Visitors after surgery

[catwoman]

Many people will want a call from your significant other to update your progress all the time. This can be a huge burden on your SO, so I recommend a telephone tree arrangement for calls to update progress.

I had asked a friend to post my updates on a number of internet lists I subscribe to. John called her when I was in ICU to give her info. John called other friends who were not on those lists.

BTW, in the waiting room in Dallas with John were:
my parents
both my sisters
my brother-in-law
my niece and nephew
and 3 friends who drove over from Fort Worth (about 40 miles)

 

[Lynlw]

I had asked a friend to post my updates on a number of internet lists I subscribe to. John called her when I was in ICU to give her info. John called other friends who were not on those lists.

BTW, in the waiting room in Dallas with John were:
my parents
both my sisters
my brother-in-law
my niece and nephew
and 3 friends who drove over from Fort Worth (about 40 miles)

That is one of the things I really like about being about to set up pages online, like carepages or caringbridge or even your own sites. Since Justin had a few surgeries before the internet was pretty common (heck before CELL phones were) it made such a HUGE difference in my life when he was in the hospital to be able to just give everyone his page URL, and then update it as things were going on. I had a few older family members that didn't have computers, so I just asked other people to let them know the updates. It made such a big difference. Before that it seemd like I was always on the phone OR Justin would just get to sleep and the phone in his room would ring. Or sometime when you can't use cell phones in the rooms, I would have to keep leaving Justin to go call everyone (and usually forgot someone) but if you have a page, it only takes a couple mins to update and I liked being able to read and reread all the messages. One of the first things I recomend to any families starting out is to set up a page.

 

[hensylee]

I had visitors in ICU - I think that's what it was. It was a darkish room to me. vaguely recall a few family members, especially son, who came in. Nurse cousin stayed at night in motel across the highway and with me in the room all day. since I was away from home for this (an hour's drive) few others came. but all who came were allowed at any time of the day. might depend on your doctor or your own preference.

 

[jax]

My husband and father were allowed in the icu as soon as I was situated. They were there when I came out of anesthesia. Husband could come and go as he pleased. His sister and sister-in-law came a couple of days later while I was still in icu. Thankfully they didn't stay long. I know that I was very irritable the whole time I was in the hospital and really didn't want many visitors. My mother and her came up the second day as they were sending me to step down. I was in no mood at the time for visitors then and they weren't there for long. The next morning I was back in icu for complete heart block and except for the husband until I went back to step down I didn't have any visitors. His brother came up a couple of times while I was in step down. I was feeling well enough at that point it didn't bother me much but still would have preferred to not have any visitors. Once I was in step down the husband was allowed to spend the night in the room with me. Which was nice.

 

[dsouter]

My parents and GF could come in to ICU 2 at a time.
I think they may pass this time as it was very traumatic for them to see me so messed up and I ws so groggy I barely remembered them at all.

Once in normal room I had a fair number of visitors but I was tired and cranky. It was good to see people but being social was hard.
Better to have closest loved ones only the early days. I was bitchy as all get out to one but they understood.

 

[cuoricino]

Cuoricino, you've got good friends!!! I take it your friends are from Florence since you live there. I know Bologna is just an hour away by the Eurostar train, but still...!!! I wish I had friends like that!!!

make that very VERY good friends. no one from Florence came out. There were a couple of friends in Bologna by chance, my friend from Treviso came down, a girlfriend from Trento with family in Bologna stayed the weekend, as did her boyfriend, and also some of my mom's friends from Imola made the trek, too.

i feel very fortunate!!!!

 

[Mileena46]

I didn't want to see anyone! I told ALL people to please stay away and there were a few who totally ignored that....and these were not even close family members or friends. In other words, cousins I hadn't seen in several years and people I worked with 10 years ago were stopping by to visit. These are the same people who pass my house on a regular basis without stopping. (I am ranting,....but I can't seem to help it) this was really such an issue with me that I considered telling the nurses desk to not allow any visitors that wasn't my mom, son or husband in the room!

I did learn something....I think it's a total lie that people want you to visit them in the hospital! I will never visit anyone again! I felt and looked like hell....I wanted to be able to do that alone!

Mileena

 

[Lorimacm]

I'm not sure what the visiting hours were in ICU, I think 8a-8p. After surgery they let my entire family come into ICU - husband, daughters, son-in-law, brother and close friend. They were all there when I was waking up, then I dosed on and off for quite some time.

When I left ICU on day 3, I was on the cardiothoracic floor, which was only open-heart surgery patients, heart transplant and lung transplant patients. There were no visiting hours, 24 hours a day if the patient wants. All rooms were private with a sofa, so my husband even stayed the night. The first few days I was pretty wiped out and could have used less visitors. I was in the hospital for 6 days, so the last few days I did not have too many visitors and was a bit lonely. I think if I was able to read it would have been great-I just had trouble concentrating.

By the way, I had posted about when my son should see me and my husband actually brought him to the ICU. He was such a brave little man and to this day is very careful about hugging me and checks on me and asks me if I'm doing ok. He did great and I think because he couldn't really understand everything that was happening made it less freightening for him.

It was the most difficult for my 20 year old daughter. She really had trouble with the see me with the vent tube. So I would suggest that you may want to limit who comes into ICU until the tube is removed.

Best of luck to you on your surgery. You will be in my prayers.

Lori

 

[Dar51]

Thanks everyone, each and everyone of your replies has been most helpful.

 

[Star54]

I don't even remember much (can I still have pump head?). 5 family members saw me right out of surgery with all the tubes and trimmings, I of course was in never never land. Next thing I remember is sitting in a chair telling my brother to take a pic of me with the tubes! I was not really in pain, and did not care who saw me, (they came two at a time, sitting vigil in front of my bed, then I would wake up and find 2 more relatives sittiing in front of my bed, lol) . Those meds must have been really good....! They tell me I kept asking for saftey pins to close the gown, don't remember that either, so when my brother bought me diaper pins with duck heads I thought he was nuts!
Good luck with your surgery.!!!!

 

[Cooker]

Immediate family was allowed to come to ICU and anyone once I was in step down ... most of which I don’t remember ... I was given a heart shaped pillow to hug and people could sing it (like a card) I would never have know some had been there if it were not for the well wishes on that pillow... the drugs made me think I was aware of everything but not so ...

 

[Mentu]

This is a question I didn't think to ask. As it turned out, my hospital would only allow visitors into the ICU that were specifically listed before surgery. I really don't remember any visitors then but I know that I did have some. After I was moved to a recovery room on day 3, however, anyone could come during visiting hours and it was never a problem for an S/O to stay around the clock. This is a question that should be asked during the Pre-Op visit because they have all the forms necessary to authorize your visitors during that more restricted period just after surgery.

 

[gerrys]

Like others have posted, I wanted peace and quiet during my hospital stay and limited visits to only my wife. I told my kids, both of whom live a good distance away, to stay home as they'd get a call as soon as I cleared the OP table.
I DID, however, get a major ars chewing from one of the nurses when i asked my wife to come in outside of the posted visiting times. They were very strict when it came to visits.