Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group
Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.
I should be in the hospital right now, about 24 hours post-op. But I'm here, at home, writing this post very long post.
My surgery was scheduled for 7:30am yesterday so I had to be at the hospital at 6:00am. Snow started falling steadily at midnight. I began to worry that my surgery would be canceled but my husband assured me that everyone knew this snow was coming. If they were going to cancel because of the weather, they would have called that day.
At 4am, my husband and I shoveled our car out of 3 inches of snow and made the 25 mile journey to the hospital. It took a little over an hour on very scary road conditions but we made it. We pulled up front and were greeted by a valet driver who parked our car. We entered the hospital along with a group of nurses arriving for their shifts. I signed in on the well-staffed surgical floor and was called into preop wing. I had my wristband on and was about to change into my gown when the charge nurse came to my bedside with a phone in her hand - The surgeon wanted to speak to me. He got 4 inches of snow and doesn't live right around the corner from the hospital, so he wasn't going to make it in. I told him that I got almost as much as he did and also didn't live right around the corner but I was here waiting for him. He apologized (though it did not feel genuine at all). I handed the phone back to the charge nurse.
The charge nurse pressed him a bit, mentioning that the conditions will improve and weren't that bad on the main roads. She suggested he could do it later today. He refused and told her to tell me I'd be called around 7 to reschedule. She hung up the phone and she and two other nurses apologized to me as well as I sat there and cried. As I collected my things and headed out I over heard one of them say they were shocked and didn't expect that to be what the phone call was about - they'd all made it in to work.
My husband and I went and sat in the cafe so he could get a coffee, and I got a drink too. I was thirsty and could drink now since I wasn't having surgery. We sat there until 7:30 waiting for the phone call to reschedule. Then we walked over to the surgeon's office that opens at 8 to talk to the people at the desk in person and make sure I got on th schedule ASAP. The woman there (one I've never seen in all my visits there) gave me a rude brush off and told me to just go home and wait for them to call. I had no point of contact if I did not receive that call.
Fortunately they did call me around 8:45. I've been rescheduled for Thursday at 2:30. I was scared I'd have to wait weeks, so I am relieved it was only pushed back a few days. We picked up our dog from boarding and came home to enjoy a beautiful snow day. We took a long walk, threw snow balls, made snow angels, and then came home to snuggle in warm blankets and watch the snow continue to fall just outside the window. A beautiful day would have been missed by both of us had the surgery happened. There are also a few things still to be done that I was disappointed I didn't get to finish before yesterday. Those are being done today and tomorrow. I called into work to let them know I could work today and tomorrow but I would need to extend my return date by a few days, they were supportive and told me to just take these 2 days off.
Overall, a lot of good came from things not happening as planned and in 2 days now I'm still getting what I've been working so hard for. I'm happy and not angry anymore. I am concerned though. I hope that I really am in good hands come Tuesday. I hope that this surgeon understands, appreciates, and respects that while he does many of these surgeries, I am only doing this once. It is unfamilar, it is scary, and I've been through a lot to make it happen.
Sorry for the length of this post, and if you read it all, thanks. I feel better having written it all out. Maybe I should start a blog.
My surgery was scheduled for 7:30am yesterday so I had to be at the hospital at 6:00am. Snow started falling steadily at midnight. I began to worry that my surgery would be canceled but my husband assured me that everyone knew this snow was coming. If they were going to cancel because of the weather, they would have called that day.
At 4am, my husband and I shoveled our car out of 3 inches of snow and made the 25 mile journey to the hospital. It took a little over an hour on very scary road conditions but we made it. We pulled up front and were greeted by a valet driver who parked our car. We entered the hospital along with a group of nurses arriving for their shifts. I signed in on the well-staffed surgical floor and was called into preop wing. I had my wristband on and was about to change into my gown when the charge nurse came to my bedside with a phone in her hand - The surgeon wanted to speak to me. He got 4 inches of snow and doesn't live right around the corner from the hospital, so he wasn't going to make it in. I told him that I got almost as much as he did and also didn't live right around the corner but I was here waiting for him. He apologized (though it did not feel genuine at all). I handed the phone back to the charge nurse.
The charge nurse pressed him a bit, mentioning that the conditions will improve and weren't that bad on the main roads. She suggested he could do it later today. He refused and told her to tell me I'd be called around 7 to reschedule. She hung up the phone and she and two other nurses apologized to me as well as I sat there and cried. As I collected my things and headed out I over heard one of them say they were shocked and didn't expect that to be what the phone call was about - they'd all made it in to work.
My husband and I went and sat in the cafe so he could get a coffee, and I got a drink too. I was thirsty and could drink now since I wasn't having surgery. We sat there until 7:30 waiting for the phone call to reschedule. Then we walked over to the surgeon's office that opens at 8 to talk to the people at the desk in person and make sure I got on th schedule ASAP. The woman there (one I've never seen in all my visits there) gave me a rude brush off and told me to just go home and wait for them to call. I had no point of contact if I did not receive that call.
Fortunately they did call me around 8:45. I've been rescheduled for Thursday at 2:30. I was scared I'd have to wait weeks, so I am relieved it was only pushed back a few days. We picked up our dog from boarding and came home to enjoy a beautiful snow day. We took a long walk, threw snow balls, made snow angels, and then came home to snuggle in warm blankets and watch the snow continue to fall just outside the window. A beautiful day would have been missed by both of us had the surgery happened. There are also a few things still to be done that I was disappointed I didn't get to finish before yesterday. Those are being done today and tomorrow. I called into work to let them know I could work today and tomorrow but I would need to extend my return date by a few days, they were supportive and told me to just take these 2 days off.
Overall, a lot of good came from things not happening as planned and in 2 days now I'm still getting what I've been working so hard for. I'm happy and not angry anymore. I am concerned though. I hope that I really am in good hands come Tuesday. I hope that this surgeon understands, appreciates, and respects that while he does many of these surgeries, I am only doing this once. It is unfamilar, it is scary, and I've been through a lot to make it happen.
Sorry for the length of this post, and if you read it all, thanks. I feel better having written it all out. Maybe I should start a blog.
That said, you have a great attitude, and with that positivity, you'll do well. Best wishes for surgery tomorrow. ;)