Friday, June 01, 2007

Pre-Op

A Little More than Blood Draws and Urine Samples

We learned a few things today.

We learned that the "visitor" entrance to the parking lot is really an employee entrance, complete with locked gates and secred codes. And if you happen to get lucky enough to get in, the exit is also a locked gate and secret code.

We learned that pre-op nurses don't know what von Hippel Lindau disease is.

We learned that a 7:30 surgery time means a 5:30 a.m. arrival time!

We learned that nurse-practitioners can just "tell" when a teenager is being dishonest about drugs and alcohol.
(Not Steven, of course! Just an interesting conversation!)

We learned that Steven still relies on his "mutant" jokes...but thank goodness the crazy laugh hasn't returned!

We learned that Steven is a bit more unsteady on his feet than I previously thought...at least when his eyes are closed.

We learned that forgetfulness seems to be my outstanding trait. Not only did I forget my wallet and the enclosed insurance card, thus necessitating a return visit home before the other half of the house was even awake, but I also forgot to ask how long the surgery would be. My best guess...four hours.

We learned that Steven's arms are extremely hairy, thanks to the cute comments from a sweet lab technician.

We learned that the length of the hospital stay is still undecided.

We learned that even though Tampa General is huge, sometimes the beds are full.

We learned that this hospital is on the cutting edge of infection prevention, as evidenced by the package and instructions that Steven received.


The 2% chlorhexidine cloths are to be wiped over every part of the body, except face and head, after a shower on Sunday night and Monday morning...with the important part of the procedure being to "air dry" the body after application! Oh my!
The bactroban ointment is to be applied inside the nostrils three times before surgery!

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