Pre Op appointment is tomorrow! Questions to ask?

[Roxjanine]

My pre op is tomorrow with Dr. Vora at Hershey Medical Center- Spine and Joint Institute and with anastegia. Does anyone know what type of questions I should ask to prepare myself better for my surgery on Feb 2nd?

Also, my fusion will be T2-L2 or L3 and I am wondering if I will have trouble wearing shirts with putting my arms over my head. Did anyone have a problem with this?

Could someone send me the link of things to buy to prep for surgery? (what to bring to hospital etc.) I cant seem to find that forum post.

Sorry for the million and one questions- but I really appreciate any help I can get.

[Mojo's Mom]

I just wanted to comment that a thread that answers these questions would be a great "sticky" thread for the forum. It can be hard to find the information when you need it, and it comes up time after time.

[rohrer01]

I think Linda Racine has a link for what to bring or get for surgery in her signature.

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

Here's a link to my web page about Preparing for Scoliosis Surgery:

http://www.scoliosislinks.com/PreparingforSurgery.htm

In regard to going to your appointment with a list of questions that someone else has created, my opinion is that it might totally derail your appointment. I've heard people tell me that doctors have told them things that can't possibly be correct, and I often wonder if it's because the patient and doctor were not on the same subject at some point. What's important to someone else, might not be of any importance to you.

Instead of going in with a list of other people's questions, sit down for an hour or so now, and think about what's important to you, and what you might not understand about your surgery. When you have your appointment, make sure your surgeon (or a resident/fellow/physician's or surgeon's assistant) explains what will be done in surgery (if that's important to you). Make sure you understand, and are ready to accept, the sorts of complications you can expect. I'd want to know what to realistically expect in terms of post-surgical pain, both short-term and long-term. I'd also want to know what restrictions I'll have after surgery. (If you have obligations at home (e.g., kids, pets, etc.), you'll need to figure out to fulfill those obligations within the boundary of the restrictions.)

Best of luck with your surgery.

Regards,
Linda