Pre-operation Assessment

I spent a very long time debating whether to go ahead with the surgery and whether to do one foot or both feet. I also spoke to my work about the amount of time I would have to have off. I am a teacher and I wanted to discuss with the headteacher when would be the best time to be out of school for that amount of time. I tried to research the procedure online but found very little information, which is one of the main reasons I am writing this blog now.

Eventually, I decided to go ahead with the surgery on both feet and called the surgeon's sectretary to tell her this. The hospital were very accomodating and allowed me to request a date I would like the surgery to be after. This allowed me to work up to the Easter holiday and meant that my class would have a different teacher for the whole summer term. I hope to be able to go back into school towards the end of term for a visit but I know that I will not be fully up to speed until September, ready for the new school year.

I received a letter with both the operation date and a date to attend a pre-operation assessment clinic. The letter informed me that the clinic could take up to two hours but it actually took nearly four! I had to be seen by various staff members and undergo some tests and also fill out a lot of paperwork. Firstly, I was called in by two nurses and had a blood test and an MRSA swab test. After that I waited a while to be called in by the sister who went through a long form with me, filling in lots of information about my medical history, allergies, etc and also explained to me what would happen with the operation itself.

She asked me about what my home was like and was assessing what my needs would be once I was discharged. She suggested that I may need a wheelchair to manouvere around at home, which was quite different to what the surgeon had previously told me. She said I would have plaster up to halfway up my calves and would not be able to bear any wieght on them, which was again news to me! At the end of our consultation, she went to call the relevant department to find out whether I would be able to have this wheelchair that I would definitely need. She then called me back into the room to share with me her concerns about how I would manage having both feet operated on simultaneously. She explained that they could not guarantee me a wheelchair and that even if I had one, she was worried about how I would get in and out of it. I explained to her that this seemed quite different to what the surgeon had said but she maintained her concerns and advised that I talk to the surgeon about it when I saw her (which would be later that morning).

I then had to wait a while to see a doctor and finally the surgeon. The doctor asked me a few questions again and gave me a physical examination, listening to my breathing and feeling my abdomen. I tried to ask him about the sister's concerns but he said he couldn't really answer them as he did not normally work in this particular clinic. Again I had to wait for the surgeon. I was quite worried while waiting after the sister as I thought maybe I would have to change all my plans and end up having my feet operated on separately. It had been so difficult to make the decision in the first place that being confronted with the possibility of having to change the arrangements made me almost want to just abandon the whole idea. It was quite a horrible time.

Finally, I was called in to see the surgeon. I immediately shared what the sister had said about me needing a wheelchair to get around at home and that she was concerned about me having both feet done together. The surgeon looked me straight in the eye and said that it would all be fine and I would be able to get around without a wheelchair. She explained that most candidates who have both feet operated on simultaneously are in a very similar position to me (i.e. young and often suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis) and they all manage to move around their homes to the extent that they need. Again, she totally reassured me and put me at ease. She then shared with me the consent form which detailed the procedure and all the risks and I signed to say that I was happy to proceed. She finally asked me to report to X-ray as the anaesthetist would require neck X-rays before he was happy to put me under general anaesthetic.

This appointment was one of my least favourite parts of the whole process. I feel like the sister, while I am sure she was acting out of concern and care, totally freaked me out by not fully understanding the procedure and the aftercare I would be receiving. All the other staff at the clinic were friendly and kind but she left me feeling very worried about everything and I did not enjoy it! Luckily, the surgeon managed to once again put me at ease and I did leave feeling very happy about the procedure and ready to go through with it.