28 replies to this topic

[TeddyB]

Hello.

 

I am having a simple surgery done in a few weeks (Anal fistula), and i wondered if there was anything i need to worry about in regards to surgery and Glivec.

 

The surgeon just told me to empty myself (enema) and take 4x500mg paracetamol a few hours before the operation.

 

So there are a few things that i am already worried about:

 

• Taking 4x500mg paracetamol
• Bleeding
• Healing time

 

I am planning on not taking any Glivec on the day of the surgery, i usually take 400mg pr day,

The surgery is fairly simple, inserting something called a Seton i think, the surgery would only last 5 minutes, and i would only be asleep 10-15 minutes.

 

Any thoughts?

Oh and feel free to make polite ass jokes

[Pin]

Ummmm, I thought we weren't meant to take paracetamol with Glivec? I'm assuming your surgeon knows you are taking it?

[Trey]

Taking the paracetamol is OK if just for a short time.  The 1000mg is max dosage.  Butt it can increase the likelihood of bleeding, which is the only concern I see.

 

Butt, if they are using a Seton, it is like a rubber band which will slowly cut through the fistula over a few weeks.  So this is not so much an issue for bleeding.  Butt, if they are actually cutting, bleeding could be worsened, butt probably not worth too much worry.  Butt you should ask the docs.

 

I would not eat Lutefiske prior to the procedure.  That could cause a Lutefiskula. 

 

Butt I am not a doctor. 

[Busa]

Well since you assed, I had this done a couple of years ago and had no problems. It healed much faster than expected, and yes I was the butt of many jokes also. 

[TeddyB]

Thank you all for replying, i really appreciate it

 

Ummmm, I thought we weren't meant to take paracetamol with Glivec? I'm assuming your surgeon knows you are taking it?

 

I have called my onc to ask her, she has not gotten back to me yet.

 

Taking the paracetamol is OK if just for a short time.  The 1000mg is max dosage.  Butt it can increase the likelihood of bleeding, which is the only concern I see.

 

Butt, if they are using a Seton, it is like a rubber band which will slowly cut through the fistula over a few weeks.  So this is not so much an issue for bleeding.  Butt, if they are actually cutting, bleeding could be worsened, butt probably not worth too much worry.  Butt you should ask the docs.

 

I would not eat Lutefiske prior to the procedure.  That could cause a Lutefiskula. 

 

Butt I am not a doctor. 

 

The surgeon told me to take 2000mg, but i am waiting for a reply from my onc. Surgeon said he would not be cutting much the first surgery, just enough to insert the Seton, (yes,rubber band, thats what he called it) He said the surgery would take him around 5 minutes, so hopefully its not something that will involve much bleeding, but it would be painful enough that i would need to be asleep during the procedure. If this doesnt work, then i might have to go back for several more surgeries to try to remove the fistula. He said if it was done in one go, the "ass closing muscle" might stop working, and that would be a "mess". No worries about the Lutefisk

 

Hi,

For my prostate surgery late last year, I was taken off sprycel for 3 days prior to surgery. Perhaps this is something you can talk to the surgeon about.

 

I am planning to skip my Gleevec on the day of the surgery, but i will ask my onc about it when she returns my call

 

Well since you assed, I had this done a couple of years ago and had no problems. It healed much faster than expected, and yes I was the butt of many jokes also. 

 

Were you on TKI the whole time? Gleevec?

[Busa]

 

 

Were you on TKI the whole time? Gleevec?

 

 

Yes, and had no issues at all (400mg daily), other than a lot of embarrassment.

[gerry]

Ummmm, I thought we weren't meant to take paracetamol with Glivec? I'm assuming your surgeon knows you are taking it?

Pin, I took Panadol while on Glivec. The issue is they are both hard on the liver. My doc said it was okay to take when I needed it as my liver enzyme results were good. :-)

[Trey]

Why did the man saw his chair in two?

 

Because his half-assed brother in law was coming for a visit.

 

My grandmother told me this joke when I was 4 years old.  Never gets old.

[TeddyB]

 

 

 

Were you on TKI the whole time? Gleevec?

 

 

Yes, and had no issues at all (400mg daily), other than a lot of embarrassment.

 

 

Thank you for sharing Busa.

 

 

 

And thanks to the comedians for making me laugh

[Busa]

Thank you for sharing Busa.

 

 

 

And thanks to the comedians for making me laugh

I have NO humility left... 

[shweflen]

I had planned to have hip replacement surgery last fall.  The pre-op blood test is what led to my diagnosis with CML.  It has now been about 4 months since diagnosis.  I am taking 300 mg imatinib per day and my cbc results have seemed to stabilize with white blood cells, neutrophils, platelets, etc. all in the normal range at this point.  My first (only) PCR after diagnosis showed a 1 log reduction in BCR-ABL.  I have talked a few times with my oncologist and with the orthopedic surgeon about under what circumstances I could go ahead with the hip replacement but haven't gotten any specific answers.  Do any of you have any experience or thoughts on this?  I know one of the major concerns with this kind of surgery is infection so I am wondering about the effect of low-normal white blood cell counts.

[TeddyB]

I had planned to have hip replacement surgery last fall.  The pre-op blood test is what led to my diagnosis with CML.  It has now been about 4 months since diagnosis.  I am taking 300 mg imatinib per day and my cbc results have seemed to stabilize with white blood cells, neutrophils, platelets, etc. all in the normal range at this point.  My first (only) PCR after diagnosis showed a 1 log reduction in BCR-ABL.  I have talked a few times with my oncologist and with the orthopedic surgeon about under what circumstances I could go ahead with the hip replacement but haven't gotten any specific answers.  Do any of you have any experience or thoughts on this?  I know one of the major concerns with this kind of surgery is infection so I am wondering about the effect of low-normal white blood cell counts.

 

No experiance with hip replacement surgery, but i had my surgery yesterday, and it went fine.

Was under for an hour, no problems, it felt kinda nice to fall asleep actually, nothing to be worried about

 

The day after the surgery, they want me to take 2x500mg paracetamol 4 times today, and 500mg naproxen 2 times today.

Im not worried about the naproxen, but thats 4000mg paracetamol throughout the day, i wonder how this will go with my Gleevec.

I am considering half dose Gleevec today because of this.

[tiredblood]

I had planned to have hip replacement surgery last fall. The pre-op blood test is what led to my diagnosis with CML. It has now been about 4 months since diagnosis. I am taking 300 mg imatinib per day and my cbc results have seemed to stabilize with white blood cells, neutrophils, platelets, etc. all in the normal range at this point. My first (only) PCR after diagnosis showed a 1 log reduction in BCR-ABL. I have talked a few times with my oncologist and with the orthopedic surgeon about under what circumstances I could go ahead with the hip replacement but haven't gotten any specific answers. Do any of you have any experience or thoughts on this? I know one of the major concerns with this kind of surgery is infection so I am wondering about the effect of low-normal white blood cell counts.

I had an abdominal surgery while having yet to be diagnosed CML and did fine. I wish you well with both the CML and future surgery. Sounds like you're responding to the imatinib.

[gerry]

Hi teddyb unless you have liver issues, taking the gleevec and paracetamol on the day are okay, you aren't looking at long term use. :-)

[TeddyB]

Hi teddyb unless you have liver issues, taking the gleevec and paracetamol on the day are okay, you aren't looking at long term use. :-)

 

No liver issues.

Seems to be going well, last day with paracetamol today

[kat73]

TeddyB - Good luck on complete recovery from that pesky fistula!  So far so good for me with the fissure - doing fine off the med - and I'd never know I had ever had the abscess.  So, keep a-goin'!

[TeddyB]

TeddyB - Good luck on complete recovery from that pesky fistula!  So far so good for me with the fissure - doing fine off the med - and I'd never know I had ever had the abscess.  So, keep a-goin'!

 

Thank you. 3 weeks after surgery now, and it seems to be going well. Next surgery in one week, same procedure, not sure if they remove the seton or not.

Glad to hear you are doing well

[kat73]

TeddyB, you deserve some sort of medal for patience, forbearance, and bravery.

[TeddyB]

TeddyB, you deserve some sort of medal for patience, forbearance, and bravery.

 

Thank you kat73

 

Been dealing a little with nausea lately before and after the fistula surgery, more than the Gleevec usual, it first happened after the surgeon poked inside of the fistula with a sharp bendable object, probably to see how deep it was, it usually comes after i eat a bit of spicy food or having a glass or 2 of red wine (oh no, do not take my wine away from me you pesky fistula).

Hopefully it will get better soon as the fistula heals and hopefully goes away, oh and judging by the smell of what comes out of the fistula i am not surprised i am feeling a bit more nausea than usual, thinking that stuff is inside me and pecking at my intestines.

I found this page, which says nausea is or can be a symptom of a fistula: http://www.wikihow.com/Heal-a-Fistula

so i am hoping its just that, and not something else. Splitting my dosage and taking 200mg G at breakfast and 200mg at lunch while this lasts

 

The stomach flue has been insanely hard this year, and i know people who are getting it time and time again, a person i know had to go the hospital after 3 weeks of on and off throwing up and having diarrhea. Luckily i have not thrown up in over almost 2,5 years and i intend to keep it that way for a long time.

 

Sorry for all the graphic descriptions, but it was good to vent..........

[kat73]

Whoa, you said vent

 

These are HARD times you are living through.  As if Gleevec weren't enough.  It's like those plagues of Job's - frogs AND locusts.  I mean, why BOTH?