On Second Thought
I keep thinking of part of a speech that Izzie Stevens (that 21st century Hippocrates) gave when she said that surgeons who prefer staples to stitches are just lazy. I think about it as I poke gingerly at the staples in my stomach.
I am recovering and I am mostly happy with the care I received although there are moments that give me pause. There was, for instance, the first anesthesiologist who came to see me who was missing most of her front teeth and whose English was so poor that she could not understand the term "thrombophilia" much less "Factor V Leiden". There was the surgeon who, upon being informed that my "job" was staying home with two active toddlers, told me I would have an easy recovery, despite the fact that I'm not supposed to lift anything heavier than 10 lbs for a month.*
There was the coordinating surgeon (no idea what her actual title is) who met my gurney at the door to the OR and double checked with me and my doctors to ensure that we were all expecting the same procedure and greeted every response to her questions with, "Let's go to the party," as if this was her own trademarked catch phrase. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no patient really wants to hear her surgery described as a party no matter how good the drugs are--especially if that surgery's occurring in early July, and it seems like everyone in the room has been practicing medicine for a half an hour or so.
*When I pointed out that much of my day involved lifting children in and out of car seats, strollers, high chairs, bath tubs and cribs, he asked in all seriousness, "Well, how much could they weigh?"
It's too bad your body couldn't wait to have this gallbladder inflammation until you reached suburbia. As one who has been in a number of Brooklyn hospitals (father was very sick) and now living in NJ, it is like night and day. When I had my appendix out, all the nurses and doctors kept passing on information to each other, she is a lactating mother with two young children at home. They stressed that I should really try and get help with the kids during recovery and they treated me like a queen. I'm shedding a tear right now, just thinking about it...Hope you are able to get some rest...
Posted by: anita | July 22, 2008 at 01:38 PM
I just read a small bit of your post (about the surgeon and small children) to my 11 year old son and he said something to the effect of "Scrubs does portray surgeons correctly - they ARE dumbasses." Yes, he does have a good vocabulary and a sailor's mouth.
Posted by: Sam | July 22, 2008 at 01:56 PM
I was thinking that this sounded like an episode of Scrubs, too! You poor thing! I can't believe you had to put up with all that while in pain and having surgery!
I'm glad most of the care was good. I hope recovery goes smoothly and quickly.
Posted by: caramama | July 22, 2008 at 02:25 PM
Oh my Lord. "How much could they weigh?" I love people who have apparently never even been around a kid and their opinions on these things.
Best on recovery and your Big Move. VERY exciting.Are you going to sublet your apt or just give it up?
Posted by: AmyinMotown | July 22, 2008 at 03:00 PM
You gotta love those people who think all kids are tiny little things. Not mine - we make 'em giant in my family (with a 16 month old at 30 lbs. and a 3 year old at about 36 lbs.) and somehow people are always amazed.
Hope that recovery is as smooth as possible, and that your kids accept the "mommy can't lift you right now" logic as much as they are capable...
Posted by: Bobbi | July 22, 2008 at 05:23 PM
Yeesh! did he think you had preemie twins? not many children stay under 10lbs for long!
Posted by: Sarah | July 22, 2008 at 06:43 PM
Throm!
Bo!
Phil!
...ia!
Jesus, that would scare me. I hope you're quickly on the mend.
Posted by: Julie | July 22, 2008 at 07:57 PM
After reading that, I'm simply relieved that you are home and posting. I mean, holy crap, how hard is competency?
Hope you are feeling better soon, and that the month of restrictions winds up being much shorter due to an improvement in the way you are feeling.
Posted by: Boulder | July 23, 2008 at 07:02 AM
It just makes me imagine what kind of creepy parties the surgeon has been to in the past.
And I wonder if they really know what 10lbs weighs when all they ever lift day to day is a scalpel or retractor. Maybe you can send some kind of snarky gift to your surgeon made up of "flowers": a 10lb bag of flour.
Posted by: DD | July 23, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Yep, those things would make me nervous too. Glad to hear that you came through OK.
Posted by: midlife mommy | July 23, 2008 at 01:03 PM
Glad to hear you're on the mend. That surgeon does sound like an idiot. Some babies can weigh over 10 lbs at birth!
Posted by: Heather | July 23, 2008 at 04:05 PM
haha I like dd's idea. Send him a gift. You could stuff some of little boy's clothes with flour and see how he lifts it...
Glad you're home, it sounds like no fun.
Posted by: thalia | July 24, 2008 at 02:40 PM
Well, all doctors at one time did a peds rotation and an OB rotation, didn't they? Meaning this guy has no memory. Very reassuring.
Posted by: Slim | July 24, 2008 at 03:58 PM
Doing some catching up on my blog reading ... She was missing a ton of teeth?! That is comically horrific. As is the whole "new doctors in July" scenario. Oh my.
I hope you are all healed up and enjoying your vacation!
Posted by: Rebekah | August 09, 2008 at 02:39 PM