Pre Surgery Testing

Congrats to Jacquie http://jax0120.blogspot.com/ who was banded in Mexico yesterday! Those are the stories that keep me motivated and inspired. So thank all of you banders for sharing (new and old)

I had my presurgery testing and it truly was no big deal. It just required fasting after midnight.
Had to be at the hospital by 8 am and got there about a quarter till. They let me go in early.

A) First stop was blood work...they took five vials of blood. The nurse was so sweet and kept apologizing for poking me. Honestly, I never felt a thing. If you have trouble with needles I would suggest you ask for the "butterfly" needle. My veins are hard to find and they roll, so a nurse suggested this and I have rarely had a problem since.

B) Next stop was for the Upper GI. I had never experienced one before, so I was not sure what to expect. I dressed in a lovely (not) hospital gown open in the back and the good news is that they let me layer with another lovely (not) hospital gown in the front like a robe. At least that way I felt half way covered. I met the radiologist and technician who were both very friendly and explained the procedure. First, I had to drink (quickly toss to the back of my throat and swallow) a cup of something similar to rock pops or Alka-Seltzer. They said it could cause me to want to burp, and to try and avoid that. I never felt like I had to. There was an upright mechanical table with a little platform to stand on about six inches from the ground. They took a couple of pix and had me take a BIG sip of thick liquid (barium). Wouldn't want seconds, but it was bearable. As I lean back against the table and hold onto the sidebars, the table reclines back into a horizontal position. They took a few more pix and it was a wrap! The radiologist said everything looked great. Since that part of my anatomy is not frequently viewed, I guess it is good to know that all is well. Start to finish, the total procedure was less than 15 minutes.

C) Met with the pre-surgical nurse who was so nice. Then again, everyone I have met so far has been very friendly. She went over the meds I was currently taking, what to expect during surgery, when to arrive, etc. She also gave me an "Incentive Spirometer Exerciser" to help exercise my lungs prior to surgery. It will strengthen my lungs, so I will be less likely to get pneumonia. (See image above). At least one part of my body is starting to get exercise.

D) Finally, I met with the anesthesiologist. He explained how the anesthesia would be done and what to expect when coming out of surgery. He asked about previous surgeries and experiences.

All in all, I was out of the hospital within an hour and a half. I hope everything else continues to go this smoothly.

I did end up having to reschedule my surgery to my next school break, May 25th. It is not the end of the world, but I was hoping sooner than later. Meanwhile, I will keep enjoying everyone else's blogs and success.