I'm Baaaaak

Hi Guys,  I had an eventful 4.5 hours this morning at the hospital.  When I arrived I went to the place I usually go and took a number and found out I was in the wrong place.  They directed me to pre-admission and then after some paperwork they sent me back over to the waiting room outside Lise's office door.  They called my name and I went and had my bloodwork done and then went back and waited to see Lise.  Of course she weighed me and I was down again.  Good girl she said.  Then there were papers to go over and a verification of my current meds.  She gave me a paper that outlines what happens the week before the surgery.  If you get a cold, forget the surgery, you have to call and tell them and they won't do it. And of course it is not fair to show up there with a cold and have them turn you away when someone else can be filling that slot.  So be honest and let them know if you have a cold or flu or other illness in the week before surgery.  Now I am totally paranoid of cold germs.  Then this sheet goes on to outline what should happen the day before your surgery, the day of the surgery (before and after the deed).  Lise also gave me a sheet of exercises for breathing, coughing and leg exercises for after surgery.  She also gave me a sheet with things to watch for and what to do after surgery like if you start running a temp etc.  She also arranged my appointment for the week before surgery when I will meet with her and get weighed again after being on the Optifast for one of the 2 weeks.  Then a respiratory therapist came to Lise's office and introduced me to the little red ball.  It is a Spirometer that you have to breathe into that will assist with keeping your lungs full of air and ward off pneumonia after surgery.  I have to practice with it daily until surgery and then use it after surgery 10 times per hour to make sure my lungs stay healthy.  Then it was on to Cardiology for an ECG.  Then off to Radiology for a chest Xray.   Then I met with Rinette the dietician.  She gave me a detailed sheet of what I will be able to consume on the day of surgery, the next day and the weeks that follow.  While I was with her, Lise called and asked her to tell me that she had forgotten to tell me to remove my nose jewellery on the day of surgery.  ( I have a little diamond stud in my nose).  Rinette outlined the diet in detail and filled me in on some of the ins and outs of making sure you get enough protein.  She was very helpful and very attentive to all my questions.  These people really love their jobs and really seem to care about their patients.  Then Rinette gave me the phone number to call to order the Optifast and I did so soon after leaving the hosptial. 
I have to go over everything a few times to make sure I haven't missed anything but they were pretty thorough.  I want to be well on my game over the next few days to make sure that I do everything I was told to do.  I am doing this by the book.  It is important to me to make sure I use this opportunity to its fullest.
So that is basically how my day went.  Now let's see, I have only 18 days not counting today which is almost over to get ready for Christmas.  Oh my.

Congratulations!  you captured the day very well.  I almost had deja vu.  I missed you at the hospital by not very much.  I got there at 1:00 to get my staples out.  they said you had already been in.  Rinette asked if you were Juanita and i said Iknew you by Ann.but I knew it was you she was referring to.  I did look for you though.  What time did you get out?  What is your surgery date?  I guess I didn't realize you had your date already.  I get confused by everyone who is waiting.  I'm glad you are one step closer.  Can you believe my surgery was 3 weeks ago?  time flies  ...  so yes you better get ready now for xmas.  Keep up the great work and don't rush your time away.  Patsy

Yes I am Juanita to them.  It is my first name and they call you by your first name from your Medicare Card.  I go by my second name because Juanita is my mother's name.  I was out of there by 12 so we missed each other by an hour.  Darn!  I did search a lot of faces though looking for you because I had remembered you were getting your staples out yesterday.  Did it hurt and how are you wounds - healing well I hope.  I would have loved to at least say hello, how are you, nice to meet you.  Oh well maybe another time.  Maybe one day we can meet in Truro for coffee ha ha.  I am only about an hour or so away from Truro and in the summer my husband and I like to take Sunday drives and we often end up in Truro at Frank and Gino's for supper although with the band I won't be eating much from that menu any time soon.  But they have a Tim's out near the highway we could meet for coffee and a chat. 

Surgery is Dec 2.  So I have a lot to do to get ready for Christmas by Dec. 1.  I will save my wrapping until the second week of December when I am feeling a little better but all the running around and cleaning and putting up the tree will happen by November 30.

So Rinette would have gone over the way you will be eating from here on in.  She told me that she will be seeing me the day I get my staples out to discuss life after mushies, I will look forward to that.  For now its 1200 cals a day until the Optifast arrives.  I felt that I wanted to spend the  extra money and use that rather than Slimfast since it is important to me to do this to the letter.  I am determined to have success.  I am using http://caloriecount.about.com to make sure I come in at 1200 cals per day.
It take a few days to get yourself set up with the foods you generally use in your favourites but it also tracks protein so I have found it most helpful.  Again - sorry I missed you.  Thanks for asking about me though.  Ann

Wow, you must have taken notes. Very though. When you go in do you go left or right at the information booth?

When you go for your pre admission testing go to the information booth that is just straight ahead.  Tell them that you have an appointment for Pre-admission.  They will direct you to the proper place which is just to your left under the green sign and someone will come get you.  From there you go to a small office and they establish your particulars from your health care card and check to see if you have an insurance card in case you have to stay overnight should there be complications - which of course there won't be.  Then they will direct you back down to the waiting room outside Lise and Rinette's offices.  You give your papers that the lady has given you to the desk at the second waiting room (you do not have to stop at the usual place and take a number - just go straight down to the other waiting room).  Now for me, before I could see Lise, they called my name for blood work, which is just to the left of the reception desk at the second waiting room. They took either 4 or 5 vials I can't recall.  I was too busy yammering away with the lab tech who was cheery and chatty and I love to chat folks up so I was not as observant as I should have been.  Remember though don't let them talk you into following the blue dots to Cardiology.  You have to wait and see Lise first.  She goes over everything with you and will then arrange for you to see the respiratory therapist and then Rinette before you go for your ECG and chest X-ray.  YOU MUST SEE LISE FIRST. 

If anyone ends up getting the call for pre-admission further down the road and you can't find this information on here, just ask again and I will be pleased remind you.  It is important that you see Lise first and at the most only go for your blood work.  It does indeed take about 4 hours.  I arrived at 7:30 and by the time I found out I was in the wrong place and then got redirected and back to the second waiting room it was just nicely 8 which was my appointment time.  From there everything progressed normally.  There was little to no wait for the bloodwork, about a 10 minute wait for the ECG and a half hour wait for the Xray.  The rest of the time is taken up with Lise, Rinette and the Respiratory Therapist.   I stopped at the Canteen on the way out to get a juice and a yogurt and was on the road to work by 12:30 because I took the time to eat my yogurt in the car before heading out.  And that is about it.  Hope this helps you prepare for your Pre-admission day.
Ann

What a fantastic description...felt like we were all there with you.  So exciting to see you on the home stretch!
Take CAre,
Catherine

Thanks Catherine,  I am ready.  I have done all the research, I have listened to the doctor, the nurses, the dietician.  I have read everything twice.  I have seen a mental health professional to make sure my head is right.  I have talked with my family to make sure my heart is right and I am now confident that I can do this and live the life I need to live to be strong and healthy.
Ann

Thanks, that helps a lot! I am glad I may not have to take the entire day off!!

Great description!

i am excited for you! You are the next in line!!!

Yahoo!

There is so much to learn..........I hope they provide you all this on paper! :P

They give you everything on paper to read.  I got it all and a little booklet and a 2 page breakdown of the entire surgery process.  Plus I made notes too.  My husband, bless his heart, has read everything they have given me from the first booklets they sent me to what I brought home from the pre-admission.  He wants to be as informed as I am about all of this so he can help me.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life.  He is one is a million.