I'm in stitches...Help!

[mint]

I'm in stitches and, no, I'm not laughing.  Went to the hospital to have a cyst removed from the back of my neck last week.  Because of where the cyst was, I could not actually see what was done.  After the surgeon had finished, he wished me good day and that was that.

Yesterday, when the dressing fell off in the shower, my OH looked at the site of the excavation and said he could see 3 stitches.

Now nobody said anything about these and I wasn't asked to see anyone.  What is the procedure for the removal of stitches in France?  Do I see my GP, go back to the hospital or just yank them out at home without the benefit of sterile scissors or tweezers?  Surely the last option CANNOT be right?  Besides, I am a coward and would not like an inexperienced person to do this.

Please someone out there, tell me what the heck they do in France?  I guess the stitches should come out more or less immediately as they have been a week!

[cooperlola]

Find a local nurse and ask her/him to do it.  Don't leave it much longer - my o/h left his in too long (in the UK) once, way back, and the result when it was finally done was horrific and painful.  Ugh.

[Russethouse]

Are you sure they are not soluable stitches ?

 

[mint]

RH

They are BLACK and feel very "thready"!

[cooperlola]

Deffo not soluble then - see a nurse soon!

[mint]

Coops

Sorry for being so feeble.  How and where do I find one of those, nurses that is?

[cooperlola]

In your Pages Jaunes under "Infirmiers : Cabinets, soins a domicile".  Ours takes appointments every morning at her surgery.

[mint]

Thanks for the prompt reply.  Panic over, I think.  As luck would have it, my French neighbour is having a nurse come later today.  I have asked her to speak to said nurse for me.  Otherwise, I will look in Pages Jaunes, as per your suggestion.

Whew, how nice it is having a friend in the know!

[Just Katie]

Surely Sweet 17's doctor should have given her these instructions, or maybe it is the beginning of the new health legislation for 'expats' [:D]

Hope it is not too bad Sweet 17

[mint]

Thanks Katie.  Nice to have the sympathy!

[Tony F Dordogne]

The hospital would normally have given an ordanance for the visit of a nurse to take the stitches out - but you'd still have to arrange it yourself.

I'd also have a word with your generaliste, get an ordanance, may save yourself a few euros.

[Gastines]

Had the same problem with a quantity of staples after an op/, I thought the hospital arranged for the district nurse to come and remove them but apparently you make your own arrangements and pay the nurse.

Regards.

[mint]

Thanks Tony & Gastines

What it is to be so ignorant!  Thing is, you don't really know what you need to know until you need to know it, if you see what I mean?

[Lesbatees]

In my experience you have to ask what happens next.  I now make a point of putting together a list of questions in writing for any doctor I see.  Gives us time to pore over translation options.

V.

[mint]

Very good advice indeed, Lesbatees.  Strangely, I used to do that when I was back in the UK and now I am in France when I really need to do this, I didn't!  I think I was a little overwhelmed by what went on in the hospital and, also, I didn't expect them to do the deed there and then.  I thought I'd be seen and told to return on another occasion, as you would in the UK.  After finding my way to the hospital, finding where the surgeon was, negotiating the booking-in procedure, etc, etc, I'd completely lost what wits I would normally have!

OH off to see the doctor next week and I will act on your advice and prepare questions for him to ask and give him the vocabulary he would need.

Thanks for taking an interest.

[cooperlola]

My doctor thinks it's hilarious because I always turn up with the bigget dictionary I own (about the size of a large family bible!) in case any words come up which I don't understand.  It's one of the situations where I feel a misunderstanding could be problematic to say the least - and as I've only seen her on other people's behalf, I don't want them to come away with the wrong info'!

Good luck with the stitches.

[Nicos]

As far as I recall....stitches used to be removed after 7 - 10 days.

I imagine it's much the same now??

If they are left in too long  the skin can heal over them and they become really painful to remove, and they may leave dotted scars.

Ouch!

[ali-cat]

Please let us know how you get on with the nurse, today!!  Hope all goes well & pain free!! [:D]

[Will]

French doctors tend to assume you know all the ins and outs, regardless of whether or not you are French (though it is a bit different if you have a condition diagnosed in England that the French doctor hasn't heard of [:)] ).

Mrs Will was sent to the local clinic for a minor op. All she got (apart from a rather messy job and damaged nerves) was a b*ll***ing from the generaliste for letting the wrong surgeon do it.

 

[mint]

Madame la voisine kindly came over this afternoon and told me I'd have to ring the pharmacy if I want the nurse.  More bemused than ever, I looked up the number and got her to ring for me as she is well known at the pharmacy (I know this because she and her husband have given me a very full account of all their various ailments and told me about all the medicaments that they take).

Upshot of it all is, the nurse will call "ce soir".  When I asked "a quelle heure", the answer was (yes, you have guessed it) "je ne sais pas"!

I await the attendance of this much-in-demand nurse.  By now, I am just sufficiently "bothered" to feel in need of an extra large g & t but I guess I'd better hold off in case she thinks I am one of these booze- swilling anglaise that she has heard so much about!

[Clair]

[quote user="sweet 17"]Upshot of it all is, the nurse will call "ce soir".  When I asked "a quelle heure", the answer was (yes, you have guessed it) "je ne sais pas"![/quote]

Don't worry, nurses usually have a round of patients they see on a daily basis (diabetic injections, changes of dressings and such...) and their hours tend to be flexible because of that...

[ali-cat]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

 By now, I am just sufficiently "bothered" to feel in need of an extra large g & t but I guess I'd better hold off in case she thinks I am one of these booze- swilling anglaise that she has heard so much about!

[/quote]

Go for it!!  Why dispel the myth!! [:D]

 

[mint]

Guess what, guys, you are all right in what you have told me.

Tony, the first thing she said to me was, "Where is your ordnance?  In France, you get an ordnance from your doctor and THEN you ring me."  She more or less said she couldn't do anything for me this evening without "le papier".  And anyway, Nicos, you are right here, she said it was "trop tot" and that the stitches would not be ready to come out until "lundi prochain".

Worse of all, ali-cat, she caught us all at it.  We had my husband's son (my stepson) arrived on the afternoon flight from Luton and our English neighbours all having aperos in the garden and it was only just gone 6 pm.  "Voulez vous en verre?" I enquired.  "Non, merci" said the immaculately dressed, coiffeured and scented blonde.

My OH muttered, "SHE can take my pulse anyday!"

So, it's back to the drawing board.  Ring the medecin tomorrow, get my ordnance and await the arrival of the blonde one on Monday.

[Gardian]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

 ........... the immaculately dressed, coiffeured and scented blonde.

[/quote]

SW17 ........

Send her over this way (only 300kms or so) when she's sorted your minor & insignificant stitches out.

I've got a massive splinter that needs removing from my little finger.

[TWINKLE]

Sweet 17!

I hope all goes well tomorrow, however, if she really is blonde - she'll probably have her red pen with her incase she needs to DRAW blood!!![:-))]