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Posted 10/13/2006 8:17 AM (GMT -7)
Had a pre-op appointment with my surgeon, then pre-registered at the hospital yesterday. Scheduled for surgery next Friday. Sure am looking forward to the surgery/hospital stage being over.

Has anyone done a top ten things to take to the hospital list? They told me robe and slippers and something like pajama bottoms to wear home.

 

Posted 10/13/2006 9:46 AM (GMT -7)
That's great news! Now you can start countdown mode, instead of waiting mode. You really won't need much, because with the catheter, most of it's just a hassle, anyway. My husband just stayed in a hospital gown until the next morning. They put him special no-skid socks before surgery and he kept those on, too. To leave, we strapped on the leg bag, a pair of baggy pants, big T-shirt, moccasins, and got him to the hotel. There, he just took everything off, put the overnight bag back on, and went straight to bed.
Posted 10/13/2006 10:38 AM (GMT -7)
Thank you so much for your kind words on my post.

My husband and I will be praying for you....for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

Blessings, Sara

Posted 10/13/2006 11:14 AM (GMT -7)
Good luck!

I'd reccommend a couple of kinds of surgical tape.   They have all kinds at the hospital, but I also got my own at home.   It took me a day or two to figure out how to "arrange" the catheter tube for maximum comfort, and less tugging.   Big baggy, silk boxer shorts seemed to work the best.

I didn't have the Davinci procedure, mine was tradtional.   I'd recommend seeing if the doctor will give you your prescription to pain killers BEFORE you check out so you can get it filled at the hospital pharmacy.   I was on a demeriol dirp all day, but it wore off before I could get my vicodin filled....kind of hurt....maybe the daVinci method is less painful (mine wans't that bad, and I was off pain killers in a week).

For post-hospital, if you can get your hands on a walker (the kind with wheels on the back), get one.  It's perfect for hanging the night bag of the catheter.   You don't have to screw around hanging it on the bed and its a lot easier to move around the house without switching to the leg bag.  Also, I found having a little plastic bag to put around the catheter bag was a good idea, too.   Thay way my wife and daughter weren't staring at a bag of urine when I was in the room.

You'll do great....just warm-up the la-z-boy at home and you'll be back to normal before you know it!

 

Posted 10/13/2006 3:15 PM (GMT -7)

Hi Dawgfan,

The best thing I brought for my husband was a pillow in the car for the ride home.  We had about a 70 mile drive ahead of us and he just put the seat back and slept.  You'll do fine.  It's like you said, you just want to get it over with, "The waiting is the hardest part" (Tom Petty!!!)

Good luck to you and wishing you the best,

Posted 10/13/2006 3:45 PM (GMT -7)
Hi Dawgfan,

Soon you will be done with this surgery that has been the focus of your life for the past few months. The doctor will tell you everything is ready, and you're going to do just fine. Maybe he'll say, "count backwards from 10...", and the next thing will be the nurse standing over you in recovery. It is so fast; it's like it never happened. Then you'll wonder, "Did I get my moneys worth?"

So the very best to you, and post us when you can.

Glen
Posted 10/13/2006 4:45 PM (GMT -7)
Dawgfan,

My pre-op and post-op suggestions would include ....

Next size larger boxers and next size bigger jeans or pants with a couple pairs of suspenders. Won't need them till the cathreter is removed (unless you want to put a slit in them) but the swelling will make you appreciate them when you get up and about. I wore my "big" PJ bottoms and a "big" shirt home from hospital and at home for a couple weeks. Need to get up and walk but I didn't go out much at first.

Our hospital supplied a "cough" pillow but if they don't you will definitely need one. Coughs, sneezes, and hiccups are "deadly".

At home a recliner or an electric riser chair is real nice. My mom's is kept here. It was indispensable for the first couple weeks after surgery. It was almost three weeks til I could sleep flat comfortably in bed after laproscopic surgery.

A "roller" walker was also nice at the toilet stool, it is a long way down and back up with a "painfully" weak belly. Use you arms not your belly. Regularity and a "soft stool" are your friend.

You will find out too if you have any allergic reaction to tape. Warm water towel soaks and careful removal are required for removal of the surgical tape and tape related to the Foley cathreter.

Most important though is postive thoughts and positive thinking, my wife and I said up front we were in this together and we would do whatever we needed to do and would leave no options unexamined. We read everything we could find, everything others brought us, and then discussed them with our doctors. We both believe a second opinion, open discussion, and jointly making a firm decision about the direction we were taking are important. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and remember it is your body and the final decision is yours. Then find your "expert" doctor and go for it.

As someone else said keep a journal, write everything down and write down those questions for the doctors and listen to people you meet along the way. Everyone has opinions and there are a lot of options so writing everything down makes it easier sometimes to sort out fact from opinion.

This "blog" or chat is full of caring and loving people that all share the same fate and fears you have. Sharing and helping others is the key to releasing some of those fears and feeling better.


Keep us posted we will be praying for you,
Posted 10/14/2006 5:22 AM (GMT -7)
Dawgfan,

another countdown going! it seems that this journey is full of them. Jeff just had his first day without a pad yesterday and everything was fine.

I took things with me that he didn't use (like PJs and slippers). he also stayed in the hosp gown and wore their socks. they even supplied the lip balm. he did read a little bit but wasn't there long enough to do much other than sleep and walk. to come home he wore XL soft cotton shorts, a big T-shirt and slippers. until the catheter was taken out, he wore the same things and the hosp socks. he just carried around his bag and never used the leg bag until he went to have the catheter out. he had a leg strap and didn't use tape. it seems that every doctor/hospital is different. make the best of this last week! soon you'll be on the "other side." the only thing we would have done differently would been to have sex every day. :) also, if you have a significant other, keep the communication open. even after 30 years of being together, Jeff and I are finding that this a new journey and sometimes it's hard to talk about what we're feeling. but it's so important! take care, kat
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