Thank you so much for letting us know all this information. Yes try to stay calm I have high BP and on BP pills drink plenty of water the day before and no salt or high fat and it mite stay lower. All the best hun xx
Anna@88
Member
Thanks x i should be on milk diet so last time I dot bit dehydrated and than my BP was low but just staying calm that's the difficult part x
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Hi SJ I have an appointment with the surgeon on the 16th march so will speak to him. I told the anesthetist about my concerns and he put it in the letter to my Dr. I don't have sleep apnea they haven't tested me for it either but I sleep well.
It's worrying to think they want us up and out. But hopefully they will look at our cases and not make us rush out.
I really hope all goes well with your op hun xx
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Yes its hard isn't it when your feeling nervous. Drink plenty hun you will feel so good it helps your organs and keeps things ticking over. I can't do the milk diet due to my conditions so I think they will give me another one to do x
Penelope
Well-Known Member
When I had my op, the surgeon said I could go home the next day (and I really wanted to), but in the event I was not well enough to go home, and they kept me in for another night. The next day I was absolutely fine and ready to go and went home about 4pm in the afternoon. So if you need to stay in longer there should be no problems with that.
FeeBee
Well-Known Member
@Sweetcheeks84 I have a complicated medical situation and am disabled. I was down last the day I had my surgery. They said everyone else was a day case which really surprised me but I was down for a planned night in HDU before being transferred to a normal ward for a night and then came home so hopefully your team will plan appropriately for your particular circumstances too 
I think there are as many different protocols as there are hospitals! Mine insists on the first night in HDU and a swallow test before discharge. I didn't have to get out of bed until the following morning either. I'm pretty certain they will vary their protocol according to an individual patient's needs, they are unlikely to discharge you unless they are pretty confident you are OK, at least in the short term.
Carby2barbie
Active Member
Hi Sweetcheeks, What type of surgery are you opting for? Xx
SAM55
Well-Known Member
You are in your rights to say you don't feel well enough to go home, so don't let them push you if you don't feel ready. I know it is difficult knowing the bed shortages, and mine nearly was cancelled on the day because i was 6 on the list for HDU. However, my need to feel in control, when really I was totally in their hands until all the 'attachments' were removed, kept me on my toes in getting my needs met.
I had a night in HDU - didn't get there until 5pm and didn't leave until 7.30pm the next night, and didn't get out of bed other than for the commode for 24 hours as we weren't allowed to walk around on HDU being a mixed ward, and then a night on the female ward. It was surprising what a difference 48 hours made, and I was gagging to go home.
BP drops after surgery, and although I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and do have a machine, no one knew how to connect the oxygen to it, so I either had one or the other, depending on whether I was out for the count, or compos mentis.
Didn't do me any harm though.I also had swallow test at 10am and by lunchtime consultant said I could go (the nurse said i could stay a whole week if I hadn't got care sorted), but it took until 6pm to get my drain taken out, and for pharmacy to have my meds ready, but they never got round to checking I could do stairs, as they couldn't get their act together with the drain and the physios! Could have been a key issue as I have 13 steps to get into my flat!!
Hope all goes well.
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Thank you I hope they will not rush me out as I am so worried with all my issues they won't take care of me. But with what you say I'm really glad they took care of you x
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Thank you I really hope so. I'm looking forward to seeing my surgeon to discuss everything. I'm just worried he won't have any interest In what I'm saying as iv met him before he didn't really care to talk to me. Just nervous i guess x@Sweetcheeks84 I have a complicated medical situation and am disabled. I was down last the day I had my surgery. They said everyone else was a day case which really surprised me but I was down for a planned night in HDU before being transferred to a normal ward for a night and then came home so hopefully your team will plan appropriately for your particular circumstances too
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
I'm having sleeve xx
Sweetcheeks84
Active Member
Good morning Sam, I won't have much choice iif my pancreas kicks off I'd have to stay as it will reject anything put in my mouth just hope they are prepared for what could happen, I'm nervous to tell the surgeon or question him about things coz I don't want to be put back of the line coz I could be a problem case. He already knows about things but I need to tell him how my body reacts to meds.You are in your rights to say you don't feel well enough to go home, so don't let them push you if you don't feel ready. I know it is difficult knowing the bed shortages, and mine nearly was cancelled on the day because i was 6 on the list for HDU. However, my need to feel in control, when really I was totally in their hands until all the 'attachments' were removed, kept me on my toes in getting my needs met.
I had a night in HDU - didn't get there until 5pm and didn't leave until 7.30pm the next night, and didn't get out of bed other than for the commode for 24 hours as we weren't allowed to walk around on HDU being a mixed ward, and then a night on the female ward. It was surprising what a difference 48 hours made, and I was gagging to go home.
BP drops after surgery, and although I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and do have a machine, no one knew how to connect the oxygen to it, so I either had one or the other, depending on whether I was out for the count, or compos mentis.
I also had swallow test at 10am and by lunchtime consultant said I could go (the nurse said i could stay a whole week if I hadn't got care sorted), but it took until 6pm to get my drain taken out, and for pharmacy to have my meds ready, but they never got round to checking I could do stairs, as they couldn't get their act together with the drain and the physios! Could have been a key issue as I have 13 steps to get into my flat!!
Hope all goes well.
Hospitals seem to take forever when it comes to getting your discharge meds I was told I could go home at 9am and by 10.30pm I was still there had to stay another night my Dr was shocked to see me still there so he put his foot down and finally got to go home that day. (Admitted due to my condition)
Why didn't they know how to fit your sleep apnoea mask that could have been dangerous.
Do you mind me asking what hospital you were under? I'm under Luton and Dunstable.
Stairs could have been awful for you I know they are pushed but care shouldn't be any less but as a patient regularly I have has less and less good care. The last time I was in I had the devil of drs and he kept getting them to take my drip out when I have bad vain already then coz of my chronic pancreatitis I can't eat or drink when I have a bad attack and he kept saying I was fine and not being poorly (sick) but the nurses wasn't writing it dome when I was and he didn't listen to me I went 10days without a drip I become very poorly due to him being a nasty idiot who would rather ignored his patients and listen to nurses that have been on shift for 30min. I become so poorly other drs intervened. Was awful!
But I still have huge faith in the NHS the nurses work so so hard.
I got told I won't be having that drink test they said they only do it if they think there could be a leak!! I'm really nervous about that.
I will tell him I'm not leaving till I have it as I can't afford to get So poorly.
Its all so frightening
I suffer from anxiety too so this is going to be one stressful day but it must be done.
How do you feel now? Are you now eating "normally" ?
Has it helped with any health issues? Xx
FeeBee
Well-Known Member
I didn't have a swallow test when I was awake either so I think they did something while I was still asleep maybe?
I've come across some very difficult consultants in my time too, it makes me anxious too and it shouldn't be that way so I feel for you. My WLS consultant was very difficult the first time we net actually but I quietly and calmly stood up for myself and he was fine. I really hope yours listens too x
I've come across some very difficult consultants in my time too, it makes me anxious too and it shouldn't be that way so I feel for you. My WLS consultant was very difficult the first time we net actually but I quietly and calmly stood up for myself and he was fine. I really hope yours listens too x
SAM55
Well-Known Member
Hi
Can understand your anxiety with so many poor experiences. I have only ever had two bad ones of hospitals and have also had a lot of surgery in the past, but they have been the last two, and were not surgeon related. The first was poor pain relief after an emergency appendicitis with a full cut (no morphine pump), and the second was poor communication about long term pre-op medications/slack practice between nurses both at pre-op and post op.
I had my sleeve at St James in Leeds. My consultant was absolutely ace and very easy to talk to, and very good at checking up on me to see if I was ok. 3 visits post op in 48 hours
He swallow tests all his patients as a matter of course, but I know some surgeons don't. I was on a drip for at least 24 hours and only very small sips of water after that.
They didn't use the sleep apnoea machine as most nurses have not been trained in dual use with oxygen. Poor communication, a rush to get me into theatre as I was last for an HDU bed (HDU beds standard practice), and not a proper admissions check because they expected I would be sent home, so it was all a rush when the porter turned up after a 5 hour wait and they hadn't even asked me to change into a gown, so that slowed things up.
Other than my drain wound being painful for a couple of weeks after, I have had no complications from the actual surgery itself. Any issues I have had are common, such as constipation due to lack of my taking in enough fluids (I don't get thirsty unless the weather is very hot), and during the liquid stage as there wasn't enough going in, and being tired sometimes in the afternoon enough to need a lie down. I used to suffer with ME until 2 years ago so know how to pace myself and take it easy between 4 and 6pm when it is likely to strike if I have eaten enough for the amount of exercise I have done. Always feel better after i have eaten my evening meal.
Medication for 4 weeks was liquid or dispersible/soluble.
The stairs were actually ok to get home in the end pain wise, but didn't try them again for 2 weeks as I was a bit dizzy, and they are outside steps. When I did, I made sure someone was around.
I followed the diet stages (2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks puree and and 2 weeks mashed to the letter, and erred on the side of caution when changing between and introduced only one new texture a day for a couple of days) and only ate what had been suggested. No dumping or vomiting.
Was eating 'normal' food in normal texture (although made sure any meat had gravy or a sauce and was well cooked - i find tinned meat best such as minced beef or stewed steak, and living on my own one tin does three meals even now. They did do 4) at 6 weeks, though introduced them slowly. Some I struggled with (chicken, eggs) and still struggle with eggs so have given them up. Others have struggled with chicken in the early days. I eventually could cope with it if pureed.
I don't know much about pancreatitis other than a friend has recently been diagnosed on top of suffering from gallstones, and they keep cancelling her surgery either because they don't have a bed, or she is having a flare up.
What are you allowed to eat? Can you do skimmed milk? Are you not having regular appointments with the dietitian on your team to discuss what alternatives there might be to get your protein in? I have noticed a lot of people on here who have suffered post op and feel really rough, are those who struggle with milk or protein shakes, so are not healing quickly enough. Best to do your research in advance if so, as you won't feel like it in the first week. I know you are scared of being rejected but it is important that everyone knows (including you and your team) where any issues might be regarding meds. I have many I don't take because I react, and I made sure they knew what they were (Tramadol, codeine, various antibiotics...)I suffer with PTSD so yes, the anxiety was a problem too, and not all nurses understood what I was getting worked up about.
6 months out now on Sunday ( couldn't believe it when I calculated it yesterday). No longer type 2 diabetic, blood pressure is lower, arthritic knee is less painful (but still needs an op when I have reached 15 stone) and I can walk 2 miles with a walker. People comment on how much better my skin looks as well as how thin I am becoming. Clothes sizes down from 32/34 to 18/20. Only 3 stalls in that time. Each one is then followed by a sudden realisation that i need some new clothes as I have dropped a couple of sizes and things are falling down/off!!!
Hope it all goes ok. It might be helpful to write something down that you can show the nurses/doctors afterwards when you may be feeling too dopey to explain about the effects of the pancreatitis on you?
Louisex21
Active Member
Since being on medication food stays down a lot more and fluid I have good days where I can keep things down and bad days where I still chuck up but since 16/01/17 I've gone from 19st 9lb and currently at 15st 10lb feeling a lot better in myself and more positive finally fit in to a size 16 jeans and that was the best part that I haven't fitted in a 16 for 12 years xx
SAM55
Well-Known Member
Fantastic, and pleased you are starting to do well after a very rough start.
I am envious of the size 16 jeans. I can only do size 16 knickers at the moment!!Similar threads
