Preop Done... One more thing left.

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Robb Wilder

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Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
198
Location
Fort lauderdale Florida
I had pre op this morning. That was fun (rolls eyes). I will say this Blood gasses still hurt like a BLEEP. I could do without having that done again. I am having the Bentall Procedure. I have to go look that up. Everything is set. I got my special wash to shower tuesday and wednesday. I dont get a full shave. (Thank God for small things) The anestiologist says only minimal time on the vent. They USED to do 48 hours but now they try to get them off in a few hours. So thats a relief. I got my Breathing Excercise machine already too. I am to practice before hand. They did pee test, blood, chest xray, ekg and an ultra sound of my corotid arties in my neck. I told work yesterday was my last day. Im just too jittery at work and want a few days to relax with the family. Few more days and this will be behind me. I think thats about it.

I am ready for this cause I am tired of the heartburn/angina at night. The hard beating heart. NO energy and rough nights of sleep. Bring it on.
 
Rob

Good luck. I am goin thru it with you too. One month from today I will be getting my new aortic valve. Understand how you feel and will keep you in my thougts and prayers.

Pat
 
Robb...best of wishes for you.....I noticed you had said that you were tired of " no energy and tough nights of sleep" . That would be two of the exact things i felt before my surgery also. Now, even with my new clicking St Jude valve, I sleep like a baby. And I do have an increasing amount of energy. I am still recovering from surgery but I am sure as time goes on I am going to feel much better than before surgery. I am sure you will also.....I will be thinking of you.........Mike
 
Pat that is my sons 3rd Birthday. SO I will definitely think of you then.

Heartman77 - Thats what I am getting St Judes with the Aorta piece already on ti.

Sweetbanker - I am trying to keep busy but I cant do much at this point. Although our backdoor lock just broke and we had to take the whole door off but I drank some kool aid afterwards.

just looking forward to drinking that Other Side Flavored Kool Aid So I can wake up feeling like a Borg from STar trek.
 
I don't know why they did a blood gas on you. Seems to be a real waste before surgery. I can tell you this, you'll want to shove that spirometer up someones butt before this is all over with! :biggrin2:
 
Oh heck, they told me I broke about 6 spirometers in ICU. Or someone did. People kept bumping into the tray table in my room and it seems I got a fresh one every day. I hated it anyway.

I like the idea of getting one before surgery, though. Then you'll know first, when you are getting back to presurgery levels, and later, when you exceed them!
 
Atta boy Robb, excellent attitude! That'll go a long way to getting you through this as easy as possible. If you're like me, you'll develop a hate/love relationship with that spirometer. You hate doing it, but after you start making progress you realize how important it was to do it. We'll be waiting to here updates afterwards, so line someone up to post for you, or bring your laptop to the hospital ;)
 
I'll be bringing the laptop but i won't have uptodate updates. My poor wife has to update her facebook my facebook and group texts. If someone wants to befriend me on facebook they can grab the updates and post them here. If not no biggies I'll update once i convince my wife to give me my laptop.
 
I'm glad everything went so well. Like Ross not sure WHY they would put you thru a blood gas NOW,,,, but that's over with. I REALLY think you should have a word with your cardiologist and bring him up to speed on how long people are normally on a vent. It is awful to think he probably tterrifies many of his pateints telling them it is normal to be on the vent 2 days, since that is often the main thing people dread.
 
Penny said:
ok guys.. what the heck is blood gas?
Click to expand...

ABG, arterial blood gas, it's a blood sample from an artery. I did not have one done at my pre-op, and don't know of anyone else who has. When you're taken into surgery, it's a good hour or so before the operation starts, as first thing after you're knocked out is you'll get a whole lot of stuff done, one of which will be starting an arterial line (which is handy for several things, one being if you need any ABGs after surgery you won't have to be stuck; they'll just draw it from that line), you'll get intubated, you'll get an IV in your neck on the right side and a Swan-Ganz (I called it the Herman Munster stuff), sometimes you get an NG tube, and you'll have the thing go down your esophagus for a TEE, so there's lots to be done before the surgery even starts.

ABGs are primarily to assess pulmonary function, pH, CO2, oxygen levels, etc. The little ET thingy on the finger gives a pulse oximeter, which is a non-invasive way of showing how much oxygen is in the blood; however, if you're having any pulmonary problems (my lung collapsed day after surgery) then ABGs will show a far better picture than the pulse ox. (I used to work for a home respiratory company). It was nice that I had the arterial line so I wasn't poked for and ABG; however, I had a dingy nurse who removed it too soon, and I did have to have 2 or 3 done without the line. Done that way, they do give you some lidocaine first to numb and then they go into the artery. It's not as bad as it sounds. I thought it would be god-awful, but didn't find it bad.
 
Luana said:
if you need any ABGs after surgery you won't have to be stuck; they'll just draw it from that line)
Click to expand...

I've never had it drawn from an arterial line. Are you sure about that? It's always been poking the wrist or going majorily deep into the elbow flex area (brachial artery) to get the sample for ABG. I've had it done many times and no numbing medication was ever used.

Here is how mine were done:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5248746_draw-blood-gas.html

OK, I see the arterial line and now I know why I was never given one. Ain't no way they could stick a 20ga IV cath in my arteries, they are way smaller then that.
 

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Penny said:
Well I had my angio done through my arm so I can't imagine it being any worse than that.. they did freeze the surface area first, still was not a pleasant feeling but it was quick. thanks guys
Click to expand...

If they get to poking your wrists, it down right hurts. It's no fun when they go deep for the brachial artery either. Just don't want someone to get their hopes up for this being a pain free thing.
 
The wrist Blood Glass hurts when it his your pulse. It made me hold my breath and bite my lip. I had NO numbing whatsoever. The lady who did it said this would possibly be the last one in the wrist because I would have a line in me to pull from. I have a feeling though by the time im all done it wont matter if they Blood Gas me in the wrist or not. ILl just push my lil pain button.
 
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