Separated at Birth

We’ve got so many plates spinning and my mind is racing to keep up with everything. I decided to call KU Med to find someone who could answer my logistics questions so I can stop thinking about at least this small list:

• Where do we check in when we arrive for surgery? My mom told me someone would call closer to, but I just want to know.
• I know I’ll need a wheelchair, and likely a potty seat, but how do I get them? Is there anything else we will need? When should we get them?
• When can I return to work? All we talked about so far was when I would go home and that I could work from my chair, but not drive.

I talked with Dr. Sojka’s nurse about those questions this afternoon. She was very friendly and supportive.

• We’ll check in at the hospital’s general admissions desk. She gave me very specific directions from valet parking. And, she confirmed someone will call me by 3 p.m. on Aug. 23 to let us know what time we need to be there.
• I will either get a chair directly from the hospital, or get an order for one and be able to pick one up on the way home from the hospital. If I need one, I could also get an order for a bedside toilet. I should be alright in my regular bed.
• The timeline for returning to work is up to me. She said “as soon as I feel well enough” because I work a desk job and will be in a chair all the time.

I also learned that my surgery will be right away in the morning and the operating room is scheduled for three hours. I should be in a recovery room by 9 a.m. They are planning for me to go home that evening. (I will be admitted as an outpatient, which means 23 hours maximum, she said.)

I will also have a chance to talk about the medication safe for breastfeeding when I check in. She did say that my initial pain medication would be an IV pump.

Between the nurse and Deb, I was feeling on the right track. I decided to dig into American Academy of Pediatrics approval of pain medications for breastfeeding. The AAP has approved Morphine, Demerol among others. Approval means a small amount of the medicine may transfer to the little guy, but it has been studied and shown not to be dangerous for babies.