Hosptial check in is 8:00 am

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all!

Yesterday was a busy day with an early start. I got to the hospital promptly at

8:30 as requested, slightly frazzeled after having to be delayed by an

accident on the way (not me), and being stuck in traffic for 15 minutes. I

don't

know why I was so concerned about being on time, especially when once I

checked in at the registration desk, they kept me waiting there in the empty

waiting room for 25 minutes! Don't you just hate that?

After signing my name multiple times on the admitting forms, (which I never

read and probably agreed to mortgage my house if I couldn't pay), they sent

me in to my interview with the pre-admissions coordinator. This was all a new

process for me, as I've never gone into the hospital through the front

door.....lol! It's always been through the emergency room where ya don't

have to go through all that hassle, or you're so out of it in pain that you

don't

realize what's going on! In the interview we went over my complete medical

and physical history, discussing any surgeries I'd had and each and every

medication that I take, and my reactions to all. That alone took half an hour,

and then I was off to the lab for bloodwork. Once that was done, it was

across the hall to meet with the anesthesist, where we once again went over

my past surgeries and drug history. Once the doctor discovered that I'd had

a cardiac stress test and passed with flying colors a year and a half ago, he

said he didn't need any more information. Funny thing is, I didn't even have

any documentation confirming that, he just took my word for it!

I asked him if he would be the one assigned to my surgery, and he said he

didn't know, it could be him or one of three other doctors. He was cute and

very personable, so it would be nice if it is him. I asked him about the pain

that I might expect to experience afterward, because no one else has really

volunteered any information about that, and I'd really like to know what to

expect. He said for me not to worry about it, they would be treating me with

morphine in my IV, and that they'd make sure I wasn't having any discomfort.

He also said that the dental surgeon would prescribe suitable medication for

afterwards, but I really don't know what they could give me that would

work......having the patch already, and my BT meds.....but my BT meds,

which is Oxycodone, haven't helped to subdue this tooth pain at all last week.

I tried a couple times, doubling my dosage, (which my PM doc said I could do

whenever I needed to), and it didn't even dent the tooth pain. So I'm really

curious to find out how they plan to treat this, or whether I'm just going to

have to suffer through it.

The plan, which changed again since my earlier update, is for me to go into

the hospital and be admitted at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I'm not

supposed to eat or drink after midnight tonight, and not take any insulin after

my 10:30 pm shot of Lantus. Once I get there at 8, I'm supposed to meet up

with the hospitalist, Dr. Meyer, and do whatever more tests need to be done

prior to surgery. The operating room has my name on it for 12 o'clock, so I

hope no one's going to be angry for my upsetting their lunch hour. The

doctor has ordered that I have 23 hour observation, so I will be spending the

night tomorrow at the Hilton Head Regional Medical Center.....not my favorite

hospital! With a 23 hour observation, and a check-in of 8:00 am, that means

that they're going to have to discharge me by 7:00 am Friday morning. I

really don't see the logic in this, you'd think they would admit me about an

hour before the surgery, giving them more time for observation afterwards,

and a later release time on Friday. For some reason, I just can't see that

they're going to have someone available to do the check-out process that

early in the morning.

I know that the nurses are going to want to mess around with my meds and

my insulin, and I do wish that they'd let me take care of my insulin needs on

my own. I hope they don't order up a whole slew of my daily meds, and then

send me a bill for all of the stuff at their cost.....Last time I was in this

hospital

the med charges were over $5,000, just for six days! I'm hoping that as a

same day surgery patient, I can take and use my own stuff. That's one thing I

didn't think to ask about, so I think I'll call the pre-admissions coordinator

and

find out today.

That's the plan. Please wish me luck! I'm always on edge whenever I have

to be sedated, and KNOW that I'm looking at some serious pain afterwards,

so a prayer or two wouldn't hurt, either. I can already feel those stress bugs

creeping up on me....those pre-surgery jitters, I'm sure you all know what I

mean....... I'll be back online as soon as I feel up to it on Friday, showing

off

a nice, big, bright smile!

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina State Rep.

SE Regional Rep., PAI

http://pancassociation.org/anthology.htm#Heidi

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion,

and should not be substituted for consultation with a medical professional.