Need support up here in Huntsville Ontario

Hi everyone,Im new at this please bare with me and not good with computers either lol.I have a surgery date with Dr Klein June 18th Im so afraid and excited at the same time.I have my Patt tests on May 21st.Not sure what to expect but told it would be 3 hrs long.I wish there was a support group up here in Huntsville Ont area.If anyone is close by or knows of a group close to me I would appreciate the help.Im trying to make a list of all that I need to get for after surgery to start stocking up.Im staying with my Mom in T.O after surgery because she is 10 min from Humber River Hospital so does anyone have any tips or suggestions that would help me prepare? Any advise helps and would like to make some friends to help each other out through our weight loss journey :) Thankyou

Hi Michelle,

To give you an idea of what to expect, here's what happened at my PATTS appointment:

The appointment consisted of having blood work done, an ECG, a chest x-ray and a meeting with the anaesthetist and an RN.

Prior to the appointment I was given a Questionnaire that had to be completed by my family doctor (it had to be done within 30 days of my surgery date), and a brown paper bag for my meds/vitamins.

I brought the following things with me to my appointment:
1) The completed family doctor Questionnaire
2) The paper bag with all my meds and vitamins (bring the original bottles if possible so the RN can record the exact information including vitamin brands etc)
3) My Health Card
4) My extended healthcare insurance card
5) The name and contact information for my Power of Attorney
6) A book (I was told 3 hrs but it was a busy day for them so it ended up being 4.5 hours)

First was Registration. They recorded my Power of Attorney and wanted to know if I had semi-private room coverage (so if you have extended healthcare check with them ahead of time to see if your plan covers it... keep in mind that having the coverage doesn't guarantee you'll get a semi-private room -- it all depends on availability at the time). I was given a "passport" which listed the people I needed to see.

Next was blood work, then an ECG, then a meeting with the RN for height, weight, and a detailed review of all my meds, vitamins and medical history. The RN also gave me info on what to bring to the hospital and what to expect on the day of surgery.

Next up was a quick meeting with the anaesthesiologist who checked my throat, asked if I had any loose teeth or dental inserts etc, advised of the possibility of chipping teeth with intubating, and determining what additional meds I might need such as a gravol ****tail (I've been put under before and woke up barfing, so I specifically asked that a note be put on my file about it). Finally a quick chest x-ray and I was done!

I've written a few blog posts that you might want to check out on my profile. It will give you some ideas about what to bring to the hospital (in addition to the list the RN will give you), and what my surgery experience was like (I was also at Humber).

Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions!

Wow!  Great info.  I am up in Elliot Lake and my surgery is on April 22nd at St Joseph in Toronto.  I am on day 10 of my Optifast.  I never thought of your idea of the chicken or beef soup pureed right now it sounds yummy.  When would you have that?  When you are on full fluids or the pureed food stage? Thanks

Wow a long drive for surgery but it will be all worth it Im sure.Best of luck to you also and keep in touch would love to hear how surgery goes and are you staying in a hotel down there or have family in T.O?

Hi Michelle I think im going to add you to my friend list if thats ok with you.  We are staying in a hotel in Alliston.  My son will be driving us to Toronto for my surgery.  Cant wait.  My Dr told me it was ok to go back to the hotel but dont head back to Elliot for a few days after I get out of hospital.  Thanks  :-)

Nice to meet you and I welcome the friends thankyou. I might be staying at a hotel now because my Mom doesn't drive and is so worried that I wont be near the hospital if needed so She is bugging me and saying she will pay for me to stay across the street from the hospital.I don't like her to worry about me she has heart palpitations and worries too much LOL which makes me worry about her  too make her happy I think it will be the hotel.Thanks again :)

I think that is a wise choice :-)

P.S. Be careful not to "stock up" on too much of any one food. Your taste in foods may change, and what your new stomach can tolerate may as well. Pretty safe bets to have on hand for when you get out of the hospital are: unsweetened apple sauce (if there are meds you need to get down), Crystal Lite (for some reason it helps to "soften" the water you drink, making it easier to get down), sugar-free jello, instant oatmeal, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken or beef broth, and protein powder or shakes (Humber "allows" them but Guelph does not). I bought a can each of Campbell's Chunky Beef Soup and Chunky Chicken Soup and pureed them in a Magic Bullet... I ended up loving them!

Thankyou shoshana for the tips I guess I better get a magic bullet too ,I have a big blender at home but for travel and convience  it sounds like the magic bullet is popular with a lot of people.Best of luck with your journey of weight loss and keep in  touch would love to hear how your doing.

Hi...I can't help you with a support group in Huntsville but can offer support here. We have the same surgeon, Dr. Klein, and my surgery is April 29th...so I can help you with what to expect as your time nears.  I'll send you a friend request.

Jane