Surgery completed at last

[jezza]

Gee Chris...that is scary. I can imagine so many people just not questioning that time frame....those who have little experience with hospitals or older people who would never doubt that what they had been told by medical staff wasn't 100% correct.

I hope word gets back to the ward nurse if she was the one who made the mistake...not so much that she gets into trouble...just to be more careful.

Even with home first aid you wouldn't just leave a bandage on for 2 and 1/2 weeks without checking, cleaning and redressing.

How is it feeling btw?

Good work re the phone call. Hope Thursday's visit finds that alls well.

jezza

[liv]

great news chris
pls dont let your guard down, yell scream as much as you want to make sure you get the best care and treatment with this.
and you dont have to apologise for doing so

[ruth1]

Scary to see yet again how much responsibilty the patient has to take for ensuring a healthy outcome. Sooo good you got onto this and fixed the problem. Infection is so easily picked up so it could have been a very bad result. Hospital is not the sanctuary of care it once was.

[schoolteacher]

Call made, even the girl who answered thought it sounded suss! She checked with a surgeon who said "that's way too long, come in this Thursday" the ward nurse stuffed it up. I am still amazed that no one checked/changed the dressings before I went home. I wasn't impressed with the quality of care in the new elective surgery ward I missed the nurses from upstairs last year. They seemed so much more interested in the patients.
The new ward had a central nurses station with 12 beds arranged in a circular pattern around it, a bit like a cattle pen hence the constant noise. I felt the nurses, mostly, did their duty with regard to meds and bp checks but were otherwise quite distant. With a high turn over of patients it's probably a bit different to the regular wards.
they had one serial pest, a young man claiming to be in pain who clearly wasn't, and was there for the second time. He was the number one suspect for the bomb threat received on Thursday! It certainly wasn't dull. I'm glad me prolapse surgery will be in a private hospital!

[Lucy the Lump]

Chris. I agree with you & the other ladies. A call to the surgeon asap is the go here. I hope that it is all sorted this morning for you an more suitable appointments made for you.
Lucy

[Kerrie]

Chris i would think that is way too long for dressing and sutures to be left especially with your history.
Ring the docs and query this as all the girls say.

[Skettie]

Definitely call them Chris. You have a right to be nervous after last time and they should have been sensitive to that up front!
A bulk billed appt. through your surgeons office is the least they can do.
Glad your feeling ok.

[liv]

oh chris
ive learnt to go on my gut instinct, and you appear to have some thoughts yourself, go with your gut instinct (appropriate when we're discussing your tummy..lol) and dont let this ride, its far too big a thing to just let it be and to trust without questions.. hopefully not, but if you get an infection in there it could set you back months and months. pls ring yr surgeon and tell him/her your concerns.

they dont seem to give out antibiotics for even major surgery, i was amazed when had mastectomy no drugs at all.
this is not recommended but ive always got a stash of antibiotics in the fridge, if any hint of infection rears it head, i knock it down quickly.

concerned

x

[Janette]

Chris,
I'm sure a call to the surgeon would ease your concerns. It sounds very confusing to me.

[schoolteacher]

My concern isn't so much not seeing the surgeon as how long the dressings are staying on. Is this normal practice? I assume there are stitches to be removed too and two and a half weeks post surgery seems too long to wait to me, especially as the registrar said see you next week but a date booked for a week later? I can't wear clothes over this lot. it's looking like I heed to extend my leave
I was on anti biotics in Hospital Jezza but not now.

[jezza]

I must admit Chris when I read that you wouldn't be "unwrapped" until the 8th of Nov. I was surprised myself.
Yes a phone call is certainly the way to go. Unfortunately as we have found on the forum we have to take things into our own hands at times and check these things.

I imagine the surgery that you had....the repair...wouldn't be that common and I guess the compression bandage needs to be there for that long but we all know that wounds have to be closely monitered. Are you on antibiotics?

Good luck with the phonecall..

jezza

[JudyB]

Chris, do you have one of those hose things that can go on the tap? I bought a cheap one from Safeway and that is what I used when I couldn't shower. Having said that I did remove my compression bandage to have a shower and then replaced it afterwards but if it hasn't been removed yet I can see why you wouldn't want to do that. I hope they say it's ok, I can't imagine not being able to shower, especially after a week in hospital and surgery.

[schoolteacher]

All I wanted to do was get home yesterday but now I am a little cross about my follow up care. I haven't seen the surgeon at all. She told DH that she would see me in a week. I did see registrar and team daily BUT I ave been sent home still wrapped in compression bandages. No one has removed dressings to check my wounds which is a concern after last years dramas. I expected layers to be removed before leaving the hospital but was told that would be done at out patients next were BUT my appointment has been made for 8th Nov, one week on Thursday, over two weeks after surgery that seems too long away, especially as I am not allowed to shower while compression bandages are on. I am planning to return to work before then as they said 7-10 days recovery! I will be phoningto query this arrangement tomorrow and stressing my concern at 2 1/2 week old dressings after my wound problems last year any thoughts? A nursing friend was very surprised by this

[Gail]

hope it's the best result possible!

[molly dooker]

That's great Chris.
Rest, recovery, restore. Gentle