I hope I convinced my friend to call her dad to drive her to the ER...

[Conmander in Cheat]

A long-distance friend of mine from WV (I, on the other hand, live near Ottawa) is recovering from a gastric bypass, and over the past couple of days, the pain and redness around the main incision has increased a fair bit...

I was at this website looking for help for her:

http://www.mdadvice.com/library/symp/surgery134.html

and the following was bolded, unlike the other situations in which they say to call your doctor.

"Call Your Doctor If
> Pain, swelling, redness, drainage or bleeding increases in the surgical area."

She can't reach her sister or her best friend, and her dad's at work and she didn't want to call him. I think I convinced her though, as she ultimately told me she was going to get off the phone with me and that she'd talk to me later...And she promised she'd contact someone as soon as possible.

I'm scared for her right now...

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Uh

Your friend doesn't have the sense to call her doctor?

I wish her luck. That surgery's terrible. I think people are going to find out in the not-too-distant future the terrible consequences of it.

[benito]

2. she *does* want to have this checked out

and I hope her dad can get her some help soon.

[Avalux]

3. She needs to get to the hospital immediately

She may have an infection requiring intravenous antibiotics. There is the possibility she has a "leak" where they performed the surgery, or the wound itself is infected. I am not trying to scare you but it is serious. Please keep checking on her.

[MnFats]

4. yeah, I'd say it's fairly important that she get back to an MD's care.

does she have a fever, any other flu-like stuff going on?
you do not want a post-surgical infection taking off on her.
if she doesn't call her dad, you should do it.

[Conmander in Cheat]

5. I can't...

1. I don't have a driver's license.

2. Even if I did, she'd be able to get someone long before I was able to make the 15 hour or so trek from my corner of Ontario to West Virginia.

No other symptoms though...Nothing relating to bodily functions or to excessive drainage or anything like that.

[MnFats]

7. No, if she doesn't call her dad, YOU call her dad!

sorry if i wasn't clear...

[Conmander in Cheat]

8. Not that easy...

He's started a new job tonight, and I don't know the work number.

(She was too proud to ask him to take it off and would not have accepted had he offered to.)

She obviously wouldn't tell me unless she intends to call her dad, as she knows exactly what I'll do.


I'll call at midnight EST (15 min.) to see if she's okay...

I sort of hope she doesn't answer, as it would mean that she's heeded my advice and has gone.

[miss_kitty]

10. I don't go out of my way to freak people's shit out about stuff like this.

Let me tell you about the ringing phone and incapacitating gut pain. The answering of the phone loses. And you can be functional one minute and incapacitated the next...I hope she answers

[MnFats]

6. See? three answers at precisely the same time. Unanimity!

basically the same opinion...get to a dock.
(never seen three at the same moment before...)

[miss_kitty]

9. Emergency med services

seriously. There should have been a piece of paper she/he got upon discharge. There should be a number to call at the hospital that will get him/her patched directly to a resident or doctor on call, generally from the team that did the op.

Her dad would rather miss work than not attend to this immediately. Cab fare-worth it. really, as someone who has had gut surgery, a couple of times, I cannot stress the importantance of having the shit checked out.

[lizzieforkerry]

11. Crap, now I won't be able to sleep because I will be so worried

about this girl in WV. Caommander in Cheat, please keep us updated. Where in WV? I have family in Charleston, maybe they could help. She's in my prayers...

[CO Liberal]

12. Sounds Like an Infection

I haev always been opposed to these surgeries, because the side effects can be disabling or life-threatening. She needs to call 911 and get to the hospital IMMEDIATELY.