WHOOPEE!!

Pretty much what Maggie said except it was Caroline who took me in.  I got weighed (lost 5lbs...WOO HOO), fill out a questionaire (which is pretty much a health history) met with Dr. B who went over the risk of surgery and said the next time I see him will be for my surgery which should be in a couple of months.

Way to go Suzanne........ Congrats -

boy it seems like everyday someone is getting the call lately....

You must be very excited....... to curb some of your appetite look in the new spring/summer sears catalogue and think how you will soon be able to wear cooler clothes and smaller sizes in no time at all!

And you will be able to shop anywhere....  scored again at Value Village today for my trip next week - if I could just get into my thick head that I dont need to take bigger things into the dressing room I could save so much time when trying things on ........ especially with my back still giving me grief....

Huge warped sense of how big I am .... cant stop grabbing bigger sizes and hauling them into the dressing room ..... I was gonna put back a linen blouse today cause it said petite large and I thought ya right - but then I thought ok just try it on even if you can't button it - its a nice color and you can wear a tank underneath..... it fit I could button it - need someone along with me handing me things where I dont look at the size! lol

hugs
deb

Woohoo!  Your next step is just weeks away!  Time is just flying along for many ... just imagine how many small people will be walking the streets of the Maritimes this time next year.

On the topic of surgery attire ... if I remember correctly in my past operations(son's open heart surgery, my wisdon teeth and my tonsils a couple years ago) in each occassion it was a jonny shirt and nothing else.  Actually I think Jammer just had a blanket wrapped around him.  I can remember asking the nurse - why can't I keep my undies on for my wisdom teeth removal?  Don't want them mixing up which end to proceed from and was a little concerned that someone would peek.    Nurse said that in case anything went wrong you need to be "bare" so that no extra time would be used to take off clothing, etc.

But,after having 2 kids my modesty level has lowered and I prefer my skin to "air" so my boobies will be flapping and my butt may be peeking ... hopefully the Bathurst clinic will invest in the super size shirts! 

M

The paper johnny is just that. It's like 2 paper johnny shirts with 2 soft pipes sandwiched between them. There are 2 round holes that accept what looks amnd feels like old fashioned hair dryer hoses that they turn on and it softly blows warm air over your naked body. I think it is a new system the hosp has.

The logic behind it is someone somewhere did a study and found that patients that were hyperheated immediately before and after surgery suffered less post op infections than those not heated up.

S you go into the OR wearing this paper shirt and long plastic air circulating and compressing stockings and zip else.

You have a knob in your hand to control you shirt heater. It is nice and warm. I don't know if they do it for band or not but I can't see why not.

Actually from a nursing background, there is some logic. Our boby fights infections through increasing our body temperature (fever) to help kill invasions of bacteria. Bacteria cannot live in an increased temperature environment. When our body is hyperheated pre and post a vulenerable time when invasion is immenent, it may just do the job. Or it just feels nice.

I may be hoping for the hot air!  This old body  can't remember that last time it was heated - pre or post anything.

One of the side effects of the anesthesia is to get the chills so that could be another reason for after the surgery.  Considering how cold the stainless steel surgical beds are, I would be looking forward to some warm air ... much more relaxing!

M

The OR table wasn't too bad really. It's pretty well padded. I just really hated having a strap just above my knees and tightened because it hurt my back. I was only awake there for about 4 minutes so not too bad.

OMG, I forgot the straps. Now I am going to freak!  I hate the straps. I will have to remember to tell them not to put the straps on until I'm under. I know that your body can jump wjhen you go under, so I may have to settle for them not to be tightened.

Yeah, I like you Charline hate the straps. They hurt my back and I dread feeling constrained. That's my last memory both surgeries was fighting the leg straps and that horrible face mask. I fought like crazy. I'm sure the fight didn't last very long. It's really common to fight the stuff on you.