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Friday, October 15, 2010

doctors meet and my optimism soars

Yesterday I had to go to sign my consents
with Dr. Donner the neurosurgeon
and Dr. Marino the general surgeon who happens
to be my local surgeon for my bowel issues.
I will share now what I love already about these
doctors and the people they employ.
They, after just seeing me two times, know me.
The receptionist who also seems to have the big
job of a lot at Dr. Donner's office knows my name
as well as my nick name, Lilly.
She knows everything about my case and when
she tells me she is going to call me tomorrow,
she calls me tomorrow.
She is funny and I can joke around with her.
I know that post operatively I will be able to call her for anything
and get my needs met.
I do not wait as I am escorted by Stacy into Doc Donner's office.
I like that he is waiting for me and all the consents are ready to go.
I like a doctor who takes you into his personal office.
I like a doctor who takes the time to get his own consents signed.
Before he asks me to sign he goes over everything I thought
I had to question. He has a spine model waiting for me.
He shows me exactly what he plans on doing.
He goes over every known complication that could happen
from a block to the artery to a bowel ileus.
I like this in a doctor, tells me everything prior to signing
the consent. I ask if he has gotten any notes from my
visit from Dr. Marino and he says that they had a lunch
pow-wow to discuss my case.
Well this, of course, being the nurse that I am, impresses me.
I know I am probably not the only patient they discussed
but they actually met to discuss me as a person and
what my case means to each of them.
Well that is impressive.
We go over the individual issues I have with the abdominal
scar tissue and he agrees just as Marino did that
if it seems to be too much to go through the abdomen
they will not hesitate to abandon the surgery.
However, unlike Marino had suggested about
maybe going through the back on the same day,
Donner explains that this is not the approach he is going to take.
He will allow me to heal from that surgery prior to giving
me the option of the plan B. He explains that his reasons are
he is just not sure he can go that route and give me
freedom from the chronic pain I already live with now.
I like an honest doctor.... this means so much to me.
I sign my consents knowing exactly what the surgery will
entail. I will be in the hospital anywhere from 2 to 5 days.
There is no way of telling how long it will take me to
feel well enough to go home on oral pain management
and free of possible complications from the surgery.
I asked how long, how long before I can return to work.
If no complications and all goes perfect,
8 to 12 weeks, 8 to 12 weeks, well I can do that!
This fires me up....
There is a possibility that I will not need physical therapy
depending on how much I can do on my own.
Half of his patients feel so well after surgery that
they can do more than they could before surgery.
There are those who need the help but some don't.
Yes, I am going to have to wear one of those lame
back braces, this is the cast for the bones that cannot
be casted any other way. He promises me that by
the time I go back to work I will be brace-free.
It is worn just until he is confident that the plate has
held and the fusion is healed.
I am impressed and optimistic of all of the above.
This doctor takes this surgery thing very serious.
It is all and more of what I have heard about this doctor.
He has taken my whole case into consideration.
He even brings up the bladder and one kidney issue
and assures me that Dr. Ray will be consulted and follow
my case. I will have a catheter for some time just to
make sure that I have no neurogenic bladder complications.
I then head to Dr. Marino's office to sign those consents,
they do not know I am coming so I doubted they would
have the paperwork ready but another office that
not only do they call me Lilly but they know my case,
they know when and what day I am having surgery.
I am known by the doctors that are about to open me up.
This gives me comfort that I am in the best hands.
Optimism runs deep in this Riera and with the days
I have been having with pain, even half of pain relief
will be great.... I am not asking for much.
To be with pain that does not require pain meds. and
can allow me to go back to work, it is all I need.
So that is the update as I approach surgery that may
change my life.
Love to all!!!!

3 comments:

  1. is it a great day..i've been through all that before this..by the way..i really love reading your blog..you have a lot of interesting experience to share..ok then..tata(bye)

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  2. He is a great doctor and has a great staff!! Good luck and let me know if you need anything!!
    Love ya
    Amanda

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