Back from the doctor
Jan. 14th, 2008 10:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
outsdrJust got back from the surgeon's office. His receptionist took me back to the exam room, looked at my stitches, said everything looked fine, and that the doctor would be in to see me in just a minute.
The doctor breezed in, told me that it was just a lipoma, and that the surgical area was going to heal up to be more firm than the surrounding areas because the tissue would heal together harder, and that his receptionist would take out the stitches and put on some butterfly bandages.
And he turned to leave.
I barely had time to say, "Wait..." as he was closing the door behind him, it happened that fast. "I have a few questions."
He came back in and listened, and he never really changed his demeanor, but to me, it seemed like he really didn't want to be there. I asked him how big the lipoma was, and he said "about this big" making a circle with his hands, then checked my folder to find the actual size... 8 cm X 2cm x 5 cm. I then asked him why no one told me that I'd be given a general anesthesia, and he said that it was all up to the anesthesiologist, and that a local wouldn't have been a good idea because of how deep it was and how large. I said it wasn't a problem that I got it, but that it came as a surprise to just wake up from it. He said the anesthesiologist should have explained all of that before the surgery and about the breathing tube and all the rest. I said that yes, the anesthesiologist had come by before hand, and had asked whether I had any loose teeth and some other questions, but he never said anything about general anesthesia or the breathing tube or "all the rest". I told him that while it wasn't a problem that I had received the general anesthesia, it did come as a shock to wake up from it without expecting it. He said he would speak to the man, and I said that he should, and then he left.
The receptionist then removed the sutures, and did it gently and painlessly. She then put on a few butterfly bandages, explained that I could shower with them on and that they'd come off on their own, and that if I had any questions to call her.
When she said that, I realized that she was the first and only person to have done so. No one during the entire thing ever asked me if I had any questions. My veternarian spends more time with me than these doctors did.
So, yes, I will be writing a letter to hospital's board of directors. Maybe it will cause some change in policy, but unless it's an emergency, I don't want to have any surgeries done in this town again. I'll travel if necessary.
(slight edit to correct that the general anesthesia wasn't a problem; and it wasn't- but not being prepared for it WAS)
The doctor breezed in, told me that it was just a lipoma, and that the surgical area was going to heal up to be more firm than the surrounding areas because the tissue would heal together harder, and that his receptionist would take out the stitches and put on some butterfly bandages.
And he turned to leave.
I barely had time to say, "Wait..." as he was closing the door behind him, it happened that fast. "I have a few questions."
He came back in and listened, and he never really changed his demeanor, but to me, it seemed like he really didn't want to be there. I asked him how big the lipoma was, and he said "about this big" making a circle with his hands, then checked my folder to find the actual size... 8 cm X 2cm x 5 cm. I then asked him why no one told me that I'd be given a general anesthesia, and he said that it was all up to the anesthesiologist, and that a local wouldn't have been a good idea because of how deep it was and how large. I said it wasn't a problem that I got it, but that it came as a surprise to just wake up from it. He said the anesthesiologist should have explained all of that before the surgery and about the breathing tube and all the rest. I said that yes, the anesthesiologist had come by before hand, and had asked whether I had any loose teeth and some other questions, but he never said anything about general anesthesia or the breathing tube or "all the rest". I told him that while it wasn't a problem that I had received the general anesthesia, it did come as a shock to wake up from it without expecting it. He said he would speak to the man, and I said that he should, and then he left.
The receptionist then removed the sutures, and did it gently and painlessly. She then put on a few butterfly bandages, explained that I could shower with them on and that they'd come off on their own, and that if I had any questions to call her.
When she said that, I realized that she was the first and only person to have done so. No one during the entire thing ever asked me if I had any questions. My veternarian spends more time with me than these doctors did.
So, yes, I will be writing a letter to hospital's board of directors. Maybe it will cause some change in policy, but unless it's an emergency, I don't want to have any surgeries done in this town again. I'll travel if necessary.
(slight edit to correct that the general anesthesia wasn't a problem; and it wasn't- but not being prepared for it WAS)
