Impending surgery

[AgeingHIppy]

Hi everyone I have to go for a prostate biopsy on Wednesday and frankly I am very scared. Like many I have a deep seathed fear of all things medical, and I have avoided the internet so know and don't want to know too much about the procedure.

I have been instructed to stop taking Pradaxa 2 days prior to surgery. I read a post here last week concerning the low risk for a couple of days but am now wondered if wearing flight socks would be of any benefit to me or a hindrance?

I had pre op least week and I was handed a leaflet on blood clotting and told I would be wearing these socks on the day.

I am continuing to take all other drugs including

Thanks in advance

[CDreamer]

Why 2 days when Pradaxa has a half life of 12 hours? They may just be playing safe but has your consultant cardiologist/EP been consulted and what did they say?

Flight socks are to help prevent DVTs - deep vein thrombosis - which happen in the legs when you have been sedentary for too long as in long flights. You mention this in the same sentence as stopping Pradaxa. I don't understand the connection in your mind and therefor your question? Why would you want to wear flight socks and when? The hospital socks do the same job and you have been told you will be wearing hospital socks on the day - usual procedure with any op - but there is no connection between with Pradaxa being stopped and flight socks. The chance of stroke as for those in AF the risk of throwing a clot is increased because of the AF and the risk is that blood pools in the appendage of the atria and is sometimes thrown into the heart or travels to the brain. The chance of that happening with a DVT is very different as I believe it tends to cause other problems.

The time you will not be taking Pradaxa, I assume, will be very short, so the risk of something happening should be minimal and you will monitored for the time you are in hospital so if anything goes amiss you couldn't be in a better place.

Everyone is nervous going into hospital and having any op, partly because we have to surrender our autonomy and rely upon others which means we have no control.

Whenever we are coping with more than one condition at a time the stress increases, I know from personal experience, because everything is connected to everything else. I assume that the surgery is essential so I do wish you well. My husband had a prostrate biopsy and from memory it was a very quick, 30-40 mins max, certainly out the same day, he had no concerns about the procedure, more about the results which confirmed cancer. 4 years on and he is now completely clear and now on annual screening and no drugs and still fit at 82.

Hope all goes well and let us know how you get on. Very best wishes CD

[AgeingHIppy in reply to CDreamer]

Hi many thanks for your fast and helpful informative reply, this site is just so good.

Re Pradaxa stop for 2 days, this was what was advised by the hospital doing the op, I checked with the other hospital that did my recent CV (which seems not to have worked ) and they supported the two day stop.

Re socks, guess is just my mind working overtime, of course I remember now it is the pooling in the heart which is the issue, I am panacking with my fears, I know I am a real wimp and certainly not the stiff upper lip strong silent type. So thanks for you patience with me.

Thank you also for your assurance re your husbands good news experience, it was very good to hear and I am so glad good news for you both. As I said I am not doing any internet research as I know that will frighten me even more.

[BobD Volunteer]

Firstly as an old hand a prostate biopsies and will not go into too much detail other than it is not very elegant but over quite quickly and you will be out and home in an hour or so. Unless you are having GA and a transperenial biopsy I don't understand the flight socks as you are hardly laying down long enough.

Don't worry about the procedure worry about the result. It took four years and four biopsies to find my cancer but was successfully treated and now clear with six monthly PSA tests all of which are undetectable now at five years.

[AgeingHIppy in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob, yes is a GA and they call it a template biopsy. Interestingly my son came as support last time I saw the consultant, he knows of my fears and asked if a local was possible as I have concerns at being put to sleep.

The consultant then described the positions I would be in , so had way way too much information and then he said GA was appropriate I think he forgot about my fears.

Very good news that you are clear, thank you again.

[BobD Volunteer]

Yes that is a polite way of saying transperenial which I had for my fourth biopsy and the one where they found it "hiding round the front" as they told me. I then banged desks and asked why it had taken so long to do it that way (four years) and find it and they explained that this was a very new method which I was one of their first to try . By then my PSA was in the mid thirties.

Remember what I was told. All men die WITH prostate cancer, the secret is not to die FROM it.

Don't ride a bike for a few days. ha ha.

It is something many of us have to go through but just a small period in our rich and valuable life so maybe better to read and be full of knowledge then you won't have any fear. Second quote, "the only thing to fear is fear itself." Knowledge is power.

If you would like any further information feel free to private message me.

Bob

[AgeingHIppy in reply to BobD]

Bob you are a star! I promise not to ride a bike, first smile I have had today. I am booked on a trip to Far East at end of April I just have to be fit for that. It's the thing am trying to focus on to get me through Wednesday.

Last time they checked PSA was circa 7 but that was in August.

It feels extremely odd not to have my alarm go off to tell me to take the Pradaxa. I just have to put my faith and more in the hands of the experts.

[Kodaska in reply to BobD]

Not riding a bike is excellent advice. I had a vasectomy in 1982, shortly after my second child was born. And I rode my motorcycle home after the procedure. If you want a working definition of "stupid" that would be a good one.

[Rellim296]

I mentioned the other day that my other half and I are both much better than we were two years ago. He was at that time going down the route that you are following and it was well worth the effort. All the best!

[checkmypulse]

Mine was an 'ordinary' biopsy so unsure re template type. All I can say is it is over quickly, made to feel at ease and had a bit of a laugh over the situation, they have seen it all before and it really is nothing to be concerned about. Almost a breeze! I totally agree with Bob, research is beneficial, the more you know the better. I remember the day of my operation one of the others waiting to be 'done ' had no idea of what was to happen, whether he was 'open' or 'keyhole' didn't want to know any details, he was a plumber, self employed. and wanted to be back earning the next day! I often wonder how it turned out for him. I couldn't be like that but of course everyone has there own way of dealing and I respect that. Wish you the best.

[Kodaska]

I don't believe it's possible to have too much information. It *is* possible both to misunderstand and to give your fears credibility.

I imagine the reason to be off Pradaxa for two days has to do with its 12-hour half-life. The usual estimate of how long it takes for a drug to leave the body is five half-lives. After four half-lives (48 hours) there will be approximately 9% of a single dose left in your system, assuming you take it twice a day. If you take it only once a day, after four half-lives there will be only 6% left.