Overnight hospital stay.

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On Friday I go in for surgery to remove my spinal cord nerve pain stimulator. Seeing as I had my leg amputated that took care of the pain in my ankle. I’ll be staying overnight and bringing with me a bunch of diapers as I don’t know if they will have them at the hospital and even if they did they are probably crap. I’m fully prepared for the fact that they probably won’t let me change myself. I’ll be leaving my prosthetic at home and taking my wheelchair.

One thing I am worried about is that surgery tends do throw off my bowels. After my amputation I had pretty bad bowel accidents and then when I had my revision surgery a few months later my bowels were back to normal. I’m just nervous that I’ll go back to having issues again.

Anyway I just needed to get that out. I have some nervousness in regards to them working with my spinal cord but I just have to have faith in the neurosurgeon. I also got a covid test. It was a breeze

 

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yes I highly recommend bringing your own diapers it's been my experience in the past that Hospitals have terrible diapers the large Hospital here in La Crosse has these terrible clothlike covered diapers and they seem to only use one size they try to use Bariatric diapers on anyone who doesn't fit baby/toddler diapers

 

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Keeping you in our prayers Justej!

 

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Wishing you the best of luck with your surgery!

 

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Earlier this year, I spent a few days in the hospital because I had double vision. Stroke was suspected, but was negative. I informed staff that I am a bedwetter. Without batting an eye, they came in and put one of those cheap hospital diapers and a thick paper underpad. Nothing else was said or done until I informed staff I might need a change .I was treated with the utmost respect. I can't say for sure if they will let you use your own supplies. Good luck and keep your spirits up.

 

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I certainly hope your surgery is a "textbook case" and that it goes uneventfully. I know having surgery, any surgery, sucks rocks and I hope you have as short a stay as possible. As for the bowel business anesthesia does funny things and it throws everything, including digestive system, out of whack. But the people working in the hospital have seen it all before so they're used to it, even if we aren't! I guess the bet thing to tell you is to tell those who are caring for you just what is on your mind. After all it's part of their job. I think it is wise that you bring your own diapers and please tell 'em point-blank that's what your preference is. Good luck and we'll be reading you again here soon!

 

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@justej
I'll pray you're ok and God gives you strength.

 

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I hope your surgery goes smoothly!

The times I've been hospitalized, it's always get through an ER admission, and I've never had the forethought to bring my own diapers. Mostly they seem to have terrible tape-on briefs or even worse pullups. Last time I was hospitalized, I went through a couple of days of diarrhea and several bowel accidents, some of which the pullups they'd give me didn't contain, and not a word was said to me about it when they changed the bed. I was able to change myself, and they let me do that.

You are wise to take your own supplies!

 

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justej, we'll be looking for you, here. Let us know you made it through!
The Alaska State bird is out, today - the Moosquito. Breeze came up, that helps. Your stay will be a breeze, ignore the Moosquitos, and the Moose.

 

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Good luck with your procedure. Just ask the nurses to put your own diapers on when you wake up, they should be ok with your request. Try not to worry.

 

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AlasSouth, Moosquitos eh? I've heard Alaskan mosquitos are on the big side but your word, moosquito sounds like they could be as big as a moose! I would hope not! How would one go about swatting at something as big as a mosquito?????? And would "Off!" come in a 55-gallon drum????

 

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Hope your surgery goes well and your recovery as well.

 

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Hey EJ,
I just got a new neck last January, they implanted a bunch of these new micro-knee joints to replace the vertebrae that the tumor ate! They gave me that paralytic agent again and from what they’ve told me that is what gets the bowels in an uproar. Tell them ahead of time, I don’t think you’ll need it for the removal. I went through the stim implant/ removal 5 times over two years, and I think you’ll do just GREAT! Implant is the hard part, sometimes they slide right out on removal; I hope it it all goes smoothly. I talked to the surgeon ahead of time, told him I didn’t want the catheter, I’d prefer to use my MegaMax. They were perfectly fine with it, and it held up for 6hrs of surgery with IV’s running! I just brought more in a gym bag and had “Zero” problems over the next two days. I’ll be thinking of you on Friday, please touch bases with us as soon as the fog clears!

 

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Thanks everyone! I’m most nervous about the bowel thing. I’ve been constipated the last few days and I’m just worried I’ll have the complete opposite afterwards.

Sprung - when they removed the implant did they keep you overnight? When I had it put in it was in and out and to take it out it’s overnight and I’m not sure why. I’m waiting for my doctors office to call back so I can ask.

They wanted a urine sample but with my incontinence I can’t pee on demand so I couldn’t do it.

 

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Sprung87. Wow, guy. I'd never of thought of that. I'll take your advice. I've even had a catheter inserted wrong (false channel), which results in a fair amount of bleeding and the the necessity for antibiotics, which further mess with you digestive track.
justej: I ran into a problem with "day surgery". Medicare super-limited what they'd pay when it was "day". Only an overnight activated the benefits. What i needed done would have required an overnight, so they forbade the overnight; I got half the necessary operation, according to the Doctor.
Now I understand why so much surgery is going to day surgery. There is even talk a knee replacement will be day surgery. Having had 4 of those, that is criminal.

 

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I just got off the phone with my surgeons. They want to make sure that there is no bleeding or weakening of anything so they want to observe me for 24 hours. Which makes me wonder about my original surgeon who implanted it and basically said “good luck!”

 

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It's sad when insurance companies dictate what doctors can and can't do in an allotted time frame. Comes down to almighty dollar. I know insurance companies need to look at costs, but at the expense of the patient. I say bull-shit.

 

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I am so sorry Alas “OUCH”! It’s such a simple procedure, I was taught how in 30 minutes by a very cool nurse who told me she teaches every guy just like she would teach her own husband. It might be uncomfortable at first, but should never be painful, and it never was when I did it myself. Hospitals? Who knows what they teach them. They should be forced to use one on themselves once, see how it feels!
EJ, I didn’t want to go into it, because I want you to relax, the hardest part is behind you! The screwed mine up just like yours. Alleged surgeon did the install wrong & jumped on a plane to New York for his “Art Opening”! It was in the wrong place & so swollen I couldn’t even put pants on. To keep this short over the 2 year period of 5 installs the last one they “misplaced” ended up sending me into Cardiac Arythmia every time I lifted my arms over my shoulders. All I knew was I kept waking up on the floor not remembering how I got there or why. My wife came home one day for lunch and found me in a pool of blood on my shop floor. I didn’t know it at the time but apparently I had reached up to get something off a shelf, when my heart got zapped I went out and hit my head on a toolbox opening a 50+ stitch gash in my head. This saved my life as I was in full blown arythmia, so I was rushed into emergency surgery to remove the stim. It seems they saw these types of things too often and knew exactly what to do. I was kept overnight just to make sure my head was screwed on straight and had no cardiac complications. Once it’s out of you, it can’t cause you anymore problems.
You have 99% of the potential for trouble behind you. I’m sure that just based on some of your complicated history, as well as lack of revenue from anything “But” Covid 19 cases, they see real $$$ from having you as a guest!
Relax, check in with the Concierge when you check in, see if they have any Spa specials, maybe a masseuse or In room dining specials? enjoy your stay! We’ll be waiting to hear from you!

 

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Sprung87. Did anyone ever tell you you are a smart ass? Good comedian, anyway. Concierge? He He He He. P.S. So if your head's screwed on right, is it SAE or Metric threads? I heard the tool for putting it together is proprietary....
What you had to go through is a little on the unbelievable side. Now I think I know why my urologist was not promoting that and let me see he was downright skeptical. It gives me shivers to let them anywhere near the spinal chord. So hope ej's comes out fine and he's rid of it.
Neighbor had a issue (brain growth, but at base at the nerve stem) and the 3 operations (none under 9 hours) bankrupted them - and he isn't fully recovered 3 years later.
Dang it! The system is broke and it's our lives and ability to live & function that's on the line. They figure over 800 nurses have died with Covid19. Not counting medics, EMTs, Doctors, janitors, ambulance drivers, etc. I don't care what he says, it isn't Obama's fault.
Rant number 69M.

 

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Sending you best wishes and strength EJ. Please be patient and kind to yourself after surgery, avoid stiff you know is upsetting like coffee (everyone's favorite vice).
I just bought some stuff called Banitrol which says it is a natural banana and probiotic to stop chronic diarrhea and loose stools for a family member with IBS who persists in eating junk food and fried food alot.
I ordered it on line. Might be some thing to try