Post-Op Companions

[Guest guest]

Hi,

As a night nurse perhaps I can shed a little light on the help

situation.

Nurses are people--some care a lot, some average, some not much at

all, and a few should be in a different field altogether! If a

patient let's the staff know their personal situation I feel it

helps. Especially in this day of less staff and sicker patients,

every staff member is stretched thin. Day shift is staffed the

heaviest--most hospitals use 12 hour shifts now--and nights the

lightest. So, a companion will be more helpful on evenings or nights

(3P-7A). An evening sitter can help with the bath (who says baths

have to be done in the AM?), helping you to ambulate, and putting you

to bed. The main thing on nights is waiting for pain meds. This is

easily addressed with with doctor, better yet the anesthesiolgist.

Have an epidural for the first 24-48 hours and a PCA for the next 24-

48 hours for open surgeries. Lap procedures should do fine with just

the PCA (patient controlled analgesia--you push the button, but be

sure they give you a continuous dose also, and the pain will never

get out of control--just make sure the continuous rate takes your

high BMI into mind and gives you enough). For open procedures and a

high BMI a Foley catheter until at least the morning after surgery

will help a lot. After that, you should be getting up walking to the

bathroom anyway! PCA pumps use Demerol, Morphine and Fentanyl (the

latter is the best in my opinion, Demerol is the least effective pain

med we have). If you are told " it can't be done " you should insist.

(My Mom had to have an aortic bypass graft and the surgeon said he

had never used an epidural post op--I told him it was time he

started, he did, and my mom thanks me.)

Best of luck to us all,

Dianne

Pre-Approval

BCBS Basic Option (Federal)

BMI 44