Questions about day of surgery

I was just wondering if someone could kind of walk me through what will happen on Tuesday. I didn't get any pre-op stuff done, but I think they can use the tests that I had done a couple of weeks ago for that.

I check in at 5 a.m. and my surgery is at 7:30. What am I going to be doing for that 2 and a half hours??

PLEASE tell me that they can give me something to calm me down. If not, I'll literally have a heart attack before this surgery. I have never been so afraid in all my life.

My Dr. put me on pre-natal vitamins, 2 a day until surgery. I've seen several posts about not taking vitamins though. Should I stop now??

Thanks in advance, Tina

I have been taking vitamins because my entire family is sick with a cold and don't want to get it and then have to re-schedule surgery. I believe my doctor told me it was ok as well as taking Tylenol.

In the past, the nurse has always given me a valium as soon as I checked in to calm my nerves. This time my OB gave me a prescription to take one as soon as I am ready to leave for the hospital Tuesday am so it kicks in soon and they said they'd give me another when I get there as I tend to get pretty nervous before surgeries. I am really going to I am sure this time as this is my first ever MAJOR surgery. In the past I have had numerous laparoscopies and have always went home the same day.

You will have some time to relax during those hours prior to if you can get the valium, take it, and it will help to ease your anxiety. During the time prior, the nurses will come in and ask some quetions, you will probably meet your anestsiologist (sp?) and get you hooked up to an IV.

Once you are wheeled in, it will probably only be a matter of a few minutes and you will be asleep and next thing you know, you will wake up in recovery and it will be all over.

Good luck Tuesday. I am excited to finally get it done but nervous as well. I will be thinking of you!

Chris

I had my surgery last monday total hysterectomy including most of my cervic (sp). I too was absolutey terrified. I reported to pre-op with my husband. Checked in, was give the lovely fashionable gown, and asked for a sample to they could do a pregnancy test. Ha Ha, they would not do the surgery with out one. An IV was started and my husband and sisters were allowed to visit with me. It helped calm me a lot to have them to talk to, as my Mr. was scared but not letting on too much. They shaved me alot, which was a little embarassing. I meet the anestelogist (sp) he asked some questions and soon I was wheeled into OR, saw the DR for a few seconds and they gave me something to calm me down or put me to sleep in the IV. I woke up in recovery while they were removing the tubes in my throat and they kept telling me to wake up and take deep breathes as my oxygen levels were low. Soon, to me but not to my family I was taken to my room. I was given a pump with pain meds and ice, no food or drink for a while, my mouth was very very dry and had a oxygen tube in my nose. the nurses check vitals every half an hour and my cathater (sp) was removed. About 8pm they got me out of bed and into the bathroom were they helped me wash up and brush my teeth and try to go the bathroom. No go the first time. It hurt alot and I pulled on some of my staples getting out of bed.; Always hit your pump before attempting to get up. Iam not sugar coating this it hurts but it does get better every day. I was in the hospital for four days and was very glad to come home. Stay on as liquid a diet as possible until your first bm. Nothing tastes good anyway because of the drugs. get plenty of rest but walk, walk, walk to help get ride of the gas and lay on your left side. I go tomorrow to get my staples out and have the DR check my incision. My thoughts are with you, I know exactly how you are feeling and I wish you all the luck in the world. Take care

First of all, you and all this week's princesses will be in my thoughts and prayers.

My surgery was scheduled for around 9:00 on a Tuesday morning, and I had to report around 7 am. Got checked in and was given the little plastic bracelet, got into the gown and waited in the unit on my little wheeled cot with other surgery patients.

Then there was the usual round of people taking my vitals, checking to see if the name on the tag matched my actual name, etc. etc. I don't remember a whole lot except that I made a visit or two to the ladies' room during the wait.

Then they wheeled me into a sort of holding room where surgery patients go right before they are taken into the OR. There they set me up with IV antibiotics, if I remember right, and I think the anesthesiologist also spoke to me there. Oh yes, and they gave me a cap to put over my hair. My GYN, who was to do the surgery, came in to say hello etc. And more people checked to be sure that I was the right person listed for the surgery.

THEN...down the hall and into the OR. People in sterile scrubs milling around, lots of stainless steel implements in containers (I remember thinking...hmmm....is all that for ME?)

And then the next thing, I was waking up in the recovery room, uncomfortable but not excruciatingly so, and I think the nurse was wiggling my toe and saying, it's ok, it's all over. This was maybe around 11:30. They were short of post-op rooms, so I had to stay in recovery for a long time, but eventually I got to the room. The catheter came out the next morning, and I think the IV's came out that next day also, either morning or afternoon.
Once I could stand up, they let me walk around, use the bathroom, etc. Did lots of walking in the halls.

Went home on Friday morning and had a great recuperation...which is what I wish you and all this week's princesses!

Blessings.
Marlene

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Hi, my surgery was scheduled for 7:30am. I had to arrive by 6:30am. They took me to a waiting room, which in actuality was a hospital room without the beds. It had two TV's, chairs, and the screens separating the two areas, but I didn't have any other patients in there with me. I was given the gowns (front and back coverage), booties and a cup to tinkle in. They took my vitals, asked me some questions, and put on two bracelets (one with my name the other stating what I'm allergic to). My sister, father and I then sat around watching TV until the anesthesiologist came in, he introduced himself and asked me a lot of the questions I had already answered. Next the orderly showed up, gave me a cap for my hair, sat me in a wheelchair with a sheet over me and wheeled me away to the OR. They sat me in a hallway outside the OR. My gyn came by and talked to me, explained again what they would be doing and had me sign the consent forms. He also asked about what family was with me, I gave him some numbers to call incase my family couldn't be located. Next they wheeled me in and I climbed up on the table, they put in my IV and started the blood pressure cuff. My doc came in and was assuring me everything would be ok. The anesthesiologist gave me some drugs to make me sleep and put an oxygen mask over my face. Within two minutes or so I was asleep. I woke up being wheeled to the recovery room.

I wasn't nervous about my surgery so I didn't request any drugs. If you feel you're going to need something to relax your nerves tell your doc now, he can prescribe you something for when you get into the hospital. Also, if your doc prescribed you vitamins and hasn't told you to stop taking them, don't. Each doc has different procedures and you want to follow their procedures exactly so they don't postpone your surgery.

Best of luck for a successful surgery and a speedy, pain free recovery!

Mary Ellen

I agree with Mary Ellen. Since your doc prescribed the vitamins, I would assume he wants you to take them up to the day of surgery. My hospital pre-op was 13 days prior to surgery. The castle nurse asked what medications I was on. I listed my Celebrex and ibuprofen (anti-inflammatories), multi-vitamin and Vicodin as needed for my wrist problem. She told me to immediately stop taking the two anti-inflammatories as they have some blood-thinning properties. She said I could take Tylenol as needed for pain and even the Vicodin (as it is Tylenol-based). She also said okay to continue taking my vitamins right up to the day of surgery, but NO herbs. The only way I've deviated from this is by taking Cold-Eez zinc lozenges for 3 days last week to curtail my cold symptoms. However, both a pharmacist and anesthesiologist that I know said that was o.k. I also took a 5-day antibiotic to ward off my sinus/ear infection. Again, no blood-thinners in that and oftentimes, surgical patients take antibiotics for various reasons prior to surgery so I'm not worried about it.

If you feel you need something to help you relax, call your doc and mention it. He may prescribe some Xanax or something similar that you can take the day before, (and even the day of), surgery. I mentioned to the pre-op nurse that my primary doc had prescribed Xanax for me several months ago. As I don't take it often, I still have a few left. She said I could take it the night before to help me sleep and even the morning of surgery, (with a tiny sip of water).

Good luck with your surgery

About the vitamins, It's possible he wants you to take prenatal vitamins to boost your immunity or keep your iron up. I took prenatal for a year just to get my iron back up.

It's probably a very good idea to double check on if you should take your vitamins the morning of surgery since they usually tell you at preop that you can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight before surgery. Vitamins on an empty stomach usually make some people sick to their stomach if they can't have anything to eat with them. I had to check with my dr. to see if I could take a zantac the morning of to prevent acid build up in my stomach from being empty.

You said you "didn't get any preop stuff done but think they can use the tests that I had done a couple of weeks ago for that." Are you sure about this? Sometimes they give patients bowel prep instructions at preop and sometimes not depending on what your dr. orders they may do other tests that are needed before surgery like blood work and EKG that can take some extra time. I didn't have a bowel prep but did get orders like many others to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight. No candy or gum either. The morning of surgery after the i.v. was in, in the nurse took some blood for a pregnancy test because they forgot to do it during preop. I told her I was bleeding but they still had to do the test anyway.

You can read about my surgery experience at my "www" link at the side of my post. I had no pain after surgery and the talk with the anesthesiologist in preop area before surgery made the decision to give me a spinal and epidural because of past experience with nausea after general. My stress level went down about 90% when he said I would be getting the anesthesia of my choice. Have you thought about anesthesia? Even though I had a spinal I was given versed before taken into the O.R. Versed is an amnesiac and calms you down so you won't remember much of anything. I asked mine not to give me anymore because I wanted to be awake. I didn't see any of the surgery because there was a drape in front of my face but I was able to talk a little if needed. I didn't want to talk to much because sometimes it bothers the dr's enough for them to knock you out. I knew I had to be quiet! Make sure you talk with the anesthesiologist about anesthesia you will or want to have before you tell him you are nervous. I've heard of some mentioning this to theirs and found that they were given something at that point and don't remember anything till waking up in the recovery. I wanted to be sure I wasn't given general. Good luck to you and hope everything goes well for you. s

I was brought to the hospital with my DH and DS and put in a little room with TV like a waiting room with recliner like chair for me. Nurse put and IV in and medication to make me out of it while my URO/GYN talked to me and anesthsia person. Everyone was nice. My DH was called in that room every 1/2 hour telling him how I was. Then remember nurse walking me out down the hall and all I remember. Then after surgery I awoke to DH talking to me and didn't know I had it done. DH said I was white as a ghost and said "I'm sick!". Surgery was at 7:30 and I was out at 11:10, my URO/GYN was known to take longer than told the nurse told my DH not to worry. Had a room to my self, slept a lot, DS stayed with me while his Dad went out to work an hour. I never knew he was gone. Nurses were very nice. Next morning they let me order anything I wanted for breakfast then I could go home. Felt awful weak but hospitals just don't keep you anymore. It all went by so fast surgery day. Hope this helps. Love, ((((STITCHER))))

We had to be at the hospital 2 hours before surgery. During that time I had blood work, a chest x-ray. Changed into hospital gown, footies and beautiful bonnet. :-) They put an IV line in. The A-man came in and we discussed varouis options. Upon his recommendation, I went with the general plus the spinal my doctor recommended. We chatted so long, we delayed surgery! Before he came in, nurses were taking all my vital information. They had me write "YES" with a marker on my belly to indicate I was having an abdominal hysterectomy. My doctor showed up with my DH in tow, since we were taking so long. They gave me some Versed (which is a marvelous drug!) I barely remember being pushed down the hall nad getting the spinal. All I remember is my head resting on some poor nurse's chest. I remember seeing the OR, but was so out of it, I don't remember being put out or anything!