Preparing for surgeon appointment and surgery-- questions!

Good Morning All! I hope you are all doing well today-- TGIF! I'm so glad it's Friday. It seems like this week has dragged by! My appointment with my surgeon is Monday and I can tell you, I'm very excited! :) I can't wait to find out when the surgery will be-- I'm still hoping for Thursday or Friday, October 18 or 19 or sooner! *crossing my fingers* Anyway, I have a couple questions for you. My husband and I are planning a trip to Raleigh this weekend (hey all in the Raleigh area ) and want to purchase the items I will need while at the hospital. I've read about a special pillow you can use to assist with getting up, etc? Should I look into this or will a regular pillow work just as well?   What type of clothes do I need just after the surgery and while in the hospital? I have a robe, but it's long sleeved. I figured I could wear this while I'm walking in the hospital and at home afterwards. I typically where shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in, should I purchase some long shirts or "moo moos" *hehe* , as my husband likes to call them, to hang around the house in while I'm "healing"? Do shorts with elastic "hurt" after the surgery b/c they rub the incisions? I don't want to purchase a lot of clothes that won't fit much after the surgery, but I do want to be comfortable while I'm recovering.  What else should I buy now so I will have it when surgery time comes around? I know I will probably end up posting this a little closer to the surgery day for food-related items, but I am curious now what can be purchased so I will have it. Also-- what are some good questions to ask the surgeon? This is my first "official" meeting with him and I'm completely drawing a blank! I want to write some things down so I don't forget to ask him.  Any suggestions?  Thanks so much for your support ladies! It really means a lot!  I look forward to reading your responses!  :)

 

Congrats on your journey. I'd recommend that you get a pair of Croc's shoes.  They are easy to slip on and you won't risk falling in them.  Nurses and dr's wear them all the time.  I wear them too and i worked for a bank.  HA!   I love them.   I'd skip the robe, just wear the hosptial gowns because you will have an IV and that will require the easy access sexy hosptial gowns.  I found that most clothes were uncomfortable with my staples after surgery.  I wore big tee's and my stretch pants.  I wore th esame clothes I had before surgery because I didn't loose a whole lot within the first few days.  I wore PJ's at home, you can roll them down around your hips to help free the belly.  Mine was so swollen.  Even the bra hurt because I had staples right in the high abdominal part too.   I just bought some liquid atkin's drinks after surgery and Ispoure, however, if I didn't it over I'd get those vials because they have tons of protien.  THey didn't sell those in 2006 when i was having my surgery.   Good Luck.

Congratulations!!! when I had my surgery last week I was given a special pillow to keep and take home from the hospital it was a special pillow that was small and I still sleep with it every night to ease off the pain. oh wait you are having your surgery at Pitt right? If you do then you will be given this pillow I have no pain except the left upper quadrant and Im sure you will get to feel it when your done with surgery. It BURNS like hell and it really bothered me in the hospital but now its starting to ease off.

Dont even bother bringing robes or pajamas... wear the hospital gown. I wore another one backwards so my fat ass was not hanging out while walking LOL Im glad I just wore the hospital gown because my incision where my tube was leaking and it made a mess on the gown so I just kept on changing into a new one when they would change the bandage. I brought my crocs to wear and they are awesome!!! I love crocs I have six pairs and wear them everywhere LOL bring some chapstick for dry lips. I brought my toothbrush and toothpaste and the hospital provided bathing soap and powder for my bird baths. I brought a loose fitting pair of trackies to wear home... they were comfortable with all the water weight gain from the IV, I would pass on jeans or tight clothing. I work at home so Im always wearing comfortable clothes. Elastic bands have not bothered me and they are not making my incisions hurt. Make sure when you get home to cover your staples (if you get any) with a clean band aid so you do not rip them out while changing clothing. The nurse at the hospital told me that and said its a MESS when one gets caught on a tshirt and rips out and has to be reset. So far I have kept them covered and they are dry and really starting to itch... I get them out on Oct 5th. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery!!!!!!!!!!!

Darcie

Thanks for the input, ladies. Darcie, you are right in that I will be at Pitt. That's good to know about the pillow. I'm sure one way or the other we'll "pay" for it, but at least I don't have to go looking for it right now.  Also good to know about the leaks, etc.  I have a nice robe-- I bought it specifically for this event-- but I would like to not mess it up. I'll save it for "company" at home. I got it at Catherine's in one of their big sales-- the robe and the gown for $22.00. Not a bad deal I thought. I figured I'd wear the robe more than the gown-- I don't like things getting twisted on me in bed!  So crocs to walk in and some soft/compy pants to where home. Okay... I have some, but they are worn out, so I'll pick up a pair. I might also get some longer shirts so I can hang out in them at home. How far down do your incisions go? I have always haeard that left quadrant hurts the most. Also good to know about the bandaids... Will a regular one work or should I get the larger size?  Would gauze and tape work better?   Darcie, I'm also supposed to be on the 2 week liquid diet. I guess I need to find out if it's clear liquid like Dr. Mann or any liquid. I'll try to remember that question for Monday. Good luck getting your staples out. Did you have to go home with any tubes?  Thanks for answering all of my questions. It's really hitting me now that this is coming up fast and I want to be as prepared as I can!!! 

Mindy~

You will LOVE that pillow.. it feels so good and is small so you can walk with it. Dont waste your pretty new robe and jammies at the hospital.. trust me the old hospital gowns are perfect for what you are going to go through. My incesions are in funny places but nothing is low. I have one on the upper left side (thats the one that hurts) then two side by side above my belly button one below my belly button. They do not hurt and I dont feel them except now they itch. I use regular old water proof bandaids. The incesions are very small and the bandaid covers them perfectly. Hubby thinks I look like a science project LOL Your diet will be the same as mine since our doctors follow the same protocol and pracitce together. Did you get a packet from Southern Surgical listing the stages in the diet? This liquid one is driving me batty because I want to eat SOMETHING besides liquid. Only thing you can have is protein shakes 2 ounces only, broth and sugar free popsicles. I cheated and ate some sugar free pudding and it went down fine and I felt a lot fuller. When my blood sugar drops I feel horrible and it says in the packet I can eat a small teaspoon of peanut butter which tastes divine! Please ask Dr. MacDonald what he wants YOU to do.

I had no tubes to come home with. They took out my drain in the hospital and it felt disgusting like a worm trying to swim out my body... my stomach cramped up and thank god that is over with!!! hubby thought it was really cool LOL I hope everything goes smooth for you!!

Darcie

Hospital... when I was in the hospital they gave me 2 gowns so I could use one as a robe. Elastic shorts should be just fine... remember to bring something nice and super comfy to wear home from the hospital. I really wouldnt worry about purchasing too much because you wont need any of it for long. I brought my own pillow to the hospital.. that was fine for me. As for something to walk in they gave me special socks.. they worked just fine - I threw them out before I left the hospital... its a germy place so you dont want to take the germs home if you dont have to! Stuff to buy for around surgery time... I would suggest starting to try protein samples now.. weed out the really nasty ones and find a FEW that you like. When it comes to post-op you can retry the few you liked and narrow it down to one. We all want to feel prepared pre-op and want to buy stuff but honestly you dont need to. You should be fine post-op to go get anything you need. Once you find out what your post-op diet will be the first few weeks I would buy enough to get you thru the first few days... you will find many things you like now you may not like later so stocking up could be a waste! You could buy your vitamins pre-op but you also have the chance of not liking post-op... I didnt have that issue and was fine but thats up to you as well! As for questions to the surgeon.. there is some place on OH with a great list.. Im not sure where but if you post this question on the main board somebody will direct you :-)

Hey!  I am excited to see who well things are moving for you!  I am so glad you asked this quesiton.  I have wondered what to take.  Good luck!

Great questions Melinda!  You saved me from writing all that myself.... I am starting to think about these things too, and everyone is right, CROCS ROCK!  If you have never worn them, they are heavenly.  We probably have about 10 pair between us here at our house.  Gordon's Golf and Ski had them on sale 25% off last Sat, that is really good because I never find them on sale.   They also have a great selection.  They are great for the hospital, it's all my husband wore when he had his surgeries.  very easy to get off and on.   Alice

Hi Mindy, Something you may want to ask your surgeon about and that is does he require you to have a vena cava filter put in before surgery? Some doctors do have thier patients do this. My surgeon did it as a precoution and I am grateful he did because after my surgery about a month later they went to remove it and in the filter there was a clot. I sorta freaked out but I was told the filter was doing its job. I still have the filter in but I am also on blood thinners to help dissolve the clot. Chances are when I go back to have them look to remove it they may decide to keep it in. I also ordered new clothese like night gowns and a robe from LB but as many people have said save them for home and use the hospital gowns.                                           Annie