Re: Driving after a biopsy?

[Guest guest]

As long as you get a local without any twilight anesthesia, I can't see a

problem with your plan. You might want to ask the doctor to inject more

local anesthesia after the biopsy is complete to last you for a few hours.

I have had 5 muscle biopsies and was able to stand, walk and sit without too

much discomfort. I have had three in my theigh and one in the lower leg and

one in my arm. My sister (on the list) drove the 4-5 hours home the

day after the surgery even though I could have done some of the driving.

As far as the airport goes, ask for a wheelchair. They will get the chair

and push you where you want to go. Lots of walking may be uncomfortable. The

depth of the incision determines the amount of pain, along with your pain

tolerance. I flew home the day after one of my biopsies. The closer to the

top of your leg, the less pain when moving it.

Good luck with the biopsy!

laurie

>

> Reply-To:

> Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 06:08:15 -0000

> To:

> Subject: Driving after a biopsy?

>

> I will be having my muscle biopsy this coming Wed (they say they

> will take the sample from my left thigh) Unfortunately it is also

> the day my vacation starts, and I have some plans which aren't really

> changable. Wed at 11am is the biopsy, and then I need to be in Nagra

> Falls Canada (an 8 hr drive) the following day by 2pm.

>

> I am getting a bit of a mixed messages from he hospital... the

> current appointment maker seems to think I will probably not want to

> return to work the day of the surgery because I will be sore, and

> activity will prolong the pain. But a nurse says driving shouldn't be

> an issue nor going to an airport (perhaps she only flys out of small

> local airports?) At a past appointment for the biopsy (which was

> actually canceled by myself because of insurance issues) the person

> who called the day before thought that I should have a person to come

> with me and drive me home... but perhaps that is just the standard

> thing to say for any surgery.

>

> The Dr. doing the biopsy says that I will only be getting a local

> anestetic on the skin, and that I can drive afterwards without

> concern from the anestesia.

>

> Now concerning my drive. My current plan is to drive 3 hours, get

> a hotel, and then drive the final 5 hours the next day. I would

> actually prefer to get more time in on the first day of driving, but

> am concerned that discomfort will be a problem.

>

> What do you all think?

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I have had five biopsies and each was different with pain. It will help that it is in the left leg. I hope the trip goes well for you. I grew up in Niagara Falls. I moved south to Florida because of the bad winters but I do miss the beauty of the falls. I hope you are able to enjoy it.

[Guest guest]

Unfortunately it is also the day my vacation starts, and I have some plans which aren't really changable. Wed at 11am is the biopsy, and then I need to be in Nagra Falls Canada (an 8 hr drive) the following day by 2pm.

Hi Joe,

I had my biopsy in my right thigh on the side about half way between my knee and my hip.

I think having it done on your left thigh will be easier as far as driving is concerned. But, for me, I wasn't able to drive for about a week after I had the biopsy. I never realized how many upper thigh muscles are used when braking or accelerating and switching back and forth.

Make sure you have pain meds with you if you do drive, but also be careful that you don't take too much while driving.

Is there any way you can push off the biopsy date until after you get home from your trip or do you need to do it by the end of the year for insurance purposes?

Malisa

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity". -Louis Pasteur

[Guest guest]

Make sure they do your non-driving leg (as you indicated), or if in

the arm, do your non-dominant arm. They wanted to do my left leg,

but couldn't because of some skin issues on that side, so had to do

my right. Could you hire a car for the trip (taxi)?

Also, check out what pain meds you can take - I had spasms in my leg,

and it was my driving leg, so I couldn't have driven for two days.

Take care,

RH

> I will be having my muscle biopsy this coming Wed (they say they

> will take the sample from my left thigh) Unfortunately it is also

> the day my vacation starts, and I have some plans which aren't

really

> changable. Wed at 11am is the biopsy, and then I need to be in

Nagra

> Falls Canada (an 8 hr drive) the following day by 2pm.

>

> I am getting a bit of a mixed messages from he hospital... the

> current appointment maker seems to think I will probably not want

to

> return to work the day of the surgery because I will be sore, and

> activity will prolong the pain. But a nurse says driving shouldn't

be

> an issue nor going to an airport (perhaps she only flys out of

small

> local airports?) At a past appointment for the biopsy (which was

> actually canceled by myself because of insurance issues) the person

> who called the day before thought that I should have a person to

come

> with me and drive me home... but perhaps that is just the standard

> thing to say for any surgery.

>

> The Dr. doing the biopsy says that I will only be getting a local

> anestetic on the skin, and that I can drive afterwards without

> concern from the anestesia.

>

> Now concerning my drive. My current plan is to drive 3 hours,

get

> a hotel, and then drive the final 5 hours the next day. I would

> actually prefer to get more time in on the first day of driving,

but

> am concerned that discomfort will be a problem.

>

> What do you all think?

[Guest guest]

I didn't feel any soreness until the second day.

Some things to consider other than mobility are how the meds affect you

and how well you tolerate fasting.

I had an early morning surgery, so the effects of fasting were

mimimized, but felt intoxicated (maybe accounts for not feeling pain?)

and was hyper all day after the biopsy which I attribute to the local

anasthetic. I took the city bus home, so driving was not an issue, but

think I made some poor decisions before it wore off.

Kathy G.

On Friday, December 12, 2003, at 12:08 AM, joespuppets wrote:

> I will be having my muscle biopsy this coming Wed (they say they

> will take the sample from my left thigh) Unfortunately it is also

> the day my vacation starts, and I have some plans which aren't really

> changable. Wed at 11am is the biopsy, and then I need to be in Nagra

> Falls Canada (an 8 hr drive) the following day by 2pm.

>

> I am getting a bit of a mixed messages from he hospital... the

> current appointment maker seems to think I will probably not want to

> return to work the day of the surgery because I will be sore, and

> activity will prolong the pain. But a nurse says driving shouldn't be

> an issue nor going to an airport (perhaps she only flys out of small

> local airports?) At a past appointment for the biopsy (which was

> actually canceled by myself because of insurance issues) the person

> who called the day before thought that I should have a person to come

> with me and drive me home... but perhaps that is just the standard

> thing to say for any surgery.

>

> The Dr. doing the biopsy says that I will only be getting a local

> anestetic on the skin, and that I can drive afterwards without

> concern from the anestesia.

>

> Now concerning my drive. My current plan is to drive 3 hours, get

> a hotel, and then drive the final 5 hours the next day. I would

> actually prefer to get more time in on the first day of driving, but

> am concerned that discomfort will be a problem.

>

> What do you all think?

[Guest guest]

I'm assuming you're having an open muscle biopsy vs. needle biopsy.

I've had a total of four biopsies and I would have to agree that

each one had a different degree of discomfort/pain. I was fine to

walk after the open biopsy on my thigh, but it was crampy.

Overdoing it by walking a lot isn't a great idea. I liked the

wheelchair idea that someone mentioned. As for the driving, I was

glad that a family member drove because I could feel it throbbing on

the way home despite the local and pain meds.

Good luck with your proceedure. Hopefully you'll get the results

you're looking for. Don't forget to enjoy the trip !

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for the advice. The biopsy is in my left leg, and I

have automatic, so I am not going to be terribly concerned. Part of

the delima is that I can find plenty of hotels within a 1 hr drive,

and then there is a long area w/o hotels. My next viable stop over

is 3 1/2 hours away. I guess I will just decide on the road which

one to go for.

Thanks especially for the suggestion to ask for extra local

anestetic after the procedure.

I will keep you all upated, though it might not be until after the

new year.

Merry Christmas and Happy new year!

[Guest guest]

My son had a muscle biospy done on Friday by Dr Plunket at Buffalo

General. Thanks to the support I got on line (especially from

Hanna),I was adequately prepared for what was to come. The entire

experience was just as expected. Dr Plunket told my son that other

patients have described the biospy as " no big deal " to the worse

thing that ever happened to them. My son was presribed Tylenol with

codeine afterwards but did'nt need it. He has experiened no pain.

Dr Plunket stated that 2% might experience infection and we are to

be on the lookout for fever or chills. So far so good. Dr Plunket

also stated that some patients may experience bleeding. Again, with

my son - so far so good.

We arrived in the hospital at 8am and left at 2pm.

He did have the biospy done in the left thigh. The incision is about

2 inches and he got about 30 stitches. My son drove later that

night but it was just a short drive. On saturday he was fine - we

even went to have Chinese food at Happy Jacks in Fort Erie, Ontario.

So - sofar so good!! I guess it all depends on the individual on

how they will react. My opinion is to wait before driving,

especially if you are taking Tylenol with codeine. The pharmacist

told me that it would make the user drowsy. Also we just got about

six inches of snow and that makes normal driving harder. You never

know when it will snow up here.

Good luck to you.

Jim

> I will be having my muscle biopsy this coming Wed (they say they

> will take the sample from my left thigh) Unfortunately it is also

> the day my vacation starts, and I have some plans which aren't

really

> changable. Wed at 11am is the biopsy, and then I need to be in

Nagra

> Falls Canada (an 8 hr drive) the following day by 2pm.

>

> I am getting a bit of a mixed messages from he hospital... the

> current appointment maker seems to think I will probably not want

to

> return to work the day of the surgery because I will be sore, and

> activity will prolong the pain. But a nurse says driving shouldn't

be

> an issue nor going to an airport (perhaps she only flys out of

small

> local airports?) At a past appointment for the biopsy (which was

> actually canceled by myself because of insurance issues) the

person

> who called the day before thought that I should have a person to

come

> with me and drive me home... but perhaps that is just the standard

> thing to say for any surgery.

>

> The Dr. doing the biopsy says that I will only be getting a

local

> anestetic on the skin, and that I can drive afterwards without

> concern from the anestesia.

>

> Now concerning my drive. My current plan is to drive 3 hours,

get

> a hotel, and then drive the final 5 hours the next day. I would

> actually prefer to get more time in on the first day of driving,

but

> am concerned that discomfort will be a problem.

>

> What do you all think?