When Andy needed a hernia repaired about 25 years ago, it was fairly simple. He had an appointment with a local surgeon, they talked about it, and they scheduled the surgery at our local hospital. After he woke up from the surgery, they called me at work, and I picked him up and drove him the two blocks home.
This time he met with the surgeon here in town, but the surgery will be in Santa Fe, 35 miles away. In the meeting here he filled out a lot of forms, the surgeon gave him a brief physical exam, and he was told the surgery would be next Wednesday, Oct 15. We thought that was it, but last Thursday the Santa Fe medical center said he needed a pre-op physical exam as soon as possible, could he come in 11:15 the next day? So we drove down there, and he again filled out a number of forms and had a slightly more extensive exam.
He asked the nurse practitioner who examined him if the extra exam was because of his age, and she said no. Everyone has to have one, and in fact he was the healthiest person she had seen all day. How did he manage to be in such good shape? He said it must be just luck. She gave him a doubtful look and said, “Yeah, sure.”
So, even though the land is an expensive hobby, it does keep him happy and healthy. Yay, Andy! Yay, land!
October 12, 2014
if you are using the public health (free) service here, you basically find yourself in the system but it’s not altogether certain when your health will be evaluated, tests ordered, results revealed.
my primary care doctor wanted my heart checked out late last year…I got a letter in late Dec telling me they (local area hospital) endeavoured to see you within 3 months – if there was a problem before then, that need more urgent attn. to drop by….
I got to see someone in March who ordered a test…
Test took place about July
Results revealed in October!
Heart health is basically just getting old, but it’s not old enough to be attacked with a surgeons knife or anything else…the only thing the “new doctor” (first doctor gone) is not to “over exert” yourself – which of course, I still haven’t fathomed out what that means…
I am still waiting for the apt for chest x-ray which was ordered in July!!!
unless….
it’s something he did up on the land that gave him the hernia again! …
sorry! just playing devil’s advocate here.
especially since it’s coming up on Halloween.
you know the devil’s lurking around somewhere. LOLOL.
i hope all goes well.
he’s obviously a very strong guy. but i’m so glad he has you with him too!
didn’t realize you’re so close to santa fe. i’ve only been there once but i loved it.
maybe it’s changed by now. but it was very beautiful and unspoiled when i saw it.
GOOD GRIEF cathy!!!
such long waits.
i’m glad it’s not a life or death situation. but then how would they even know?
i just love your calm attitude. you’ll live longer and healthier because of it!
Cathy,
Wow! Things don’t move very fast there, do they?
I assume you can check your exertion by taking your pulse? If the rate starts getting too high then slow down? I’m sorry they can’t give you more help.
tammy,
I imagine digging out culverts isn’t the best thing for hernias. 😉
I went with him mostly to see how I should drive back Wednesday. It turns out that didn’t help much because last night he got an email saying the surgery will be at a completely different place. I’m not sure why they changed it, but somehow it amuses me. So much for trying to plan ahead!
Santa Fe was charming when we came here 40 years ago, but I’m afraid it’s a big city now, with a lot of traffic.
Since I pay for all medical services, my case is simple. I am asked to get xrays and other tests done at a diagnostic center and check in at the hospital one day before surgery which depends on when the surgeon is free. The day before the surgery the anaesthetist and the hospital’s physician check all the test results and xrays and simply carry out the preop procedures and the next morning, the surgery takes place.
Andy’s is day surgery, so if all goes well I will drive him home Wednesday afternoon.
Okay, so I will not be grading my small driveway after all. I will not rent a backhoe. I will not haul in gravel. Nor will I scrape anything. I promise. I will enjoy the nice bumpy ride to my humble home. Why? Because I dislike appointments with medial people. Nothing personal, but after I research what they tell me and get in there, the condescending attitude leaves me…. Yay Andy, Yay land!!
As long as you can drive in, that’s all you really need. 🙂
🙂
I hope that all goes smoothly. For my recent surgeries, I’ve had to have an EKG and other extensive tests. I don’t really mind (except for having to go to extra appointments) because I think it’s good to know that a person is in great health before putting them under anaesthesia.
Our primary care physician gives us each an EKG for our annual physical each year, and the pre-op nurse had that result plus the result of our annual blood tests. The interesting thing was they didn’t seem to have the information from the forms that Andy had already filled out for their own doctor.
I agree with you that it’s a good idea to make sure the patient can survive the anesthesia and surgery. Apparently for some people she does a lot more tests in the pre-op physical.