I just found out they can't schedule my needed surgery

[csziggy]

I've been going through tests and finally got approved by my cardiologist to have this surgery- two weeks ago. I was told that it could possibly be done as an outpatient surgery and that the hospital is doing outpatient. But I hadn't heard anything since so I called into the surgeon's office this afternoon. Nope, due to my age, heart, and other conditions, the surgeon wants me to spend at least one night in the hospital.

The scheduling guy told me he had my file in front of him because he's been trying for a week to get the surgery scheduled. Because of Covidiots (not his term) he has not been able to. I made him very happy when I told him, let's put this on hold for a month and see where things are. I'd rather not be in the hospital right now with the number of virus patients or while the nurses and other staff are stressed out. The scheduler was so happy. Now he can set aside my file for the next month and we'll see where we are with the pandemic by then.

This is in Tallahassee where there have been several news stories about how the two hospitals are overloaded, nursing staff overwhelmed, etc.

The procedure is to fix a mid-line hernia which is a complication from a previous operation (removal of a cancerous kidney). So far the only symptom is the protrusion, no sign that the intestine is being affected, no pain. So it's not an emergency and can wait. I just wish I could get it fixed and get the healing over with.

On the plus side, I may have a very good reason to skip family Thanksgiving get togethers! Other than of course, the ongoing pandemic.

[brewens]

1. I'm holding off on my total right knee but am pretty happy about it really.

That keeps me covered by corporate long term disability longer and I'm almost out of debt. Dragging this out is in my favor, though I was perfectly willing to go ahead with it. It's the physical therapy I won't go to, and that's really not an option. I have to wait until it's safe.

This is the second time, because I had my right hip scheduled for last January, and put it off until June after I was fully vaccinated. Liberty was not happy about my postponing and said my case would be reviewed, and I may be cut off. I thought, make my day! My freakin' lawyer will dunk on your asses! I didn't even bother to call him. I never heard a word back from them either.

I just now got paperwork for another review, and guess what, they don't even know that I've been diagnosed needing a total right shoulder as well! Guess what Skippy? We're gonna be friend for awhile! LOL That's what I should say to my new case manager.

[csziggy]

2. Yeah, knee replacement is not for sissies

I've had both done (separately) - my bone on bone knees were just too painful to live with anymore. The insurance company was not happy since not only did I have both done the same year, the doctor got me into a rehab hospital for intensive physio therapy for both operations. Then I turned around and got carpal tunnel surgery and ulnar nerve relocation done the same year since using a cane and wheelchair got that to the point I couldn't function. (The other hand was done a year later due to my Dad's illness and death.)

It also limited the out of pocket to "only" $10,000 for all three operations, LOL.

The good news was that my knees hurt less the day after replacement than they did the day before.

Are you getting shoulder replacement or just rebuilding? My left shoulder was completely rebuilt but that is a whole different story.

[FakeNoose]

3. How fortunate that you're able to delay it

Best of luck my friend!

[csziggy]

5. Yes, I had to promise the scheduler guy if anything changed, I'd call in

Because that could mean complications.

On the bright side I've been half-assed dieting (only lost about five pounds so far), thinking with the surgery coming up, there was no point in getting serious. Since it will be at least a month away, I'm going to get more serious about dieting and trying to get a little more fit. Both will help with the surgery and recovery.

[MiniMe]

4. I had a defibrillator "installed" in March of 2020, right about the time everything started to go

crazy. I was supposed to spend a night in the hospital, but the doc decided that I could go home because they didn't want people to be infected. So I had a defibrillator placed as an outpatient procedure.

[csziggy]

6. Wow! That's pretty serious!

How has it been since?

One of the reasons I had to get cleared by my cardiologist is I had my aortic valve replaced through a non-invasive procedure back in 2017 (a TAVR or transarterial valve replacement). Since then I've had an irregular heartbeat and two major vasovagal syncopes. They had to make sure I was up for an operation under full anesthesia. I was worried they would say I need a pacemaker - something that can happen after a valve replacement.

And then there was this:

There is nothing more fun than going in for a stress test and when the technician does the baseline EKG he runs out of the room with the printout and doesn't return for nearly a half hour. He couldn't tell me what the problem was but showed me the difference between a normal rhythm and mine. From my online research I think it is premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). What I have not gotten the answer to is was that there before the TAVR or only since.

[MiniMe]

7. I've been fine thank Dog

I don't want to find out what happens if it goes off, and so far, I haven't. But I'd say having that as outpatient surgery shows how concerned the doc was about Covid. But I've been fine since then. Have a monitor at my bedside for the doc to read the results and check on me. The waiting area for the pre-surgery was empty, only one other person back there. And the other person was my cardiologists patient too.

[csziggy]

8. Excellent! Yeah, you don't want that going off - ever

Unless it's needed to save your life, of course.

I was disappointed when they said they were not going to do out patient, but I understand. Both syncopes were after surgeries, first the day of the valve replacement. My BP dropped, the monitor sent out a signal and a Code went out to the entire hospital. By the time I was conscious, there were five people in the bathroom with me and ten more in the hall outside! Second syncope was after back surgery - I passed out, bashed my head on the edge of something, and was bleeding all over the place. For some strange reason a BP of 38/58 is not conducive to being awake and walking.

So I guess staying in the hospital overnight is a good idea.

[MiniMe]

9. I've never heard of a BP where the first number was lower than the 2nd number

I had a quadruple bypass and they waited about 4 months before they implanted the defibrillator. I had so many darned tests that I don't even remember what they were. But my cardiac output was lower than it should have been so I got the defibrillator. Like I said, thank Gawd it hasn't gone off, I would not be a happy camper if it did. I imagine that it would be painful. Though I would guess I would be much more unhappy if I was dead.

[csziggy]

10. I'm probably remembering it wrong - that was the first reading they took when they found me

Unconscious on the bathroom floor. So aside from extremely BP, I had a bit of a concussion. the day is very gray in my memory for some odd reason.

One thing I did learn that I had never known before - extreme low BP can cause nausea. That's why I didn't wait for an aide, I thought I was going to throw up and didn't want to do it on the floor or the bed. From now on, I will insist on a barf bag from when I wake up so I am not tempted to get up on my own too soon.