Just Kim
Pre-Op Testing Almost Done!
May 28, 2009
Today I visited the hospital where I will be having surgery for an anesthesia evaluation. I had no idea what to expect going in but it was painless and more like a consultation. I spoke with the nurse about my medical history and the medications I’m currently taking. She took my blood pressure and it was 150/100 this time. That is still high but better than it was last week. I asked her what they would do if my pressure was high on the day of surgery and she said not to worry. Although it was elevated, that reading was not considered too high to perform the procedure.
I told her that my PCP put me on another medication for the HBP and that it was down from when I saw him the previous week for the pre-operative physical. I let her know that I would be seeing my PCP again next week for a BP check and to go over my blood work and chest x-ray. The new medication seems to be working and I hope my BP is even lower at my follow-up appointment. The nurse went over everything that will happen on the day of surgery and throughout my hospital stay. She gave me handouts with general information for bariatric patients and my post-operative care instructions. She told me all the dos and don’ts like -- Do take my BP medication the morning of surgery with a small sip of water, do bring my ID and medical insurance card, do bring shoes that are easy to slip on so you won’t have to bend over, do bring your eyeglasses because you won’t be able to wear your contacts during surgery, don’t wear any nail polish, don’t bring money, credit cards or other valuables, don’t bring lots of stuff cause you won’t need it, etc., etc. I also paid my hospital admission co-pay so I won’t have to worry about that on the day of surgery. My final appointment before surgery is next week with my PCP. Until then I'm just trying to keep the blood pressure and anxiety down.
