Surgery in July and questions

[Guest guest]

Hello Sindy,

> © About the blood transfusion concerns: The blood bank mentioned

> that I will have to give 4times of blood with less quantity (normal is two

times)

> because my weight is less than 100lbs. And it will cost me $400 per time

> ($1600 as a whole)!! In a way I don't really feel secured to have blood from

> other people directly in the blood bank in case I need blood transfusion after

> surgery. My surgeon says that there is a chance of 5% who would need blood

> transfusion. I'm wondering if anybody out there got this problem as mine.

> I mean I'm concerned about 4 consecutive weeks of blood donations right

> before I have surgery. And of course, $$ would be also a concern.

I don't know if it's possible in your area, but I checked with my surgeon and

I was given permission to ask for relatives and siblings to donate blood,

if needed. That saves the cost of having to store the blood, and I have

confidence in my sister and brothers. Of course, they still perform a series

of test, just in case. But it's reassuring to know where the blood comes from.

Also, being of the O+ blood type, my options are limited lot!

Check to see if someone in your family could donate blood, and if they know

for sure their blood type (and yours, at the same time), and ask the hospital

if they'll allow you to get blood from one of them. However, that could mean

one of them spending the day with you, or being close to the hospital. My

sister will be waiting outside the operating room, just in case.

Ray

[Guest guest]

Wow, I did not realize blood donation before the surgery is not

free! Is that the case all the time? I'm also O positive, so blood

will be hard to find if I ever need it.

>

> I don't know if it's possible in your area, but I checked with my

surgeon and

> I was given permission to ask for relatives and siblings to donate

blood,

> if needed. That saves the cost of having to store the blood, and I

have

> confidence in my sister and brothers. Of course, they still perform

a series

> of test, just in case. But it's reassuring to know where the blood

comes from.

> Also, being of the O+ blood type, my options are limited lot!

>

> Check to see if someone in your family could donate blood, and if

they know

> for sure their blood type (and yours, at the same time), and ask

the hospital

> if they'll allow you to get blood from one of them. However, that

could mean

> one of them spending the day with you, or being close to the

hospital. My

> sister will be waiting outside the operating room, just in case.

>

> Ray

[Guest guest]

Just wondering... Are those U.S. dollars? My impression was that it's

about $40 a pint for autologous donations here, but that may be

outdated info.

Some folks think that giving so much blood shortly before surgery can

trigger a need for transfusions. If my surgeon had told me to do it,

I would have done it. (I know of one person having surgery for

something totally unrelated who was instructed to do two autologous

donations. The surgeon withdrew, and second surgeon who actually did

the surgery saw no need for donations.)

That does seem like a heckuva lot of bucks, but hey -- not if you

wind up needing it!

Cammie

> Hello Sindy,

>

> > © About the blood transfusion concerns: The blood bank mentioned

> > that I will have to give 4times of blood with less quantity

(normal is two times)

> > because my weight is less than 100lbs. And it will cost me $400

per time

> > ($1600 as a whole)!! In a way I don't really feel secured to have

blood from

> > other people directly in the blood bank in case I need blood

transfusion after

> > surgery. My surgeon says that there is a chance of 5% who would

need blood

> > transfusion. I'm wondering if anybody out there got this problem

as mine.

> > I mean I'm concerned about 4 consecutive weeks of blood donations

right

> > before I have surgery. And of course, $$ would be also a concern.

>

> I don't know if it's possible in your area, but I checked with my

surgeon and

> I was given permission to ask for relatives and siblings to donate

blood,

> if needed. That saves the cost of having to store the blood, and I

have

> confidence in my sister and brothers. Of course, they still perform

a series

> of test, just in case. But it's reassuring to know where the blood

comes from.

> Also, being of the O+ blood type, my options are limited lot!

>

> Check to see if someone in your family could donate blood, and if

they know

> for sure their blood type (and yours, at the same time), and ask

the hospital

> if they'll allow you to get blood from one of them. However, that

could mean

> one of them spending the day with you, or being close to the

hospital. My

> sister will be waiting outside the operating room, just in case.

>

> Ray

[Guest guest]

<

>

If you're only buying it for these few weeks and won't use it

otherwise, brand names aren't so important. When I bought my food

processor (and I really do cook) I shopped around and found that

Bed, Bath and Beyond was the cheapest place to buy the same models

that were more expensive at all the other stores, even a factory

outlet.

More than my blender, I use an immersion blender. It's a long stick

with a blade on the end that goes down into a glass and blends one

drink at a time. I bought two bar mixers to go with it. (Tall,

stainless steel cups like you'd mix a milkshake in if you had that

kind of blender, or like you see guys in bars shaking their drinks

in, only I didn't buy lids.) Mine was $10 and worth every penny.

<<( My surgeon also says that I would need something like drainer

so as to easily get the liquid. Any suggestion on this? >>

I think you mean a strainer. It's a mesh 'cup' that fits over a

glass or bowl. Any place that sells kithen stuff would have a

variety of sizes.

<<© About the blood transfusion concerns: >>

My doc told me NOT to donate blood because it takes the healthy,

young blood cells from your body just when you need them to heal,

and then makes your body produce more young cells at the same time

that it's trying to heal from the surgery. Since the need for

transfusions is so low (he's never actually had anyone who needed

one) he says it's not worth it. But every doc is different, and you

might not have the option of disagreeing with yours. Are you in the

States? I wasn't aware that our blood supply was so chancy.

<<(d) Is there anything else I can get prepared or buy to wait for

the day to come so that I will get my life easier after surgery? >>

Things I wish I had done:

Gotten my hair cut so it didn't get all tangled up in the hospital.

At least braided it or something.

Learned to use a water pik BEFORE I had to deal with not squirting

my incision site.

Things I glad I did do:

Find a good vitamin, eat right, and get very healthy BEFORE surgery.

Make broth and freeze it in ice cube trays so that I could thin any

amount of food easily.

Borrow a lazy boy to sleep in. My aunt gave me a wedge, too - that

worked as a graduation from the chair to the bed.

Set up someone else to field phone calls, meals, and visits. I told

everyone not to call me, but call my parents for the first week.

They gave progress reports, made sure people only visited when I was

up to having visitors, cooked meals, and did my dishes and laundry.

I never had to answer the phone the first week.

< >

I've stated my suggestion before, but I'll say it again - Boost and

Ensure are no more than sugar, oil, flavorings, and vitamins. Get a

good powdered vitamin and mix it into any healthy beverage you want,

and you'll have a healthier drink that tastes better. Otherwise,

broth will thin out just about anything and keep the flavor nice.

<

>

Sleep sitting up in a recliner with pillows on both sides of you to

hold you up. I liked having a towel folded behind the small of my

back and behind my neck, and a pillow under my knees. It didn't

make sleep comfortable, but it did keep me from sliding around. At

two weeks my doc said I could sleep in bed, on my side or my stomach

if I wanted, as long as I didn't put my arm under my head. I put a

kleenex under my face to catch the drool. Depending on how much you

drool, a towel might be better.

Kris

[Guest guest]

I think those are all excellent ideas, but I do have one quibble,

Kris, and it's not a new one.

You say, " Boost and

Ensure are no more than sugar, oil, flavorings, and vitamins. "

Nope, not exactly so. They have sufficient PROTEIN, which is what you

need to keep healing. Not that I'm a dietitian, but our resident one,

Cheryl, has fought this battle before.

Around here, the radiation oncologists recommend both Boost and

Ensure to their healing patients who cannot eat, and I can think of

no circumstance in which good nutrition would be needed to support

the healing process.

If you find something else that works better for you -- by all means,

go for it. But what you need mainly are the PROTEINS. Vitamins, too,

of course. But mainly the PROTEINS.

Cheryl, if I have it wrong, I will stand corrected. But I don't think

I do.

Cammie

[Guest guest]

> Cheryl, if I have it wrong, I will stand corrected. But I don't think

> I do.

>

> Cammie

Cammie, I would agree with you on Ensure / Boost / Enrich (whatever

it's called elsewhere). My uncle had a throat cancer and was ship

home, from the hospital, with a box full of Ensure (24 or 48 I think

it was). My mother in law was routinely fed with with Ensure when

she had a problem in the digestive tube, right at the hospital.

If the hospitals are giving them, I think it's pretty safe to say they're

good the body :-)

Ray

[Guest guest]

I definitely agree about the proteins. My vitamin suppliment has

many amino acids (building blocks of proteins), and I guess I just

included that in my recommendation of a 'good vitamin suppliment'.

You can also buy straight protein powder and put that into any

liquid you'd like.

I'm not trying to start (or continue) a fight about the Boost and

Ensure. Everyone has their own opinion, and that's fine. My

opinion has been stated before and I'm not going to flog it - but

I'm not going to hide it, either, just because I'm the only one who

thinks sugar and canola oil aren't good for you and work against the

healing process. The suggestion to drink Boost and Ensure (whether

you like them or not) is very often repeated, and I hope that

putting forth my contrasting opinion once in every great while isn't

too much. We all know from experience that new people do not read

back posts. : )

<>

I'm sorry, I don't get this. Good nutrition doesn't help you heal?

Again, I'm not trying to be argumentative. Let me keep my opinion

and I'll try not to drag it onto this site very often. And next

time I'll try to remember to mention the proteins along with the

vitamins.

Kris

> I think those are all excellent ideas, but I do have one quibble,

> Kris, and it's not a new one.

>

> You say, " Boost and

> Ensure are no more than sugar, oil, flavorings, and vitamins. "

>

> Nope, not exactly so. They have sufficient PROTEIN, which is what

you

> need to keep healing. Not that I'm a dietitian, but our resident

one,

> Cheryl, has fought this battle before.

>

> Around here, the radiation oncologists recommend both Boost and

> Ensure to their healing patients who cannot eat, and I can think

of

> no circumstance in which good nutrition would be needed to support

> the healing process.

>

> If you find something else that works better for you -- by all

means,

> go for it. But what you need mainly are the PROTEINS. Vitamins,

too,

> of course. But mainly the PROTEINS.

>

> Cheryl, if I have it wrong, I will stand corrected. But I don't

think

> I do.

>

> Cammie

[Guest guest]

On that note, does anyone have a recommended flavor? I have looked in the

stores, but they are only sold in packs. I would hate to buy a pack of

Chocolate that tastes like chalk or something. I heard that the Ensure High

Protein is recommended for surgery patients. I asked my surgeon and he said

that they are good for you if you can stand the taste!

I am thinking of getting vanilla and if it is awful, mix it with fruit or

something....

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

~Cathy

Re: Surgery in July and questions

> Cheryl, if I have it wrong, I will stand corrected. But I don't think

> I do.

>

> Cammie

Cammie, I would agree with you on Ensure / Boost / Enrich (whatever

it's called elsewhere). My uncle had a throat cancer and was ship

home, from the hospital, with a box full of Ensure (24 or 48 I think

it was). My mother in law was routinely fed with with Ensure when

she had a problem in the digestive tube, right at the hospital.

If the hospitals are giving them, I think it's pretty safe to say they're

good the body :-)

Ray

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

> On that note, does anyone have a recommended flavor? I have looked in the

stores, but

they are only sold in packs. I would hate to buy a pack of Chocolate that

tastes like chalk

or something. I heard that the Ensure High Protein is recommended for surgery

patients.

I asked my surgeon and he said that they are good for you if you can stand the

taste!

>

> I am thinking of getting vanilla and if it is awful, mix it with fruit or

something....

>

> Any suggestions?

>

> Thanks!

> ~Cathy

Cathy,

I've personnaly tasted Vanilla, and survived Chocolate... ;-)

I much prefer Vanilla over others. Small fruits wasn't bad neither (like once

in a while).

Strawberry was fine also (like 3 days out of 7), if you have developped a taste

for

Strawberry Quick (I must be the only grown up I know who still can enjoy a glass

of

Strawberry Quick, I know .. !!)

However, Chocolate was too much sweet for me (once a week was much enough!)

Butterscotch was awefull.

Around here they're sold in variety pack (one of each). Perhaps you could find

such a

package at your grocery store or drugstore?

Again, that's me. YMMV

Ray