My spine surgery journey: from preparation to recovery

[TTC18]

I think it looks good!! I hope it goes well for you. When is your surgery again?

 

[Wendell_R]

The letter looks good. I suggest putting the letter aside for a few days, and then looking at it again with fresh eyes in a couple of days.

I wish you a smooth surgery, a good recovery, and a non-eventful recuperation under your parents' care! (((Hugs)))

 

[Freida]

Nicely done!

 

[bellbird]

Thanks all! :)

When is your surgery again?

No set date yet :)
The first estimate was April 2019, but the pre-op appointment has come about 2 months earlier than expected.
And because we can't do pre-op assessment -too- far in advance as it will be a full health assessment of fitness for general anaesthesia, the 'before' x-rays they will use in the operation theatre, etc., and things could change between now and then, GP thinks it will be late Jan/ Feb.

But I should get a better idea in/ after my pre-op appointment.

I wish you a smooth surgery, a good recovery, and a non-eventful recuperation under your parents' care!

And thank you very much for these kind wishes :hug:

 

[whiteraven]

The letter looks good! The only thing I can think you might also want to do is create a *very* brief statement about privacy/confidentiality concerns. Something that will not take long to read and gets the point across in a very clear way. Something like, "To My Medical Team: It is important that NOTHING related to my mental health is discussed with the following: (name people). I expect full confidentiality. You have my permission to discuss (xyz) with (name people). In case of a mental health emergency, please contact (xyz). Please attach this to the front of my chart."

The one I wrote when I had both my brain surgery and my hysterectomy was a bit more pointed/insistent because I didn't trust my doctors not to talk to my family. I am suggesting something very short because they are more likely to read it when/if it becomes necessary. A quick glance tells them all they need to know. But I would also include the longer one. It's well done.

I also suggest sending a separate copy directly to your physician or giving it to him/her directly (better).

 

[bellbird]

The letter looks good! The only thing I can think you might also want to do is create a *very* brief statement about privacy/confidentiality concerns. Something that will not take long to read and gets the point across in a very clear way. Something like, "To My Medical Team: It is important that NOTHING related to my mental health is discussed with the following: (name people). I expect full confidentiality. You have my permission to discuss (xyz) with (name people). In case of a mental health emergency, please contact (xyz). Please attach this to the front of my chart."

The one I wrote when I had both my brain surgery and my hysterectomy was a bit more pointed/insistent because I didn't trust my doctors not to talk to my family. I am suggesting something very short because they are more likely to read it when/if it becomes necessary. A quick glance tells them all they need to know. But I would also include the longer one. It's well done.

I also suggest sending a separate copy directly to your physician or giving it to him/her directly (better).

Good ideas, thank you!
I've got mine + my GPs letters printed out to take with me, along with my A4 piece of paper full of questions I need to ask, and tomorrow I'll get GP to print my medication list, so that I don't have to worry about remembering all of my meds and dosages :)

Pre-op is so close now -- only about 36 hours. It feels surreal.
I'm really hoping I won't need an MRI, as when I had one 10 years ago (the only one I've had), it was awful -- the loud noises, and being unable to move and having things packed all around me so that I couldn't move. I think it must have gone for around 1 hour -- full body.
And that was before I had PTSD and being restrained/unable to get free became a huge trigger.

I suppose, if they need to do it, then they need to do it.
And it will be good practice for my care team to help me navigate challenging situations.
If I really can't handle it, I know they can put me under, but again: sedation-trigger.

I guess that's life with PTSD in a nutshell. There are always going to be things, sometimes really random things, that are incredibly challenging, that we need to find new ways to deal with and overcome.


Also on my mind = telling my mum that I'm going to do the majority of the pre-op appointment alone.
That conversation is coming up in about 24 hours. Starting to feel very nervous. I've been rehearsing in my head what I'll say; that's what I tend to do in these sorts of situations to try calm myself.

"I just wanted to let you know that I've decided that I would like to do the majority of my pre-op appointment by myself. I still want you to come and meet my team and ask Dr X any questions you have directly, but being able to be completely independent and take my health fully into my own hands is something that is very important, so that's what I've decided that I would like to do.
And that way it's win-win; I get to be independent, and you get to do what you wanted to which was meet my team."

Yeah, I know, it's super waffley. But this is probably about what it's going to be.
Because even saying that --all of that--, is a huge huge deal for me and massive hurdle to overcome. More so than having an MRI I'd say.

 

[littleoc]

I have no advice for the latter half, but here’s what I do for MRIs:

I have in my record that I’m claustrophobic and have mental illness. They give me something for anxiety if needed. I sleep through the entire thing :)

That can be you too! :hug::hug:

Edit to add: I’m a light sleeper, so that actually helps. Because I feel safe knowing that no one can surprise me awake. If thoughts like that could help you, too?

 

[bellbird]

I have no advice for the latter half, but here’s what I do for MRIs:

I have in my record that I’m claustrophobic and have mental illness. They give me something for anxiety if needed. I sleep through the entire thing :)

That can be you too! :hug::hug:

Oh, good!
I will talk to GP about it tomorrow and have a conversation with the surgeon about this should he tell me I need one that day.

 

[bellbird]

Just had my last appointment with GP, and feeling much better about tomorrow.
She let me know that was able to speak to the orthopaedic's (and my surgeon's) coordinating nurse.
Our letters have been sent, and they have confirmed receipt. My surgical team has been informed, with no issues from their end.
And a note has been placed in my file.

I'm still going to take physical copies of everything, as back up.
Including my medication list which my GP printed out for me as well.

But I feel much less stressed now. In fact I teared up from how relieved I was that GP had sorted everything from her end.
It feels like: okay. they've run their leg of the relay and done everything they needed to. now it's our turn.

it will be okay.

we can do this.

 

[littleoc]

Yes, it’s all going to be okay!

 

[bellbird]

Quick update: the conversation with Mum went really well.
She didn't even flinch. And she is going to bring a book and just park up somewhere.

I said that I would like to be completely independent aside from her meeting the team so she might need to stay in our initial waiting room.

And she said yep, fine. Gave me a kiss, and then we we switched onto a new conversation topic.

 

[littleoc]

Perfect!!!