What is done at Pre admin

So I go in on March 14th for my Pre-admin and tests, what kind of test do they do?

They weighed me, took my blood pressure, checked my pulse. You'll meet the anesthesiologist, a nurse and I can't remember who else. They even did an echo-cardiogram on me. I was lucky and my appointment flew by quickly, but they do tell you to budget 3 hours.

Oh wow she didn't give me a time frame at all, that's good to know. Thank you

My appointment was for 8:30 at the Admitting Department on the main floor. I had arrived early, 8:15, and had no wait at all. I signed the necessary forms, showed my insurance forms, declined both a television and a phone. Total time? Eight minutes max.

Then I walked over to the elevators to take me to the first floor, E wing, for the pre-op part of the visit. I checked in at the desk, was given two booklets and waiting no more than six or seven minutes. I was then taken to a private room where several vials of blood were taken by a technician. I was asked to change in to a hospital gown, nude from the waist up, and get on to the hospital bed as another tech arrived and took an ECG. After that a nurse spent about 30 minutes with me, taking blood pressure, blood oxygen. We went through all my medications (which I had taken with me), covered all the procedures for Same Day Admission outlined in one of the booklets (the other booklet is on Pain Management), and answered any questions I had.

One thing that falls under "I wish I had known that and they are going to change it" was the fact that while the Weight Management Clinic booklet "Patient Information - Your Guide to Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery" (given at the pre-op information session in December) says I should bring my CPAP machine to this appointment, it was not required. While not unduly heavy, it was just annoying to have lugged it in unnecessarily.

That being done, I waited another ten minutes, still in the same room, still on the bed, still in the gown, and then met the anesthesiologist. He listened to my heart, lungs, reviewed all the cardiac tests, had me open my mouth and he checked my throat. We had quite a laugh over my hesitation/embarrassment over my full dentures. He said that when they see folks in beds lined up for the operating room and they have their blankets over their mouths, the staff know that they aren't going to have any trouble intubating those people without teeth, and that the staff call us their favourites. Who would have thought? I will be asleep for the intubation, which suits me just fine.

I left the unit at 10:30 -- just over two hours from start to finish.

I stopped at the Pharmacy on the ground floor on the way out and bought some unflavoured Beneprotein.

Hello!  Just wondered what you used the Beneprotein for?  Did you need it for your hospital stay?  Thanks much!  And you are doing amazing!

No, it's not needed for the hospital stay. 

I add it to foods to up my protein count.   I only mentioned it because it was available at Desjardins right at the hospital.  I had a hard time finding it elsewhere.

Just ignore my last line.  :)

Cheers!

Marilyn aka mmm

I went to TEGH and it took about 5 minutes in admitting and 4 hours and 15 minutes for the actual pre-admin 'tests'. 

I saw a nurse, pharmacist, internist, and anesthetist.  The 2 doctors examined me.  Everyone talked to me.  The nurse took my BP and pulse, did an EKG, and drew some blood.  She also swabbed my nose for MRSA germs and told me to go to the bathroom and swab my bottom for the same germ.  The entire time I was there, except when I went to the bathroom, I was in my own little room.  I strongly advise bringing along a book or magazine because an awful lot of time was spent waiting by myself in a room with opaque blinds on the window.

Then I had 2 chest x-rays, which only took 15 minutes.

I was told that it would take between 3-4 hours, so I wasn't surprised when it did.

Jenn.  :)

I went to Humber saw the nurse for 1.5 hours who took my medical history and medication,again, then went for blood work, met the anethsatist, had ekg and x ray of chest, no swabs.  apt was at 9 am out by 12

I was at HRRH last tuesday, my appointment was at 11am and i got out of there at 4:30pm, plan for the day

I go on the 13 of march for my admitting for surgery  which is for the 15 in ottawa