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  • Surgery just 9 days....very nervous....

    Hello all----my original surgery (#5) was supposed to take place on 10/30 but as a result of hurricane Sandy it was cancelled. All non-emergency surgeries were cancelled for Monday and Tuesday. I was lucky to have my surgery rescheduled so soon, even tho waiting 2 weeks feels like an eternity. I'm soooooo very nervous about this one for some reason. My back hurts soooooo bad and knowing that it really is my only option helps a little but I am still unbelievably nervous....today, just laying in my (hospital) bed, which I still have from my January surgeries, my heart rate (at REST) was 114bpm!!!! A while later, I slowly walked up and down the stairs one time to see what it would be and it was a whopping 144bpm's. there's nothing wrong with my heart except for a benign heart murmur which was discovered in January after surgery but my heart rate is outrageously high by my standards. I try relaxation techniques and visualization and all that but I just cannot shake this underlying anxiety I have about what's coming. I'm scared for so many reasons but its not like I'm consciously thinking abut it 24/7. IDK. Any thoughts on how to relax or if this has happened to you?? I just need this chapter of my life to be over already!
    Last edited by jerseyot; 11-06-2012, 05:03 AM.
    1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
    Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
    Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
    Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
    www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

  • #2
    Hello,
    I'm so sorry you are having all this anxiety over your surgery. Could some of the anxiety be related to the hurricane? That's some pretty scary stuff. I have a rapid heart rate due to an electrical problem. But it can get set off by anxiety as well. Are they giving you any benzodiazepines for anxiety? That might help. I'm wondering if a mild beta blocker would do the trick until you settle down. They actually use them for more than heart conditions, such things as stage fright and migraines. Since you are already in the hospital, I would bring the heart rate to your doctor's attention. I wish you all the best in your upcoming surgery.
    Be happy!
    We don't know what tomorrow brings,
    but we are alive today!

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi rorher1: I'm perry sure sUre that sine I've been a rather nervous person ("such a worrier" my parents and friends say) that that is probably the reason for it. AND to know just how big and extensive this surgery will be retains doesn't help. I just have a lot on my mind: with the surgery being cancelled, I lost 2out of the 3 pints of blood that I donated for myself - now I only have one lest and it expired the day of my surgery. So now, I have to try and squeeze in two more blood donations in just a 9-day window. My first one I'm doing this Thursday and I don't know when I'll be able squeeze both donations I.
      just plain old scared is all
      1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
      Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
      Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
      Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
      www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by jerseyot View Post
        Hi rorher1: I'm perry sure sUre that sine I've been a rather nervous person ("such a worrier" my parents and friends say) that that is probably the reason for it. AND to know just how big and extensive this surgery will be retains doesn't help. I just have a lot on my mind: with the surgery being cancelled, I lost 2out of the 3 pints of blood that I donated for myself - now I only have one lest and it expired the day of my surgery. So now, I have to try and squeeze in two more blood donations in just a 9-day window. My first one I'm doing this Thursday and I don't know when I'll be able squeeze both donations I.
        just plain old scared is all
        Hi Jerseyot,in the hospital where I was operated upon, they discontinued the practice of autologous blood donations because they found that most patients became anemic and eventually needed donor blood. Do you have any reasons why you cannot access donor blood?
        I had increased heart rate post surgery 135 bpm at rest and it resolved after a few days. I am not sure what exactly resolved it. I was transfused because I lost lot of blood during the surgery. Also my abdomen was severely bloated because of ileus. Some nurses told me that both anemia as well as excess pressure in heart due to bloared abdomen can cause increased heart rate.
        Last edited by rajma; 11-06-2012, 10:56 AM.
        Congenital Scoliosis and Kyphosis
        Diagnosis at Age 42, Main Thoracolumbar curve 72 deg
        Surgery on Aug 15, 2012
        Fused T4 to L4, 2 SPOs

        Comment


        • #5
          I would be asking for donor blood. You need all you have right now, so close to surgery. I know it's supposed to "regenerate" quickly, but surely, that's just not necessary for those of us undergoing this huge surgery? Just another impost on the body, so close to surgery. My surgeon uses donor blood for all his patients and says it's perfectly safe, these days.

          Wishing you the best and you know, being scared is perfectly normal. It's a horrible time leading up to surgery, but just think about how much better things are going to be very soon.
          Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
          Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
          T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
          Osteotomies and Laminectomies
          Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

          Comment


          • #6
            Michele,
            Dr. Lenke thought that the Donor Blood was totally safe and actually preferred that I not donate my own blood. It makes sense to me that you should be as strong as possible going into the surgery. Can you speak to your surgeon about this? I feel bad that you had to reschedule your surgery. You will get through this tough pre-surgery stage and soon have it all behind you. We're rooting for you!
            Karen

            Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
            Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
            70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
            Rib Hump-GONE!
            Age-60 at the time of surgery
            Now 66
            Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
            Retired Kdgn. Teacher

            See photobucket link for:
            Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
            Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
            tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
            http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi everyone and thanks so much for all of your input and suggestions. The hospital I am going to basically doesn't give blood unless the patient REALY needs it. According to the iCU Director, they're not a "blood-giving" hospital. They're a level 1 trauma hospital and use the majority of their loos bank loos for trauma and life-threatening cases and surgeries. Now of course, if I was bleeding out they would transfuse me with donor blood but in general, they're a facility that does not like to give blood ( strange as that may sound). The fact of the matter is when I go in for surgery in just 8 days, I will have only 2 pints of my own (1 pint from my last donation o 10/18 and then 1 pint for the donation I will do this week on 11/8). My mom is A+ as well and if the family donor cards arrive n the mail by tomorrow, she can donate for me. If those cards don't arrive tomorrow, then she ant donate b/c the blood bank center requires 7 days to process and ship. The blood. So, I just need to wait and hope those cards arrive tomorrow. Thanks again for a,k if your support. I really do appreciate it.

              Michele. (jerseyot.blogspot.com)
              1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
              Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
              Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
              Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
              www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Will they recycle your blood during the surgery? That can also reduce the number of pints you need. Hope your mom can donate!

                Evelyn
                age 48
                80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
                Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
                Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
                Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

                Comment


                • #9
                  YES!! DEFINITELY, they do recycle the blood I will lose and pump it right back into me. That's standard practice for them. I just pray that hose donor forms come in today's mail otherwise no one can donate for me. My most recent surgery on Jan30th was a long one and when all was sad and done I lost 1/2 my blood volume, having a hematocrit of 6.6 - I gave two pints...the re-infused the blood that I lost, and gave me 1 pint of my own blood. The they argued, ORTHO vs. INTERNAL MED about whether or not I needed the 2nd pint of autologous blood - while they fought over it, it expired and I ended up getting nothing but the re-infused blood from my surgery and one meager little pint of blood. My hematocrit after all that only rose to 7.0 and it took me 4-5 months to make up for the blood lost in surgery - I was short of breath, had no endurance for anything, couldn't do a flight of stairs without feeling like I was going to literally have a heart attack because my heart was pounding so hard you could see it, etc. I made my orthopedic surgeon promise me that if I donate 2-3 pints of blood,I want 2-3pints put back into me--no disagreements about 'does she need it, or 'doesn't she need it' - if I donated it, I want to make it crystal clear that I expect to get it back. I can't believe it - just 8 more days - a week from tomorrow - and unfortunately anther blood donation tomorrow
                  1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
                  Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
                  Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
                  Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
                  http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
                  http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
                  http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
                  www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I don't know what to say. Gobsmacked.

                    But it sounds like that won't happen this time so you can expect a much easier recovery.
                    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      JenniferG: I know! So was I. Crazy, isn't it?!?

                      I know I used past tense when I wrote in my precious email that my heart rate shoots sky high with even the littlest of exertion and that I'm extremely short of breath when it happens. Well, it happened again today - now I have to preface this with the fact that I had to give yet another (my 4th!!) pi t of loos this morning. Of the 3 I gave in October, 2 have expired because surgery was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy and rescheduled for 2+ weeks later, and of the one remaining it's expiration date is 11/15/12 - the date of my surgery -- so I don't know if they'll use it or not. And my cousin, the "universal donor," is donating a int for me tomorrow. So it's better than not having any blood.

                      Ok, now back to my heart rate...I took a nap after donating blood and woke up slowly - it's not like I jumped right out of my hospital here in the living room! I stood up and walked into the kitchen (8-10' away), and my Dad was sitting at the dining room table on his laptop, when I could "it" appending...I could barely catch my breath and I was breathing hard like I just jogged around the block (as if!!) Anyway, he immediately put this little wrist blood pressure/heart rate cuff on my wrist and my heart rate was (are you sitting down?!?!)......1-6-8.....168 bpm....it took about 10' for it to pass and I could feel it coming down as soon as I sat down....now it was probably that high due to the blood donation and just having less blood volume...but 168??? Seriously??? When I has my 2nd surgery of the year in January, they said I have a heart murmur. I got it checked out and it's a benign heart murmur. This high heart rate and shortness of breath stuff has been happening for MONTHS...yes, I have some anxiety but heck, who doesn't?!?! What could be causing this??
                      1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
                      Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
                      Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
                      Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
                      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
                      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
                      http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
                      www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Drink plenty of water, which will help your body replenish your blood. It's only 4 days till surgery and I don't think you should be put through this. Stress and the donation combined might be responsible for your high reading, though it might be an idea to ring your GP and ask whether he/she thinks your surgeon should know about this. Perhaps your Dad can keep an eye on it for a few hours for you. I feel so sorry for you that this is happening, as if you haven't been through enough.
                        Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                        Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                        T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                        Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                        Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          See, that's the thing...i drink on average about 4 sixteen oz. bottles of water a day. And it only happens hen. Get after laying down for a while, going up/down stairs, even something as simple as feeding my 2 dogs -- never happen awhile driving or when walking (unless I'm walk "fast" which for me is more like medium-slow (haha). IDK - with all that's coming is just 6 says (my surgery is next Thursday, 11/15) it's got to be stress. Right?
                          1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
                          Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
                          Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
                          Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
                          http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
                          http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
                          http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
                          www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jerseyot View Post
                            See, that's the thing...i drink on average about 4 sixteen oz. bottles of water a day. And it only happens hen. Get after laying down for a while, going up/down stairs, even something as simple as feeding my 2 dogs -- never happen awhile driving or when walking (unless I'm walk "fast" which for me is more like medium-slow (haha). IDK - with all that's coming is just 6 says (my surgery is next Thursday, 11/15) it's got to be stress. Right?
                            I don't know, but I guess it could be. When was your most recent ECG? I suspect it's a combination of the donation and stress but it's really hard to say, but I would expect your surgeon has checked you out for pretty much everything, with the surgery so close (sorry yes, it's 6 days.) If in a couple of days, you're still getting these spells, I would be letting the surgeon know. Are you sleeping?
                            Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                            Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                            T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                            Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                            Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              All of my EKG's have always been normal. As for sleeping, well that's hit or moss - mostly miss. Tonight for instance I slept 2-4:30am...not one of my better nights...and that's WITH taking a 5mg Valium and 10mg Ambien! Very frustrating...and tiring!
                              1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
                              Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
                              Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
                              Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
                              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
                              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
                              http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
                              www.jerseyot.blogspot.com

                              Comment

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