The night before

[lynn]

Did you spend the night in the hospital the night before surgery??

I have to have a CT scan the morning before (driving 2 hours to get there) and then they said I could go to lunch then do all the pre-op stuff and admit me since I was on coumadin. Today I find out that they are taking away the coumadin because by the time they get me to a theraputic level I'll have to get off it. I was taking 5mg the last week and I scored a 1.0, down from 1.1 last week....geesh!

So I called the pre-surgery girl and asked if I could do all my pre-op, have a nice dinner and then spend the night in the hotel She'll let me know.

 

[geebee]

Lynn,

Why are you taking coumadin? Should you actually be off it so far from surgery?

Anyway - I was in the hospital for a couple of days before my last 2 OHS since they had to do the coumadin bridging thing.

 

[lynn]

When I wore the holter I had *an episode* of a-fib, I took coumadin for 2 weeks, then went off and had a cath, then back on for about 3 weeks now and can't even get to theraputic level so they just decided to drop it, go with an aspirin.

Is that bad????? Surgery is in 3 weeks and I'd have to go off a week before.

 

[Magic8Ball]

I have my pre-admission on the 15th and surgery on the 20th.

I have to go in on the 19th and spend the night prior in hospital.

I guess with a surgery that big they can't take the risk that i will cheat with my nil by mouth.

I suppose it also helps if i cant sleep and want to sleep they can drug me up safely.

Surgery is pretty early the following day so i'd have to be up at 5am to get there anyhow..

 

[MikeHeim]

I did my pre-op the day before, and then spent the night before in a hotel within walking distance of the hospital. I think each place is different with how they handle it.

 

[Phyllis]

A lot will probably depend upon what time your surgery is scheduled. He had his pre-op on a Tuesday, we had a nice dinner with our children that night and he stayed in the hotel. The next day was his cath and since his surgery was scheduled for 7:30 AM the next day, he stayed the night and they moved him from his room to the pre-surgery at 6 AM the next morning. (They told me he would be in his room until 6:30 and when I got there he was already moved to pre-surgery , but I rushed down there and was able to spend about half an hour with him before they took him to the OR.)

 

[Marguerite53]

We live 20 minutes from the hospital. I had pre-op appointment on Monday, surgery at 7:30 am Tuesday (be there by 6am). My cath was a month before. Was home the night before. Showered with the special soap the night before. Slept (kind of) until 4:30 and showered again with the special soap. Dragged husband and daughter out of bed and off we went at 5:30.

It never ceases to amaze me how different everyone's experience is....

I hope they let you on your own for awhile!

Take care. Let us know!

Marguerite

 

[Lynlw]

I think it depends on the hospital (and probably insurance) and if they are doing a cath the day before. It seems to me Justin's last 2 surgeries he stayed at home the night before. It seems to me that more people are spending the night before at home or a hotel these days, i'm sure it probably started w/ medicade/insurance not wanting to pay for an extra day in the hospital

 

[tobagotwo]

I had my cardiac catheterization teh day before surgery, and was told I had to stay. I had to be in the hospital the night before, or they would have postponed my surgery. It was some kind of hospital regulation. As it was, the insurance almost wouldn't pay for it

They did let my little dog visit, though. That was kind of neat.

Best wishes,

 

[kodi]

I did my pre-op the day before, and then spent the night before in a hotel within walking distance of the hospital. I think each place is different with how they handle it.

My experience was exactly the same. I wasn't on any meds so it wasn't a problem. Just wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything for 12 hours.

 

[WayneGM]

I live an hour away from the hospital, and drove in the morning of surgery. I had to leave the house at 5:00am but I figured I'd be catching up on my sleep anyway

I actually did the pre-admission stuff two weeks earlier as I was scheduled for surgery then but got bumped off the schedule at the last minute. I couldn't eat or drink anything 12 hours before the surgery and no meds either.

 

[dj/utvolsfan]

Stayed in the hotel the night before and watched my sister sleep like a baby. I was wired tight.
Deb

 

[Superbob]

Likewise, I spent the night before OHS in a nearby hotel. Surreal. Didn't sleep at all. Actually would have preferred being in the hospital the night before, in preparation for the early a.m. surgery.

 

[lynn]

Thanx everyone, good news, they just called and said I could stay at the hotel and have a nice dinner with hubby. Just have to show up for surgery bright and early