Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I think I'm allergic to surgery.

The scene:
Me, on the operating table, getting prepped, oxygen mask over my nose & mouth delivering oxygen (soon to switch to gas), surgical light fixtures overhead. Me, silently saying my prayers, shivering in that freezing room. The anesthesiologist gives me the warm air blower to put under my blankets to warm me up. (That was so nice!)

I start to feel a strange sensation in my scalp and ears. It feels like little creatures running all over my scalp. Then it starts to burn. I tell the anesthesiologist, and he says "not yet, I haven't given you the medicine yet.". Ummm, huh? Yes, I do feel something strange, and it isn't OK. They (many men in the room... only one female because I requested that there be a female in the room) start paying attention to what I am saying, and ask me questions about it. The feeling of burning gets stronger and stronger, and I feel that the warm air blower under my blanket must be burning me. I take it out. My body is burning up.

The female nurse norices that my neck is quickly turning red, as are my ears, and the reddness is traveling down my chest. Shoulders, everything is turning red, and I feel like I am on *fire*.

STOP the IV which is delivering antibiotics. Stop everything. Turn machines off. "Call Udi [my surgeon] and let him know we have a situation" says one of the male nurses.

Minutes pass, I am still on fire, and in walks my surgeon. He has been briefed on what is happening.

He tells me that under these circumstances. he isn't comfortable continuing to do the surgery. They can't guess about which antibiotic they can use. He wants to know exactly what I am and am not allergic to before he does the surgery.

1. go see an allergist
2. go to an ID doctor (infectious diesease)
3. come back and we'll proceed from there.

More minutes pass. I don't really hear what my surgeon is saying to me. I am in a sort of shock.

The anesthesiologist tells me to put another antibiotic on my allergy list: Vancomycin. I have had it many times before. This time my body fought it.

Unhooked from the IV, surgical lights turned off, I am being wheeled out of the O.R. They rolled my bed to halfway through the threshhold of the door, and there I sat waiting for an orderly to continue to take me out of the surgery room. I am lying there in my bed, halfway over the threshhold, minutes pass, my body is still hot, but not burning. I am not out of the room, and not in. There is talking in the surgery room- about me, talking in the hallway. I hear it all, and don't hear anything.

Three hours later, allergic reaction passed, and I am on my way home, using the round-trip ticket that I bought while going to the hospital the day before. I thought I made a mistake in buying two round-trips... I only needed a one-way, Robert was going to take me home by car after the surgery.

Good thing I had that round-trip.

Since then, I have been in bed, exhausted in every way possible.

I am supposed to go to Tel Aviv tomorrow, to Ichilov, for something completely different. I made the appointment for tomorrow, meaning to cancel it because of the surgery, but I didn't get around to canceling it. Will I get there tomorrow is another question. It is a whole other story which I haven't written about, and won't now. If I get there tomorrow, I'll write about it. If not, I gave up.

20 comments :

  1. Argh. Oh Sarah. We have to believe this is for the best for some reason. Prayers continue for you. Hugs.
    Jackie

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  2. Yuck, so sorry Sarah! B"H things should go better next time, Hugs.

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  3. Dearest Sara, so sorry you needed to go through that.Udi is right and is very cautious, which he should be.
    Sometimes things happen to us that are upsetting but it maybe for the best.
    Keep your chin up,
    Debbie Nash

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  4. Quite possibly not an allergic reaction. Look up "red man syndrome." I'm surprised they didn't think of that. Not uncommon with vancomycin

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    1. Thank you. We do know about Red man syndrome connected with Vancomycin. Last time I needed Vanco, Red Man syndrome started on me, but when they slowed down the drip it went away.
      This time, they put it on a very slow drip, and quite diluted. Also, the reaction I had was much more severe, quickly. Just when they turned off the IV from me, my chest was getting that tight feeling I get when a real bad allergy is coming. So yes, it was a form of Red Man, and since it came with a slow drip, well diluted, and I started to get chest tightening, it looks like for me it'll be a full-on allergy. That's not so great because it is a good antibiotic to have on your side.
      I'm interested to see if the alergist finds it bad for me.

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  5. sending you hugs and warmth. It must be soooooooo frustrating not to have had the surgery, because you were preparing yourself for a while for it, but the surgeon did the right thing. only brachos and a shabbat filled with family and love.

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    1. Thank you, Rochel, you are awesome. I really appreciate all your support over the years!! Maybe we'll meet some day.

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  6. Argh. Oh Sarah. We have to believe this is for the best for some reason. Prayers continue for you. Hugs. Jackie

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  7. Dear Sarah, I am glad you survived the allergic reaction. It was not the right day to cut you open, you are being watched over. Love, Paul

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  8. I can only read your about comment and not the blog at the moment. Dear Sarah, BE"H the operation will come at the right time with the best results. Refuah Shleimah. Wishing you continued patience and strength.

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  9. b''h they stopped, listened and checked, but so sorry you had to go through this!

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  10. Big oy and a big strong hug xxxooo

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  11. what about your son's graduation ceremonies? Did one of you make that?

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    1. Yes, Tzippi , Robert went while I completely crashed at home. I was in no shape to go, even though I didn't have the surgery.

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  12. You had an exhausting experience.

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    1. Yes. It has been an exhausting week, for sure. That includes the trip back to Ichilov again today to get the letter I needed. I can't wait to rest on Shabbat.

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  13. I'm sorry about the rough time you had. I'm curious as to what kind of surgery you were supposed to have. Because I have been suffering from hip pain for a long time...

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  14. Adding insult to injury :-(. Sorry you are having such I rough time.

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