Totally starting to panic!

[Nan]

OF course you are beginning to panic. It is the normal thing to do! Most of us seem to go that route, although there are a few lucky ones who seem to get a feeling of calm that comes over them in the week before surgery. Hey, that could still happen to you.

I agree with Bob....you most likely won't need anything of yours in the hospital. They will supply you with most everything, and some of the things you are thinking of bringing you won't be able to use (well, maybe the first day after the cath and before the surgery, you might be able to)

You still might want some underwear/pj bottoms....but again, you may not een get to wear them.

I found that scarves for my hair were helplful in covering up the results of no daily shampoo and being in bed for so long.

Good luck, and I hope you experience the calm before the storm.

 

[Adrienne]

Oh yes, definitely undies under those skimpy hospital gowns !!!

 

[Superbob]

Ruth,


Totally understand your worries. But if I'm understanding correctly that you'll be in hospital the night before surgery you might come to look on that as a blessing. My surgery was also at an ungodly hour (actually they prep you for a few hours before the surgeon appears on the scene), but I was not allowed to stay in hospital the night before. Since I would have had to battle DC commuter traffic to get to my early a.m. surgery, my wife and I got a room at a nearby hotel the night before. That was totally weird and I slept hardly at all. I think I would have been more relaxed if I had been in the hospital the night before.

We packed a big bag of clothes etc., but I don't think I touched them for the five days I was in the hospital. The hospital provides the essentials but having a pair of "undies" for modesty's sake when you start walking with the nurses around the nurses station wouldn't be a bad idea.

We'll all be pulling for you and looking forward to hearing from you after you have scaled that mountain.

Cheers,

 

[marciemarine]

The only thing I needed in the days following my surgery were some undies, slipper socks, and a hairbrush, and also some deodorant since they gave me most of the toiletries I needed to wash up, but no deodorant and I didn't enjoy smelling bad. The tiny comb they gave me didn;t do much, so I has my family bring my brush. I love reading, but I couldn't concentrate on it very long. Marcie

 

[StretchL]

Whoa, Nellie!

Whoa, Nellie!

Hi, Ruth! Goodness... please don't take this the wrong way, but I think you're overreacting! Take a deep breath... Chill... You're going to be fine! And you'll be back up and doing all the things you want/need to do sooner than you think.

Yes, the date is set, but that just means you get to relax between now and then and gear up for the ride. (I kind of felt a comparison to John Glenn getting strapped onto that Mercury rocket: I was really able to relax and enjoy a ride that very, very few people get to take.)

IMHO, Bob H has it right... you'll not need anything in there that they can't provide for you.

When Noni and I went to NYC, I was all stocked up with books, iPod, laptop, Palm Pilot, yada yada yada... Turns out I didn't want *any* of that crap until I was nearly ready for discharge, and even then I wanted only my phone. We could've saved a ton of space leaving it all in Richmond.

Also, for better or worse, you have to worry about thievery. Just because you're recovering from surgery doesn't mean someone won't swipe that iPod right out from under your snoozing eyes.

FWIW, I'd pack all that stuff into a box or bag of some sort and leave it at home where your family can find it for you *if* you need any of it before discharge.

Where is your surgery? Would you be up for a visit from a recent surgical patient a day or so before? I think I can make you a real deal on a slightly used Tawdry Shirt!

ps- The three exceptions I would list as "things to bring" are earplugs (in case you're not in a private room or in case all the beeping monitors bother you), eye covers (like you use on long airline flights), and chapstick.

 

[jbrown413]

Oh, Oh, Oh!!!!

Oh, Oh, Oh!!!!

those were some great ideas!!!

got that ruth -- earplugs! last time i spent the night listening to a roomate moan all night that he was from St louis, and didnt want to be traded -- we were in hartford, ct BTW.

a mask -- the lights were going all darn night long, for this and that and the next thing.

a nose plug, just in case you are going to a fundamentalist hospital -- and keep laughing -- joe

 

[briansmom]

My 16 yr old could not have survived without his portable dvd player. They are not expensive. He watched 2 or 3 seasons of 24. He could start and stop whenever he wanted. He could listen to it with earphones.
Thank goodness the hospital had free wifi. Mom and dad were able to live at the hospital with him for 3 works - and still get some work done.

Good luck. Hang in there!! Love the lists!!

 

[Bradley White]

Ruth,

There have been some excellent suggestions. I am big reader (an English major in fact) and I brought all sorts of books and even one of those book holders so I could have the book open on the tray over the bed. I was certain I was going to go through about a novel a day, but although I did not feel that bad, I just could not concentrate enough to read anything. It took a little too much energy. So what I did instead was watch A LOT of TV and DVDs on my laptop. I started reading again about 2 weeks post-op.

I could not agree more with Bob and others about being woken up constantly. Blood draw, check blood sugar level, take meds, or the nurse would occasionally just come in to see how you were sleeping. I got maybe 3 hours of sleep a night. I would steal short naps all day long trying to catch up. I do think that the eye covers are a very good idea, whereas there were two monitors in my room which were rather bright. I asked them if they could turn them off and they said no, so that was annoying.

Otherwise, the only other things I used were a V pillow, which my girlfriend got me at the gift shop and my toothpaste and toothbrush. I just used the hospital gowns the whole time. I was also very nervous for this past surgery -- probably more nervous than I was for my first surgery. Just remember that you are in good hands and it will all be over much sooner than you think. I was three weeks today, and although I am not 100%, I felt very good. I went fishing with a buddy of mine this evening, I've been going out to lunch and dinner regularly. Life quickly begins to get back to normal! I forgot just how quickly it happens! I am flying to visit my girlfriend tomorrow and am not even remotely worried about it. You'll feel better faster that you could have every imagined. I know you will do great. The anxiety is normal as others have said. There just is not much you can do about it unfortunately. Try to occupy yourself so you don't think about is so much, that helped me in the days leading up to it.

Best,

Brad

 

[lcwhitney]

Please don't panic prayer and meditation helped med tremendiously before both of my surgeries

Lettitia

 

[michellep]

Ruth,
I know what you are going through. My "surgery" list is very long too. Everybody here is so great and has terrific advice. My room mom for my classroom was a surgical nurse in her past life and she gave me a small bag that included fuzzy socks, lip balm, sample tube of lotion and a small body spray.
I liked the idea of boxer shorts. They will be easy to pull down for bathroom visits but I won't care if they are seen from behind.
Don't worry and know that we are all behind you and thinking of you! Be strong!
Michelle

 

[tobagotwo]

For coverage while perambulating, I wore a second hospital gown backwards over my first. No fooling with tubes and wires, no laundry to do, no odd breezes unexpectedly caressing my nether extremities. Take it off when done for a no-muss, no-tangle return to the hospital bed.

Find out if they use a lip clip for the breathing tube. If they do, beg for tape instead. The clip leaves a fat lip behind. Seems like nothing, but you really don't need any extra annoyances at that point.

I asked for patient-controlled Fentanyl, vs. the standard morphine. Everyone's different, but for me it didn't leave me groggy or nauseous, nor cause the infamous "morphine constipation" that many suffer from. It's a cousin of morphine, and just as effective at pain relief. I had tramadol when I was released, instread of percocettes/percodan, for the same reason.

Best wishes,

 

[GeorgeM]

Hi Ruth

I can understand the panic - but keep calm !! - all will be just fine.

I suspect you won't need all those goodies your planning to take to the hospital - but if it makes you feel better then bring them with you !

Best Wishes

George Montgomery

BAV - planned AVR end Jan 07

 

[Susan BAV]

For coverage while perambulating, I wore a second hospital gown backwards over my first. No fooling with tubes and wires, no laundry to do, no odd breezes unexpectedly caressing my nether extremities. Take it off when done for a no-muss, no-tangle return to the hospital bed...

That worked for me too, using an extra gown on backwards as a robe, but I kept the backwards gown on while in bed too. Those plastic covered hospital mattresses, with the night sweats, are just plum icky; and any extra cotton sheeting between me and that plastic cover was helpful.

For pain reliever in the hospital, and I was there a week post-op, they gave me morphine and that oxycon-whatever. All I needed at home was Extra Strength Tylenol -- and that was just so I could do the spirometer exercises well -- and I never even touched whatever pain reliever prescription they sent me home with.

One other thing I would/will do next time, is insist on Versed (verced?). Waking up while still on the vent was extremely traumatic for me this heart surgery.