MY DS @ MT SINAI (long)

April 17, 2001

Hi all.

I just wanted to tell my story to all you pre-ops.

It's nice to hear different stories to get prepared.

My surgery was scheduled for 8AM but there was an

emergency transplant in the OR so my surgery didnt

really start until 10 or 11 am.

Around 4 pm Dr. Gagner went to the waiting room and

told my parents and sister they need to sit down and

talk. They were now freaking. Gagner said, " This was a

long difficult surgery. " He told them that the stapler

malfunctioned and he had to sew by hand

laparascopically and that it took much longer than

expected. he didnt have enough time to take out my

gallbladder as planned. he showed them photos of the

malfunctioned stapler, etc. he documented the whole

thing. he then said that I was not breathing on my own

and that I was in recovery on a ventilator. they

couldn't exubate me yet. So he said they had to wait 2

hrs to visit me in the recovery room. My sister said

my mom was inconsolable, would not talk, had her head

down. Finally after 1 hr, my sister snuck into the

recovery room and said I opened my eyes as she came up

to me. I remember openig my eyes and seeing my sister.

I remember the horrible tube down my throat and I was

pointing at it frantically. my sister confirmed this.

they couldnt remove it cause i wouldnt breath. Finally

it was removed and my dad then came in. my sister siad

the nurse was horrible and told them they would

agitate me, which was so wrong. When my dad & sis went

away I got scared and begged the nurse to get them

back. then my mom came and I knew I'd be OK. They put

me on oxygen because I was still having trouble

breathing myself. I didnt get to my room until after 8

PM. I HATED the recivery room, I just wanted to be in

my room.

I didnt sleep at all the first nught because every

time I fell asleep this alarm would go off that meant

I was not breathing. So I was in and out of it. i had

a private nurse that night. They discovered I had

sleep apnea.

The next morning a horrible intern yanked off my

oxygen mask ans walked out with no explanation. I

couldnt breathe. So I called my parents who were at

the guest residence and they ran over, it was like 7

am and visiting hours were not until 11 or so, but

they had no problem coming in. We later found out that

intern was being kicked out of the program for lots of

reasons. I was put on oxygen again, but with a nose

thingy I hated.

The leak test was horrible. The liquid was not that

bad, but the radiology dept was a hell hole. My dad

sat in on the leak test (he's a doctor) and the liquid

was not making it through my lower bowels. They were

worried. Then I was told that gagner ordered a special

test but that the radiologist did not want to do the

test. I was scared and confused, especially since I

knew Gagner was going to Japan for a week. So

eventually I was sent back up to my room and was told

they didnt have the rsults of the test yet and I may

have to go back down for more tests. This was at 9am.

We waited all day for my results to see if I had a

leak or an obstruction, which is what the radiologist

thought. No doctor came to see me all day. We were

told someone would round and tell us the results but

it did not happen. By night time we were all really

worried and I was so scared. We had Dr. Quinn paged.

But she was in the OR. A resident said she would go

down and get Dr. Quinn, but we never saw that resident

again. Finally at around 10 pm Dr. Herron came up

because we then requsted ANY of the surgeons. He was

not familiar with my leak test, but new about my

stapler mishap. he promised to tell Dr. Quinn to come

see me when she was done. Dr. herron was very nice!

around midnight someone came in with a HUGE x-ray

machine and took more x-rays in my room. I was real

out of it. Finally my prents went home and my siter (a

doctor) decided to sleep in my room until Quinn came.

Drs Quinn and Pomp came to my room at 2am. They had

just finished in the OR! Dr Quinn said that they

thought my bowels were swollen from the extra

manipulation of the hand sewing and that was why the

barium liquid didnt go down. But the 2nd x-ray showed

it did go down!!!!

Eventually I was taken off th O2 ans IV's. I had a

temperature the entire time I was in the hospital.

Dr Pomp rounded for the next 2 days. he is real nice

and funny. Oh yeah, I got fluvitis (sp) from the IV.

My sister and mom were there every day from 8 am til 8

pm then I had a companion from 8PM til around 9 am. My

sister was a god. she really shook up those nurses.

The nurses are very understaffed, but many of them

were just plain mean. i dont know if it was the

weekend crew or what. Some were nice but others were

just so horrid. But my sister made sure my drains were

drained and my temp was taken (I had a fever).

I left on a Monday (surgery was Thurs). I was SO happy

to go. I really HATED the hospital. I could not bear

another day. I saw Dr Inabnet and Dr Quinn and they

said I could GO!!!

By the way, in the hospital, my sister made me get up

and walk laps on 10E every hour. She MADE me do this.

I think this was the best, even though I hated her for

it at the time. she also MADE me do the sprimometer

thing and cough constantly.

When I left, all the nurses told me to say hey to my

sis!! (It was Monday and my sister was back at

work-she's an OB/GYN at NY Hospital Cornell Med

Center).

I'm now 12 days post op, -21 lbs (!!), cannot sleep on

my side yet, have TONS of energy, no temp, still

changing the dressing on 1 incision. But I cant wait

to go back to work. I have NO problem getting in 75

grams of protein. No bathroom problems. Oh, and by the

way, i did not need the toilet thingy thing in the

hospital. I could reach. This surgery is a blessing.

just so glad it's over!!!!

Jill K in NY

__________________________________________________

April 17, 2001

> He told them that the stapler

> malfunctioned and he had to sew by hand

> laparascopically and that it took much longer than

> expected. >

> __________________________________________________

> Maybe this is stupid or naive on my part, but why the heck didnt

they have a spare stapler. I read in a previous post that they are

plastic, and not reused, but you would think in a major hospital like

Mt. Sinai they would have them in stock. So now....are they going to

charge you the several thousand dollars that the stapler costs?????

I am scheduled for my consult with Dr. Herron this month, and all

these posts about his office are frightening. Of course, those of us

going under the knife, might be a little hesitant to make waves, but

all of you Post Ops that are having problems with the office

staff....raise a little hell for the sake of those coming up behind

you. I for one would be eternally grateful.

Donna

BMI 42

Dr. Herron

bpd/ds (i hope)

April 17, 2001