Pre-op Stuff: Vitamins and Minerals

The reconstruction surgeon gave me a list of items not to take 2 weeks prior to going into surgery. It included all sorts of name brands for aspirin and blood thinners. Included on this list was multi-vitamins and vitamin E. Vitamin E has been linked to a lack of blood clotting after surgery; in other words, the patient could continue bleeding. And since multivitamins contain vitamin E, then these are also on that list. No other vitamin, mineral, or supplement was on that list.

Since my cancer battle started on January 10th (date I was told I have an invasive and aggressive cancer; on the 14th of January I found that it was limited to the right breast, possible lymph nodes, and unknown area in throat), I have been on a major cancer battle in all ways including dietary. This diet includes a strict version of Paleo (leaning toward Gerson Therapy/vegetarian in the form of juicing), and Ketogenic/Metabolic in the form of protein to carb ratio on a daily basis. Prior to this, on January 1, I went paleo (80-20).

I told the doctor this fact and I included a list (and a picture) of the vitamins and minerals and supplements I take. None are multi-vitamin, none include vitamin E. These include:

• calcium
• vitamin d
• probiotic
• CoQ10
• buffered vitamin C
• L-Glutamine
• zinc
• melotonin (at bedtime)

These were his words:

"I don't have time to research all those but my general policy is to tell patients to get off all vitamins, minerals, and supplements 2 weeks prior to surgery. You are welcome to research each of these items on your own, I just don't have the time."

So here I am. I've created a cancer dietary battle plan over this past month. I've been so disciplined beyond any other year of my life. I'm torn about what he said (lack of time but in some ways I think laziness since these are not crazy items, these are things that have been around for a while -- like calcium. Bone calcium will be hurt in my post surgery treatment so I'm working on strengthening this. Same with probiotic -- I'll be on antibiotics among other things after surgery which kill the gutt, which I know will have to happen in order to kill the cancer. So, I'm just trying to strengthen the gutt as well until then).

I'll be asking other surgeons similar questions -- maybe they'll have a better answer. If I have to get off these vitamins and minerals for clotting purposes, then of course I am ready to do this. But, if the policy is due to doctor lack of information or laziness, then I'm not okay with any compromise to my health.