Last Friday we had an appointment with Dr Glasgow to have my staples removed and double check everything. On Thursday, I was having a lot of pain in my upper left stomach and so we talked to the doctor about it but he didn't seam to be very concerned about it. So he removed the staples and sent us on our way with instructions on keeping tract of what I was eating and getting me off of the the J tube feeds.
On the way home I started feeling very nauseous so I reclined the chair and tried to nap on the way home. Once we got home I noticed that I was having some diarrhea and thought that there might have been blood in it. I also thought it could have been the blueberries I had eaten the night before. Unfortunately, it kept getting worse over night and by the morning I was feeling awful. I finally told Sean that something wasn't right and that he needed to get me to the hospital. Sean and his Dad helped load me into the car and then we were off.
We headed up to the University of Utah hospital as that is where I had my surgery done and I figured they would know what to do. When I got to the ER they said that my heart rate was 155 bpm and everything else was low. I started shaking and ER doctor quickly said that I was going to need a blood transfusion. They started placing IV lines and with in the hour they started giving me IVs and blood. I ended up needing 2 pints of blood in the ER and then 2 more when they moved me up to ICU.
Once I got put in the ICU they ordered an endoscopy so they could look at the connections spots to see if they were bleeding. It was crazy because they set up the endoscopy in the room and all the doctors came to me to do it. Unfortunately, they didn't see anything that would have been the cause of the bleeding. The Doctors decided that I would need a colonoscopy to see if the bleed was being caused by the lower GI track. They put me on a diet of a bowl prep called GOLightly and then hoped i would clear me out. Unfortunately it just made me have to poop more blood. Due to my blood pressure, I wasn't allowed to leave the bed so they placed a urine catheter and I was resigned to have to us a bed pan.
My life saving juices...
Before the colonoscopy. I was not feeling to great.
Sean dealing with all the stress and hanging out with me in the SICU, on Sunday.
Sunday after they completed the Colonoscopy, they still couldn't find a cause of my bleeding. They found lots of blood in my colon but nothing that could be seen as the sources of the bleeding. After I woke up, there was a bit of talk about what to do next. They needed to find the source of the bleeding as after the colonoscopy they ended up needed to give me more blood.
It was determined that I would have to have an angiogram done even with the risk of my allergy to contrast dye. I guess I was not stable enough for the doctors to feel comfortable with me doing the regular CT scan so I was prepped and sent down to an OR to complete the angiogram. They did this in case I might need surgery to fix the problem, then they could do it right then. I only remember bits and pieces of that experience as they gave me something to relax me and it knocked me out. They put a stent in a vein in my right hip to use to access my Superior Mesenteric Artery. I do remember the Cardiovascular surgeon saying that my SMA was one of the weirdest he had ever seen. Which is consistent with the SMAS, it's just funny to hear someones reaction to seeing it for the first time.
During the angiogram, they did find they source of my bleeding. One of the connection sites was actually causing the bleeding. The angiogram team quickly determined that I would need surgery to repair the bleed but that it would need to be completed by the gastro surgery team. Luckily, they were able to get a hold of Dr Glasgow and he was able to come down to complete the surgery. It wasn't until a couple days later that I realized how much of an emergency situation this had all turned into.
The surgery ended up taking about 2 hours as they had to remove about 5 inches of the bowel to revise the first surgery. Dr Glasgow also said he checked my whole intestines to make sure that there were not any tumors growing that could have caused the bleeding as well. I was then sewn back up and sent back to the SICU (surgical intensive care unit) to recover. Since I didn't respond well to the last time to the combination of pain medicines and anesthesia, they didn't allow me to have anything more then tylenol till I woke up more. I also still had the stent in my thigh so I wasn't allowed to bend my right leg at all. To put it simply, Sunday night and most of Monday was miserable and it's not something I ever wish to repeat.
Me in my misery. You can tell the angle they had my bed on to assure that I didn't move too much. Around 11 in the morning, they finally removed the stent and I could start the count down as to when I could move again. They require you to lay still for 6 hours after so you don't bleed out.
Monday night after, 1 endoscopy, 1 colonoscopy, 1 angiogram, 1 open surgery, 1 stint, 7 pints of blood and multiple bags of fluids, I was finally transferred out of the ICU and to the regular floor.
Luckily time passes and things get better. I am doing much better today then I did yesterday and will be better tomorrow. It is all a process and I have learned a bit through all of this. I have an amazing husband and I couldn't have done it with out him and all the strength I have felt from those around me. I am truly one blessed woman and although this time have been tough, it is just a that, a moment in time. It will pass, my scars will fade and my life will be mine once more. It will take time but it will come.
On the bright side I have a beautiful view of the mountains and these pretty flowers to look at :) #tendermercies
Oh no! I am so glad you have an awesome husband and family and friends and kids to be there for you. Glad you are doing better. Hopefully it's all up from here! You are in my thoughts and prayers.
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