What about diabetes and... surgery?

mg_2204 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 04:41 AM

Hello!

Found out I have a big fibroid and it will need to be removed. Don't know yet if I'll lose my uterus too. I'm worried diabetes will get in the way of healing well and quickly. When I have a little cut it takes ages to heal and often will get infected.

Anyone had surgery here? How did it go?

The most important I think is... how shall I prepare for this surgery? My guess is to keep the best control of BG, keep my numbers low... Anything else? I've increased my level of physical activity too. Must be fit!

Thank you for your suggestions and advice!

Cinnabon · #2 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 05:58 AM

First of all I want to wish the best of luck in your surgery. I have had 2 surgeries. In both, I had to have good blood sugar control, before and after, but they both healed rather quickly and no infection. The times when I have gotten infections in cuts, my BSs were really messed up. You might want to keep a little tighter control know that you are prepping for this and after. Keep us posted

rzrbks · #3 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Cinnabon

First of all I want to wish the best of luck in your surgery. I have had 2 surgeries. In both, I had to have good blood sugar control, before and after, but they both healed rather quickly and no infection. The times when I have gotten infections in cuts, my BSs were really messed up.

Good control is indeed the key to healing quickly----If it were me, I'd squeeze the tightest control I could get before the surgery--then hold it as tight as allowable after getting out of hospital

HeatherP · #4 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 11:13 AM

Wow, Marie, I'm so sorry to hear about this. I hope the procedure and recovery goes smoothly and that you don't have to lose your uterus.

I had an appendectomy a couple of years ago. I healed up just fine but my b/s were all screwed up for about a week. Be careful in the hospital - my experience was not good. They'd ck my b/s 2x/day, and inject 4 u/R if it was over 200 (which it always was). They gave me antibiotics in a dextrose drip, skipped feeding me 2 x and when I did get food it was french toast, regular jello, fruit cocktail, all that sort of stuff that normally I wouldn't touch. I went in on Friday night and was discharged around noon on Sunday, mostly because I was worried they'd send me into a diabetic coma. (Excellent motivation to get out of bed and move around a bit, lol)

My advice: bring your own meter with you and do your own testing. It'd probably be good to have a friend or family member with you at all times to help watch over you (my husband was by my side the whole time).

I wish you the best of luck on this, and you'll be in my thoughts!
HeatherP

Cinnabon · #5 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatherP

I was worried they'd send me into a diabetic coma. (Excellent motivation to get out of bed and move around a bit, lol)

I agree! with my C-section I had to practically discharge myself because My endo at the time would not call back and the nurses had NO idea how much insulin to put me on after the baby

I wanted to get home and enjoy my bebe!!!

mg_2204 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 04:33 PM

... Bring my meter. I have to admit, I didn't even think about that one. Thank you Heather!

I should be ashamed really; 4 out of 5 times I'll leave the meter home. It hasn't happened a lot but on a few occasions I wished I had my meter with me. That's playing with fire.

Thank you guys, all of you! I have started the tightest control ever.

Belinda · #7 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 04:59 PM

First Marie I would like to wish you the best of luck in your surgery.

Now, for the advise...I have had 14 various surgeries in the past ummmm 10 years.

1. When your diabetic you usually go first...say 6am...that is a plus

2. When preping you for surgery they will check your BS...as with stress mine usually sores to the 500's even though woke up with it being in the normal range of 115. Don't let them give you insulin to bring it down...because during surgery it will drop on its own and if they gave you insulin then a hypo is sure to occur. I also requested that they check mine frequently during surgery (every 15 mins) and I need to see the results post op so I could adjust my pump (this was a tale but I didn't want to go hypo and they not know)My endo was very agressive too by calling in every 30 mins.

3. Post surgery my BS was checked every hour for the first 24 hours. Ok....didn't care too much for the finger sticks but it kept me on track...

4. Make sure after surgery they change your IV drip bag to the one with out dextrose. They use them during surgery but no need after your done.

5. Like the others said have tight control or the best you can possibly have.

6. As for infections, was your hands constantly (especially in the hospital) and don't touch your wound/bandaging with out doing so.

7. The food is a hard thing to battle, but if you call the food service director and tell them what you would like(within reason of the hospital foods) then it usually happens (or it does here at the University hospital). It also helps to have a few dollars for the cafeteria in case you get hungry and a volunteer could go get something for you.

8. Ask lots of questions when it comes to them monitoring your vitals.. This gives you an idea of how your doing

GOOD LUCK

camjen1 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 08:57 PM

Hi Marie,

I had posted before about my c-section scar still not healed. Well I had my CT scan done but it showed just a little abcess under the skin. I was put on an antibiotic, a antibiotic cream and an antifungal cream. All of those worked until it was stopped. I had a little procedure done last Friday and we will have to see if it finally goes away. One DR says they will open me, another says they will do laproscopy.

My DR has also tried to compare me to another patient of his who is diabetic and had heart surgery. He says his incision still is not healed and he has been battling it for 5 years now (isn't something wrong with the picture) with no improvement. You would think because he was diabetic that he wound make sure it improves faster.

I also want to mention that while I was having my c-section (of course I was awake) I felt like I was going very low and fast. I was laying there with my arms velcroed and I was completely helpless. I was yelling to check my sugar and they kept replying you are fine. I felt at any minute I was going to be out but they wound up realizing it was my blood pressure dropping and not my sugar.

mg_2204 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 01:19 AM

Thank you Belinda for the precious infos! I had no idea there were IVs without dextrose....!!

The thing is, my husband thinks I'm worrying too much and for nothing. He wants me to trust I'll be in good hands. I'll tell you guys what I'm scared of : MRSA. The super bug. I want my husband to be there at all times and make sure they wash their hands before they touch me. My husband sighs and looks at the ceiling when I say this. I feel I am not being unreasonable here...

I've seen a nurse take out my daugther's IV needle without gloves, wipe the blood she had on her thumb with her other fingers... and happily go to the next bed to do the same procedure to a young boy who had surgery too!!!!! Well how's that for cross infection??!?

I just hope I can have it all done by a hysteroscopic myomectomy and I'll spend only one day in hospital. The less time I spend in hospital, the better off I'll be I think. Less cutting means speedy recovery too! And I'm going private too. I was told I could wait as long as 9 to 12 months on the NHS. Ack! I don't want to end up with something the size of a pumpkin....!!!!

About C-Section... I had one for my last child, almost 13 years ago. It was my third diabetic pregnancy, I was on insulin. It healed ok. To tell you the truth, it never occured to me back then to worry about healing. My son cried 23/24 and I was simply exhausted. All I could think of was... my bed!!

During the C-Section, I felt horrible too Sandi. I don't know if it was due to my sugars or not. No one checked. Ever. I can only remember hearing the fast beep beep beep of my heart racing on the heart monitor. A nurse told me to relax.

I have started this little check list for myself... and thank to you guys, and your precious advice and comments, it is coming along just fine. Thank you!!!

camjen1 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 02:07 AM

Marie,

I wanted to add that MRSA is already on your body and comes from your nose (nares) so after surgery you must also play a role in keeping your hands washed as well.

mg_2204 · #11 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 04:59 AM

Ack!! Really?

Thanks for the info again

Eri's mom · #12 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 06:11 AM

Hi Marie...
I want to wish you best of luck w/ everything!!!

I also have fibroids, and have an impending surgery coming up. I can't imagine what it would be like for me to have to deal w/ monitoring my sugar as well during that time.

Good luck w/ all...and everyone has given you such wonderful advice!!!

Take care!!!

mg_2204 · #13 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 07:23 AM

... and good luck to you too!! By the way, what will they do to you? I've read about the 'Roller Blade' technique and so on... I'm totally lost!

twocute64001 · #14 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 07:42 AM

Due to an abscessed gall bladder, I went through three major surgeries in 20 days - the first two 12 hours apart. This was all 1 year ago this past April. I have had no infections and no complications.

The first surgery was do see if they could discover the cause of severe pain and internal bleeding that was driving me nuts. It turned out that my gall bladder had abscessed and become a hugh leaking boil, but could not be removed through laproscopic surgery so 12 hours later I have been transferred to a bigger hospital and my gall bladder is removed. Hospitalized 6 days.

During the surgeries the anesthesiologist had difficulty placing the tube down my throat so he asked my surgeon to have thyroid tests run. Turned out I was extremely hyper thyroid and 20 days later I had a complete thyroidectomy where they literally cut your throat at the base of your neck a good 5 inched across. Hospitalized 11 days.

I had had no real obvious scaring, nor any infections. I did take my own monitor and monitored my own BG levels and controlled my own insulin intake. (Cozmo pump) The nurses would ask me what my last reading was, but never bothered me about checking or how much insulin I used. When I changed the site I did have 4 nurses want to watch and learn how the pump worked. (I was surprised how little the medical staff knew about diabetics or pumps) The nurses were very interested in learning about the pump and it kept my mind off me to be able to show them how it worked. It also kept me on track and in better control.

Things to take with you:
1. Your own monitor and lancets and alcohol wipes.
2. Your own hand sanitizer (take a small sample size)
3. favorite lotion or cream (for hands and face as well as legs
4. warm slippers and socks

If you use a pump:
Spare pump supplies –
Extra tape or IV3000

Good luck with your surgery, as long as you are prepared you will have no problems, but as stated by others, the less time you spend in the hospital, the better.

Amanda_Jo22 · #15 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 11:20 AM

Good luck Marie with your surgery. The only surgery I've had since I was dx'd was cataract surgery. It went pretty smoothly; I wore my pump the whole time and my blood sugars stayed under 150 the entire time. Like others have said, just be proactive about your control, and try to keep numbers in a normal range and you should be fine.