Need Advice on Surgery with Gagner July 3 2001

[Guest guest]

All,

I am scheduled for surgery on July 3rd. I will be flying to NYC

on my own as my I am not close to any of my family and my boyfriend

will be teaching summer school.

I need some advice.

1. I have to purchase a plane ticket. I am wondering how long I will

be in the hospital, so that I can plan my plane tickets appropriately.

2. I also need to know if there is a hospital safe where my purse can

be stored?

3. I would also like to know how much a personal companion costs? And

do you need one for 8 hours or 24 hours.

4. I also need to know if anyone can reccommend an affordabale but

decent hotel in the NYC area if I decide to stay for a few days after

the surgery.

5. What can I expect on the Day of surgery? What time do you arrive?

What are the pre-op preparations and what are they like?Does Dr. Ganer

see you before the surgery.

6. What should I pack for my stay in the hospital. Will I be alert

enough to read? Are Laptops and or PDA's allowed?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I had my surgery on 5/25. I flew from Atlanta to NYC to have

surgery. I was alone. I had surgery at NY Medical University/Tisch

hospital. When I purchased my ticket, I included the night before

surgery, surgery day, 3 days hospital stay for lap if no

complications and 2 days stay in the hotel. Therefore, I left on

Thursday morning, very early, because my pre-op test were at 11 am.

I stay at Thirty Thirty Hotel which gives discount to hospital

patients from $125 to $80 + tax. It is newly renovated therefore

everything is new. EVERYTHING! However, they don't have any

resturants located inside the hotel but several across the street and

some that delivery. I was able to walk across the street and order

scrambled eggs and decaff tea. I don't drink coffee, however, I

found that hot decaff tea with alittle equal helped me to eat. I

checked in on Thursday and checked out on Friday, the day of

surgery. I rechecked in on Monday, Memorial Day, for 2 nights. The

hotel is located on 30th E. 30th St. between Madison and Park St.

I did not have any private care and did just fine. As a matter of

fact, I think that this helped me to do whatever I needed to do in

order to start recovering and come home. Even my surgeon told me

that I was doing very well to be on my own after 4 days of surgery

when I visited her to have my drainage removed before I left.

I was took not to get out of bed by myself when they removed the

catheter and when I needed to go to the bathroom, however, I waited

and waited and waited for assistance. So, I went very carefully to

the bathroom by myself. Then I went straight down the hall for a

walk. I did just fine!

I am not a young chicken, however, I have been told that I have alot

of endurance. I'm almost 41 and started at 285.

As far as my luggage and belonging. I did not bring but $20 or $30

with me, however, I brought my bank card and checkbook with me. I

had a lock on my luggage. I placed the key in my backpack and just

didn't worry because there was much I could do about the situation.

Nothing was taken. Before my surgery, my belongings were labels and

put in a locker. When I was brought from recovery, they brought my

belongings with me.

I had to arrive at the hospital at 11 am. I did check-in, which was

easy because I had my pre-op the day before and handed in all my

information. Now, the insurance person tried to give me a hard time

and make me pay, however, I knew my insurance policy and had talked

several times to my insurance company. Then, I went into the waiting

area for surgery. They brought a gulley in and gave me 2 gowns to

put on. The anesthe. came in and introduced himself and asked if I

had any questions. I was asked if I needed a pill to ease my

nerves. I told them that I wasn't nervous and did not need it. I

wanted to be much aware until it was time to put me asleep. I

brought a book and tried to read, however, one of the nurse tech came

in and talked. Then my surgeon came in to check on me. She told me

that she would be ready about 1:30 pm. She needed to eat lunch

because she had been in surgery all morning. I had been nothing by

mouth since 4 pm the day before because I had to take something to

clean my digestive system. I asked her if she was up to my surgery.

She told me that the other surgeries were not gastric bypasses and

she was fine.

I walked into the surgery room. I told them that I wanted to walk.

I did and I greeted the surgical team. We all talked and laughed

will they put needles all over both of my arms. I even asked them to

put on some soothing music. They did. Then, my doctor walked in and

asked me if I was ready. I replied, " Yes " and the rest is history

until about 9:45 pm when they were rolling me into the elevator to my

room. I don't even remember the recovery room. The only pain that I

was in was with my back. I thought it would stop but it did not. So,

my doctor ordered a shot.

I hope this helps.

J.

> All,

> I am scheduled for surgery on July 3rd. I will be flying to

NYC

> on my own as my I am not close to any of my family and my boyfriend

> will be teaching summer school.

> I need some advice.

> 1. I have to purchase a plane ticket. I am wondering how long I

will

> be in the hospital, so that I can plan my plane tickets

appropriately.

> 2. I also need to know if there is a hospital safe where my purse

can

> be stored?

> 3. I would also like to know how much a personal companion costs?

And

> do you need one for 8 hours or 24 hours.

> 4. I also need to know if anyone can reccommend an affordabale but

> decent hotel in the NYC area if I decide to stay for a few days

after

> the surgery.

> 5. What can I expect on the Day of surgery? What time do you

arrive?

> What are the pre-op preparations and what are they like?Does Dr.

Ganer

> see you before the surgery.

> 6. What should I pack for my stay in the hospital. Will I be alert

> enough to read? Are Laptops and or PDA's allowed?

[Guest guest]

I emailed this to you too, but just in case, and if anyone else needs

it:

Mt. Sinai has a guest residence that I understand is very cheap, and

attached to the hospital. I didn't use it, but Kalstein did,

her mom and she stayed there the night before, and her mom stayed the

days when was in the hospital. She said it was nice.

I had Dr. Pomp, and he came in to see me right before the surgery,

while they were prepping me.

There is a list of things you might like to bring with you to the

hospital, if you look in the database for the DS site. I tried to

find it for you but the database is down right now. But I can tell

you that I packed a whole bunch of useless stuff and never used any

of it and the bag was so darned heavy you wouldn't believe it. I

brought night gowns, but you always wear their hospital gowns because

if anything leaks on it they toss it in the hamper and produce a new

one for you. I never read once, in too much discomfort. The things

I would say you must bring with you are:

1. A long-handled wooden spoon because after the surgery when you

start moving your bowels again, you may have too much incisional pain

to reach to wipe your tush. So you wrap the Toilet paper around the

spoon and you are good to go.

2. Also, Cottonelle or Northern wipes. They are a godsend to help

you get good and clean, front and back.

3. Tampons because the anestesia brings on your period sometimes

whether you are due for it or not.

4. The single most important thing I thought to bring with me was a

small battery powered fan. I was so hot in that hospital room after

the surgery I could have cried. (I was always sweating before

surgery anyway, and it was miserable the first 2 days aferward. I

actually ran out of batteries for the fan because it was blowing on

me day and night providing my only source of relief. They have them

cheap in Target and the Home Depot, someone said. I got mine from

the Sharper Image catalog years ago.

5. Hair brush and a couple of scrunchies or clips to keep the hair

out of your face.

6. Tooth brush/paste

7. slippers and a robe for walking the halls post-op. And socks

because while the rest of me was HOT, my feet were freezing. I wore

the same skanky pair of socks all 3 days, not because they were the

only ones I had, but because they were the loosest and softest and

therefore less annoying.

8. Lip Balm (You will be so dry when you wake up, you will think you

were on a desert.)

9. Wear something loose to the hospital so you can wear it right

back home when you leave. Something without a waist band is best,

but if you are like me and do NOT wear dresses because you feel like

you look like a customer of the tent maker, then wear a loose

pair or stretch pants and you can pull the waist band down below your

incision site. I had mine tucked under my hanging apron-belly the

whole way home, and every time I had to go out once I got home I did

the same thing until the incision was not so sensitive. You won't

even need panties in the hospital because they will have the catheter

and drains and whatever in you. I never wore them til the day I went

home.

Good luck. I hope you have an easy time of it and all thin beautiful

things on the other side.

--Janice Drew

Open BPD/DS 11/29/00

386/265 5'11 "

Dr. Pomp, Mt. Sinai, NYC

> All,

> I am scheduled for surgery on July 3rd. I will be flying to

NYC

> on my own as my I am not close to any of my family and my boyfriend

> will be teaching summer school.

> I need some advice.

> 1. I have to purchase a plane ticket. I am wondering how long I

will

> be in the hospital, so that I can plan my plane tickets

appropriately.

> 2. I also need to know if there is a hospital safe where my purse

can

> be stored?

> 3. I would also like to know how much a personal companion costs?

And

> do you need one for 8 hours or 24 hours.

> 4. I also need to know if anyone can reccommend an affordabale but

> decent hotel in the NYC area if I decide to stay for a few days

after

> the surgery.

> 5. What can I expect on the Day of surgery? What time do you

arrive?

> What are the pre-op preparations and what are they like?Does Dr.

Ganer

> see you before the surgery.

> 6. What should I pack for my stay in the hospital. Will I be alert

> enough to read? Are Laptops and or PDA's allowed?

[Guest guest]

> > Mt. Sinai has a guest residence that I understand is very cheap,

and

> attached to the hospital.>>>>

Hi, Janice: well, compared to NYC hotel rates, I guess it's ok, but

not cheap! I think it's 150/night....

> 1. A long-handled wooden spoon because after the surgery when you

> start moving your bowels again, you may have too much incisional

pain

> to reach to wipe your tush. So you wrap the Toilet paper around the

> spoon and you are good to go. >>>>

I had a spoon but I couldn't get the little cottonelle wipes to go

around it... perhaps a long string of toilet paper would have

worked... I highly suggest taking something. I didn't have problems

'reaching' as a pre-op but man was it difficult to do it afterwards

(the abdomen is just very, very tender and also bloated). I had a

starting bmi of 45 but still found the 'toilet aid' a great relief!

LOL

I might suggest a pair of tongs over a spoon (like a barbeque or salad

tongs), just because you can control the wipe/tissue on the end... I

was always afraid it was going to come off the spoon... :)

>

>

> 7. slippers and a robe for walking the halls post-op. And socks

> because while the rest of me was HOT, my feet were freezing. I wore

> the same skanky pair of socks all 3 days, not because they were the

> only ones I had, but because they were the loosest and softest and

> therefore less annoying.>>>>

I got these neat little socks with rubber on the bottom (so you don't

slip and sue, I guess LOL) at Mt. Sinai... I used those over socks

because the floor was kind of slippery... I had slippers packed but

didn't get my stuff until the second day. That's another

service-related horror story.

Good advice, Janice! I know a lot of pre-ops will really appreciate

it. I was talking with Terry and she wanted to look up some lists but

couldn't locate them.

All the best,

lap ds with gallbladder removal

January 25, 2001

four months post-op and still

[Guest guest]

Also-

because of having to wait to drink after surgery- sugar free hard

candies. They are so nice- help cut the dryness & get rid of the

nasty post-surgical mouth taste. Now don't chew them, but if you just

let them roll around in your mouth, it really helps relieve dryness.

Here's to you having a solky-smooth switch!

Hugs,

Liane

> > All,

> > I am scheduled for surgery on July 3rd. I will be flying to

> NYC

> > on my own as my I am not close to any of my family and my

boyfriend

> > will be teaching summer school.

> > I need some advice.

> > 1. I have to purchase a plane ticket. I am wondering how long I

> will

> > be in the hospital, so that I can plan my plane tickets

> appropriately.

> > 2. I also need to know if there is a hospital safe where my purse

> can

> > be stored?

> > 3. I would also like to know how much a personal companion costs?

> And

> > do you need one for 8 hours or 24 hours.

> > 4. I also need to know if anyone can reccommend an affordabale

but

> > decent hotel in the NYC area if I decide to stay for a few days

> after

> > the surgery.

> > 5. What can I expect on the Day of surgery? What time do you

> arrive?

> > What are the pre-op preparations and what are they like?Does Dr.

> Ganer

> > see you before the surgery.

> > 6. What should I pack for my stay in the hospital. Will I be

alert

> > enough to read? Are Laptops and or PDA's allowed?