DATE SET!!! JAN 15th!!!!

[Enudely]

Hi everyone. My surgery date is finally set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 15th. My pre-op day is the 12th. I am so relieved to finally know WHEN! I am leaving for a two week trip to Massachusetts (a compromise from Guatemala) to visit my family on the 22nd. I get back on the 3rd and have a week and a half to buy pajamas, clean my house, eat healthy foods and exercise before the big day. I'm still trying to get over my Cath. My leg still hurts and I've barely moved since Tuesday. I'm starting to feel sort of depressed. Tommorow, I have to go back to work no matter what (couldn't find a substitute) so hopefully Ibuprofen will work (I have a slow day on Wed anyway). Last night, I asked the surgeon (who, by the way is a REALLY nice guy!) to look at my groin and he thought there might be a psuedo-anyeurism (sp?) so he had me get an ultrasound. There wasn't. Mine is the mystery pain.
My surgeon has done 5 or 6 THOUSAND surgeries and 7 or 8 HUNDRED aortic valve replacements!!!! Good thing there's no such thing as an overqualified surgeon!!!
anyway I think I'll take a Vicodin and watch a movie now!
-Elena

 

[Kenny F]

Better save those Vicodin - I have become a junkie (down to 3 a day - only 6 day supply left!) They wouldn't give up the Percoset RX outside the hospital - now there's a good drug!

Glad to hear everything is working out. The surgeon is certainly experienced. We will be praying for good favor and great results!

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Elena,
Glad to hear you have a date set. Sounds like you are going to be in good hands. Have fun watching your movies. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Take Care

Hey Kenny,
They gave me a RX for percoset. I have some left, want me to send them to you? LOL

Dave
____________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical

 

[Ross]

What a bunch of lightweights. Torodol, Demerol, and Versed is the way to go! Put your little sissy pills away.

I put you on the calendar. It's official now, so don't go doing something to screw it up. I'll certainly being praying for you and a speedy recovery to boot.

 

[Nancy]

Glad you have a date, Elena. It won't be hanging over your head much longer. Sounds like you have some busy times ahead and that's a good thing

Take care,

 

[dwfreck]

Elena,

Congratulations on the date. It looks like you'll be leaving the waiting room before I do; I'm still hoping for a February date, so I can watch the college bowls and still remember them AND cash in the two mid-winter federal holidays at work!

 

[Kathy]

Elena,

It's great that you have a date for surgery. I'm glad that you will get to take a trip to MA and visit with your family over the holidays. I hope that they keep you so busy that you won't have time to think.

I'll be going to NY to visit family at Christmas. It's my first trip since surgery so I am really looking forward to getting away.

 

[Georgia]

Elena, I think Mass is a GREAT compromise for Guatemala. And what a great time of year to be in Mass - it's about the perfect Christmas place.

I'm so glad you're finally going to get this taken care of. I remember watching your posts on webmd and felt so sorry for you as you tried and tried to get help and insurance, etc. You've really come a long way; your determination is an inspiration.

Have a good holiday and enjoy the next few weeks.

 

[stormrev]

Hi Elena

I'm also waiting for AVR surgery and hope to find out next week whether it will be in January or February.

I'm in Melbourne Australia and we are approaching our warmest months - it was 95 yesterday and getting hotter!

I spent some years studying in Texas back in the eighties and have fond memories of travelling across the States and seeing all kinds of interesting places.

My original home is New Zealand and we have been here in Austrlai for seven years now.

Kind regards

Grant

 

[Enudely]

Hey all
Georgia, as much as I would love to take credit for all that stuff, I think you've got me mixed up with someone else!!!! I don't even know what webmd is!!!! Oh well, It's definitely true I worked hard to get my insurance though!!!
Grant, I've never been to Australia or New Zealand (But The Lord Of The Rings is one of my favorite movies with GREAT shots of New Zealand!!!)!!!
One more week after this one of work, then I go to Mass, then a week and a half before surgery! Crazy! I'm sure it's going to creep up quickly on me!!!
I just wish my damn groin would heal (from the catheterization) so that I could exercise. I've been a convalescent for seven days now!!!

 

[MarciaB]

Elena,

I'm so happy you got your date. The time will go by faster than you think. So sorry you still hurt from the cath, I can say with experience that you've probably been through the worst of it already.

Marcia

 

[Neil R]

Date Set

Date Set

I am glad to hear you date is set.
I believe planningso you could celebrate the Holidays with family and friends is great.

Best of luck and God speed.

 

[medtronic of borg]

LOL at Ross

LOL at Ross

LOL at Ross...I was in a sleding accident once and broke my left arm, two ribs and cracked my sternium and one of my vertibres and rupptured a kidney. They couldn't figure out were the back pain was coming from. A Dr. I had worked with was working ER that night. At one point he looked down at me and asked what I wanted for the pain, what was my drug of choice. Well with a chuckle I said , if I get to choose ...moraphine please. He leaned over me looking down into my face. Your not that hurt be resonable. You know I dont know what my second choice was but I got it. Boy does internal bleeding ever hurt!!!!!

Med

PS they never determined if all the pain I was in was my fractured vertabre or my kidney.

 

[MelissaM]

Enudely,

Good luck as you prepare for surgery.

What a bunch of lightweights. Torodol, Demerol, and Versed is the way to go! Put your little sissy pills away.

Hmmm. Funny story about Versed - the drug that supposedly relaxes you. The first (and last!) time they gave it to me was to do a TEE. I had what you call a "paradoxical reaction," meaning instead of calming me down, it made me agitated (read: violent). It took six doctors to hold me down. Somewhere, deep in my subconcious, I musta wanted to get back at the docs who poked and prodded me to pieces.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Enudely wrote:

"Tommorow, I have to go back to work no matter what (couldn't find a substitute) so hopefully Ibuprofen will work (I have a slow day on Wed anyway). Last night, I asked the surgeon (who, by the way is a REALLY nice guy!) to look at my groin and he thought there might be a psuedo-anyeurism (sp?) so he had me get an ultrasound. There wasn't"

Be VERY careful with your groin if you are having pain. I've have MANY cath's and ONE HUGE HEMATOMA where blood leaks under the skin. It was the size of a Hostess Twinkie. How did I get it you ask? I went Back To Work TOO EARLY, mostly SITTING in my office. It took at least a week, maybe two, to subside. It is best to take a few extra days with a lot of time laying down or resting in a recliner with legs stretched out, NOT sitting upright.

'AL'

 

[mamsram]

Enudely, Best wishes to you for an easier follow thru.

I didn't think the cath. was a pleasant thing and after, my groin area had black and blue the size of two twinkies side by side. It looked UGLY but I kept an eagle eye on it because I know that its a big important artery and problems can be serious.
I read somewhere, maybe here, that a person at a hospital near me had a cath. and they perforated the artery and didn't know it. He had an area like a girdle around his middle that was black and blue. He ended up in the hospital a couple of weeks to take care of the problem. So, be careful, be happy and God speed to an easy recoop.

 

[Enudely]

Luckily, the area has almost totally healed up! It took forever! I pretty much sat in my recliner chair for a week and a half, luckily (I guess) I was in too much pain to do much else.
Surgery is in twelve days!! The tension is building.
I have my recliner and my hand held shower nozzle.......

 

[rissy]

I wanted to become a member so I could be involved in my sisters support group. I have to say, this group has been as benificial to me as it has been to my sister. I have learned alot from all of you and know that you have given my sister a degree of comfort and strength to move forward with this surgery. When she got the date set....I found that she had to comfort me more then I had to comfort her. She is definitaly as prepared as she can be and I think much of that has to do with this group of people. Thank you for being there for her.

Sis, you have grown into a beautiful, strong woman and I love you very much!

I'll keep you all updated after the surgery.

Rissy

 

[Ross]

Welcome aboard Rissy

I trust you'll be keeping us up to date as the event unfolds?

 

[Shelba]

Elena, you'll be in my thoughts.