Funny story in the midst of my sad day in surgery!!!

I have to share a funny story that happened to me on the way to the operating table......I was in pre op area waiting and waiting when this nice little old French nurse approached with an electric razor in one hand and my chart in the other.  She asked if any one had shaved me yet and I said No???? with great hesitation.  She walked away rather quickly, thank god, giving me time to question her pending action.  She came back with a great big pad to put under my butt and I complied by lifting my touche.  But that was it, I asked her why she needed to shave my private parts if I was having laproscropic surgery on the upper part of my stomach.  Took me a few seconds to think that I didn't have a hairy chest so it had to be down south she was going to shave.  She asked me what surgery I was having...I told her Lapband,  bariatric surgery and she said yes, lapband but on my bladder.  I said NONONO....lapband was on my stomach.  We went back and forth until finally she left abruptly and I think rather peeved that I would question her.  When she returned,  she apologized, said she wouldn't be shaving me and that was the last time I saw her.  Thank god.  From that point on anyone who approached had to answer 3 questions,  Dr Savoie? Lapband? Stomach?  Positive responses to all three were req'd before they were allowed to continue to work on me.

So post operatively, when the nurses were trying to talk me into eating, I was thinking about what happened previously and frustrated that no one seemed to know what they were doing in that hospital!  I refused food telling them I was only allowed ice chips....goodness gracious, didn't they train for this type of surgery.   Finally, the nurse pulled the curtains and said I was definitely allowed to eat as per Dr S's orders and it was then that I realized I didn't have the lapband!  DAH.  It was a relief that the incompetence wasn't as bad as I thought!

So moral of this story,  ask those three questions every time!!!!!

I watched on a show one time...House i think?? maybe not.....where a patient actually wrote on his/her arms and legs saying...do not perform surgery here..or something like that, so the surgical staff wouldn't mess with the wrong thing in error.
Guess anything can happen

Amary

 CRAP!!!   imagine that!!   I'm nervous now... hahahaha

so that's one of my "personal" questions...  what happens if you do have "to go" during the operation or right after?

In other words, how are you "covered"?

Thats so funny, quess the nurse probably thought you were having your bladder lifted up, good job you questioned her. But still, lol

Rachael, you won't need to go during surgery. Just before surgery they will ask you to go pee. The average adult can hold their pee for 5 or more hours so you will be o.k. If the surgery is longer than 30 minutes, they will insert a foley cathereter while you are asleep and most likely remove it before you are awake to prevent any nonsterile accidents while you are in the operating room.  After my second surgery I awoke with a foley still in place. I said a silent prayer of thanks for it.

Yeah I hear you Casey. My first day home from The Dumont, I found myself at the Regional here in saint John. The doctor here wanted me to have a cat scan to determine if I had another bleed. The x-ray tech came in holding a 20 ounce bottle of contrast medium. It was a huge fight for me to make her understand that I had only a 2 ounce pouch 2 days prior and could not possibily drink 20 ounces of liquid. She became very upset with me and wrote on my chart that I had refused the contrast medium. Oh my. I guess they don't see many RnYers in hospitals yet. I am amazed though. The surgery has been around for quite a few years. I guess thank god I am a nurse and was able to stand my ground and not feel bullied by them.