HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - A little outside of the BC world, but not far

StillHere · 09-20-2007, 06:37 PM

Kriss
The good thing is you will already be asleep when the Anesthesiologist gives you the spinal. They must have some new drugs that now work for 24 hrs. When I was an OB tech, spinals were used for emergency c-sections. If there was not an emergent need, the patient was given an epidural. Spinals are a one shot dose. Epidurals leave a soft plastic catheter in the epidural space OUTSIDE the spinal cord that can be redosed as needed. Spinals also carry the chance of having a spinal headache due to spinal fluid leaking out. The remedy for that is called a blood patch. I had an epidural for my bilateral free flap. (They take skin, fat and a vessel from your abdomen - and do a tummy tuck at the same time - that was the best part of the whole thing). My stomach was still very sore, but I'm glad I had the epidural. Talk to your anesthesiologist before you have surgery to make sure a spinal is the best option for you. Hope this helps.

09-20-2007, 06:37 PM	#3
StillHere Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Greendale, WI just outside Milwaukee Posts: 211	Kriss The good thing is you will already be asleep when the Anesthesiologist gives you the spinal. They must have some new drugs that now work for 24 hrs. When I was an OB tech, spinals were used for emergency c-sections. If there was not an emergent need, the patient was given an epidural. Spinals are a one shot dose. Epidurals leave a soft plastic catheter in the epidural space OUTSIDE the spinal cord that can be redosed as needed. Spinals also carry the chance of having a spinal headache due to spinal fluid leaking out. The remedy for that is called a blood patch. I had an epidural for my bilateral free flap. (They take skin, fat and a vessel from your abdomen - and do a tummy tuck at the same time - that was the best part of the whole thing). My stomach was still very sore, but I'm glad I had the epidural. Talk to your anesthesiologist before you have surgery to make sure a spinal is the best option for you. Hope this helps. __________________ 04/05 Onset 49, DCIS, solid, Hist 2/3, Nucl 2/3, 7cm R Brst 04/05 E & P + HER2+++ 05/05 Mediport 05/05 Cytoxan & Adriamycin every 3wk x4 08/05 Taxol every 2wk x 4, Herceptin every wk x1yr 10/05 Bilat Mast - my Choice 10/05 3/19 lymph nodes Pos, Stage IIIa 11/05 Rad x 37 Rx, R Brst & Axcilla 02/06 Herceptin stopped (L vent HF 40) 03/06 Started & Stoped Arimidex after 2 mos.-QOL side effects 05/06 Started Tamoxafin 06/06 Bilat Free Flap Reconstruction 12/06 Cardiomyopathy reversed-HF normal 01/07 Bilat Saline Implants 07/07 CA 27-29 steadily rising from 28 in 12/06 to 46 in 7/07 07/07 PET Scan NED, but inflamation at prev surg site. 09/07 Started Femara 10/07 CA 27-29 down to 39 06/08 CA 27-29 down to 32 09/08 Lg joint pain & QOL side effects from Femara, will live w/ to keep CA markers within normal range.