Help! What if I am too anemic for surgery

I am having many problems with endometriosis, fibroids, bleeding internally, etc, but my doctor is hesitant to schedule surgery because I am too anemic. I have been on iron and folic acid supplementation for a month but my blood hasn't come up near enough. Has anyone else had a hystorectemy when they were anemic or had to have a transfusion? Does anyone
have any infomation that they can offer me? I really don't
feel like I can wait around for months. I am so exhausted now and I cant take all the pain and blood loss anymore.

I just want you to know that I wasent animic for my hyst. but was for 2 c-sections. I solved this prob. with blood from my family before the surgery and another unit of blood from my dad after. You NEED to call the red cross in your aera to see if family and friends can donate for you. this process with the blood testing may take up to 6 weeks before surgey. SO Call now the red cross was great to work with me. This way you are not afraid of getting infected blood and causing more stress for your self.
Marci Ingalls

ingalls@urx.com

let me know if I can help you

Abbylin, I wanted you to know I would be praying for you. I didn't have your problems, but I am concerned. I think I would be ask my physician what he/she feels would resolve this issue, maybe transfusions, IV iron supplements. It doesn't hurt to have second opinions.

Sounds like you need relief from the bleeding. That isn't healthy, I understand not wanting to cause you more blood loss, but there has to be something that can help. What makes me say this is being beside my mother through cancer treatment and her anemia causing great problems. They did put her in the hosp for a few hours at a time to give blood to build her up. It is helpful if someone in the family can go and people you eally know and trust to go and give blood for you. i gave my own blood for my surgery and for my sister's hyster. We did not have to use it, the blood center can now use it for someone in need. I felt better about giving to my sister, she is a free bleeder and we really did figure she would need it, but thankfully she made it through just fine.

I pray for your health and answers to your questions.
Best of luck.
Queena

Hi, how often is your doctor checking your blood levels? I am having a hyst. on 3/1 and am anemic too. My dr. has had me go in weekly to check my levels and they are back up to normal after taking iron supplements (325 mg.) twice a day for one month now. Are you taking iron? How much? If your levels are not coming up, ask your dr. about increasing the level of iron. Keep us posted!

Be sure to take your iron WITH vitamin C but NOT with calcium. Vitamin C helps absorbsion, but calcium inhibits iron absorbsion. Also, my doc says that the body does not utilize iron well in building up the blood (which is why they diagnose such high levels). I think you can take more than 325 twice a day. I was told to take it three times a day, and I think I can go higher, but the gastric side effects would probably be a problem. So ask your doctor if you can up the doses.

Also, be sure to eat iron-rich foods like dark green vegetables, liver, bran flakes. The body absorbs the iron in foods better than supplements.

Some ladies require a transfusion prior to surgery. Do a search on the boards for "transfusion" and you'll find helpful information. I don't think that a presurgery transfusion increases the risk of complications to any great degree. My gyn says that he has done a lot of hysts on women who had bled continually for so long that he had to transfuse before he could operate and he acted like it wasn't any big deal. As he put it, if you don't stop bleeding, you're never going to get your blood built up, so you have to take care of the source of the bleeding problem.

My blood levels were also low and my surgery was to be Jan 30 and is now set for Feb.20.I told the doctor I don't want to play a waiting game it is to hared on my nerves so I have been on iron 2 times a day and a B12 shot a week.My levels are improving.What are yours Mine are now 36 and 10.8

I know how scary the thought of blood lost can be. Two weeks ago I finally went into see my Doc because the bleeding was so heavy. My levels were at 16.1 and 6. He told me had I waited another day I most likely wouldn't be around at the moment. I was going into surgery to have a
D & C with possible emergency hysterectomy. While I was in pre-op I was given a transfusion. I was greatful at how carefully the blood is checked and crossmatched. I had 3 nurses going over the serial numbers on it. I am glad to say that I immediately felt better. I was able to have the D&C and am now waiting on the date for my SAH. As for blood levels now they are at 36 and 11.8. I'm getting up there. I take one multi-vitiman a day and two slow release iron tablets. I'm still having some light bleeding but my doc told me not to worry unless it gets heavy. Hard to not worry when I almost bled to death. I don't know what your levels are but I know how miserable I felt and how no one understood that because I looked semi ok, there was something wrong. Tell your Doc you want some aggresive action taken. I see my Doctor every two weeks now, I have post up the next time I go. Now if I can only get that DATE! Good luck to you. I'll keep you in my prayers

S

When I was very anemic I had iron injections a couple of times a week. Any chance of this happening for you? Iron pills just didn't do it for me.