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Surgery (off topic)

Grim_Night

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
776
Location
Pierce County, Washington
So, I just got home from Swedish Medical in Issaquah. I had to go see a 2nd neurosurgeon. As of today, I have been scheduled for surgery on May 9th. I will be having 2 level cervical disk replacement surgery at the C-5/6 & C-6/7 levels. I have been dealing with this problem for 4 years now (since 2012) and I have to say, it's a bout time!

I just wanted to let folks know what is going on with me, and to explain that the reason for my operation is a major cause of my lack of communication with many folks here. When I am in so much pain that I can't sit in a nice $300 office chair at my computer for more then 30 minutes without needing to lay down again, something needs to be done. I would say that it is just me getting old, but really, I'm 38 and something like this shouldn't be happening without some sort of outside cause to the medical condition.

Now for some firearms related on topicness... it seems that Swedish medical in Issaquah does not have any sort of gunbuster signs posted anywhere on their property. No, I didn't ask nor did I point it out. But you can be sure that I took the time to look around for them. I don't know if anyone here has any personal experience with this, but I'm kinda wondering if someone would pitch a fit if I open carried into that hospital -chuckle-. Yes, I KNOW that someone would pitch a fit, but I doubt that it would be anyone here.

Additionally, if there is anyone here that I have been in contact with via phone, you will need to send me your phone number again or call me. I had an unfortunate incident involving my previous cell phone and a hot tub at the YMCA. I won't go into details, but it required that I purchase a new phone... If the phone is suppose to be "waterproof", then it should be damn waterproof! -rage-
 
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Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
The health and welfare of our friends here is never off-topic Grim.

Best wishes and speedy recovery.
 

utbagpiper

Banned
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
4,061
Location
Utah
38 isn't old. It is too young for those kind of back problems. Best of luck.


I would not carry a gun if I were having any procedure where I could not maintain proper control of the gun at all times.

When I am just visiting someone, I have no qualms OCing despite the gun buster signs on local hospitals since in my State the signs have no legal effect and carrying is perfectly legal.

When I am in the hospital as a patient's "advocate", I CC since I don't want anything to create a distraction to the patient care or to my ability to assist them with gathering information or making decisions.

(By "advocate" I mean "next of kin", or the person that assists the patient with getting all the information they need, all the care they need, and remembering what they need to remember even if a doctor only told them once while they were groggy. Nobody should be alone in a hospital if it can be avoided. A spouse, parent, adult child, sibling, trusted friend, or fellow church member should be present as close to 24/7 as possible to make sure you get the care you need. In practice, this often requires at least two people to share the load and do shift work. But the level of care, comfort, safety, and recovery is markedly better if have such persons present. If you can't get 24/7 coverage, try for the key times such as just before and after surgery, when there are expected to be major changes in routine (removing an epidural, etc), and overnight when nursing staffing is often lower and it can be a long wait to get help making it to the restroom, or to change pillows, or to get a drink of water, or to get pain meds, etc.)

Charles
 

utbagpiper

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Messages
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Utah
A Patient Advocate is assigned at progressive hospitals.

Which is the reason I put it into quotes when I used it. A formal Patient Advocate is a hospital employee who assists the patient with navigating the hospital bureaucracy or handles complaints about care when the patient calls for him, and maybe checks by each day or so.

A next-of-kin kind of "patient advocate" is the simplest way for me to describe the role of being in a hospital not merely as a visitor for a few minutes, but being the patient's "person" who actively assists with care (help getting to the toilet, rearranging pillows or blankets, getting water, summoning a nurse if needed, etc), assists with gathering, collecting, and documenting/remembering information for the patient, etc.

As a visitor, I exercise my legal (in Utah) to OC. If worst comes to worst, I can cut a visit short or otherwise leave the hospital if my firearm is noticed and causes alarm. Gun buster signs at our hospitals notwithstanding, culturally, an OCd firearm rarely raises eyebrows here.

When acting as a next-of-kin "patient advocate" I can't afford to distract from the care of a loved one so I CC to avoid the possibility of distraction.

Charles
 
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amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
A Patient Advocate is assigned at progressive hospitals.

A neighbor is retired Thedacare Chief Operating Officer and is doing effective community health administration training.

My wife was recently diagnosed with cancer and has spent time in two area hospitals. Both have offered "advocate's" and both were told that their services were not required. I'm right with her up to the point where she has been taken into surgery.

So far the "score" is intercepting wrong or duplicate meds 3 times and three duplicate blood draws for tests. DO NOT ASSUME that everyone in a Hospital knows what they are doing. If you can't keep track yourself you need an advocate that does NOT work for the hospital if at all possible.

I do notice that when I'm there a lot more hands get washed and wrist bands compared with med's and instructions. Wonder why.
 

Grapeshot

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Messages
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Location
Valhalla
My wife was recently diagnosed with cancer and has spent time in two area hospitals. Both have offered "advocate's" and both were told that their services were not required. I'm right with her up to the point where she has been taken into surgery. So far the "score" is intercepting wrong or duplicate meds 3 times and three duplicate blood draws for tests. DO NOT ASSUME that everyone in a Hospital knows what they are doing. If you can't keep track yourself you need an advocate that does NOT work for the hospital if at all possible. I do notice that when I'm there a lot more hands get washed and wrist bands compared with med's and instructions. Wonder why.
The gloves in boxes by the door are not in sanitary packaging - easily contaminated. It takes more time than most put into into it to properly cleanse hands - most just swish and miss:

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html
 
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utbagpiper

Banned
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
4,061
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Utah
...

DO NOT ASSUME that everyone in a Hospital knows what they are doing. If you can't keep track yourself you need an advocate that does NOT work for the hospital if at all possible.

I do notice that when I'm there a lot more hands get washed and wrist bands compared with med's and instructions. Wonder why.

+1

And if you can have someone who has worked in the medical field and knows the lingo, even better.

My older sister spent years working in hospitals as a nurse, part of which was during the early days of AIDS. She said sometimes nurses were not informed when a patient was HIV+ (and in for some other cause), but they generally figured it out when they noticed the attending physician would actually take time to glove up before, and properly wash after, examining the patient.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
The gloves in boxes by the door are not in sanitary packaging - easily contaminated. It takes more time than most put into into it to properly cleanse hands - most just swish and miss:

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html


That may be true but they're only for "dirty" tasks anyway. Anything requiring "sterile" comes in a sterile pack.

From what I've observed this hospital pays close attention to infection control. Hand washing is a lot more than "swish and miss" by a long shot. Sometimes the nurse or assistant spends more time at the sink than on the task they came to take care of.


FWIW, the hospital where my wire is being treated had a tragic "accident" about a decade ago where the wrong "fluid" got injected in a surgical patient. Ever since then they've placed a major focus on preventing screw-ups. I guess a multi-million dollar lawsuit (they settled) can do that.
 

davidmcbeth

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Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
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earth's crust
Good luck in you surgery .... a bad back super sucks. Mine goes out once in a blue moon. Get the extra of the neon lighting with the new discs if you can.
 

Grim_Night

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
776
Location
Pierce County, Washington
38 isn't old. It is too young for those kind of back problems. Best of luck.


I would not carry a gun if I were having any procedure where I could not maintain proper control of the gun at all times.

When I am just visiting someone, I have no qualms OCing despite the gun buster signs on local hospitals since in my State the signs have no legal effect and carrying is perfectly legal.

When I am in the hospital as a patient's "advocate", I CC since I don't want anything to create a distraction to the patient care or to my ability to assist them with gathering information or making decisions.

(By "advocate" I mean "next of kin", or the person that assists the patient with getting all the information they need, all the care they need, and remembering what they need to remember even if a doctor only told them once while they were groggy. Nobody should be alone in a hospital if it can be avoided. A spouse, parent, adult child, sibling, trusted friend, or fellow church member should be present as close to 24/7 as possible to make sure you get the care you need. In practice, this often requires at least two people to share the load and do shift work. But the level of care, comfort, safety, and recovery is markedly better if have such persons present. If you can't get 24/7 coverage, try for the key times such as just before and after surgery, when there are expected to be major changes in routine (removing an epidural, etc), and overnight when nursing staffing is often lower and it can be a long wait to get help making it to the restroom, or to change pillows, or to get a drink of water, or to get pain meds, etc.)

Charles

I'm not planning on carrying for my surgery. I was just curious as to if anyone at the hospital would get all bent out of shape if I carried there simply for an appointment or normal hospital related tasks.

Been there, done that, Grim. Except mine was only 5/6. The surgery was a miracle. I am now pain free and have been for 5 1/2 years. I wish you the best!

Good luck in you surgery .... a bad back super sucks. Mine goes out once in a blue moon. Get the extra of the neon lighting with the new discs if you can.


The surgery I am having is my C5/6 and 6/7 disks (cervical = neck for those that don't know). The problem is, my C4/5 disk is also in bad shape. The first surgeon that I saw wanted to do a fusion and said I was not a good candidate for disk replacement. Mind you, 2 level disk replacement is still very new here in the US. The FDA has only approved a multi-level disk replacement as of 2014. But they have been doing this stuff in Europe for over 20 years. It is medically proven that anyone that has a fusion operation done has a 1 in 4 chance of having to undergo surgery again within 10 years to have at least 1 disk removed above or below the site of the original operation. The surgeon at Swedish told me flat out that if I had a fusion done at the C5/6 and 6/7 sites, I would be back in the operating room within 12 months, period. As it stands, even if I have disk replacement, I will likely still have to have surgery again on at least the C4/5 disk, the only question is when. But a disk replacement is definitely going to buy me a lot more time then a fusion would give me.

I had all of my lab work done Friday last week (April 22nd) and the results were back the same day. Seems that medically speaking, I am fit for surgery. I honestly wish that it could be done sooner then it is scheduled. I have been dealing with this issue since 2012 and frankly, I am sick of all the pain.
 
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