TAH/BSO - Its done! Thank heavens its done! Never again...

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TAH/BSO - Its done! Thank heavens its done! Never again...

TAH/BSO - Its done! Thank heavens its done! Never again...

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Unlike some of the glowing reports I have scanned of other folks' surgery reports, I can't say that mine was terribly relaxing or all that fabulous. My TAH/BSO was done for a 16wk enlarged uterus and fibroids, one of which was over 8cm and weighed 1/2 pound! I will say that prior to the surgery I was already experiencing a LOT of pressure which wasn't surprising as the largest 'broid was anterior and pushing against the bladder and my lower intestines for at least 5 mos so I was more than ready to get this whole thing DONE.
I really pushed my GYN office to work with the hospital surgery scheduler as I was already out on an MLOA from my work for a carpal tunnel release surgery I had had done 12/7. As I wasn't cleared to return to work without restriction by Jan. 5th, I opted to use my remaining time and get this more pressing problem addressed. The office was great in that they were able to move up the date by 11 days as I made it clear the later in Jan. 2001 the surgery was the less time I was going to have for recovery time prior to having to go back to work to keep my job.
I reported to the hospital at the time I was told to only to find there must have been a cancellation as the OR was calling for me even as I was standing there reporting in. Everything was a big rush. My hubby and I were hustled back to the Holding area and I was swarmed by 3 RNs each with papers and check lists in hand. Trust me, it didn't do much for my BP as I was already a bit nervous anyway. That whole piece musta been done in 20 min. tops and then next thing ya know I am hustled down the hall and into the Pre-op Holding area where my husband was not allowed to venture. The anesthesiologist was different from the person that had called and introduced himself to me the night prior. After taking a cursory history and establishing what my expectations were (at the pace things were at there wasn't time for too much of the niceties) which included no nausea/vomiting upon surfacing, minimal to no pain and not being snowed into next year. The GYN had dictated my H&P 5 hours earlier which wasn't on the chart and that set off the staff--the anesthetist was so antsy he wandered down the hall himself to try to get it from Transcription and I am sure only succeeded in annoying the staff there as he came back empty-handed. The papers were finally found and I was given the Versed bolus. That's all I remember til I was in my assigned room.
As a note of explanation, I was an Add-On patient for Monday Jan. 15th at 3PM--my GYN didn't usually do surgeries Monday afternoon but this was done to accomodate my need for some recovery time before I went back to work. The last clock time I remember seeing was 2:10PM. My husband says he was speaking with the GYN on the phone at 3:30 but I didn't get moved to a room til 6PM as there were no beds available to put me in. I don't remember any of the Recovery time at all so I didn't care one way or the other.
I was admitted to a room on a combined GYN surgical and Uro floor where there was a mix of male and female patients. In the larger rooms down the hall from me patients were receiving bedside dialysis care. It was a real hodge podge and its amazing any care was rendered at all with so many priorities hitting the staff on a floor that was partially torn up for construction.
My over-riding impression of the whole thing was that altho the nursing staff probably meant well, I was really short changed with achieving adequate pain control up front. Altho I came back with a Dilaudid PCA pump (and not itching!!), I was only allowed to have it from 6PM Monday til it was yanked out along with my Foley catheter at 10:30 the next AM. For me, that just wasn't enough time. I was switched to oral Percocet (2) which didn't work. Pain control remained an issue for me and colored the subsequent events which lead to me staying in an extra night beyond what had been intended. Pulling the foley cath so soon at 16 hours post-op resulted in an inability for urinate myself for the next 2 days and I was subjected to 4 catheterizations (the first 2 totally unsuccessful as I really don't think the nurse had any idea what she was doing). The PCA was put back in place but the staff continued to tell me I was delaying my own progress by using IV pain medication repeatedly to the point I didn't use it as nearly as much as I needed to which resulted in more pain. When they checked the pump and saw I wasn't using it hardly at all, they yanked it out again and that was that later in the 2nd day which was in actuality my 1st day post op. By the time the gas became a problem, I was getting some relief by taking 2 Percocet every 4 hours but that wasn't offered to me around the clock as I had asked so that I could have built up some type of response. Instead, I had to ask. Good luck getting anything promptly on the floor that I was admitted to and I was told that floor was one of the better ones!! I think NOT!! I did get outta bed, with no assistance, and I did start walking in the hall but I couldn't manage to do that myself til the Wed.
As an RN myself, I couldn't really believe all this was happening to me. I went to great pains not to complain and I did thank everyone that did anything for me because I knew whatever care I was going to get rested with the overworked staff. I hadn't had a major surgery like this in over 40 yrs so I had no idea what to expect. With the trouble with the cath'ing, I was about ready to ask for a mirror and a tube so that I could have done it myself.
The food was beyond awful. I refused to be advanced as I hadn't passed any gass by the Thursday. Not wanting to listen to me any more, the first "real food" I was given was Thursday at lunch which consisted of pork loin and cabbage--I kid ya not! Even while on fluids, there was no choice. I ended up with stuff I reviled (cream of pea soup, chocolate ice cream, grape and pineapple juices--YUCK!). That left me quite dehydrated. I finally got to the point where I asked everyone entering the room to get me ice. The floor was set up such that patients couldn't get into the locked room where the refrig and microwave were kept so one was literally at the mercy of the very busy staff.
I was never so glad to see Friday AM roll around and knew that no matter what I was getting outta there before I was made ill. What a relief to get home to my own kitchen and my own bed.
I realize this story isn't inspiring but... its my story. I would never ever recommend Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Ca ( a well known and well respected community hospital) to anyone undergoing a hyst or any other type of scheduled surgery again. I would have been better served using my POS health insurance and having this done at a teaching or tertiary center like UCLA or USC.

Battered, bruised but grateful its done and finally in a Recovery mode,
Lee

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Liza M. Colimon, M.D. 21 W. Columbia St Suite 101 Winnie Palmer Hospital Orlando FL 32806 321-841-6060	Sherri Levin, M.D. 929 Gessner Suite 2100 Houston TX 77024 713-464-4111	David Zisow, M.D. 2005 Rock Spring Rd Ste. 3 Forest Hill - Baltimore MD 21050 410-879-1139
Jonathan Y Song, M.D. 2455 Dean St. Suite A St. Charles IL 60175 (630) 513-9160	Francisco Garcini, M.D. 1870 Silver Cross Blvd Suite 210 New Lenox IL 60451 815-463-3000	Steven McCarus, M.D. 400 Celebration Place Suite310 Celebration FL 34747 4073034190
Clifford Rogers, M.D. The Everett Clinic, Dept. of Surgery and Gynecology 1330 Rockefeller Ave, Suite 120 Everett WA 98201 425 339 5424	Betty Gingold Acker, M.D. 2900 E. 29th St Suite 300 Bryan TX 77802 979-776-5602	Bret Lewis, M.D. 5780 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Ste 295 (#2 Location) 11975 Morris Rd., Ste. 310 , Alpharetta, GA 30004 Atlanta GA 30342 404-255-3633

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