Hi , just a quick update on my daughter . She’s scheduled for surgery on June 11th , pre op in the coming week . Any advice on preparation and what to expect would be appreciated .
So good she has a date . The pre op assessment is pretty standard with a full assessment of her medical history etc and a quick assessment . They will also go over what to expect on the day of surgery.
They should cover pain relief . My mum had an epidural which she found very helpful. She had a couple of days in high dependency whilst the epidural was in then transferred to a surgical ward after oral pain relief commence. She had a liver resection at the same time so was in for around ten days .
Others will hopefully pop on with more relevNt information particularly what is helpful in hospital .
Thanks court , relieved to have a date for surgery but a bit apprehensive about it too . The biggest surgery she ever had was for tonsils so this is very frightening for us all . I worried that she’s not prepared for it, she doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal and I don’t want to worry her , I’ll be doing enough if that for everyone !
She is being very courageous . Maybe it’s a form of healthy denial but possibly not a bad thing .
I really feel for you. Does not matter how old they are they are still our children and the need to protect them does not seem to go away . But you are going to be such a support to her . Helping her every step of the way . Each week takes them a step further along the healing process . I found seeing my mum straight after surgery was the harshest part as she look vulnerable . Years later we were chatting and she was so out of it on pain meds it turned out she has absolutely no memory of that time !!
Ya I’m dreading seeing her after but I’ll put on a brave face . The doctor said she may need a stoma bag as the polyp removed was quite low down but he won’t know for sure until he does the surgery , I’m not quite sure what he means by that ?
Hi. As Court says the pre-op assessment will be with the surgeon explaining what he/she will be doing, explaining pain relief (I had a epidural) and the risks involved. He told me there was a 2% mortality rate but that includes anyone who dies within 2 years of the operation regardless of the cause or age so I think it’s like a protocol thing that they have to do.
Id never been in hospital before my op and was worried about the epidural but it was painless to insert and I don’t remember anything after that until I was being wheeled back to the ward.
They may mark her up for a stoma bag at this appointment and the nurse might have a chat and offer her a bag to try at home to get used to. When they remove the tumour they will also remove some of the surrounding area to make sure they get it all away. If there is enough bowel remaining then they will rejoin it and she may have a stoma for a few months to allow the join time to heal by diverting the poo into the stoma bag. If there is not enough bowel to rejoin then she may have to have a permanent bag but maybe cross that bridge if and when you get to it?
Its good to hear that your daughter seems in good spirits - feeling like that and having age on her side will hopefully mean a quick recovery. She’s also probably trying not to worry you - I know I always put on a brave face in front of my husband to try and not make it harder for him to cope with.
Hope the meeting goes well and keep us updated - people will have lots of tips on what to get for the hospital stay - the usual being an extra long phone charger!
Thanks Karen , hopefully all will go well and she’ll recover quickly . I suppose there’s just so many things we don’t know until she’s had the surgery .
I'm notoriously bad at trying to offer words of emotional support, so will only say Good Luck to both you and your daughter.
On the practical side, Karen hit the nail on the head regarding the extra long phone charger! Absolutely a must if your daughter would want to use the phone any time it is on the charger.
My personal recommendation is a set of very soft and comfy PJ's. Debenhams does a range that contains 95% viscose 5% elastane and they are SUPER soft and stretchy. Now I am personally not very keen on nightdresses, but in hindsight that is what I should have taken with me. After the resection operation the catheter stayed in for three days (in my case, at least), so not being able to put on my pyjama bottoms left me with wearing hospital gowns for a while.
In Afrikaans we say "Sterkte" instead of Good Luck, and it literally translates as "Strength".
So to your daughter (and you) I just want to wish you: Sterkte!
Thank you Yolande , I’d never have thought about the Catheter and Pjs so thankyou ! I’ll make sure she has nighties and pjs . Long lead charger will be a must too , she’s 21 so her phone rarely leaves her hand ! We’re quite a distance from the hospital where she’ll have surgery (about an hour and 10 minute drive ) so I’ll want to spend as much time as possible with her The doc said she’d be in a high dependency unit or icu for a few days after , will my husband and I be allowed to sit with her ? I’d hate to think of her on her own all the time .
I had my op on the 10th May and had a spinal injection , didn't feel a thing or remember anything other than breath into to the mask , I woke up 6 hours later with what I can only describe as cricket pads around my calf muscles and every minute they came on and massage my calf , every 15 minutes they check my blood pressure etc that then moved on to every hour , I was in HD for a least 24 hours and moved to the ward , I had a tumour that was low in the rectum and they managed to rejoin me with a temporary bag , I am out and recovering now , tell your daughter that if she don't feel well or needs anything to press the life out of the call button
