Student needing medical procedure

Marian · 07-03-2009, 07:10 PM

As many of you know, my son is a graduate student on the West Coast, and our family lives on the East Coast.

My son may need a medical procedure within the next few weeks of the sort where you have to be sedated -- meaning that another adult must go with him, sign him out afterward, and take him back to his apartment. But most of his friends -- including all three of his apartment-mates -- are not on campus this summer, and there are no family members nearby. If necessary, a family member will travel to his college community to help him out with this situation, but that would be very expensive.

Has anyone here run across this sort of problem? Has a student in your family ever needed this kind of procedure while at a school far from home? How did you handle the situation?

Batllo · 07-03-2009, 07:31 PM

If he's a grad student, he can ask someone in his dept. Let him take care of it. Step back.

Pizzagirl · 07-03-2009, 07:44 PM

I had oral surgery my senior year that required me to be sedated. I had a girlfriend take me there and back. Having said that, the place where I had the surgery was just a few blocks away from where we both lived, so it wasn't very inconvenient. Is the location of the surgery / clinic far? (e.g., would a car be needed) How "debilitated" would you expect him to be with this surgery?

If it's anything like mine, the other adult there is just a precautionary measure but I was fine, albeit woozy and just went home and slept and took pain meds.

frazzled1 · 07-03-2009, 07:47 PM

When my d needed a dental procedure w/sedation done 900 miles from home, she was fortunate in having her roommate available. But I believe that many synagogues and churches have community assistance programs to provide these kinds of services, even for people in need who aren't members of their congregations (I can think of 3 churches in my area that would do so). Otherwise, perhaps the Dean of Students' office could make a suggestion?

Batlo, Marian is asking a legitimate question. Her son may have asked her for suggestions, which may be how he has decided to "take care of it." CC is a great place to solve a problem like this one.

Marian · 07-03-2009, 07:48 PM

Batllo: He may indeed be able to make such arrangements, even though most of the graduate students in his department are away from campus on internships at the present time. I was just looking for alternate ideas to suggest to him if necessary.

This is a situation that has never arisen before in our family -- a person living alone far from all other family members and needing transportation for a medical procedure that requires sedation. I wouldn't know how to handle the situation if I were the patient, either, and I'm 54!

Pizzagirl: The procedure in question is a colonoscopy. My son doesn't know the location yet, but it is not likely to be far, and he could afford to pay for taxis if the person accompanying him did not have a car. The problem will be finding someone. He is very much alone this summer. As those of us who have had colonoscopies know, there is not much discomfort afterward (it's BEFORE that sucks), in fact there is much less discomfort than with most dental procedures that require sedation, but there is the complication that the doctor may give the results of the test orally to the person who accompanies the patient, so it would be a good idea for it to be a responsible and intelligent individual.

frazzled: Thank you for the excellent suggestions.

Pizzagirl · 07-03-2009, 07:51 PM

Does he have a friendly relationship with his landlord? Just brainstorming here.

Marian · 07-03-2009, 07:59 PM

Pizzagirl, that would ordinarily be a good idea, but he lives in on-campus housing for graduate students, so his landlord is the university. Therefore, the landlord is not an additional resource. However, he might be able to find help (for a price, if necessary) through the university -- either through the health center or, as frazzled1 suggested, through the dean of students' office.

Let's expand the question here. Has anyone here every known ANY person who needed a procedure that requires sedation -- whether it was a colonoscopy, dental surgery, or anything else -- but who was living alone in a place where they did not know many people? It doesn't have to have been a student. Perhaps it was you! How do people deal with this situation? Are there commercial services that can help? My son has some money. He could pay for such a service if necessary. But it would have to be something other than a taxi. Medical facilities do not allow taxi drivers to sign patients out after procedures (or maybe it's the taxi companies who don't allow it -- but in any case, I know it is not permitted. I've had enough procedures of my own to be aware of that.)

Marian · 07-03-2009, 08:15 PM

frazzled1, I forgot to say that my son has not asked for suggestions. But I want to be prepared in case he does.

My concern, of course, is that he may not get the procedure done if he cannot solve this problem. And given the medical situation (which I will not go into here), that's not acceptable.

crazed · 07-03-2009, 08:19 PM

If it is a colonscopy, he may be able to take a cab home. My mother did that (rather than call me or a friend to drive her- she didn't want to interfere with our lives. Crazy, but doable.)

He can call the Doctor to make sure he does not need someone with him at home afterward.

Calreader · 07-03-2009, 08:20 PM

I haven't been in the situation you describe. But I've been the colonoscopy driver for several people (friends and relatives), and I think he should find someone who is an acquaintance, rather than a paid driver. As the driver, I've been given information and instructions for the patient that I had to wait and tell them when they felt less woozy. A paid driver wouldn't be able to do that.

I think people generally like to be helpful, and they will help even people they don't know very well when asked. To me, it always feels like an honor to be asked for help. It will probably seem awkward to your son when he starts asking, but knowing how to ask for help is a good skill to have.

OaksMom · 07-03-2009, 08:25 PM

Has he been active at any church/temple in his area? I would bet you could find someone to help you through the church office if he asked.

How about one of the office people from his dept on campus? A secretary? He could offer to pay them for their time?

Marian · 07-03-2009, 08:27 PM

Crazed: Your mother's experience is unusual. I have had colonoscopies twice, at two different facilities, and what your mother did was forbidden in both instances. It was OK for the person accompanying the patient to take the patient home in a taxi rather than driving, but the patient could not take a taxi alone.

Nevertheless, I admire your mother's courage in this situation.

OaksMom: He has not been active in any religious organization on campus or in the community.

Calreader: I don't like the idea of a paid driver, either, for just the reason you suggest. I was actually thinking more in terms of the agencies that supply home health aides. I wonder whether they provide this kind of service (including staying with the patient until the patient is sober enough to be given the follow-up instructions). And if they do provide that service, does it matter that the aide would have to have their own transportation? My son does not own a car.

Thank you to everyone for all the suggestions. CC is a great place for collecting ideas on all kinds of topics.

Dad_of_3 · 07-03-2009, 08:57 PM

If he can't get someone to help, see if this is a possibility:
Procedures like scopes are quite often have schedules that start very early in the day. See if he can arrange to have it done early - say 6 in the morning, and if the medial facility will allow him to stay for a few hours in recovery. Since these outpatient units won't have facilities to stay overnight, and may close the unit down by late afternoon, it may be possible if he starts early that he's recovered in 3-4 hours and can take a cab home.

ginab591 · 07-03-2009, 08:59 PM

Marian--Is he doing it awake or asleep? I believe if he's awake he does not need someone to accompany him. I had my wisdom teeth pulled earlier this week, and if I had done it awake I would have been allowed to leave on my own. I've had a colonoscopy too, but I was a minor and my mother insisted on anesthesia, so I needed a parent there anyway, so I don't know if that would be different.
But if it's possible, and not too expensive, he's going to want someone there the night before more than after. (Well not right there, but there if he needs them)

northeastmom · 07-03-2009, 09:16 PM

I have not read through all of the responses, so if I am suggesting something already mentioned, sorry. I went with a family member who needed day surgery. His roommate for the day was an elderly gentleman who did not seem to have a relative or friend to go with him. He employed someone (sorry I don't know how he found this person, or if he hired him through a company). The employee drove him to and from the hospital, talked and keep him company before the procedure, this person helped him with his personal needs after his procedure, and he held onto some personal items while he was in the operating room. It was only after hours that I learned that he was hired. I just assumed he was a friend or relative. I thought it was kind of sad, but not everyone has a relative nearby, or wants to confide in a friend and/or ask the friend to take a day off from work.