Re: VATS at U of Miami

[Guest guest]

Terre

A couple of good points you made. First about the delay in getting the

tube in. Well, they got mine in but just neglected turning the suction

on so that it did nothing for the first day until pointed out to

them that shouldn't there be some drainage.

Point two and this is a difference in hospitals or doctors. But part of

their release criteria here is a bowel movement before you go. If you're

not experiencing one in the time expected they will give you help in

starting one. It surprised me a bit as I'd had a colon resection where

getting the bowels functioning again was obviously very important. But

they put it as a similar check off point on my VATS.

>

> First I'd like to thank the well wishers about my VATS procedure.

Mike, I wanted to get back to you about how things went for me.

> They cahnged the arrival time to 5:30 vs 5 am. I was sent to pre-op

after registering. I talked with many people on the sugery team.

Possibly 10 or more. The anesthesia doctor wanted to use a new procedure

on me that acts like an epidural for child birth. But, it was higher up

around the lungs. She explained that it would be 4 shots next to my

spine starting at the base of my neck and going down along the spine to

the bottom of the lungs. This would be in addition to the general

anesthesia. I agreed to the block.

> I left the prep room at 7:32 for the 7:30 surgery. I remember going

into the room but the next thing is waking up in recovery at 9:30 am.

> Dr. Nguyen had said that I would go to ICU after the surgery because

he wanted to be able to use all of his resources.

> However, they took me upstairs to a medical floor. Where I didn't get

my drainage tube hooked up for an hour or anything else either. My wife

who is a nurse went into action at that time. I'd go to ICU if I had it

to do over again. It's good to have an advocate with you if you can

because you are too out of it to know or care what's going on.

> Later that day near 4 pm, Dr, Nguyen came up to assess me. He didn't

know why I was upstairs either. I think it was because I talked to Dr.

Glassberg about helping with fund raising (volunteering)and maybe they

thought I was going to donate a lot of money. hahahahaha. The floor was

a penthouse room for just one person. Go to ICU.

> My drainage was good. I had a lot of pain in my shoulder joint and my

shoulder blade. When he took out the drainage tube it all went away. I

stayed over Friday night and was discahrged around 9:30 am Saturday.

> I was back at the house by noon saturday.

> I felt good most of saturday until that evening I had some pizza and

resumed my normal meds. I forgot the lactase enzyme for the cheese on

the pizza. I took two Motrin for pain. I took two more later on.

> That evening I went to bed but started getting stomach cramps. I could

not have a bowel movement. All of Fridays food and saturdays was still

there. My wife thought I was having a heart attack as my blood pressure

dropped and I was sweating and pale. So, the paramedics were called and

I spent Sat. night in the local ER. They really couldn't find anything

but guessed my digestive system hadn't restarted after all of the

anestegia.

> Got out Sat evening during the Dolphins debacle. Today I'm up and

around and feeling pretty good. I've eaten regular food today and washed

up. I've gotten a back spasm when I breathe from laying around

> but Aleve seems to be helping. It was probably from watching the

Dolphins from bed. Other than that the pain is quite manageable and I'm

breathing OK. I use the spirometer they gave me to excercise my lungs.

> Probably too much detail but I wanted you to know what some of the

problems can be. I'll probaly go back to work Wed.

> The best of luck to you Mike. If you have any questions, please let me

know.

> I'll see Dr. Nguyen in a week from today. Takes about a week for the

report. I do know that I have scarring and he said he got two good

samples.

> All the best,

> Terre

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks guys for the support.

To Dave, I'm sorry that I called you Mike. My friend Mike had just been here and

the fog of what?... old age...surgery...who knows, made me write the wrong name.

Dr. Nguyen told me, after I told him you had some questions, that we were

originally scheduled for the same day. He said you wimped out for some wedding

or something silly like that. LOL I didn't get to hold the morphine button.

None there. I did get Dalauded (sp.?, artificial morphine) every four to 6

hours.( I don't remember how often)

I'd say that the surgery team was excellent although I don't have any other

surgery experience. I don't know what else they could have done. They all seemed

to be very professional, knowledgeable and interested in my outcome. I'd say

that all of the people through recovery were excellent. The Penthouse room and

the staff there were lacking in a lot of ways. GO TO ICU. Dr. Nguyen can even

discharge you from ICU if he wants.

As for the bowel movement, Dr. Nguyen listened to my bowels and heard the

movement and thought I was doing OK. It was probably the gas rumbling.

Let us know how it goes.

Best of luck to you.

Terre, IPF 6-08, FL

> >

> > First I'd like to thank the well wishers about my VATS procedure.

> Mike, I wanted to get back to you about how things went for me.

> > They cahnged the arrival time to 5:30 vs 5 am. I was sent to pre-op

> after registering. I talked with many people on the sugery team.

> Possibly 10 or more. The anesthesia doctor wanted to use a new procedure

> on me that acts like an epidural for child birth. But, it was higher up

> around the lungs. She explained that it would be 4 shots next to my

> spine starting at the base of my neck and going down along the spine to

> the bottom of the lungs. This would be in addition to the general

> anesthesia. I agreed to the block.

> > I left the prep room at 7:32 for the 7:30 surgery. I remember going

> into the room but the next thing is waking up in recovery at 9:30 am.

> > Dr. Nguyen had said that I would go to ICU after the surgery because

> he wanted to be able to use all of his resources.

> > However, they took me upstairs to a medical floor. Where I didn't get

> my drainage tube hooked up for an hour or anything else either. My wife

> who is a nurse went into action at that time. I'd go to ICU if I had it

> to do over again. It's good to have an advocate with you if you can

> because you are too out of it to know or care what's going on.

> > Later that day near 4 pm, Dr, Nguyen came up to assess me. He didn't

> know why I was upstairs either. I think it was because I talked to Dr.

> Glassberg about helping with fund raising (volunteering)and maybe they

> thought I was going to donate a lot of money. hahahahaha. The floor was

> a penthouse room for just one person. Go to ICU.

> > My drainage was good. I had a lot of pain in my shoulder joint and my

> shoulder blade. When he took out the drainage tube it all went away. I

> stayed over Friday night and was discahrged around 9:30 am Saturday.

> > I was back at the house by noon saturday.

> > I felt good most of saturday until that evening I had some pizza and

> resumed my normal meds. I forgot the lactase enzyme for the cheese on

> the pizza. I took two Motrin for pain. I took two more later on.

> > That evening I went to bed but started getting stomach cramps. I could

> not have a bowel movement. All of Fridays food and saturdays was still

> there. My wife thought I was having a heart attack as my blood pressure

> dropped and I was sweating and pale. So, the paramedics were called and

> I spent Sat. night in the local ER. They really couldn't find anything

> but guessed my digestive system hadn't restarted after all of the

> anestegia.

> > Got out Sat evening during the Dolphins debacle. Today I'm up and

> around and feeling pretty good. I've eaten regular food today and washed

> up. I've gotten a back spasm when I breathe from laying around

> > but Aleve seems to be helping. It was probably from watching the

> Dolphins from bed. Other than that the pain is quite manageable and I'm

> breathing OK. I use the spirometer they gave me to excercise my lungs.

> > Probably too much detail but I wanted you to know what some of the

> problems can be. I'll probaly go back to work Wed.

> > The best of luck to you Mike. If you have any questions, please let me

> know.

> > I'll see Dr. Nguyen in a week from today. Takes about a week for the

> report. I do know that I have scarring and he said he got two good

> samples.

> > All the best,

> > Terre

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Terre,

I am glad everything went ok for you, considering some of the posts on here. I

am courious as to why you needed an epidural when you are getting general

anesthesia. I though an epidoral was only used if you are going to be awake for

the procedure. Please let me know. Should I make sure I have a bowel movement

before I leave the hospital? So you did not have a pathalogist next door to

look at the sample? Dr. Nguyen said that a pathologist would be in the room

next door to make sure that he got a saple of tissue that was diseased and would

be able to give me some sort of preliminary findings after the procedure. I

spoke to at Dr. Nguyen office today and I mentioned that we talked on

the internet. She said I was having my procedure at Memorial and that

you had had yours at different hospital. What's up with that? I will make sure

I get put in the ICU. Hope you are feeling good today. Was it hard to breathe

after the operation? Thanks for all the feedback. Dave

>

> First I'd like to thank the well wishers about my VATS procedure. Mike, I

wanted to get back to you about how things went for me.

> They cahnged the arrival time to 5:30 vs 5 am. I was sent to pre-op after

registering. I talked with many people on the sugery team. Possibly 10 or more.

The anesthesia doctor wanted to use a new procedure on me that acts like an

epidural for child birth. But, it was higher up around the lungs. She explained

that it would be 4 shots next to my spine starting at the base of my neck and

going down along the spine to the bottom of the lungs. This would be in addition

to the general anesthesia. I agreed to the block.

> I left the prep room at 7:32 for the 7:30 surgery. I remember going into the

room but the next thing is waking up in recovery at 9:30 am.

> Dr. Nguyen had said that I would go to ICU after the surgery because he wanted

to be able to use all of his resources.

> However, they took me upstairs to a medical floor. Where I didn't get my

drainage tube hooked up for an hour or anything else either. My wife who is a

nurse went into action at that time. I'd go to ICU if I had it to do over again.

It's good to have an advocate with you if you can because you are too out of it

to know or care what's going on.

> Later that day near 4 pm, Dr, Nguyen came up to assess me. He didn't know why

I was upstairs either. I think it was because I talked to Dr. Glassberg about

helping with fund raising (volunteering)and maybe they thought I was going to

donate a lot of money. hahahahaha. The floor was a penthouse room for just one

person. Go to ICU.

> My drainage was good. I had a lot of pain in my shoulder joint and my shoulder

blade. When he took out the drainage tube it all went away. I stayed over Friday

night and was discahrged around 9:30 am Saturday.

> I was back at the house by noon saturday.

> I felt good most of saturday until that evening I had some pizza and resumed

my normal meds. I forgot the lactase enzyme for the cheese on the pizza. I took

two Motrin for pain. I took two more later on.

> That evening I went to bed but started getting stomach cramps. I could not

have a bowel movement. All of Fridays food and saturdays was still there. My

wife thought I was having a heart attack as my blood pressure dropped and I was

sweating and pale. So, the paramedics were called and I spent Sat. night in the

local ER. They really couldn't find anything but guessed my digestive system

hadn't restarted after all of the anestegia.

> Got out Sat evening during the Dolphins debacle. Today I'm up and around and

feeling pretty good. I've eaten regular food today and washed up. I've gotten a

back spasm when I breathe from laying around

> but Aleve seems to be helping. It was probably from watching the Dolphins from

bed. Other than that the pain is quite manageable and I'm breathing OK. I use

the spirometer they gave me to excercise my lungs.

> Probably too much detail but I wanted you to know what some of the problems

can be. I'll probaly go back to work Wed.

> The best of luck to you Mike. If you have any questions, please let me know.

> I'll see Dr. Nguyen in a week from today. Takes about a week for the report. I

do know that I have scarring and he said he got two good samples.

> All the best,

> Terre

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Dave,

I was not told about a pathol. in the next room. I asked himand he said about a

week for the report. He did say that I had fibrosis and he got two good samples.

I don't know how he determined those two items.

The anestheologist wanted to try this new procedure because it would block the

pain around the lungs for 18 to 24 hrs. You have to have the general because

they put a large tube down your throat into the lung that they are not going to

collapse. It is painful they say and can cause a sore throat for a couple of

days. You can not have that and be awake. My discomfort was gone by the second

day and was not bad at all. I asked for some lozenges but never got them. The

dalauded (sp?) took care of most everything. The pain in my back and side went

away when he took the drainage tube out of my side.

I don't know the difference between Cedars and . It's probably just the

day he is at .

I have not have much of a problem with breathing. You do have oxygen

continuously after the operation. They check your stats pretty regularly. I went

to the bathroom by myself on Friday night and forgot to hook it back up when I

got back to bed. I noticed in the morning and put it back on.

The BM is up to you and how your system operates. It would have meant another

day for me, but I had to put it in at Bethesda in Boynton Beach anyway. Maybe

they could GENTLY induce one. I finally had to ask the nurse to cut down on the

fluids as I was going large amounts every 30 mins.

My air intake has gone from 500 ml the first evening to 1250 ml today.

It has increased about 500 ml per day. I'm going to work tomorrow at noon.

I'll also call Dr. Glassberg to see when the results will be ready.

Ask anything else you can think of.

It was all a pain until Sunday, but yesterday and today have been good. Like a

lot of us I don't do sick good. lol

Terre

> >

> > First I'd like to thank the well wishers about my VATS procedure. Mike, I

wanted to get back to you about how things went for me.

> > They cahnged the arrival time to 5:30 vs 5 am. I was sent to pre-op after

registering. I talked with many people on the sugery team. Possibly 10 or more.

The anesthesia doctor wanted to use a new procedure on me that acts like an

epidural for child birth. But, it was higher up around the lungs. She explained

that it would be 4 shots next to my spine starting at the base of my neck and

going down along the spine to the bottom of the lungs. This would be in addition

to the general anesthesia. I agreed to the block.

> > I left the prep room at 7:32 for the 7:30 surgery. I remember going into the

room but the next thing is waking up in recovery at 9:30 am.

> > Dr. Nguyen had said that I would go to ICU after the surgery because he

wanted to be able to use all of his resources.

> > However, they took me upstairs to a medical floor. Where I didn't get my

drainage tube hooked up for an hour or anything else either. My wife who is a

nurse went into action at that time. I'd go to ICU if I had it to do over again.

It's good to have an advocate with you if you can because you are too out of it

to know or care what's going on.

> > Later that day near 4 pm, Dr, Nguyen came up to assess me. He didn't know

why I was upstairs either. I think it was because I talked to Dr. Glassberg

about helping with fund raising (volunteering)and maybe they thought I was going

to donate a lot of money. hahahahaha. The floor was a penthouse room for just

one person. Go to ICU.

> > My drainage was good. I had a lot of pain in my shoulder joint and my

shoulder blade. When he took out the drainage tube it all went away. I stayed

over Friday night and was discahrged around 9:30 am Saturday.

> > I was back at the house by noon saturday.

> > I felt good most of saturday until that evening I had some pizza and resumed

my normal meds. I forgot the lactase enzyme for the cheese on the pizza. I took

two Motrin for pain. I took two more later on.

> > That evening I went to bed but started getting stomach cramps. I could not

have a bowel movement. All of Fridays food and saturdays was still there. My

wife thought I was having a heart attack as my blood pressure dropped and I was

sweating and pale. So, the paramedics were called and I spent Sat. night in the

local ER. They really couldn't find anything but guessed my digestive system

hadn't restarted after all of the anestegia.

> > Got out Sat evening during the Dolphins debacle. Today I'm up and around and

feeling pretty good. I've eaten regular food today and washed up. I've gotten a

back spasm when I breathe from laying around

> > but Aleve seems to be helping. It was probably from watching the Dolphins

from bed. Other than that the pain is quite manageable and I'm breathing OK. I

use the spirometer they gave me to excercise my lungs.

> > Probably too much detail but I wanted you to know what some of the problems

can be. I'll probaly go back to work Wed.

> > The best of luck to you Mike. If you have any questions, please let me know.

> > I'll see Dr. Nguyen in a week from today. Takes about a week for the report.

I do know that I have scarring and he said he got two good samples.

> > All the best,

> > Terre

> >

>