Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Goin' Under the Knife...

...early in the new year.

Thank god it's not before the holidays. When I saw my hernia on the x-ray I said: It's huge! and all the doctors (4 of them!) said: yes it is. They said it isn't urgent, but it's also not something that can wait a year. So early in the new year it will be. I must wait for the secretary's call.

They said the reason I often feel uncomfortable after I eat is that my stomach isn't in the right place. That's simple enough. I know I should've had a hundred questions but I went totally blank. So I'll write my questions as they come to mind because I'll have another appointment with the surgeon before the big day. I should have my wits about me then.

Operation is supposed to take 2 hours. The surgery should be done laparoscopically (spelling? I have no idea). If done this way, it's an overnight stay in hospital and 2 weeks recovery. If they open me up and find they can't do it laparoscopically, then its 5 days in hospital and 6 weeks recovery. I can see why the first option is more appealing, even if its only 2 measly weeks off from work. I'm already planning on asking my boss to let me work from home for the 3rd week. I'm sure she'll say yes.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This must be terrifying! I'm pulling for you!

Anonymous said...

Well I can't speak for any otehr kind of surgery, but I did have laprascopic surgery before. They doo fill up parts of the cavity with gas to seperate things out, that takes a good week to go away but it is a very fast recovery time.

My friend who's going in maybe next week, took 12 weeks to recover from her last surgery. This is the final one we hope. But she's dragging me along for her day-before consult with the Doctor, so she won't forget anything and so if she goes blank I can whip out her list of questions and start asking them for her if need be.

Anonymous said...

Don't we all have enough gas without doctors pumping more in? And I'm assuming it exits the way normal gas does? (I can't believe I'm asking this....)

Anonymous said...

Yikes...Surgery is one of my biggest fears. I don't envy you in the least, even with the 6 weeks offs (which I would love to have, but not at that price!)

JAW fan

cityofmushrooms said...

whoa!

write your questions in block letters and then when the doc starts talking and you realize you've lost the capacity for spoken language comprehension, hand him the paper with all your questions, and flash him a grin (and maybe a gallic shrug?)

will alcohol help the anxiety? what about a rafe film fest?

oh, and good luck!!

Anonymous said...

Because you're dying to know, the gas is absorbed by the body. There is no "release" as it were...

Nanuk of the North, older but no wiser said...

Thanks for that valuable info. what a relief.

cityofmushrooms said...

if less hilarity