Will a little cold keep me from having surgery?
I am scheduled to have a bliateral mx and a DIEP on the 23rd. A mere 12 days from now. And I might have a cold.
Thursday morning my cat climbed on top of my high kitchen cabinets. I wish I'd have let him find his own way down because it stirred up a lot of dust when I got him down.
It caused an immediate tickle in my throat, which by the next day had turned into a scratchy throat. (This was also the day I gave blood for upcoming surgery)
By the next day (Saturday) my throat was actually sore.
I have a cough due to drainage. I have a slightly runny nose, which is running clear.
I have one eye that is puffy and swollen and sore and I have NOT rubbed it to make it that way.
NO fever. I don't think I have any conjestion. My head is not stopped up.
My chest is sore from coughing so much.
I don't feel real good, but I don't feel like I'm sick...exactly.
My daughter has all of this too.
I want this so bad to be allergies.
I found this stupid lump and was diagnosed with DCIS in October. I put off surgery once already due to changing hospitals/doctors. I've already done all my pre-op and everything. I am one appointment was from this surgery!!! I don't want it put off, I want it over with!!!
I was told to call them if I got sick. But ...don't you think I'll get over this in time?
Has anyone ever had surgery with just a little cold????? (Remember, there is NO fever!!)
RhondaM.
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Rhonda,
The good news is you have two weeks until surgery. I would take it easy for the next few days, lots of fluids and see how things progress. If not better by the end of the week, call your regular doctor and get in there immediately to see if you need antibiotics. I did have one surgery canceled due to a draining eye which didn't end up being infectious pink eye but came from a cold. They don't want to risk any chance of infection getting into your incision. Best of luck. I know what a bummer it is to have a surgery canceled.Sandy
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Rhonda - Colds do not usually last two weeks - so you should be okay. Pamper yourself. Drink lots of hot tea and chicken soup and take vitamin C. If you don't feel better soon, see your primary. Perhaps they can give you something to speed the cold through your body. You should be better w/in two weeks. Best wishes. - Jean
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Something that shortens my colds and keeps me from getting more is using a neti pot.It's about twelve dollars at the health food store and I use it according to the directions that come with it. Morning and night.
I use a dash of table salt each time with the whole pot full of lukewarm water. Don't snuff it up.Just pour it between nostrils.
Kind of gross. But so effective.
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If you got this from stirring up some dust, it sounds more like an allergy/sinus problem and not a cold.
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I think you need to tell your surgeons how you feel, sooner better than later. You still have time to get better - but you still need to inform them because you may need antibiotics. And if you aren't better the day before surgery, the decision to postpone surgery should involve your doctors.
Unfortunately for me - an over-eager anethesiologist gave the green light for my surgery even though three days prior I had a burning sensation in my lungs. My husband and son both had terrible bronchitis and I just KNEW I was getting sick. I called my plastic surgeon immediately and he told me to take Levaquin - one pill a day for the next 3 days, which I did. I felt better the next day - no coughing, no burning, nothing, but I still took the Levaquin. The day of my surgery arrived and the nurse was shocked that I had a fever of 100.5 - she told me they would probably postpone the surgery until I was better. I wish I had listened to HER instead of the anesthesiologist. He listened to my lungs (which were clear at that time) and said I was "good to go". My mastectomy and recon lasted 7 hours. I was in the hospital for 5 days - started getting a bit of a cough the last 3 days. They sent me home with a fever of 99 - only to readmit me 2 days later. I ended up with a terrible cough - which caused me excrutiating pain in my abdominal incision. It took them close to a week to diagnose the MRSA staph that had invaded my abdomen. I ended up staying in the hospital another 2 weeks - had to stay on IV antibiotics all day and night - needed two blood transfusions and ended up with an opened wound which needed packing twice-a-day for 4 months - and now I have a very large abdominal hernia which needs repair with a MRSA-resistant mesh. I'm looking forward to more open abdominal surgery, including pain and drains, this coming summer, oh what fun.
I wish NOW that someone had warned me about the increase risk for catching MRSA when your immune system is lowered by a cold. Do your research - talk to your surgeons - talk to someone at the hospital - find out their statistics for MRSA - and ARM yourself prior to surgery as best you can, especially by being sure your immune system is in tip-top shape. Do not rush your surgery - the MRSA almost killed me..........if you must postpone your surgery, do so, until you feel better. Good luck and sorry to be the bearer of such dire information.
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I was aware that if I even had the slightest sign of a cold, my surgery would be cancelled. The risk of complication - if there are any upper respiratory symptoms - is something you want to avoid. You have plenty of time to see a resolution of your symptoms, if it is indeed a cold. So follow the great advice posted here and get plenty of water, rest and sleep and get well very soon!!!
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OK..new question.
In November I had this same crud. Plus I had hives. So I went to the doctor and he prescibed me several medications, one of which was an antibiotic.
He gave me this antibiotic without doing anything except talking to me about my symptoms. (In other words he had no idea if it was bacterial or a virus, which is why I did not fill it)
I did not get this prescription for Amoxil filled. I still have it, it is still good, I can still get it filled. And I am feeling rather desperate.
Would you fill it and use it on the off chance that this is bacterial instead of a virus.
Or could doing that just make things worse in the long run?
Thanks.
RhondaM.
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Rhonda why don't you call your doctor? You shouldn't take an antibiotic without his approval. If you trust your surgeons do perform a lengthy complicated surgery like a bi-lat mastectomy with Diep, you need to trust their judgment with your illness now. If you truly are feeling desperate - then make the call to your doctor right now. Wake him up if you must.
Edited to add - one of the risk factors for getting a hospital based MRSA staph infection is taking antibiotics unnecessarily.
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swimangel,
Someone on another board told me the very same thing...that taking antibiotics could just open the door for MSRA. That was all I needed to hear! I nixed the idea of getting that script filled then and there.
I'm a little better today after spending almost 2 full days in bed. :sigh: I'm spending so much time being worried about IF I'm going to be able to have this surgery or not, that it isn't leaving me ANY time to worry about the surgery itself. Which is what I really should be doing. ;-) GOT to get my priorities in order.
Thanks,
RhondaM.
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I'm glad you're feeling a little better Rhonda.........and try not to worry about your surgery, instead try hard to get really healthy now. Drink tons of water - take your vitamins - eat a lot of fruits and veggies - and if you still feel even slightly sick CALL your doctor! The sooner he knows you're not yourself, the faster he can try to help you - and if necessary - the faster he can reschedule your surgery (which I hope doesn't happen.) Also be sure to check out the threads that talk about how to get ready to come home after surgery - get a recliner or a hospital bed; a railing or raised seat for the toilet (wish I had known about those!) - and people to help you around the house. I hope you'll continue to feel better and that your surgery goes according to schedule without any complications!
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