disneygirl
Junior Poster
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Blessed MM Survivor
Posts: 59
Danville, Illinois
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Hello All,
Hey Rebecca glad to see you posting again. I hope all is going well and you need tocall me when you get a chance.
Anesthesia and MM, definitly a tricky one but managable with the proper knowledge. Epinephrine is actually a hormone that is secreted from the Adrenal gland and a neurotransmitter. It is used in our bodies automatic "Fight or Flight" response of the sympathetic nervous system. It causes the heart rate to increase, brochials to dilate so we can breath better and blood vessels to constrict or contract. It can be symthetically made and used to treat conditions such as severe allergic reactions, decrease bleeding, cadiac arrest and many other conditons. Epinephrine is added in several anesthetics especially in dental procedures and local anesthetics.
I will be having surgery for a stomach condition in July and just spoke with Teresa and Dr. Steinberg at Stanford because of concern with anesthesia. Dr. Steinberg wrote a letter for me to give to my surgeon here and to the anesthesiologist that just simply states that hydration, blood pressure and CO2 levels must me monitored closely during surgery and while still sedated just following the surgery. AS a MM patient I am always sure to be as hydrated as I can especially before having anything done with anesthesia and I tell the doctors to maintain my blood pressure at 110 systolic or higher (Systolic = top number). This is different for everyone based on you body and its needs. Many people with MM have high blood pressure, I have low and often fight to keep mine from dropping to low. High blood pressure can cause stroke in anyone but low blood pressure in a MM patient = low perfusion of blood to the brain and possible stroke. Again, always co-ordinate anything with your MM specialist. The anesthesiolgists at Stanford are experienced with MM patients and know exactly what drups to use and how much, as well as how to monitor. They are amazing and Dr. Steinberg only works with a certain group that know how to monitor a patient with MM. I had to have a scope of my stomach done one week ago and it was awful. The anesthesiologist was so afraid that my blood pressure would drop too low that he did not give me enough anesthetic medication and I was awake for the entire procedure and could feel everything that they did. It hurt and I remember the entire procedure. I have already met with another anesthesiologist for my up coming surgery and he has done his research, he had all kinds of information printed and in my chart when I arrived for my appointment and then we talked about MM for quite some time. He feels very comfortable with handleing my sedation for surgery and I do now that we have met and he was willing to listen to me, read the information from Dr. Steinberg and do some research on his own. I personally have found that doing my own reasearch and arming myself with as much knowledge as I can has been very beneficial. You can always call a pharmacist to ask about diferent medicaitons. They are very heplful and knowlegable. Another option is to ask specifically what drugs they are going to use before any procedure or surgery and then research then yourself or ask your neurosurgeon if those drugs are ok for someone with MM disease. Just remember we are all different and what is good for one of us may not be so good for others.
I hope this info helps, it is another of those unique problems that MM patients face.
Shari - I am so looking forward to next year in Philly. Rebecca - CALL ME, When is surgery?
Tracie
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