Some questions I feel too silly to ask at the hospital

[Colopatiron]

Hi everyone,

Got a call from the hospital today, they are bringing my pre op assessment forward from the 4th April to tomorrow, made me realise just how near my op is yippeee. The thing is, I have had all sorts of questions whizzing round my brain but would feel silly asking the hospital some of them. Wondered if anyone could throw some light on them. I don't feel silly asking anyone on here anything at all and know I will get some great advice,
Well here goes,

1. Is it worth getting an annual pre-paid prescription certificate?
2. Will I be able to make the stairs when I come home from hospital?
3. How long is the normal hospital stay for afternoon surgery?
4. Will TOTM affect surgery?
5. Do you keep your pants on during surgery?
6. How soon are you able to drive
7. How long do your staples stay in and who removes them?
8. How soon can you swim (I normally swim 6 days a week)
9.Do you have to declare to travel insurance if you are flying abroad on holiday?
10. How soon can you fly and does cabin pressure affect your tummy?
11. Is it worth taking a multi vitamin for a couple of weeks before the op to give the immune system a boost?

I don't mind asking the hospital about after medication/supplements etc but would feel pretty stupid asking some of the above questions. I know you guys understand

Love Sue xx

Gastric Bypass at Bournemouth hospital 19th April

 

[Miss Tickle]

Excellent questions! I don't know any of the answers but would like to . I'm sure an experienced person will be along soon

 

[goingtobehappy]

Hi, I can only answer your questions from my experience with my sleeve, but here you go :

1 - I haven't needed much medication, just a couple of prescriptions pre op to help with preparing my stomache and stopping my period.

2 - Stairs weren't an issue for me and I did them the day after my op.

3 - I can't answer that one mine was arranged so that I had 3 nights in after the op.

4 - Hospitals are different, I was asked to make sure that it wasn't my TOTM due to the effect that it has on the results from your blood tests.

5 - No pants for me and had a catheter inserted during surgery.

6 - I was told that I could drive when I got home and I did 4 days post op.

7 - My staples are permanent and will not be removed, my port stitches on my tummy were removed 9 days post op.

8 - I was advised to wait 6 weeks before swimming because your scar until then is still capable of taking in water so wait 6 weeks for it to have healed further.

9 - I don't know, I'm not expecting to have to.

10 - I flew 3 days post op, no problems with tummy, was advised to wear travel stockings to stop DVTs.

11 - A multi vit would always be useful, I was also asked to take Milk Thistle as this helps the liver and another beginning with O - sorry can't remember the name - its used for people with stomache ulcers and helps get the stomache ready and inflamation free for the op.

Please remember mine was a sleeve in a non uk hospital and different hospitals have different guidelines.

Hope this helps.

 

[shelbell]

Hi Sue, below are my answers based on a laparoscopic bypass, but none of them are silly to ask at the hospital.

1. Is it worth getting an annual pre-paid prescription certificate?

Yes. I get 3 scripts per month for forceval, calcichew and iron, you may also want selenium & zinc, and 1 per year for b12. Plus any other none bypass meds.

2. Will I be able to make the stairs when I come home from hospital?

Yes, I had no problems mobilising post op.

3. How long is the normal hospital stay for afternoon surgery?

Very hospital and patient specific, I was in 2 nights and had early afternoon surgery.

4. Will TOTM affect surgery?

No, but use pads not tampons and be prepared to ask the nurses to help you for 12-24 hours post op.

5. Do you keep your pants on during surgery?

You may be allowed to wear your own if they are 100% cotton, or be given paper ones. If they catheterize you these will be removed while your asleep.

6. How soon are you able to drive

Check with your consultant AND your car insurance, normally around 2 weeks but most importantly when you can turn adequately in your seat to check blind spots etc and safely perform an emergency stop.

7. How long do your staples stay in and who removes them?

7-10 days, they can be done by a practice nurse at your GP.

8. How soon can you swim (I normally swim 6 days a week)

Once your wounds are fully healed as long as you do not use your stomach muscles too much. But some consultants say 6 weeks.

9.Do you have to declare to travel insurance if you are flying abroad on holiday?

Check the list of qualifying questions each policy has when you take it out, there is usually one that says have you had an operation in the last 12/24 months or have you been an in patient/received hospital treatment in the last 12/24 months, so this would be a yes. If it is an existing annual policy then yes.

10. How soon can you fly and does cabin pressure affect your tummy?

Not sure.

11. Is it worth taking a multi vitamin for a couple of weeks before the op to give the immune system a boost?

Yes, a good all round multi vit and mineral like centrium or Samaritan gold. Plus it's worth increasing your protein intake as protein is vital for healing. I also bought some arnica pillules from boots which I took 7 days prior to surgery and 14 days post op. As they are pillules you can take them straight away.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[Colopatiron]

Thanks Shell, as usual a font of knowledge and support.
By the way you are looking fabulous, a real inspiration

Sue xx

 

[shelbell]

Awww my head will get too big if you're not careful x

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[Bev]

Keep on chugging Shell... hoping all will be much better for you very soon indeed.

Love and hugs xxx

 

[angie790]

No question is a silly question...this is your health so you should never feel that any question you have is too trivial or that the staff caring for you are too busy to answer these questions for you....this is especially important as each provider has their own recommendations, individual to each area, and also because we are all so different, so what is ok for one person, may not be suitable for you.

1. Is it worth getting an annual pre-paid prescription certificate?

YES!!!! Prescriptions are so expensive nowadays, if you can afford to fork out for one of these, I promise it will be so much cheaper in the long run. I get Calcium, my Vit B12 shots & Fastabs on prescription...others also get a multivitamin (Forceval or similar), so that alone for WLS would cost you £29.60 at current prescription charges...that doesn't include any other medication you may be on.

2. Will I be able to make the stairs when I come home from hospital?

Depends entirely on your personal circumstances, fitness/current mobility etc, but if you are relatively mobile now, then you should (slowly) be able to manage the stairs when you get home...but I would strongly advise making sure you can have someone who is happy to stay with you for a least 3- 4 days afterwards, as you don't know how you will be feeling afterwards.

3. How long is the normal hospital stay for afternoon surgery?

Depends entirely on your hospital, & how well you come around/recover/get mobile afterwards...I was done on a Tuesday afternoon & was out bright & early Thursday. May be much less for a band.

4. Will TOTM affect surgery?

No, they'll operate no-matter what's going on in that department!

5. Do you keep your pants on during surgery?

I did....& came around with them on too....apparently I wasn't catherterised although I know other's (on here) were.

6. How soon are you able to drive

About a week, but this needs checking with your insurance company...some say its down to you & how physically able you feel to drive/move etc, others are told not to drive for 2 - 6 weeks.

7. How long do your staples stay in and who removes them?

My wounds were stuck together using glue & my friend who's very recently had a band fitted aslo had glue, but others (on here again) who had staples, had them removed after 5 - 7 days.....they were given a staple-remover to take home with them which they took to their local doctors & they removed them.

8. How soon can you swim (I normally swim 6 days a week)

Depends on what your doctors recommend...definitely not until the wounds are properly healed...anywhere between 2 - 8 weeks.

9.Do you have to declare to travel insurance if you are flying abroad on holiday?

I would, just to be safe...& I'm sure others didn't have to pay an additional premium because of it.

10. How soon can you fly and does cabin pressure affect your tummy?

As soon as you are healed fully...cabin pressure can affect the band pressure but only typically if you are at the high end of your band capacity, when it may be recommended to have a de-fill, but this is usually for long-haul flights, not short flights.

11. Is it worth taking a multi vitamin for a couple of weeks before the op to give the immune system a boost?

Yes, a multivitamin, and Vitamin D is also a good one, as many of us are very often deficient in that pre-surgery. I also took echinacea to ward off any lurgy.... seemed to help!

 

[Colopatiron]

Thanks Angie, Andrea, Shel and Bev, some very good advice.
I have been to the hospital today, have seen the Surgeon, Bariatric dieticiens, Anaesthatist (don't know how to spell it, lol), Nurse for MRSA swabs and weight etc and Pathology for blood taken. All lovely people and have made me feel a lot more at ease. I won't see any of them now till the day of the op. I now have all my guidelines telling me how long I will be on clear/ sloppy/pureed/and solid food and how much amounts etc. I have also been given a strict diet to follow up until the milk diet stage and also have my diet for my milk diet sooooooooo looking forward to that one!! Off to Boots first thing in the morning to get some Vitamins and Arnica. Applying for a prepaid annual prescription tomorrow and will be cooking some suitable soup/meals for my ice cube trays and baby containers. Sigh, feel shattered now but relieved. Roll on the 19th April.
Thanks again
Sue xx