Going Into Hospital On Tuesday

[flop]

Hi Everyone,

I'me being admitted to hospital on Tuesday for ENT surgery and am starting to get really nervous. I was hoping that my cardiologist would be there at the hospital but he has gone off sick himself! He has sent a letter to the anaesthetist explaining my POTS and about gving me IV fluids pre-op and things but it's not quite the same as knowing that they could give him a call if needed.

I had awful trouble trying to get to pre-admissions clinic early as everyone thinks that I should be a fit young adult going for a routine operation so should have no problems. I had phoned the anaesthetic department to notify them of my condition but couldn't get past the secretary. I have now spoken to one of the senior anaesthetists on the phone and it will be a consultant doing my anaesthetic but I am still really nervous. His final thing to calm me down was to tell me not to worry as they know that my BP and HR will be erratic they will be ready with different drugs and IV fluids but that they will make sure the crash cart stays right by me incase anything goes wrong!!!!

If I didn't need the surgery I wouldn't have it but have terrible trouble with nose-bleeds and sinus infections. I have lost count of the number of times I have had my nose cauterised at the hospital in the last year (too many ENT clinic visits). The last major bleed I had needed me to have 6 units of blood transfused. I am on iron tablets to try to keep my haemoglobin within range but it is always low due to the repeated bleeds. My cardiologist (who I thought would be against any general anaesthetic) told me that it clearly needed fixing and I should just get on with it!

I have only had a general anaesthetic once before (before I developed POTS) and must have dropped my BP as I woke up with 2 large IVs in my arms and lots of empty IV fluid bags hanging on the drip stands attached to my trolley. At least when I told the anaesthetist about that he took me more seriously.

I'm probably just getting myself worked up but would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a general anaesthetic recently.

Thanks, Flop

[goldicedance]

Good luck with your surgery on Tuesday, Flop. Hope everything goes smoothly.

Lois

[SunsetParadise49]

Good Luck!!!

[nadine]

Please keep us posted- it does sound like you need to have this done, all the blood loss sure must make symptoms worse.

Good luck to you=======

[deucykub]

Hi, Flop:

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers on Tuesday. Good luck with your surgery and take it easy on yourself after.

Please let us know how you are doing once you are up to it after the surgery.

Sending you lots of strength and hugs!

Deucykub

[Guest tearose]

I will be sending you loads of healing wishes!

It is good the doctors will know to give you IV's ahead and that the ENT will have the information on hand about POTS. You just think about that wonderful new job that you will have waiting for you!

take care,

tearose

[lalalisa]

Hello,

I wish i had some advice for you...I actually have the same questions. I'm having sinus surgery on April 11th and haven't been under general anesthesia since getting sick. I'm trying to provide as much info to educate my ENT but don't even know who the anesthesiologist will be. (Dr Grubb is my dr and has faxed some information about my condition)

I'm looking forward to hearing how others experiences with gen. anesthesia has been.

Can I pray for you?

Take care,

Lisa

[flop]

Thank you for your support, all thoughts and prayers are greatfully received.

Lisa - once I recover I'll try to PM you so we can chat about sinus surgery if you like? I'm having my sinuses done as well as a septoplasty and submucous diathermy to my turbinates. You might have to send me a message to remind me to contact you though - brain fog means that I have a memory like a sieve!

I'm hoping to be out of hospital at the weekend but I may be able to post from hospital if I am well enough once I am on a ward with bedside TV / internet. Best wishes to anyone else having treatment this week.

Flop

[corina]

hi flop,

i ahve been having serious bp trouble after every surgery i had under general aneasthesia (about 6 times i guess). i didn't know what was going on as nobody had ever heard of pots (including me).

i am sure that your doctors will get everything under control and that you will be home safely very soon!

good luck,

corina

[P SUDIK]

Flop, I wish you the best. A couple wks ago I had a cystoscopy under general anesthesia,I was so concerned but everything went well. I had a long conversion with anesthesist,and he took good care of me,just as yours will,I will pray for you Hugs P

[Sophia3]

Good luck with your surgery. I had a partial hyst in November and did great with the anesthesia. My surgery was delayed as my doc had to deliver a baby, as I spoke to an anesthesiologist (the one who would be with me was eating lunch!!) he asked me questions and I filled him in.

He then said whatever goes on during the surgery they can fix. another email buddy who has had numerous surgeries said it is their job as anesthesiologist to know the ANS very well.

When I got up to go to the bathroom and then the anesthesiologist did an EKG to check me out..he could not believe my HR jumped 50 just walking to the bathroom...I said it was a gravity thing and it would lower as I lay down....he said "You must just really be used to this high HR..." Yep.

all will be well. Just talk to them before the surgery.

[PattiL]

Hi Flop,

Actually my daughter Chrissy, just had sinus surgery last month under general anesthesia. She also had a ton of sinus infections, so much so that she usually only had about two-three weeks off in between each one. We were sick and tired of most of the ENT's she saw and sick of all the antibiotics she was always on. She had a septoplasty, sinuplasty and a reduction of her turbinates. We had a letter from Dr. Grubb for the anesthesiologist and we also spoke with him prior to surgery. She did very well during the surgery and they even had to give her a slight bit of epi at one point. She was also given morphine in recovery and luckily didn't have any bad reactions to that either. The week after her surgery was not great fun, but she made it and was totally releived once the splints came out. It's been four weeks since her surgery and (cross fingers) hasn't had a sinus infection yet--and that's a record for her.

Let us know how the surgery goes.

Take care,

Patti

[flop]

Patti - than you so much for posting. It sounds like Chrissy had exactly the same surgery that I'm having - it is so good to know that she has come through it with no major problems.

I'm not too worried about the surgery itself as I know it is done regularly, it is more the affect of the anaesthetic on my POTS. I have been having nightmares imagining that I am completely unable to stand up post-op. I can only stand for about 2 minutes now and am worried about simple things like getting to the bathroom without collapsing. I hate bedpans and want to get up as soon as I can after the surgery. My cardiologist has always told me that I must never rest in bed if I am ill as it will lead to rapid deconditioning.

Thank you to everyone who has posted on here or read the thread and thought about me even if you haven't had the energy to post. It really helps knowing that there are friends on the forum who understand my problems and anxieties. I will check in here before I go to the hospital on Tuesday morning and a non-POTSy friend reads the forum and will keep me up-to-date whilst I'm recovering.

Flop

[Maxine]

Flop,

I know how you feel-----------------I hate the thought of my POTS acting up every time I have to have a procedure of some type or another done. I have an upcoming colonoscopy, and I'll need sedation. The Doctor doing it is talking about sedation options with an anesthesiologist. I have been under general anesthesia twice, and both times I did fine. The first time was when I had my tonsils out at age 18---------------however the recovery was horrific, but I did not have symptoms from my POTS yet, or atleast not terribly bothersome ones yet. The surgery for getting tonsils out is just rough when your older. The first week was rough, but I ended up with a cold----and a cough------------ So you know what the cough did to my raw throat.

The second was surgery on my cervical spine, and the operitive report said I was stable throughout the surgery, and it was a

4 1/2 hour surgery. I don't remember recovery at all, but I remember being wheeled into ICU---(standard for any spine surgeries for the firsr 24 hours). I was tachy at about 130bpm, but I was told that was from the high doses steroids that were used---(apparently I had quite a dent in my spinal cord, and the surgeon was concerned of spinal cord injury, so steroids were used to prevent paralysis.) They had to give me injections of insulin because the high doses of steroids made my glucose levels high. I had full blown POTS at the time of surgery, and within a week I felt fine. In fact I felt pretty darn good except for some wild swings in BP. The steroids made me feel stronger, and my fatigue was almost gone. However, this was only temporary--------POTS and everything came back due to other complication not related to the surgery.

Now I also have to get a tooth pulled, and for some reason my body does not react well with lidocaine---(without epi)---

I don't understand why----and none of my Docs understand why. My EDS Docs are the only ones trying to help me, and who seem to be taking this seriously--(that a person can have an adverse reaction to lidocaine). Now my condition is not stable at all -----------------------so not looking forward to the upcoming procedures, but I have seen people who are much worse off then me get through surgeries, and other procedures just fine. I think I also have some pretty intense anxiety that doesn't help. Working on that with a therapist.

I think you will be just fine--just make sure the anesthesiologist is aware of your ANS issues.

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers Tuesday.

Maxine :0)

[bttrflyamby1981]

I wish you the best!

[persephone]

I'm sure you'll be fine. My mum and I have both been under generals within the past few years and although we get a bit cranky after anaesthetic (mum gets high and loves everyone, whereas I burst into tears and have to stay in recovery for about 3 hours while they try and calm me down...), we suffer no real ill effects from it.

Anyone can get low bp under anaesthetic, not just us POTSies, it's not that uncommon. I think they have to hae the crash cart on hand for most people anyway.

Enjoy the release as you drift of. I love that- when they tell you to count to 10, you get to 2 and just go BLANK. Beautiful bliss!

[flop]

Thanks evryone, now that my job interview is out of the way I can prepare myself properly for tomorrow. Persephone - I cried like anything after my previous general anaesthetic, just bawled my eyes out for no apparent reason for 5 hours! That was daycase surgery on the friday before the christmas weekend and I nearly got kept in hospital over christmas as by the time I had stopped crying the physios had gone home. They were worried that there was no-one to check my walking - I managed to convince the nurses that as I had been non-weight bearing on crutches for 4 months pre-op that I could continue hopping about on my crutches at home and come back to out-patients to see a physio rather than spend an extra 5 days in hospital.

I had previously blamed the crying on the benzodiazepine that I had been given as a pre-med as the only time I took temazepam at home I had the same outburst of unexplained crying. I have always refused benzos/pre-meds since then. I had my reveal device implanted and my EP study without sedation.

Flop

[Lukkychrm42]

Good luck with everything!! I hope you heal well and start feeling better soon!!

Lots of love,

Megan

[Rachel]

Dear Flop,

I hope that all goes well tomorrow. I'll be thinking about you.

Take the time you need to rest and recover afterward. We'll be here waiting for you when you can return.

Best wishes,

Rachel