Question:
Has anyone out there also had their surgery cancelled?

I'm wonder how you dealt with the emotional issues. I was so excited and calm about having this operation and then this morning, I got told there wasn't a bed in ICU for me since there was an emergancy and while I understand that, I can't help but feel deeply dispointed and drained out. Thanks in advance.    — blank first name B. (posted on December 18, 2001)

December 18, 2001
Oh, Nikki, I'm SO SORRY that happened. It happened to me too, and also to a few others. WIth me, I'd been there for an hour and a half, had my ID bands on, was getting ready to get changed into the hospital gown when my doctor came down to tell me that he had to cancel since there had been a mistake on the surgical schedule. I was so upset I didn't even cry on the way home. It was done 6 days later, but felt like 6 months. I had to go back to work, work out my disability leave again, do it all over again. I guess it just wasn't my time. Maybe things wouldn't have gone well that day. My sympathies, kiddo...hang in there, your time will come! Yvonne
   — Yvonne R.

December 18, 2001
I was in the pre-op surgical room, had the gown on and they were about to start the IV and give me a shot, when they realized I had a fever of 100.3, so my surgery was cancelled and rescheduled two weeks later. I was so ready and then this happened, but I understood that it was better for them to wait than to go ahead and do it. Because if they had, then they wouldn't have been able to tell if my fever was from something previous or from something going wrong with my recovery. I was very disappointed, but it worked out for the best.
   — lily1968

December 18, 2001
Nikki, just keep telling yourself that it will be any day now. I was actually on the operating table on 6-1-01 when I had a reaction to the "sedative" they gave me and I broke out into a coughing fit. This lasted about 10 minutes while the anesthesiologists were putting the epidural in my back. They had to keep waiting for the spasm to pass when finally, after getting the epidural in they told my surgeon they wanted the surgery cancelled because they didn't want to take a chance with my coughing. Right there on the operating table they pulled all the tubes and everything out while I was choking back my tears so hard that I couldn't even talk. They sent me home about an hour later and I was in shock. I was still messed up from the medication they gave me, totally upset and unable to believe all this was happening. I had left work Thursday to have the surgery Friday morning, out on FMLA and back again on Monday, I was mortified. Well, the surgery was re-scheduled for 30 days later and it did happen but the emotional trauma was unbelievable but each day got better and I just kept teling myself that any day it will really happen. Hang in there, it will happen soon.
   — Sheila R.

December 18, 2001
I REALLY know how you feel. I was scheduled for surgery on Monday, Dec. 17. On Sunday morning, I did what I was told and drank my bowel prep drink (yuck!), it kicked in around 11:30 a.m. Around 12:30 p.m, the charge nurse called me and told me the surgeon was ill and they were cancelling surgeries for Monday. Dang it! After all the emotional ups and downs, the work to get this approved, and now I have to wait another 3 weeks (Jan. 8) for the surgery. Oh well, at least it will get done . . . and I have to drink that stuff again. :-(
   — Jean B.