The time at hospital ( HRRH )

So, dec 3rd is my day

I will have a couple of good friend there with me on that day.

I don't beeline I will have anyone with me the following day, until evening time, then I'm not even sure.

Can someone please walk me thro their experience as details as they can recall.

I'm trying to make sure I have everything covered and have my friends around to help when I need them.
When it pick up stuff from pharmacy etc.

I'm nervous doing this without a family member, and very scared I'm gonna end up doing this completely alone. So I wanna be prepared for my journey may look like while admitted. Unfortunately our health care system usually screw over ppl who don't have ppl there advocating for them. Just trying to be as prepared as I can.

I would not worry too much. I was on my own at the hospital. We live out of town and I did not want my husband to drive home in the dark at night so he pretty much dropped me off at the hospital and went home.  When I came around I was in my room in the late afternoon. The nurses will not let you out of bed on your own until you can make it to the bathroom with them. Once you feel okay (stable) they will give you some ice chips to melt in your mouth and give you any pain meds you require. The next morning I was up and around started to eat things like jello  and warm tea, this is clear fluids day. You will need to walk the halls and sip fluids as much as possible in between napping. The next morning you will be served some cream of wheat and milk and yogurt, if all is well you will be discharged. I was discharged on a sunday so the hospital pharmacy was not open. I had to return the next morning to pick up my blood thinner needles which you give yourself for several days after you are discharged. Hope this helps. I made out fine on my own. Hubby picked me up on Sunday morning and we stayed at the Holiday Inn across the way for a couple of days just to be sure I was okay before I sent home..     

Thank you!!

This does help a lot!!

I appreciate you sharing.

Please relax. I was in the hospital, for the most part, alone. My amazing son stayed with me until they took me into surgery. In between classes, he came back to the hospital, but I was still in recovery. He came back, that evening and sat with me, for a couple hours, but i really wasn't much company. I wanted to rest and sleep and heal. He popped back in, in the morning, before class, just to give me a kiss and off to his class he went. Dropped by, again, in the evening, for a quick hello and on discharge morning, came in to wish me luck. Yes, he was popping in and out, but really, for the bulk of the time, he wasn't there. You are not alone. The staff is very knowledgeable and intent on making sure you are safe and well cared for. I had one Filipino nurse, that I would tease, every time she came into check my vitals. I'd say, "You again?"and she would come back and say, "Yes, me again. Now give me your arm." You will be fine. Tomorrow will be the first day I will be alone, and seriously, I'm looking forward to it. I need peace and no fussing!

Who's your surgeon? That will make a difference too. Some of them try to come in and see you once a day if their OP schedule permits. Mine did (Dr. Starr).

I also had one visit from the internist Dr. Glazer to ensure I was doing as they expected me to.

What the other two OH'ers said was pretty well bang-on. In my case (I am allergic to morphine and codeine) the admitting nurse had put a big red band on my arm not to give me morphine - so they gave me nothing for the pain. And that was bad. Very bad. I was moaning and writhing for about 4 hours the first time ****il they found an MD who could sign for Fentanyl) and about 4 hours the second time. They should have had all set up in advance - but evidently something got missed. After that I was okay with Aspirin.

 

Be aware that the billing person will come by on the second day to confirm the level of room that you're insured for. If your head isn't in the game you may get billed for something that's inappropriate. So try to be less than foggy when she arrives.

Don't worry about TV access - you won't care. All you will want to do is sleep or pee. In between you will try to walk walk walk as much as possible in order to get rid of the gases in your body. So spend your time drinking, peeing and tooting/burping. If you can, cough gently (put a pillow over your tummy when you do to keep your incisions closed) to get rid of the fog in your lungs.

 

Another tip that helped me - if you can, lie on your left side (as far over as you can comfortably) with your left leg drawn up - that will enable your intestines to work their way back into the loops that they're supposed to be in. They may have gotten rearranged a little during the procedure.  And that will aid your getting rid of the gas.

 

As for pickup at the pharmacy - that's a great walk to do on the morning of your discharge (likely Day Three). Go into the hospital with as little cash or credit cards as possible (for security purposes) but keep an Interac card handy (and safe) for the expenditure at the pharmacy. The Heparin injections are super-easy to administer yourself, and barely hurt at all.

 

Best of luck.

Thank you. I really appreciate the info.

Dr Hagen is my surgeron

Oh sweetie you won't be alone... I'm just concerned your gonna be so doped-up you won't know why all these strange ppl are hangin' around you and in your room, and tell us to bugger off n' stop following you! Hahahaa! No way I'm gonna let anyone get away with any crap while I'm there chickie. I'm sure no one else will either, you are loved by many...don't worry. You'll be fine my dear. We Gotcha

C.

Don't worry...I went and had my RnY in July at HRRH and went by myself and came home by myself and all was perfectly fine.  When you sign the paperwork prior to surgery, they'll ask for an emergency contact if anything should change.  You'll also be given a booklet or two regarding your post op care and diet too.  They gave me mine right after they brought me upstairs to my room from surgery and there was plenty of time to read it and re-read it after I was well rested and the effects of the anesthetic had worn off.  If you'd like any more details, don't hesitate to email me.

You're in good hands so please don't stress yourself out ...instead think of all the wonderful things you'll get to do and achieve after you're all healed up!