Crazy hospital

VivianLee5689
VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Well David is supposed to have his surgery tomorrow using the Davinci robot. The problem is they told us we would get a call this evening to tell us when we need to be at the hospital and where we need to go tomorrow. OK it is 10:30 and they have not called us. I am concerned that maybe he isn't on the schedule after all. He called at 3:00 pm today and they told him we would receive a call this evening. We have waited all night. I start my medical leave tomorrow and our doctor only has access to the davinci robot a couple times a month so if we don't have the surgery tomorrow it could be October before he gets in. Should I panic?

Comments

  • ToBeGolden
    ToBeGolden Member Posts: 695
    #2
    phone:
    I would set my alarm to phone the hospital at around 5AM. The area may not be staffed that early; but surely a surgery area will have staff by 6AM. Hospitals are on the ball 99% of the time; but we patients have to pick up the other 1%. Rick.
  • VivianLee5689
    VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
    #3
    ToBeGolden said:

    phone:
    I would set my alarm to phone the hospital at around 5AM. The area may not be staffed that early; but surely a surgery area will have staff by 6AM. Hospitals are on the ball 99% of the time; but we patients have to pick up the other 1%. Rick.

    Thanks
    Our main problem is UK has four surgery buildings. We don't even know which hospital we are going to. They didn't give us a number or anything just told us to wait for their call. For a control freak like me this is stressful.
  • ToBeGolden
    ToBeGolden Member Posts: 695
    #4
    ToBeGolden said:

    phone:
    I would set my alarm to phone the hospital at around 5AM. The area may not be staffed that early; but surely a surgery area will have staff by 6AM. Hospitals are on the ball 99% of the time; but we patients have to pick up the other 1%. Rick.

    My Advice Falls Short
    Sorry my advice was not helpful, but happy to know someone in the UK. I live near Seattle WA. Rick.
  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #5
    ToBeGolden said:

    My Advice Falls Short
    Sorry my advice was not helpful, but happy to know someone in the UK. I live near Seattle WA. Rick.

    Surgeon
    I'd be putting in a call to the surgeons answering service first thing in the morning, surely HE will know where the surgery is being done. I hate when this stuff happens. You two are already nervous enough and don't need the extra stress.
    I'm sorry you are going thru this. Keep us posted and I will be saying a prayer for you both as soon as I'm done typing this post to you.
    Take care,
    Billie
  • VanessaSLO
    VanessaSLO Member Posts: 283
    #6
    Billie67 said:

    Surgeon
    I'd be putting in a call to the surgeons answering service first thing in the morning, surely HE will know where the surgery is being done. I hate when this stuff happens. You two are already nervous enough and don't need the extra stress.
    I'm sorry you are going thru this. Keep us posted and I will be saying a prayer for you both as soon as I'm done typing this post to you.
    Take care,
    Billie

    My fingers crossed, VivianLee!
    I hope everything went well!! Fingers crossed for today and all my prayers are with you!!
    Vanessa
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #7
    Hi Vivian

    It sucks when we are put on hold; but like the others I would start the called early in the morning and not stop till someone gives me an answer.

    Keeping you both in prayer
    Hondo
  • alaskanjan
    alaskanjan Member Posts: 42
    #8
    VivianLee5689 said:

    Thanks
    Our main problem is UK has four surgery buildings. We don't even know which hospital we are going to. They didn't give us a number or anything just told us to wait for their call. For a control freak like me this is stressful.

    Nursing Supervisor or Surgery Scheduling Dept.
    I would be as stressed as you are, especially knowing that there may be some pre-surgical instructions that needed to be followed. I am a nurse and I know at my hospital it is possible to get in touch with the nursing supervisor any time of day or night. I would be calling the main hospital(s) and requesting that I talk with them. Also, there may be a phone for the Surgery Scheduling department. Good luck to you both in finding out when surgery is scheduled and with your surgery and cancer treatment.
  • ToBeGolden
    ToBeGolden Member Posts: 695
    #9
    Knowing the Ropes
    I was contrasting Vivian and David with Arlene (my wife) and me. Before the Cancer and equally frightening non-cancerous adenomas got to us, both my wife and I needed our gall bladders out. My wife also had an operation on her toe. And then there were a half-dozen colonoscopies/endoscopies. So by the time the big surgeries were needed, Arlene and I knew the ropes. Where to park, where to sign in, where the caregiver could sneak out for a quick espresso. Where to get the hospital pager.How to long into the hospital's WiFi.

    But for poor Vivian and David: their first trip to the hospital is a biggie. Of course, they will come thru their ordeal all right. But I wish we on this board could make things a little smoother. Rick.
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #10
    ToBeGolden said:

    Knowing the Ropes
    I was contrasting Vivian and David with Arlene (my wife) and me. Before the Cancer and equally frightening non-cancerous adenomas got to us, both my wife and I needed our gall bladders out. My wife also had an operation on her toe. And then there were a half-dozen colonoscopies/endoscopies. So by the time the big surgeries were needed, Arlene and I knew the ropes. Where to park, where to sign in, where the caregiver could sneak out for a quick espresso. Where to get the hospital pager.How to long into the hospital's WiFi.

    But for poor Vivian and David: their first trip to the hospital is a biggie. Of course, they will come thru their ordeal all right. But I wish we on this board could make things a little smoother. Rick.

    Well..you might be asleep now or the sun might be coming up ...
    I have a dear friend who lives in Ipswich (sp) ..his name is Ian McColl ...him and his wife came to see me last summer and are planning a trip 2013 summer to see us as well.

    Anyway...I know this sounds crazy...but I would drive down there and be at one of the four building by 6am (which is probably not far off now knowing your time zone ..I'm on Mountain time here in the US)...if the buildings are close together (not across the city) I would just go ..how frustrating would that be if you were not called bc someone dropped the ball and your appt is at 7am!!! Or what if they called a wrong number!!! If you only have 2 times a month access...just go and be waiting!!

    Call the after hours number as well...they usually have someone after hours who still will answer (anwering service) ...call the doctor who is to do the surgery ..his office I bet will have an answering service ...call while driving and call while sitting in the parking lost ...this is your sanity and well being we are talking about ....time for extreme measures!!!

    Keep us posted

    Tim
  • VivianLee5689
    VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
    #11
    Tim6003 said:

    Well..you might be asleep now or the sun might be coming up ...
    I have a dear friend who lives in Ipswich (sp) ..his name is Ian McColl ...him and his wife came to see me last summer and are planning a trip 2013 summer to see us as well.

    Anyway...I know this sounds crazy...but I would drive down there and be at one of the four building by 6am (which is probably not far off now knowing your time zone ..I'm on Mountain time here in the US)...if the buildings are close together (not across the city) I would just go ..how frustrating would that be if you were not called bc someone dropped the ball and your appt is at 7am!!! Or what if they called a wrong number!!! If you only have 2 times a month access...just go and be waiting!!

    Call the after hours number as well...they usually have someone after hours who still will answer (anwering service) ...call the doctor who is to do the surgery ..his office I bet will have an answering service ...call while driving and call while sitting in the parking lost ...this is your sanity and well being we are talking about ....time for extreme measures!!!

    Keep us posted

    Tim

    Here's the scoop
    Well we finally were able to speak with someone around 7:15. I had done some internet searching and found a number for registration at the hospital I thought we would have the procedure in. Well the man on the phone was very helpful. David was not on the docket yesterstay. The man said he is tentatively scheduled in the major OR room on September 19 at 8:20. We called the ENT office after they opened, but just got voice mail. David left a message to get confirmation and no one ever called back. I really love our doctor, but I hate how customer service sucks. I do have to say in their defense that they moved to the Markey Center on Monday, so maybe things are just in disarray. So now we wait until next week. I am trying to figure out my work schedule. I had scheduled all my meetings for the 21 and 24 and now they need to be changed. I came in to work this morning and that was weird since I wasn't supposed to be back until next Friday. Oh well "blessed are the flexible for they shall not break" Thanks for all your advice.

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