Well, we can definitely say one thing about M.D.Anderson — they are certainly thorough! A nurse once told us that they had a limit of 5 appointments per day per patient. On Friday, we ended up with 7 separate pre-op appointments.
I had planned on sketching between appointments but we moved from one to the next all day with no breaks. So I later sketched the pile of paperwork they gave us to read. Everything seems good for my ostomy reversal surgery one week from tomorrow (also removing whatever is left of the tumor).
The first appointment threw the whole schedule off, which the schedulers set for 30 minutes — they took about 2 hours! It was a complete eye exam to establish a baseline for them to compare to. I have glaucoma; the long surgery will have me positioned in a way that can affect my eye pressures.
Then there was bloodwork, meet with the surgeon, a heart check, meet with the anesthesiologist, an EKG, and lastly talking with a nurse in ostomy / wound care. All in all, a very long day!
Prayers for your upcoming surgery. I hope everything goes smoothly. It sounds like your care team is on top of everything.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Fay
Thanks, Fay! We have been amazed by the level of care at M.D. Anderson through this whole thing. God is definitely answering prayers!
DeleteBest wishes for the operation and recovery! Looking forward to seeing your post-op sketches soon :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nina!
DeleteVicky I have just re-read this post and noted your comment re the position for your surgery could affect your eye pressures (ie glaucoma pressures). I've not heard of that previously and will have to keep in mind for future surgeries as even with combinations of eye drops & laser treatment to assist drainage, my pressures aren't stable. Thank you for mentioning.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne in Sydney Australia
They were concerned because my body would be inverted during the surgery which was to last about 7 hours; it turned out to be 11 hours! But there doesn’t seem to be any lasting effect to my eye pressures, thank God!
DeleteI hope your eye pressures stabilize soon. There seems to be a delicate balance in achieving healthy eyes. I’m thankful for the medical knowledge that helps us — my grandmother went totally blind with this inherited glaucoma.