Surgery delayed- anxiety ramping up!

[JH51]

The timescale I was given for my valve replacement/x3 arterial bypasses in October- “ within the next three months” is hurtling by, with no sign of a date yet.
I had to let the surgeon’s office know of any potential no-go dates so sadly, when my sister passed away last week I called to let them know the funeral date.
I took advantage of the call to ask about progress up the list .
Apparently I’m not near the top,& as they’ve had a ‘very difficult few weeks’ with emergencies& patients staying longer in ICU than planned, they were under some pressure.
My three month window is the end of January,& her best guess was ‘well into the New Year’
Needless to say, this news did nothing for my blood pressure or anxiety level,& and I was slightly mollified to be reassured that my surgeon ‘ must be confident and happy for me to wait at home rather than as an inpatient’ .

Thanks for letting me sound off-my inner battle now is not to molly coddle myself,& try to stay active and positive but my sister’s passing is a stark reminder of our mortality and I’m impatient to get this sorted so I can get on with my life, and enjoy our grandchildren growing up: especially little Ottillie who was born just days before my sister’s death. Talk about the circle of life!

 

[dick0236]

Thanks for letting me sound off-my inner battle now is not to molly coddle myself,& try to stay active and positive but my sister’s passing is a stark reminder of our mortality and I’m impatient to get this sorted so I can get on with my life, and enjoy our grandchildren growing up: especially little Ottillie who was born just days before my sister’s death. Talk about the circle of life!

"molly coddle" is a new phrasing to me and I like it. I can understand your frustration with the potential delay in getting your surgery done. The before-surgery time allows us unwanted time to worry about all of the "what-ifs. Hopefully, your surgery will come ASAP and you will have this behind you.

 

[pellicle]

Good morning

so first of all "thats just a mess" . I believe that financially the UK wasn't doing well before COVID / Brexit and had barely caught its breath after Lehman Brothers. As I understand it the NHS was pared back to a "just in time" organisation with respect to its delivery and is still suffering from strains (COVID) which it hasn't yet fully caught up with. Not that knowing any of that makes your position easier.

The timescale I was given for my valve replacement/x3 arterial bypasses in October- “ within the next three months” is hurtling by, with no sign of a date yet.

something I learned long ago was to simply not think about it. I've already set in place (with the assistance of others) everything that is needed. So when you have that clockwork in place (and the only unknown is time) then disregard it and wait ... perhaps (as you are doing) tap it now and then to make sure its not stuck and still knows you're there.

I had to let the surgeon’s office know of any potential no-go dates so sadly, when my sister passed away last week I called to let them know the funeral date.

very sorry to hear of that ... adapting to life after the death of a loved one takes time. It can effect your health too, so please make sure you aren't letting that happen.

I took advantage of the call to ask about progress up the list .

good

Apparently I’m not near the top,& as they’ve had a ‘very difficult few weeks’ with emergencies& patients staying longer in ICU than planned, they were under some pressure.

... with a team that probably needs more staff than it has.

My three month window is the end of January,& her best guess was ‘well into the New Year’
Needless to say, this news did nothing for my blood pressure or anxiety level,& and I was slightly mollified to be reassured that my surgeon ‘ must be confident and happy for me to wait at home rather than as an inpatient’ .

well I can assure you, nobody wants to be waiting in a hospital (if you know what's good for you).

Thanks for letting me sound off-my inner battle

not at all ... its good to speak and perchance even get some nugget of worthfulness back (or just as you say get it off your chest).

That's pretty much what this groups for.

but my sister’s passing is a stark reminder of our mortality and I’m impatient to get this sorted so I can get on with my life, and enjoy our grandchildren growing up:

I too had a difficult time surrounding my last OHS ... perhaps start the story here.

I'm sure that its rough right now, but it will eventually even out in time. Feel free to reach out by PM if you feel inclined (GMT +10 here)

Best Wishes

 

[3mm]

I'm very sorry to hear about your delay. Please continue the activities that you enjoy. Focus on the positives!

 

[carolinemc]

The timescale I was given for my valve replacement/x3 arterial bypasses in October- “ within the next three months” is hurtling by, with no sign of a date yet.
I had to let the surgeon’s office know of any potential no-go dates so sadly, when my sister passed away last week I called to let them know the funeral date.
I took advantage of the call to ask about progress up the list .
Apparently I’m not near the top,& as they’ve had a ‘very difficult few weeks’ with emergencies& patients staying longer in ICU than planned, they were under some pressure.
My three month window is the end of January,& her best guess was ‘well into the New Year’
Needless to say, this news did nothing for my blood pressure or anxiety level,& and I was slightly mollified to be reassured that my surgeon ‘ must be confident and happy for me to wait at home rather than as an inpatient’ .

Thanks for letting me sound off-my inner battle now is not to molly coddle myself,& try to stay active and positive but my sister’s passing is a stark reminder of our mortality and I’m impatient to get this sorted so I can get on with my life, and enjoy our grandchildren growing up: especially little Ottillie who was born just days before my sister’s death. Talk about the circle of life!

So sorry about the delay. It does make the wait more stressful. Just take the time to relax and enjoy the season. Time flies ya' know. Happy Holidays.

 

[dornole]

So sorry you are waiting, I had a hard time with that myself (just had surgery on October). I tried to tell myself it was good I wasn’t first on their list. Then I kinda became higher on the list (oops). And then in the ICU after surgery “why was I so impatient for this … ow ow ow”

I hope you get a date soon and that puts your mind at ease. Meanwhile try to enjoy what you can - it’ll be awhile after OHS before you get back to where you are now.