Hi all,
So, I've been scheduled next Thursday to have my gallbladder removed. It's my first surgery after having the ticker installed and I'm nervous about it. I met with the surgeon and explained to him my medical history as much as I could. I have a rare connective tissue disorder to which he admitted he looked up on Wikipedia 5 minutes before he came in the room. At least he's willing to do the surgery.
A little history (and venting)...A week ago Monday, I ended up in the ER at my local hospital with horrendous stomach pains thinking it was stress-related (newly diagnosed with a "deadly disorder", OHS in March with lots of little complications along the way, was downsized out of my job a week after going back to work and there are no jobs open in my field within a 50 mile radius - yeah, I've been under a little stress lately). The ER doctor had an ultrasound done and found gall stones. He admitted me to the hospital and was going to have the surgeon take care of it the next day. As soon as I was brought to my room, the hospitalist came in and started asking questions about my medical history and why was I on warfarin. I told him about Loeys Dietz Syndrome and my surgery in March and he said "I don't think we can handle you here." I asked him to ask the surgeon anyway and he came back to say the surgeon didn't feel comfortable. So, they discharged me with some oxy and told me to call my doctor the next day. I saw my doctor's NP the next day (still in pain) and she tried to find a surgeon who could meet with me. After 2 hours she suggested we go to the ER and the UW Hospital in Madison because I'd get in quicker. So off my mom and I went to the ER and spent several hours there. First the doctor didn't think it was gallbladder because the pain wasn't where he thought it should be. Then they did an ultrasound to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm which it wasn't and he determined it was indeed my gallbladder (DUH). So, he decides to send me home because to him it wasn't an emergency and it wasn't infected. The discharge doctor told me to take motrin or ibuprofen for pain and I said "um, can I take that while I'm on warfarin?" and she said "oh right, well, it would probably be okay if you took just a little." No thanks, not listening to you! Anyway, as we were about to leave, a surgeon came in and said he just wanted 20 seconds of my time. He explained what was going on and causing the attacks (first person to actually explain anything) and then he said he was told by the ER doc that I was going to see a surgeon in my hometown. I told him that there weren't any surgeons in my hometown willing to do surgery on me because of the high risks. He gave me two options. He said he would admit me in the hospital that night and they would try to do surgery sometime in the next 2 to 3 days or I could go home and meet with a surgeon at the hospital and get on their schedule sometime probably in the next month. I opted for the second route because I spent enough time hanging around the hospital waiting for my INR to get high enough to get out in March.
That brings me back to yesterday and meeting with the surgeon. I researched him and he specializes in minimally-invasive surgeries, especially gallbladders and bariatric surgery (maybe I can get a little lipo out of the deal?). He was familiar with having to bridge the warfarin and Lovenox and he said he is going to keep me overnight because of the bleeding risks. So, besides a little venting (thanks for listening), has anyone had any issues with bridging Lovenox and warfarain? Any side effects, or issues with giving yourself a shot? Anyone have any major issues with surgery post-AVR that I should be concerned about or put on my surgeon's radar??
Thanks!
So, I've been scheduled next Thursday to have my gallbladder removed. It's my first surgery after having the ticker installed and I'm nervous about it. I met with the surgeon and explained to him my medical history as much as I could. I have a rare connective tissue disorder to which he admitted he looked up on Wikipedia 5 minutes before he came in the room. At least he's willing to do the surgery.
A little history (and venting)...A week ago Monday, I ended up in the ER at my local hospital with horrendous stomach pains thinking it was stress-related (newly diagnosed with a "deadly disorder", OHS in March with lots of little complications along the way, was downsized out of my job a week after going back to work and there are no jobs open in my field within a 50 mile radius - yeah, I've been under a little stress lately). The ER doctor had an ultrasound done and found gall stones. He admitted me to the hospital and was going to have the surgeon take care of it the next day. As soon as I was brought to my room, the hospitalist came in and started asking questions about my medical history and why was I on warfarin. I told him about Loeys Dietz Syndrome and my surgery in March and he said "I don't think we can handle you here." I asked him to ask the surgeon anyway and he came back to say the surgeon didn't feel comfortable. So, they discharged me with some oxy and told me to call my doctor the next day. I saw my doctor's NP the next day (still in pain) and she tried to find a surgeon who could meet with me. After 2 hours she suggested we go to the ER and the UW Hospital in Madison because I'd get in quicker. So off my mom and I went to the ER and spent several hours there. First the doctor didn't think it was gallbladder because the pain wasn't where he thought it should be. Then they did an ultrasound to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm which it wasn't and he determined it was indeed my gallbladder (DUH). So, he decides to send me home because to him it wasn't an emergency and it wasn't infected. The discharge doctor told me to take motrin or ibuprofen for pain and I said "um, can I take that while I'm on warfarin?" and she said "oh right, well, it would probably be okay if you took just a little." No thanks, not listening to you! Anyway, as we were about to leave, a surgeon came in and said he just wanted 20 seconds of my time. He explained what was going on and causing the attacks (first person to actually explain anything) and then he said he was told by the ER doc that I was going to see a surgeon in my hometown. I told him that there weren't any surgeons in my hometown willing to do surgery on me because of the high risks. He gave me two options. He said he would admit me in the hospital that night and they would try to do surgery sometime in the next 2 to 3 days or I could go home and meet with a surgeon at the hospital and get on their schedule sometime probably in the next month. I opted for the second route because I spent enough time hanging around the hospital waiting for my INR to get high enough to get out in March.
That brings me back to yesterday and meeting with the surgeon. I researched him and he specializes in minimally-invasive surgeries, especially gallbladders and bariatric surgery (maybe I can get a little lipo out of the deal?). He was familiar with having to bridge the warfarin and Lovenox and he said he is going to keep me overnight because of the bleeding risks. So, besides a little venting (thanks for listening), has anyone had any issues with bridging Lovenox and warfarain? Any side effects, or issues with giving yourself a shot? Anyone have any major issues with surgery post-AVR that I should be concerned about or put on my surgeon's radar??
Thanks!