All about the lump in my back.

[outsdr]

For about six months or so, I'd been having lower back pain. Not strained-muscle lower back pain or I-need-to-crack-my-back lower back pain, but the kind of pain a rabbit-punch bruise to the kidneys gives. Talked about it to my doctor; I figured it was either a kidney stone (no, because as my doctor put it, I wasn't curled up in a ball on the floor screaming in agony) or maybe a really tense muscle, since every so often I thought I felt a knot under the skin. Turns out it was a lipoma, which my doctor found very exciting... he likes weird and unusual ailments.

He sent me to see the town's surgeon. Yes, we only have one. He poked around and scheduled me for surgery on Tuesday, January 8th. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal, and I figured the surgery was scheduled at the hospital just to give him a more sterile and secure place in case anything went wrong or got out of hand. I was expecting a quick procedure, a small incision of half an inch maybe, pop out the offending tumor, away I go.

By Friday, the hospital had called me twice to work out how I was going to pay for the operation. By the afternoon of Monday, January 7th, no one had called me to tell me when I was supposed to be at the hospital or what i was supposed to do, so I made some calls and found out I was to be there by 7:30 in the morning and I was not to eat or drink anything after midnight, and to wear loose, comfortable clothing.

I get checked in to the hospital, get some blood drawn, and get shown to  room where I'm given a lovely, yet small, hospital gown and some lovely, yet small, socks with rubber gripper strips on the bottom. The nurse put an IV in my arm, and asked some questions about previous surgeries. I asked her about the procedure, and she said she didn't know anything that was going to happen. She didn't even tell me why I was getting an IV. The surgeon popped in for a few minutes to draw a circle around the area the lipoma was located in, said that he'd probably have me lay on my stomach or on my side with my legs pulled up, and leaves. The anesthesiologist showed up and asks me if i have any loose teeth, or metal in my body.

This was all kind of overkill for a small incision and extraction, I thought.

I was wheeled down to the operating room in a wheel chair that was apparently built for children, it was so small. The anesthesiologist had me lay down on my back on the table, and put my arms on two boards to the side in a crucifix position, then had me sit up so he could put a sandbag under my back, then lie down again, and two hours later I woke up when they yelled my name in my ear.

And THAT'S when I found out I was getting general anesthesia for the surgery. After it was all said and done. I sat in the recovery room for awhile; occasionally a nurse would come by and feed me some ice chips. My throat was really raw and sore, and someone explained to me that a tube had been put down my throat (!!!).

They took me back to my original room, and after resting for about 45 minutes, they called my roommate Andy to come and pick me up. An apointment was made to go to the surgeon's office on Monday, January 14th to have the stitches removed. The surgeon never actually stopped in the room to tell me how things went or to see how I was, and I still don't know what actually came out of my back.

Andy signed the discharge papers for me, and the helpful nurse put me in  wheelchair and wheeled me out to Andy's car. On the way we passed the director of the hospital, and for a second when he looked at me, his face showed the most shocking level of disgust I've ever seen directed at another human being, before he recovered and pasted the Happy Hospital Director smile on his face.

Andy stopped at the local pharmacy (There's two to choose from!) to pick up my pain pill prescription (hydrocodone- useless for pain, but really makes me drowsy) and I slept at home for the rest of the day.

The next evening, I got to take the bandage of and take a shower. I figured that even though it felt like I had a foot-long incision in my back, it was probably closer to an inch. It turned out to be about 4-5 inches long, and somewhat ragged, like an initial incision was made that was too short, and was then lengthened. There was also a lot of bruising around it. I was surprised to find out it was a horizontal incision; I was expecting a vertical one. I'll post a picture in another entry, so the squeamish can avoid it if they want.

So, I've learned something- ask a lot of questions next time, because the hospital just ain't gonna tell you nothing.

Comments

[scarfman]

I suspect the hospital assumed that the surgeon kept you informed. It seems to me that that's the surgeon's job, anyway. Perhaps with no competition in town he's sloppy or uneducated in patient awareness issues.

[outsdr.livejournal.com]

It's something that is going to be discussed when I see him Monday to have the stitches removed.

When discussed at the office, we decided that as the only surgeon in town, he's probably over worked if nothing else. I was the second surgery he did that day; I'm glad I wasn't the last!

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Jesus H. Christ on a bicycle. Is that legal? Did you sign a consent form for the anaesthesia? Write a letter of complaint!

[outsdr.livejournal.com]

Hmm... you know, I don't recall if I did or not. If I did, it was most likely presented to me as "sign here to consent to receive anesthesia" without breaking it down further to what _type_ of anesthesia.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

These guys are doing this to a zillion patients. Gah! You must complain!

[outsdr.livejournal.com]

I'll see if some answers are presented tomorrow at the surgeon's office, but a number of people are encouraging me to write a letter to the hospital's board of directors.