Questions from a Late Bloomer

[Guest guest]

> 1. Do I need a private duty nurse at Mt. Sinai if my (twin) sister is there with me? If I do, for how long? Can anyone give me a name of someone good with lap BPD/DS experience?

> > 2. What's the best means of transportation for getting home from New York to Bethesda, MD? I have an SUV we could equip with an Aero mattress to absorb the bumps. My sister and son would share the driving. Is that O.K. or would plane or train be better?

> > 3. Is it worth shlepping a laptop with me to New York or will I be too out of it for it to be much use?

>

Hi Lynn,

Goodluck with your upcoming surgery. After my friend left after making sure I was okay and being assigned a room I was alone in the hospital and did not require a paid companion probably because I was on 9 east at Mt Sinai the GI floor. They were well staffed everyday except Saturday when everyone was working double shifts. I did well by myself and with your sister you shouldn't have a problem. But, that is your decision. I found the train easy to get home on and had no problems. I wouldn't have liked a long drive in a car but I had started with loose BM's so I needed a bathroom nearby. You may have no problem with it. I would skip the laptop unless you drive and have room for lots of extra stuff. I would have been too unfocused to want to deal with a laptop...I kept falling asleep trying to watch a TV program. I did read a little.

[Guest guest]

I am scheduled for BPD/DS with Dr. Gagner on July 24th. I've been lurking

around this group intermittently for months without joining in. I have been

worried that something might go wrong with the preliminaries or insurance for

some reason (BC-BS Fed Employee PPO) and jinx me. I still haven't heard about

my insurance. Yvette says there may be a decision by next Friday. Whatever, the

date is so near that I don't think I can wait much longer to get answers to

questions I am anxious to have answered before surgery. I have been so impressed

with the nitty-gritty information I have picked up from all of you that I hope

you won't mind helping a " newbie " with practical stuff, even if I may be

repeating questions you may already have chewed over. But here goes:

1. Do I need a private duty nurse at Mt. Sinai if my (twin) sister is there

with me? If I do, for how long? Can anyone give me a name of someone good with

lap BPD/DS experience?

2. What's the best means of transportation for getting home from New York to

Bethesda, MD? I have an SUV we could equip with an Aero mattress to absorb the

bumps. My sister and son would share the driving. Is that O.K. or would plane

or train be better?

3. Is it worth shlepping a laptop with me to New York or will I be too out of it

for it to be much use?

4. My friends and coworkers want to give me a " shower " before I leave for New

York. Before asking for things I may not need, I am interested in any

experiences with the following products I have seen on the web. Very few of them

offer samples: Vita4Life protein and vitamins ( and insurance coverage for

them); Curetage hair products; KareMore spray prenatal or multivitamins; Vitamix

food processor. Also, does anyone have a recommendation for an accurate scale?

5 For how long are waistbands out after surgery? What kinds of clothes should I

be thinking about wearing at first?

6. What suppot group in the Washington area is the most helpful with practical

advice? Also, does anyone not recommend Dr. Elariny for follow-up. He's the

closest doc who does lap BPD/DS, but hi office in Virginia is a is a traffic

nightmare for someone who lives in Bethesda and works in Rockville, MD. The

alternative would be the gastroenterologist in a large group practice within 5

minutes of home who did my endoscopy. He has little immediate experience with

the procedure, but is well known as one of the best.

I think that does it, but knowing me, I'll probably think of more. In

return, I hope to contribute to the group some of my experience with shaking the

managed care tree and other insurance barriers. With 30 years in the Public

Health Service and on Capitol Hill, troubleshooting is part of my job.

Lynn- BMI 43 & usual assortment of ailments

BPD/DS-Dr. Gagner

Surgery- July 24

--

Lynn Squire

__________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Lynn:

1. I have no idea. Hopefully someone else can help with this.

2. I have no idea. Hopefully someone else can help with this.

3. I'd expect you will be too out of it but it's your choice.

4. I wouldn't recommend your getting too much stuff before hand.

Your needs will be different than anyone else's. You may or may not

need lots of the stuff you are talking about. As to an accurate

scale we just got a tanita and it gives you body fat percentage as

well as very accurate weight.

5., 6. I have no idea. Hopefully someone else can help with this.

> I am scheduled for BPD/DS with Dr. Gagner on July 24th. I've

been lurking around this group intermittently for months without

joining in. I have been worried that something might go wrong with

the preliminaries or insurance for some reason (BC-BS Fed Employee

PPO) and jinx me. I still haven't heard about my insurance. Yvette

says there may be a decision by next Friday. Whatever, the date is so

near that I don't think I can wait much longer to get answers to

questions I am anxious to have answered before surgery. I have been

so impressed with the nitty-gritty information I have picked up from

all of you that I hope you won't mind helping a " newbie " with

practical stuff, even if I may be repeating questions you may already

have chewed over. But here goes:

>

> 1. Do I need a private duty nurse at Mt. Sinai if my (twin) sister

is there with me? If I do, for how long? Can anyone give me a name

of someone good with lap BPD/DS experience?

>

> 2. What's the best means of transportation for getting home from

New York to Bethesda, MD? I have an SUV we could equip with an Aero

mattress to absorb the bumps. My sister and son would share the

driving. Is that O.K. or would plane or train be better?

>

> 3. Is it worth shlepping a laptop with me to New York or will I be

too out of it for it to be much use?

>

> 4. My friends and coworkers want to give me a " shower " before I

leave for New York. Before asking for things I may not need, I am

interested in any experiences with the following products I have seen

on the web. Very few of them offer samples: Vita4Life protein and

vitamins ( and insurance coverage for them); Curetage hair products;

KareMore spray prenatal or multivitamins; Vitamix food processor.

Also, does anyone have a recommendation for an accurate scale?

>

> 5 For how long are waistbands out after surgery? What kinds of

clothes should I be thinking about wearing at first?

>

> 6. What suppot group in the Washington area is the most helpful

with practical advice? Also, does anyone not recommend Dr. Elariny

for follow-up. He's the closest doc who does lap BPD/DS, but hi

office in Virginia is a is a traffic nightmare for someone who lives

in Bethesda and works in Rockville, MD. The alternative would be the

gastroenterologist in a large group practice within 5 minutes of home

who did my endoscopy. He has little immediate experience with the

procedure, but is well known as one of the best.

>

> I think that does it, but knowing me, I'll probably think of

more. In return, I hope to contribute to the group some of my

experience with shaking the managed care tree and other insurance

barriers. With 30 years in the Public Health Service and on Capitol

Hill, troubleshooting is part of my job.

>

> Lynn- BMI 43 & usual assortment of ailments

> BPD/DS-Dr. Gagner

> Surgery- July 24

>

> --

> Lynn Squire

>

> __________________________________________________________________

> Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at

http://webmail.netscape.com/

[Guest guest]

> 1. Do I need a private duty nurse at Mt. Sinai if my (twin) sister

is there with me? If I do, for how long? Can anyone give me a name of

someone good with lap BPD/DS experience?

Umm.. eh.. ok, next Question..

>

> 2. What's the best means of transportation for getting home from

New York to Bethesda, MD? I have an SUV we could equip with an Aero

mattress to absorb the bumps. My sister and son would share the

driving. Is that O.K. or would plane or train be better?

PLANE OR TRAIN!!! I drove home in an SUV (granted, 4WD, & over really

rough roads), and I was miserable for days after I got home, & I

really feel it set back my recovery. How smooth does yours ride? How

smooth is the road to & from NY? Try a " dry run " first.. and if you

DO drive, keep a pillow in your lap to brace your incisions.

Incidentally, Amtrak has had some very reasonable rates lately.. you

might check them out, too.

>

> 3. Is it worth shlepping a laptop with me to New York or will I be

too out of it for it to be much use?

I MISSED my puter.. I was hurting too much to watch TV, what was on

bored me, you can only walk so much, & the one thing I could

concentrate on the most was my hubby's gameboy version of tetris..

Normally I read like crazy.. but I just could not concentrate on my

books- even tho one was a new King.. & I usually read those at

one sitting. I would have killed for a puter by day 2..

>

> 4. My friends and coworkers want to give me a " shower " before I

leave for New York. Before asking for things I may not need, I am

interested in any experiences with the following products I have seen

on the web. Very few of them offer samples: Vita4Life protein and

vitamins ( and insurance coverage for them); Curetage hair products;

KareMore spray prenatal or multivitamins; Vitamix food processor.

Also, does anyone have a recommendation for an accurate scale?

Vita4life gets rave reviews from those who use the vitamins.. I've

herd the protein is nasty-tasting, but its concentrated, so you could

toss it back & follow it with a juice chaser or something. I hear

more about Nioxin hair products, so maybe ask for those? I just use

my blender for everything.. ask for a nice Kitchenaide blender, they

can do EVERYTHING, lol.. Where did you find Karemore spray vites??

Because children's chewies leave me grossed out.. There is a link in

the bookmarks section for a scale that is accurate up to I think 500

lbs.. I'd love to have one, but can't justify it on our budget.. But

if someone wanted to give it to you (well, 3 or 4 someones.. I think

its around $200.00)... I'd be happy to get it!

>

> 5 For how long are waistbands out after surgery? What kinds of

clothes should I be thinking about wearing at first?

I wore my Dr Suess shortallswith tank tops and soft stretchy jersey

knit dresses for the first 2 weeks.. I could wear waistbands now, but

I don't want to.. even tho all my incisions are healed, I try to keep

all elastic off my waist except undies.

>

> 6. What suppot group in the Washington area is the most helpful with

practical advice? Also, does anyone not recommend Dr. Elariny for

follow-up. He's the closest doc who does lap BPD/DS, but hi office in

Virginia is a is a traffic nightmare for someone who lives in Bethesda

and works in Rockville, MD. The alternative would be the

gastroenterologist in a large group practice within 5 minutes of home

who did my endoscopy. He has little immediate experience with the

procedure, but is well known as one of the best.

Umm.. there is a DS surgeon in Silver Springs, MD that could do your

followup.. I never can recall his name, lol.. but he's on the DS info

zone website under Doctors. Support groups.. I dunno.. I am still

looking for a local support group.. I rely on the DS-Postop problems

list more so for answers.. the only support group I've found here is

for VBGs! Good luck there.. I'm sure you'll scare one up!

>

> I think that does it, but knowing me, I'll probably think of

more. In return, I hope to contribute to the group some of my

experience with shaking the managed care tree and other insurance

barriers. With 30 years in the Public Health Service and on Capitol

Hill, troubleshooting is part of my job.

>

lol.. ok.. but a few things to throw into your bag for the hospital:

1) sugar free hard candies.. marvelous to relieve dry mouth after

surgery when you can't drink & think you're just drying up..

2) Ben-gay, or more conveniently, Tigerbalm/Icyhot/Mentholatum " pain

patches. " The gas they inflate your abdomen with seems to like to

settle up in your right arm & shoulder, causing it to ache something

fierce, & the pain patches really helped (and they're less messy than

the muscle rub). Good luck, & ask away! Its what we're here for!

Hugs,

Liane

lap DS 5/30/01

-18 lbs as of 6/17/01