After sitting in the Day of Surgery Admitting for over 2 hours (until my surgery time) A nurse finally came out to day I was NOT going to have my surgery today. She then said maybe tomorrow, so be here at 9am. (it takes us 2 hours to get to this hospital, mind you) So when I asked why, the 'stint' they were going to use inside of me.... well it seems that no one ordered the damn thing!!!! Even though my surgery was supposed to be LAST week, then again scheduled for TOMORROW, then again moved up to TODAY, but yet no one ordered the stint! Then I told her that the dr. may not even use the stint... he had said at my appt that I may have too much scar tissue there to use it... but she just said if they 'may' use it, then it needs to be there, or no proceedure. Then to help with my inconvience she was giving me and DH MEAL TICKETS... too bad I haven't been able to eat since MARCH! And then she had the gall to ask me to stay further b/c Dr. Scott wanted to talk to me. WHAT??? Wait LONGER to talk to him? What's he gonna say that's gonna fix this situation? Is he gonna calm the nerves I've had for the past 2 days with some magic words?? NO! So Dh sat and listened to her other excuses and I walked away and straight to the car. I have no intentions of going back to his office or that hospital. I called MY surgeon, who no matter how badly I've questioned his intelligence, his practices, his ability, has not abandoned me on this long road to a hopeful recovery. I called him and spoke to his head nurse/wife... and told her what happened. She said he was on call at the hospital, but she would have him call me as soon as he could. She called me back in less than an hour to say he'd put me on the surgery schedule for Thursday, he'll do the proceedure himself. At least I know that even if this surgery doesn't FIX all that is wrong with my insides, that my dr. is with me and willing to do all that is in his power to help. It doesn't hurt that he's a religious man who's family prays for me all the time.
I'm just so angry that I wasted all that time and energy on worrying.... and to be told my time was worth NOTHING, basically.

Sorry, I just had to vent... HUBS, I'm glad to see an update from you. I hope you start feeling better real soon.

Hugs,
Sharmel

Meal tickets. I mean, I get it that that's what their protocol may be, but what a case of not showing empathy to your patient's situation. Fine for your husband, but they could have at least acknowledged you and how that wouldn't work for you or something.

Oh God! I am really ashamed to be a health care professional! What's with hospitals and doctors these days!! GEEZ!!!

Sharmel, I think venting is the healthiest thing to do! Maybe that delay and changing doctors was actually for the best! And you're right about religion, I remember asking my doctor to say a little prayer before he cuts me up in OR..

Keep us posted, and keep the faith

Hugs/Kisses/Prayers/Good Thoughts ~~~~~~~~ >SHARMEL<3

I am so sorry for what you have just went through. They definitely did screw up. My thought is that if they were this unprepared for your surgery, maybe you are better off going back to your own physician. Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

You ever get delayed leaving your house because you can't find your car keys? And its really stupid because you NEVER mislay your keys and you KNOW where you left them last but you've looked high and low and you cannot find them anywhere? And you're so totally late and frustrated and MAD by the time they show up because you've missed something really important and your whole day got screwed up.

I always figure the angels have moved those keys to keep you safe and out of harms way out there on the roadways for reasons only they can know. And sometimes, things only have to have a small shift in timing to be ok and safe again if you kwim.

So I'm GLAD someone didn't place the order if that's all it took to keep you safe today Sharmel. And it sounds like it brought you back to care from the right person for this.

Crap that stinks !! Who can blame you for being angry, I'd be fuming too.

You know, I can't help but think maybe this happened for a reason... one we'll never know but maybe its for the better

hugs and kisses to you !!

I don't blame you for being angry.That's ridiculous... Good Luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery. {hugs}

Am I correct in seeing that your current weight is 198 lbs, and your goal weight is 140 lbs, and you are scheduled for WLS???? Like a previous poster said, perhaps an angel is overseeing you! I thought WLS was for morbidly obese people. Please DON"T TAKE THIS AS A CRITICISM OF YOU OR WLS - it's just that this surgery is an aggressive assault on your body that can have HUGE complications....Best of luck...

Freiamaya, Read some of Sharmel's other posts. This surgery is one of many she has had in the aftermath of WLS.

Hugs to you, Sharmel.

Hubs, I agree with your thoughts and post.

I'm so sorry to hear about the setback Sharmel. But hopefully you're original surgeon will put it right. Freiamaya, I don't want you to take this as criticism, but if you had read some of the prievous posts by Sharmel, you would understand that Sharmel has been suffering from some complications from surgery and that she has had several proceedures to fix it. You may want to read a few threads before posting. Sharmel has put on a very brave face through all of her complications.

freiamaya, have you yourself had WLS?

Sharmel, what is the prognosis at this point in terms of healing time with this new surgery before you're able to think about real food. I'm sorry if you've mentioned this elsewhere but I couldn't find it.

Maybe that happened for a reason. Ever since a girl died going to the doctor that was going to perform my surgery (this was about 2 years or so ago), I've been off the WLS obsession. My uncle had it and lost all his teeth and hair. PLUS, he's gaining the weight back.

I don't mean to be negative, but you're only 198 pounds. That's it. You're a lot smaller than I am. Please rethink the situation. I'm sure you could do without it.

Okay to answer a few questions.... I had WLS 31 March 2006. I was at 280lbs. I have been up to stage 2 of the post-op diet, but only once and it was for a week... that's when my fistula showed up. As of today (Tuesday) I have had 8 surgeries... 7 were to fix complication after complication from the WLS.

Okay now that I think that's been explained, Hubs I asked the dr's nurse today what she thought. She said if he only dialates me then I can go home on clear liquids (as I am now), but if he puts the stint in she's not sure. He's a general surgeon that specialized in GB and Lap Band's... so he's put stints in before, just not where I need one. So it will be a learning experience for him and yes, I'm okay with that. As I said in the first post of this thread I've questioned his intelligence, his practices and his ability numerous times, and never has he abandoned me, or said that I need to get another surgeon due to my many complications. After the first two surgeries, he gives me all the options for care that he knows of. DH always asks what HE would do if it was HIS wife (to get his opinion), then we list the pros and cons of each option together. Then as a team we choose what will happen. It's not a dr TELLING me what he's gonna do, he actually let's me be apart of my own health care, and I like that. I could be in the hospital on TPN, but he made it so I could be at home, more comfortable, in a more healing environment. So basically I don't know when I'll be able to eat real food. After the stint proceedure on Thursday, I'll most likely stay the night and have an upper GI series done (YUCK, Barium again!) and see if the contrast shows up in the fistula tract/enclosed leak/diverticulm. If it doesn't I don't see why I couldn't stay on the clear liquids and as long as the stint appears to be doing it's job, then move to stage 2 and so on until I'm back on regular food. It's been SO LONG since I've had any real food that I"m at the point that I KNOW I'm gonna over do it the first time I get to eat. Prolly to the point where I make myself sick, but I guess after all the vomiting/dry heaving I've done over the last 4 months, I can handle it a time or two more for the sake of food right? (Don't answer that)
I guess this is where I"m hoping to be..... By Thanksgiving, I'm hoping to cook dinner like I usually do (invite a few friends over maybe) and actually be able to sit at the table and enjoy/partake in the fruits of my labor. Being that I'm at stage 1 in my diet... and for my dr. it takes at least 2 months (8-10 weeks post op) for most people to go back to regular food, experimenting with what we can eat and can no longer eat, Thanksgiving is a fair time frame.

Sorry this was so long, thanks for all the good vibes ladies.
Hugs,
Sharmel

That's a good goal Sharmel. I know I was estatic at Thanksgiving, because that's when I first was able to have some food again. I had pumpkin soup, mashed potatoes and a very itty bit of turkey thighs and it was heaven! Here's wishing you all the best.

Turkeysandwich, I don't want to be rude, but could you at least try to read the entire thread before you post and make judgments? I mean there were two posts ahead of you hours before you made your post explaining that Sharmel already had WLS and her additional surgeries were a result of complications.

sharmel - i'm stunned. shocked. amazed. what you and hubs are going through is not to be believed, and it's appalling on the one hand, but on the other hand, you two are handling all these setbacks with tremendous grace and wisdom. just amazing.

having said all that, i'm inclined to agree with hubs here - things happen for a reason, and perhaps it was the right thing.

still praying. still hoping, still sending warm thoughts.