Going into hospital for biopsy and feel nervous about catching infection?

[BoltonleSandsB]

Hi everyone going into hospital next week for a biopsy on my bladder. Been for pre op assessment and all ok but just feel a little concerned about infection with my immune system being low. Any advice or reassurance out there?! Three months into PMR and now on ten mgs of pred going down to eight on the tenth of July.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I didn't catch anything nasty in 3 weeks in hospital at a much higher dose. Are you being kept in? Bladder biopsies are usually done as day surgery - far fewer risks. Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing...

[BoltonleSandsB in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you ! Yes just in for the day and already an obsessive hand washer so clean fingers crossed!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to BoltonleSandsB]

And don't forget to observe anyone coming to handle you - have they used the hand gel at least? And preferably washed their hands!

[Rose54]

Hi

Good luck don't be in a hurry to reduce 10 to 8 is a big drop so it does appear to be a very quick reduction in a short time .

But we are all different

[BoltonleSandsB in reply to Rose54]

Thanks yes thought my reductions quite fast. From 15 to 12/50 to 10 then 8 then the doctor said 1mg at a time after that so watch this space! Thank you once again.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Good luck with biopsy, but would agree with Rose54 - 10mg to 8mg is a big drop. 1mg would be my preferred option, but as she says 'we are all different' . Hope it works for you.

[BoltonleSandsB in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi how do I get rid of that photo!! Thought I was just putting a head shot on like you have?! Too much of everything!!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to BoltonleSandsB]

Mine is on my profile page, but you do have to reduce the original photo on PC first. Takes a bit fiddling about - when you're in the mood!

Did you download yours on the post page? Guess the same would apply though. Pity you can't review it first - and the post ones always seem to be 90degree wrong!

Have fun !

[BoltonleSandsB in reply to DorsetLady]

Cheers! I am terrible with anything technical my seven and eleven year old grandchildren are better!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to BoltonleSandsB]

Mmm, but they start it at school, and also have no fear, they'll try anything, whereas we often worry we're going to do something wrong!

[BoltonleSandsB in reply to DorsetLady]

So true, we worry about making a mistake. My husband is the best he always blames the computer. When he starts shouting at the machine I always make myself scarce!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

My nephew is an IT buff and his well-under-a-year-old son is already familiar with the iPad!!!!

[BoltonleSandsB in reply to PMRpro]

Say no more! They grow up with them now.

[HeronNS in reply to BoltonleSandsB]

But it's pretty hilarious when they try to manipulate the pictures in a traditional book! If I were raising babies now I'd keep the screens out of their hands for the first couple of years and restrict as much as possible thereafter. Sorry to be old fashioned about this, but I hate to see people relating to their devices and not to the people beside them.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to HeronNS]

Absolutely!

My son's an IT boffin, but he makes sure his childrens' time (ages10 & 11) on screens is strictly limited. And definitely a "no,no" at mealtimes, in the house or in a restaurant. Meal times are meant for families to talk!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Good man! I see whole families sitting at the table, with food in front of them and all with their heads down over a screen!

[Amkoffee]

I have stayed to the hospital twice since being on prednisone about five months apart . The only thing I caught was more diagnoses . LOL I think if you're careful don't walk on the floor barefoot, wash your hands frequently and maybe you can get a room to yourself. But I think you'll be just fine.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Amkoffee]

"maybe you can get a room to yourself"

Not in the NHS, Unless you are half-dead...

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Ah, I got a room to myself.....I had C.Diff!!!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Celtic]

That was to stop you making anyone else half-dead...

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Well, I hope it worked especially as they discharged me deciding that I didn't have C .Diff after all......only to ring me at home shortly afterwards asking me to return for some antibiotics as the results of the specimen had now arrived back showing that I did, in fact, have C.Diff after all!!

[Amkoffee in reply to Celtic]

I don't know you got lucky because my mother had c-diff and MRSA and she was put in a room with someone with MRSA.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Amkoffee]

That's terrible, Amkoffee. I do hope your Mum made a complete recovery from both. I didn't 'catch' C.Diff from anyone - it was as a direct result of a GP prescribing a double course of an antibiotic known to be a risk according to the Dr in A&E, who added that I should never have taken it for as long as 11 days. The awful symptoms started to abate as soon as we withdrew that antibiotic.

[Amkoffee in reply to Celtic]

That's exactly how my mom got c-diff. A friend of mine had a BM exchange. I don't know what they really call it. Have you ever heard of that type of treatment?

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Amkoffee]

No, I hadn't but on looking it up it sounds like a now defunct term for the use of blood monitoring/exchange in diabetics. The following link explains it in detail: thejournalofdiabetesnursing...

[Amkoffee in reply to Celtic]

No this is far from old, it is a new, rather unconventional treatment . A friend of mine had that type of treatment done a few years ago when conventional treatments weren't working. I'll try to find more information on it and if I can I'll post it here . I don't know if you get a show called Grey's Anatomy in your country but it's a fictional series about doctors and nurses in a hospital setting. They featured this particular treatment in one of their episodes .

[Amkoffee in reply to Celtic]

Here is a link to an article from WebMD about it. It's called fecal transplant.

webmd.com/digestive-disorde...

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Amkoffee]

Sorry for the late reply but yes I did learn about fecal transplant when researching during my C.Diff dilemma. Thought it sounded somewhat weird at the time, but I guess if someone doesn't respond to the usual antibiotic treatment for the C.Diff (happily I responded well to Metrodizanole), then at least there is another avenue.

[Amkoffee in reply to Celtic]

My mom had a very hard time getting over it but she finally did. But a friend of mine had to resort to this type of treatment.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Celtic]

What of course is far more to the point - any remedy that doesn't require abx is going to become increasingly important as we run out of options. There is already a world shortage of one of the most important abx in the ICU (factory blew up or something) - and no good alternative.

[Amkoffee in reply to PMRpro]

That's a shame. One of our main hospitals here in Kansas is going to single rooms. Now last month I was in there in the cardiac unit and they still had not converted those to single rooms so I had to share a room. But most of the rooms have been converted.