JH Bayview..good/bad??

I will be havin surgery at JH Bayview and have a couple questions. 1) do they have a bariatric wing/area ...if not 2) are most of the nurses familiar with WLS post op 3) are there bariatric beds and larger chairs, gowns, etc... 4) do they have private rooms and/or can you request one ...I really want my sis to stay with me in the hospital, especially since we are comin from Texas ...that way I feel better and shes not out in a strange city alone thanks Darlene

Hi Darlene, I had surgery on the 6th of July. Here's the info I either gathered or experienced... Bariatric pts are sent to the 6th floor after surgery. It is not exclusively bariatrics, but all the bariatric pts are sent there. The nurses were very well versed on post-op WLS pt needs. A couple techs did things inappropriate like...gave me a straw to drink my water, and there was one other thing like this that I can't remember right now (I'll get back to you on that one!) But if you and/or your sister are well read on the dos and don'ts after surgery then you'll be fine with the techs. They have plenty of gowns for obese pts, they were even big on me!!! They have beds and chairs to accommodate WLS pts. When you and your sister check in ask for the private room. The lady at check in told my husband what office to go to, when I was in surgery, to make the request for a private room. I'm not sure when your room will be assigned to you, but make sure your sister goes there as early as she can and asks for the cot so that she has a place to sleep that 1st night. Otherwise she'll have to sleep in one of the recliners - my husband had a terrible 1st nights sleep then was offered the cot!! Someone else used it our 1st night. If you cannot get a private room don't worry...depending upon what nurse you get and your room mate your sister may still be able to stay with you unless she's a rowdy, hang from the ceiling type and causes trouble!!! Let me know if I can help any especially since you're coming from so far. Have you booked a hotel room or made accomodations ? A lot of times the hospitals have deals with local hotels and the rates are really reduced. And don't forget to save all your receipts - you can itemize a lot of things, like travel, on your taxes. Good luck and keep in touch Sue

Sue, we are hopin to go to PA when I am discharged. I have some good friends there and I think it would be much more fun than a hotel. Dr.S is OK with it, dependin on how I'm doin. I am makin reservations though, just in case, at Bridge Street in White Marsh. Course that means we will need to rent a car. I think I'll call Bayview tomorrow and then make sis a reservation for about 3 nites somewhere close so she'll have em if need be. We will stay 12 days after surgery then fly home on Oct 2. Are you in the Baltimore area? Darlene

Hey Darlene, Wow, Pa after the surgery? You are an adventurous soul!!!! But you're right - friends do sound much better than a hotel. I live about 1/2 hour southeast of Bayview, not too far from Annapolis Md. I went in on Thursday and was discharged on Saturday in the early evening. The ride home wasn't great but given another day or two I could have ridden in a car for a while and not been too uncomfortable. A pillow to hug on your belly helps. If you get up and walking early and frequently then the gas (which caused me the worst pain) will pass more quickly. Plan to take frequent stops on your way to Pa so you can get out of the car and stretch your legs - gotta think about blood clots and such. This should be quite a ride for you both figuratively and literally!!! Good luck with your plans. You'll do great! Give me a yell if you have any other concerns. Take care, Sue

Hi Darlene I had my surgery july the 10th. My experience with John Hopkins was 70% good and 20% bad. The Good was the ICU nurses. They were wonderful. The gowns were big so no worries about that. They have large wheelchairs also. The beds are not all that comfy after a a couple nights. ( I refused to sleep in it the 3rd night I was there) The Nurses I had were familiar with the diet when It came time for me to start it. The day nurses were great. The night nurses I was not to happy with. Thats why i wanted my mom to stay with me but they said If I didn't have a private room (which I requested a month prior to my surgery) she could not stay. unless I didn't have a roommate. (And of course I did have one) But she was nice. But Everyone has a different experience but all in all I was happy except for the night nurses. I hope this helped you. If you have anyother questions please feel free to ask. Who is you surgeon? Good Luck Kelly Wheeler

I had open RNY on April 3rd, and my experience was all in all very good. Everything fit very well - gowns, wheelchairs - a first for me!, beds. The only problem I had was with the schedulers. I was ready, Dr. Magusson was ready, but somehow we weren't put together! My surgery was a little late, but everything went fine. I had had some problems with sort of coming out of anesthesia in a procedure earlier this year, so they made sure I was under this time, and it took longer than usual for me to come back up. The ICU nurse were great working with my family who had been waiting a long time for me to wake up, even getting them in earlier than they should have to reassure them. I was really out of it, making for some funny stories which I don't remember. But it helped my husband and kids a lot. One really funny thing is I *didn't* request a single room, and I ended up in one! I sort of like a roommate - time in a hospital can drag - and my husband had to work. While I was in ICU, they had an urgent case come in and needed the bed, so out I went to the first available bed. I had abut an hour drive home, and it wasn't that bad. Good luck, and see you on the loosing side! Joanna