I'm sorry you are having to go through this!
VSG vs. DS (Sydney, Aus.)
- Thread starter more2adore
- Start date
more2adore
Well-Known Member
So the wound on my leg is... not looking good. I'm also starting to show the tiniest bit of a fever off and on, which concerns me even more since that could be an indication that the Keflex is not putting a dent in the infection and it's starting to become systemic instead of localized. I'm headed to the Derm tomorrow, finally, so we'll see what he says about it. I'm concerned he may want to readmit me to the hospital, which, due to the fact I'm supposed to see the head of Intensive Care at the hospital my VSG surgery will be at in Melbourne on Monday, could end up making me cancel that and would then push my surgery back 3 months while I wait for another open appointment with him. Urgh. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen.
On the positive side, I finally, FINALLY got my CT successfully done. I have easily visible veins, but I guess several hospitalizations have made them really hard to work with - it took four radiographers and finally one angiogram specialist 8 tries to get an IV into my arm for the contrast. Then they wrapped me up in super-strong binding straps in order to make me as narrow as possible for the CT machine. It worked just fine - no touching the sides at all. It took an extra 90 minutes because of the vein issue, but they still put the results on CD before I left so I'd have them. They also faxed them to both my surgeon and my GP this morning for me. I'm going to go see my GP day after tomorrow to review the CT results with him, and to get a referral for an ECG. My surgeon's office wrote "ECG" on the bloodwork form they gave me, and I stupidly didn't notice it. Apparently I need a referral for that, and they didn't give me one. Fortunately my GP is pretty accommodating, so he should be willing to help.
Anyone know anything about ECGs? When I called one office to see if they might be able to fit me in this week by chance, she said "If all you need is a simple ECG, we can. But if you need an echocardiogram, that needs to have a doctor present, and it'll be longer." I thought that's what an ECG was? I told her it was for a pre-surgery assessment and she said I probably needed the more complicated version. No idea what she's talking about.
In the midst of all this, we moved this past weekend. I haven't been able to access the kitchen or the fridge to even so much as mix tuna with mayo or something. Needless to say I've done the best I can, but fallen off the low-carb horse somewhat. For the first time in my life, though, I'm not castigating myself for it or throwing my hands up and giving up - just encouraging hubby to finish unpacking the kitchen so we can get some good groceries in here and I can go back to what I want to be doing.
On the positive side, I finally, FINALLY got my CT successfully done. I have easily visible veins, but I guess several hospitalizations have made them really hard to work with - it took four radiographers and finally one angiogram specialist 8 tries to get an IV into my arm for the contrast. Then they wrapped me up in super-strong binding straps in order to make me as narrow as possible for the CT machine. It worked just fine - no touching the sides at all. It took an extra 90 minutes because of the vein issue, but they still put the results on CD before I left so I'd have them. They also faxed them to both my surgeon and my GP this morning for me. I'm going to go see my GP day after tomorrow to review the CT results with him, and to get a referral for an ECG. My surgeon's office wrote "ECG" on the bloodwork form they gave me, and I stupidly didn't notice it. Apparently I need a referral for that, and they didn't give me one. Fortunately my GP is pretty accommodating, so he should be willing to help.
Anyone know anything about ECGs? When I called one office to see if they might be able to fit me in this week by chance, she said "If all you need is a simple ECG, we can. But if you need an echocardiogram, that needs to have a doctor present, and it'll be longer." I thought that's what an ECG was? I told her it was for a pre-surgery assessment and she said I probably needed the more complicated version. No idea what she's talking about.
In the midst of all this, we moved this past weekend. I haven't been able to access the kitchen or the fridge to even so much as mix tuna with mayo or something. Needless to say I've done the best I can, but fallen off the low-carb horse somewhat. For the first time in my life, though, I'm not castigating myself for it or throwing my hands up and giving up - just encouraging hubby to finish unpacking the kitchen so we can get some good groceries in here and I can go back to what I want to be doing.
more2adore
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I'm a serious Debbie Downer of late. I'll try to cut it out. 
no, you need to be able to vent - bad feelings are legit!!
Larra
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2013
- Messages
- 3,524
ECG is very simple. They just attach some stick on leads to your chest, arms and legs and turn on the machine, and within a minute it's done.
Echocardiogram is where they use ultrasound to assess your heart. Hopefully you won't need this.
Good luck with the leg! All the more reason to get your surgery done. The weight loss will help greatly.
Echocardiogram is where they use ultrasound to assess your heart. Hopefully you won't need this.
Good luck with the leg! All the more reason to get your surgery done. The weight loss will help greatly.
newanatomy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2014
- Messages
- 2,983
Sorry, @more2adore this does not sound like a fun time! Are your comorbidities/leg issues preventing you from being able to get around? Maybe someone could come help unpack a bit?
more2adore
Well-Known Member
Okay, thanks @Larra! So it sounds like if the surgeon specifically said "ECG," that's what he meant - ECG. Phew. Sounds a helluva lot easier. Might even be able to get it done this week if I can make it to my GP tomorrow. This all presumes I should still go forward with these meetings/tests. Going to call the surgeon's office tomorrow given what happened today (below) -
I went to the dermatologist today who is the expert on my rare autoimmune condition that causes my leg ulcers. He was actually skeptical previously that this is what I actually had, as previous ulcers weren't as "textbook." I think he thought my US doctors were wrong and we were actually dealing with venous stasis ulcers due to my size - but this one is (unfortunately) even worse than usual and textbook for the autoimmune condition this time. So it's good in that they now know for sure what they're working with, I guess. They did a punch biopsy to make sure (SO PAINFUL, even with local anesthetic), and took another swab and a second small biopsy to check for other types of infection as they're concerned there might be an infectious component to this one.
I'm looking at probably several months of immune-suppressing drugs now as these things take for-ev-er to heal up in normal-sized people, and even longer in me due to my lymphedema... I would be willing to bet they're not going to let me have surgery while I'm on them. I really don't want to be looking at another year or longer before I get to have surgery. ARGH. The timing of this really couldn't be worse.
I went to the dermatologist today who is the expert on my rare autoimmune condition that causes my leg ulcers. He was actually skeptical previously that this is what I actually had, as previous ulcers weren't as "textbook." I think he thought my US doctors were wrong and we were actually dealing with venous stasis ulcers due to my size - but this one is (unfortunately) even worse than usual and textbook for the autoimmune condition this time. So it's good in that they now know for sure what they're working with, I guess. They did a punch biopsy to make sure (SO PAINFUL, even with local anesthetic), and took another swab and a second small biopsy to check for other types of infection as they're concerned there might be an infectious component to this one.
I'm looking at probably several months of immune-suppressing drugs now as these things take for-ev-er to heal up in normal-sized people, and even longer in me due to my lymphedema... I would be willing to bet they're not going to let me have surgery while I'm on them.
I really don't want to be looking at another year or longer before I get to have surgery. ARGH. The timing of this really couldn't be worse.
more2adore
Well-Known Member
@newanatomy Hubby's doing a pretty good job for both of us, fortunately. We had two friends who pitched in and helped the other night as well, which was marvelous.
Larra
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2013
- Messages
- 3,524
@more2adore would it be possible to have your vsg, allow for some reasonable recovery time to heal, and THEN start the immunosuppressive drugs? Perhaps Dr. Nottle could specify how much time he feels is needed for the sleeve to heal. You could then be losing weight and getting appropriate treatment for your autoimmune condition at the same time, and hopefully by the time you are ready for your switch you would be off the immunosuppressive drugs. There would be no concern about not absorbing the drugs because you would not have had the switch yet. And I suspect you might have to be off them for a certain period of time before having further surgery, but Dr. Nottle is the boss and would make that decision.
If you need these drugs, you need them. But you need the surgery as well. I would hope your different doctors could confer with one another and coordinate treatment for both conditions, as both are serious.
If you need these drugs, you need them. But you need the surgery as well. I would hope your different doctors could confer with one another and coordinate treatment for both conditions, as both are serious.
more2adore
Well-Known Member
Yeah, unfortunately I don't think that's an option. Even if by some miracle Dr. Nottle could fit me in right away (my understanding is he's typically booked three months out for private surgeries), we'd still be looking at several weeks of not being on the drug, which frankly would be life-threatening for me. Every day this thing gets bigger increases my risk of infection and sepsis and hospitalization, and it's just going to get bigger and bigger if I'm not on immunosuppressing medication. They consider that more immediately life threatening, whereas with my weight, everything is well-controlled,I don't have diabetes or heart problems, etc. I talked to his office manager today, and she said Dr. Nottle isn't in, but she talked to the head of Intensive Care I was supposed to see Monday and he said there's pretty much no way they'd operate on someone who was immunocompromised. They decided to cancel my appointment with him Monday. She's going to talk to Dr. Nottle about it Monday when he's back, but she's pretty certain that's going to be the outcome - that they won't touch me until this thing is healed.
more2adore
Well-Known Member
Yeah, a previous ulcer on my leg due to this led to four week-long hospitalizations in four months. Really hoping this one doesn't go that way. Thank you so much for the sympathy and help, Larra. I don't know what I'd do without this place to vent about all this stuff. Honestly, it's all I can do to keep it together emotionally at the moment.
Really hoping this one doesn't go that way. Thank you so much for the sympathy and help, Larra. I don't know what I'd do without this place to vent about all this stuff. Honestly, it's all I can do to keep it together emotionally at the moment.
Elizabeth N.
Herder of cats
YIKES! I'm so sorry to hear all this. 
