Search Results for: blog preparing for surgery

Preparing Your Health History

One of the major components of your first prenatal check up is the health history interview. It should feel somewhat familiar, since many doctors do this on your first visit, but the prenatal version is a little more detailed. To prepare, it may help to look over some of these questions beforehand in case you need to make a few phone calls to your mom or relatives. What is your history with pregnancy? Have you been pregnant before? Have you ever had a miscarriage? Have you ever had an abortion? If you have had a baby before, how did you … Continue reading →

Questions to Ask About Surgery

If your doctor suggests surgery, you may feel a little overwhelmed, or a little scared. But surgery may not be your only option! Here are some things to consider, and some questions to ask. 1. Get a second opinion. Two different doctors may have two different opinions on how to treat your disease or injury. 2. Do some research. Don’t immediately say yes or no to whatever your doctor proposes. Get your diagnosis and find out more. You may decide that surgery is the best choice, or you may decide to pursue another course. Contact your insurance company to see … Continue reading →

Preparing for Surgery

Going under the knife (or just going under, as many surgical procedures don’t involve much knifing anymore!) can be a daunting prospect. Here are some tips to help you prepare mentally and physically if you or someone in your family is preparing to undergo surgery. Be as informed as possible. Talk to your doctor about what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! You may want to know about anesthesia, recovery time, hospital stay, pain management, and follow-up procedures. Be as honest as possible. Talk to your doctor about your health — especially … Continue reading →

Preparing a Young Child for the Hospital

Whether it is tubes in the ear for frequent ear infections or something more serious, having a young child stay in the hospital, especially when it involves surgery, can be a nerve-filled experience for both you and your child. Parents Magazine recently published an article all about preparing children when they have to go to the hospital. There is some good advice here, especially as it relates to babies and the youngest children. I’ve adapted some of the advice given as a result of my own experiences with children and hospitals. Inform yourself I always became less anxious whenever I … Continue reading →

Advance Planning Before Mom Has Surgery: While At The Hospital

In my last guest Blog I wrote about the fact that on Monday I will be having surgery and some of the things I have done to prepare my home and family. This Blog is about the planning I need to do for the time I am away at the hospital. Hospital stays are typically as short as possible in years past I might have expected to stay for five or more days, but this time I don’t expect to be hospitalized for more then a day of two (if I am lucky it will be 2 days!). Short or … Continue reading →

Out of the Spotlight

Like it or not, there are some seasons in parenting when one particular child seems to dominate the spotlight. This can be for both good and bad reasons. Take the example of a very good friend of mine whose 17-year-old daughter has put her family through quite a wild rollercoaster ride. It has been a trying time in my friend’s life, leaving her 14-year-old daughter to wonder where she stands in all of this. Then there is my family…my oldest son who just hit a milestone in life with turning 18. We are also preparing for his high school graduation … Continue reading →

Finally I Go Home

I had my reconstruction surgery on February 2, 2007 and I was supposed to be home in five days. Here it is day 10 post-surgery and I am still in the hospital. I should have been home 5 days ago but my developing pneumonia was something that was out of my control. The pneumonia is gone and my lab work looks great so I am finally getting discharged. Before my surgeon would let me go home I had to look at the incisions. I don’t know why I was perfectly fine not looking but if I had to I would … Continue reading →

Surgical Countdown: One Month!

My hysterectomy is scheduled for one month from today: April 7th. I’m still feeling generally positive about the whole thing. One of my coworkers said I seemed “sparkly” about the thought. And in my mind, there are a lot of good things about the upcoming surgery. Good thing number one: there’s an end in sight to the pain, the abnormal flow and irregular periods, the feeling that I have to piddle all the time… all the problems caused by my football-sized fibroid are going to go away once the football leaves town. And I think that’s awesome news. It’s like … Continue reading →

Is That My Final Answer?

Yesterday, I talked about my conversation with the doctors at the teaching clinic about my not-so-mysterious-any-more growths. I’ve got two fibroids — one inside the uterus about the size of a mandarin orange and one in the uterine lining about the size of a football. Between the two, I’ve been pretty uncomfortable over the last year or so. My periods are irregular, my cramps are incredibly painful, my bladder always feels full, I have constipation problems, and more — all thanks to the football and the orange. In the last six weeks or so, the pain has really become a … Continue reading →

The Three Most Common Types of Bleeding Disorder

Bleeding disorders interfere with the body’s clotting ability, and lead to prolonged bleeding after an injury. Under normal circumstances, when the body is injured, the platelets in blood gather around the wound. Proteins in the plasma (known as blood clotting factors) work with platelets and other substances to form a clot over the wound — the blood turns from liquid to solid. In a person with a bleeding disorder, those clotting factors may be missing — or may not work they way they should. The most common bleeding disorder is hemophilia A — also known as factor VIII deficiency or … Continue reading →