Afraid--that it won't happen
Hi brave May folks!
My surgery is Monday, May 9 at 11:00 am.
I feel great today, because of the close call I had in **not** getting my surgery. I went Wed. for the last minute instruction and labs and to get pre-admitted to the hospital. Well, the doc got nervous about my family's history of heart disease and sent me for a stress-echo test on Thursday. The cardiologist said he saw what my be a problem on the echo, so he had me in for an angiogram yesterday (Fri.). No pass--no surgery.
Well, it all came out okay. My heart has good circulation and is strong, except low pressure in the aorta because of a defective valve (which I already knew from my regular cardiologist). Nothing to keep me from the surgery, except maybe a slightly greater risk. Well, I'm taking the risk because amputation, blindness and kidney failure from my diabetes is a dead certainty.
Funny thing happened in the angiogram. One of the nurses asked me why I was there--did I have chest pain or what. I told her I was in the prep process for a gastric bypass, and she said that the other nurse on the floor had had the surgery. When she came in, she told me she had the same surgery as me in January, from the same surgeon, and had lost 80 lb. It was hard to image it, because she was a mighty cute little thing.
I have spent the day writing my will (shocking, huh?) and a general power of attorney for my wife, who is in the process of selling some property that we own in a partnership. Also drew a medical power of attorney and a living will this week because the hospital kept harping on it. I know this is all important because we are in the middle of the mess my mom left behind when she passed away last November.
Well, two more days. Still on that nasty liquid diet with protein supplements, but I have lost 13 lb. on it this week. I have so much energy with all the carbs flushed out. The thought of food sounds kind of sickening, but then last evening my wife came to the table with a hot dog and all the trimmings while I was having my broth, and it looked to good to me, that in the night I dreamed about eating it. My sense of taste and smell has become very acute during this starvation.
Well, Monday at 11:00 I come under the knife. I am so relieved to get the go-ahead for the surgery that I don't feel any anxiety, just relief.
I want to thank everybody for posting here. Your words have been a great source of support for me.
--Lee
Lee:
My surgery was suppose to be March 23. I went in for the pre op appointment, cleared the hospital, took all the tests, adn then went to my Dr. for last minute insturctions. Appranently he, nor none of his staff looked at all the pre op test, appiontments, etc. that I had done over 6 weeks and the upper GI showed some suspicious mucus. He canceled everything and make me do an endoscope. That could not be scheduled un March 29th. That took tree weeks to get in and was totally O.K. Then the surgery nurse went on vacation, then HE went on vacation. I finally got scheduled on May 20th. Now I have another preop appointment on May 17th - I'm afraid to go in again. I've been at this for 6 months.
I'm with you in spirit. We're going to get through this. Please post as soona s you get home. Tell me all about it.
Barb in CA
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