waiting for surgery

[Guest guest]

I really lucked out in my waiting time. I was tenativly scheduled

for Oct-Nov due tothe surgeons busy calneda. I recieved a call on

March 30 asking if I would be available on April 7. Uh.....yep!

They had a cancellation. I am sorry for the person who had a death

in their family, but I am happy for me. Cuz my son is getting

Married this Saturday and I will be able to dance at his wedding!!!

My doctor recycled my own blood during and after surgery for a

while, so I did not have to donate. My mother, differant doctor,

same town did have to donate her blood and they used it.

Valeri

[Guest guest]

Lots of luck for your son's wedding!! Charlotte in CTValeri <vjshoem@...> wrote:

I really lucked out in my waiting time. I was tenativly scheduled for Oct-Nov due tothe surgeons busy calneda. I recieved a call on March 30 asking if I would be available on April 7. Uh.....yep! They had a cancellation. I am sorry for the person who had a death in their family, but I am happy for me. Cuz my son is getting Married this Saturday and I will be able to dance at his wedding!!! My doctor recycled my own blood during and after surgery for a while, so I did not have to donate. My mother, differant doctor, same town did have to donate her blood and they used it.Valeri

[Guest guest]

I really lucked out in my waiting time. I was tentatively scheduled for Oct-Nov due to the surgeon's busy calendar. I received a call on March 30 asking if I would be available on April 7. Uh.....yep!

Now that was a blessing indeed! Good for you! They had a cancellation. I am sorry for the person who had a death in their family, but I am happy for me. Cuz my son is getting married this Saturday and I will be able to dance at his wedding!!! Congratulations on the addition to your family of a beloved daughter.

Marge

He lives!

[Guest guest]

Hi Marge,

I just wanted to say I'm happy you can dance at your Sons wedding I wish you and your Son the best of Luck. Susiemarge <palybami@...> wrote:

I really lucked out in my waiting time. I was tentatively scheduled for Oct-Nov due to the surgeon's busy calendar. I received a call on March 30 asking if I would be available on April 7. Uh.....yep!

Now that was a blessing indeed! Good for you! They had a cancellation. I am sorry for the person who had a death in their family, but I am happy for me. Cuz my son is getting married this Saturday and I will be able to dance at his wedding!!! Congratulations on the addition to your family of a beloved daughter.

Marge

He lives!

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry you had frustration getting someone to listen to you.

When is surgery scheduled for? What sort of hearing trouble is he having? How old is your son? Had he had a lot of ear infections or drainage from his ear?

There isn't a lot of pre-op to do for the surgery. Give a good bath and hair washing the night before, but your doctor will give you instructions on what to do both pre and post operation.

Good luck and ask any questions you can think of, we'll give our experience and then you will have a list of things to ask your doctor so that you are as comfortable with your child having this surgery as you can be.

My son is 5 and had surgery in January. He is doing great, almost no pain at all at this point, he is still cautious putting a shirt over his head but I think that is more psychological than actual pain. His scar is healing nicely, he has had a haircut since the surgery and didn't react when they moved his ear to cut hair behind it. (I had warned our regular barber about it and he was totally great). downtime after surgery was low for Miles. He had a very long surgery of 5 hours 45 minutes of actual surgery time so over 6 hours under anestesia...He recovered from that very nicely, a little sick to his stomach but never threw up, slight headache which they medicated for. He was pretty out of it for the first and second day but then was doing really well with a couple high spikes in pain but nothing too extreme. He took one week off of school but wanted to go back on Friday...His hearing is not at all better at this point but we go in next month to check things out again.

Joycelyn

On 2/18/06, catdivine02 <catdivine02@...> wrote:

Hello my name is . My son has choloesteatoma and is waiting for his surgery. Is there anything I should look out for. It been years that he had this problem and no one found the problem until now. I'm glad to know that i was not going crazy. He would have problems hearing and I was told it was only wax buildup or a ear infection. Thank god for the doctor who actually to took time to listen to me .

[Guest guest]

> >

> > Hello my name is . My son has choloesteatoma and is waiting

for

> > his surgery. Is there anything I should look out for. It been

years

> > that he had this problem and no one found the problem until now.

I'm

> > glad to know that i was not going crazy. He would have problems

hearing

> > and I was told it was only wax buildup or a ear infection. Thank

god

> > for the doctor who actually to took time to listen to me .

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn, no, I certainly don't want to be bedridden or even

wheelchair bound because of all the animals counting on me to care for

them. You are lucky indeed to have a sister in law coming to stay

with you after your surgery. That's another reason that I'm hesitant

to get my RTKR as I don't have anyone able to stay with me

afterwards. My neighbour was willing to come to feed my dogs, bird

and fish while I was in the hospital but now he has to have open heart

surgery and of course won't be available. The way things are going

though, it might be long enough for me to get my date that he will be

better but we'll have to wait to see if that will happen. My doctor

did say one should wait as long as possible before getting the

surgery, I'm not sure if I've waited long enough or not yet.

Good luck on the 31st!

Sylvie Hanna

, BC Canada

On 3-Jul-08, at 6:01 PM, Lynn Badler wrote:

> Dear Sylvie,

> As the people on this thread a long time, I've been here for 6 years

> avoiding surgery because I am one of those " alternative health only "

> people ...But to grow old actively you have to be able to walk and be

> involved in life and lately I've found my hip is holding me back. So

> I found the best surgeon and hospital I could and I " m going through

> with the surgery (right hip replacement) July 31st. I am very lucky

> in that my sister in law, who is like my sister, is traveling 1500

> miles to spend two weeks with me: 3 days in hospital, (I want her to

> keep an eye on things as she is a nurse) 5 in rehab and then 7 at

> home. It will be wonderful to have her help and her companionship

> and a new hip!

> Good luck to you in making the right decision: remember you want to

> be able to continue with your life, not be bedridden.

> Lynn

>

>>

>> Dear SueW,

>>

>> Many thanks for taking the time to explain about joint replacement

>> surgeries. My doctor says I need it, my kids think I've needed it

> 15

>> years ago but I'm very leary. I'm waiting on a 'date' for RTKR

> but

>> don't know if I'm going to go through with it or not.

>>

>> Yesterday, I woke up and tried to stand and found I couldn't put

> any

>> weight at all on my right leg. The pain was real bad and thank

>> goodness I keep crutches by the head of the bed or I'd never have

> made

>> it to the bathroom. Slowly, my knee returned to normal (just pain

> but

>> at least I can walk a little again). I just have to be able to

> care

>> for my four dogs, one amazon parrot, a large aquarium and many

> outdoor

>> feeders for the birds, squirrels and deer that visit and brighten

> my

>> day. Most days I can do this but hate to think of many days when

> this

>> not being able to bear weight might happen again.

>>

>> I live alone so when something happens like that, I'm very

> scared.

>> This is one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make and

> I'm

>> still am on the fence about whether to have the surgery or not.

> I'm

>> saving your e-mail as it contains many good points both for and

> against.

>>

>> Thanks again,

>> Sylvie Hanna

>> , BC

>>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

In Canada don't they let you have home care after a surgery, I mean

with your " free " health care system? Most insurance companies do

here in the US.

I think most OSs mean keep your natural knee as long as possible

unless it is negatively effecting your quality of life.

Hollie

> Hi Lynn, no, I certainly don't want to be bedridden or even

> wheelchair bound because of all the animals counting on me to care

for

> them. You are lucky indeed to have a sister in law coming to stay

> with you after your surgery. That's another reason that I'm

hesitant

> to get my RTKR as I don't have anyone able to stay with me

> afterwards. My neighbour was willing to come to feed my dogs,

bird

> and fish while I was in the hospital but now he has to have open

heart

> surgery and of course won't be available. The way things are

going

> though, it might be long enough for me to get my date that he will

be

> better but we'll have to wait to see if that will happen. My

doctor

> did say one should wait as long as possible before getting the

> surgery, I'm not sure if I've waited long enough or not yet.

>

> Good luck on the 31st!

> Sylvie Hanna

> , BC Canada

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Hollie, yes, I think there is home care available but I've been

told they don't like coming to multi dog homes. Of course when I get

a date I'm going to check it out. Well, both my knees are negatively

affecting my quality of life but they are planning to do my right knee

even though I keep telling them it's the left one that hurts the

most. They say the x-rays show the right knee is shot. I feel lucky

than I can still move around the house but going shopping is getting a

lot harder so I guess I really should get it done. 8-( I don't think

we have any choice at all in what they put in for a knee replacement

and seeing as we don't pay anything for it I guess we can't complain

too much. My doctor did give me the option of getting a newer/better

knee cap at a cost of approx. $1,000 my money which I said I'd go for

because I do want the best. The 'free' insurance only covers the

common knee cap (which the doctor said is just fine for most people

anyway.) After reading all the different types of replacements I

think I should make an appointment to see him again to discuss some of

these things I've learned about here. The book he gave me on 'Your

Total Knee Replacement " is covered in notes aout the different options

and types of knees. Will be interesting to see if any are available

up here.

Sylvie Hanna

, BC

On 4-Jul-08, at 9:59 AM, Hollie wrote:

> In Canada don't they let you have home care after a surgery, I mean

> with your " free " health care system? Most insurance companies do

> here in the US.

>

> I think most OSs mean keep your natural knee as long as possible

> unless it is negatively effecting your quality of life.

>

> Hollie

[Guest guest]

I don't know of any insurance company that provides home health care

24/7. One might be provided with a visiting nurse or in=home PT visits

but that is really not adequate for most people immediately after

discharge.

Most insurance companies (and Medicare) will provide for admission to

a rehab facility after discharge from the hospital if it is deemed

medically necessary -- generally it would be for joint replacement

(especially knee replacement) especially if there is no caretaker at

home. My experience is that if one lives alone and WANTS it, then a

doctor will be able to get someone placed in a rehab facility -- the

Catch 22 is of course that most people prefer to be at home rather

than a rehab facility.

Realistically someone will need someone in the house after knee

surgery and perhaps for hip replacement (but for a shorter) period of

time.

I think the advice about waiting as long as possible must be taken in

context -- Once pain is preventing one from participating in life,

it's foolish to put it off. While that means different things for

different people, I personally couldn't see NOT having surgery if the

alternative was a wheelchair, cane or steady doses of strong pain

killers -- ask oneself what is one NOT doing because of the pain.

It is often insidious because one forgets that one used to do more in

less pain because it is so gradual.

> In Canada don't they let you have home care after a surgery, I mean

> with your " free " health care system? Most insurance companies do

> here in the US.

>

> I think most OSs mean keep your natural knee as long as possible

> unless it is negatively effecting your quality of life.

>

> Hollie

>

> > Hi Lynn, no, I certainly don't want to be bedridden or even

> > wheelchair bound because of all the animals counting on me to care

> for

> > them. You are lucky indeed to have a sister in law coming to stay

> > with you after your surgery. That's another reason that I'm

> hesitant

> > to get my RTKR as I don't have anyone able to stay with me

> > afterwards. My neighbour was willing to come to feed my dogs,

> bird

> > and fish while I was in the hospital but now he has to have open

> heart

> > surgery and of course won't be available. The way things are

> going

> > though, it might be long enough for me to get my date that he will

> be

> > better but we'll have to wait to see if that will happen. My

> doctor

> > did say one should wait as long as possible before getting the

> > surgery, I'm not sure if I've waited long enough or not yet.

> >

> > Good luck on the 31st!

> > Sylvie Hanna

> > , BC Canada

> >

>

>

>