Bleeding post op 4wks Doc on vacation, help?

Breif History: I had laproscopy assisted hysterectomy which turned into a bikini cut due to a large ovarian cyst removal and alot of scar tissue from endometriosis. I also had a bladder sling. And I had 3 ventral (above belly button) hernias repaired with mesh. I have been in a great deal of pain which I'm told is normal. I am being very very careful with not overdoing it. I walk daily but only as much as I am reasonably comfortable doing. I had residual blood shortly after surgery and none for over 2 wks until last night.
While reclining reading a book at 4am I felt wet. I went to the bathroom and found bright red blood and clumps (clots?) of blood about the size of a pea. I have also had increased pressure/ache type pain which I had called the doctor's office about the day before. We were "monitoring it to see if it gets worse or better" The blood was new so I called the doc. I called my doc because the amount of blood was enough for a regular pad.
My doc is on vacation this week. I went to see his partner (whom I had never met.) He said it's normal. He said I can get some minor spotting with stitches disolving. I asked him about the fact that my pain is worse this week than last. He said, "well, you had alot of work done". He asked if I had pain meds. I said I did for the week. He lectured me on taking pain meds (which I wasn't asking him for even though my regular doc expects that I will need them for a while due to all of the abdominal stuff). He gave me a RX for Darvacet after the lecture and sent me home.
So, tonight, I have a little more blood and larger clots which are pretty scary and the short of it is I don't "feel" right. I am having more pain than last week. I wasn't bleeding at all last week. Where are the clots coming from? Do I just hang out until my doc comes back next week and call him then? I don't believe/trust the guy I saw today. to me "spotting" is worth a pantyliner. This is a little more. Is it normal?

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Originally Posted by Beadmaker Breif History: I had laproscopy assisted hysterectomy which turned into a bikini cut due to a large ovarian cyst removal and alot of scar tissue from endometriosis. I also had a bladder sling. And I had 3 ventral (above belly button) hernias repaired with mesh. I have been in a great deal of pain which I'm told is normal. I am being very very careful with not overdoing it. I walk daily but only as much as I am reasonably comfortable doing. I had residual blood shortly after surgery and none for over 2 wks until last night. While reclining reading a book at 4am I felt wet. I went to the bathroom and found bright red blood and clumps (clots?) of blood about the size of a pea. I have also had increased pressure/ache type pain which I had called the doctor's office about the day before. We were "monitoring it to see if it gets worse or better" The blood was new so I called the doc. I called my doc because the amount of blood was enough for a regular pad. My doc is on vacation this week. I went to see his partner (whom I had never met.) He said it's normal. He said I can get some minor spotting with stitches disolving. I asked him about the fact that my pain is worse this week than last. He said, "well, you had alot of work done". He asked if I had pain meds. I said I did for the week. He lectured me on taking pain meds (which I wasn't asking him for even though my regular doc expects that I will need them for a while due to all of the abdominal stuff). He gave me a RX for Darvacet after the lecture and sent me home. So, tonight, I have a little more blood and larger clots which are pretty scary and the short of it is I don't "feel" right. I am having more pain than last week. I wasn't bleeding at all last week. Where are the clots coming from? Do I just hang out until my doc comes back next week and call him then? I don't believe/trust the guy I saw today. to me "spotting" is worth a pantyliner. This is a little more. Is it normal?

Sounds like we have a little bit in common. My doc was out of town this week too and I had two issues. At one point I headed in to the doc for what I thought was more blood than usual. Since I had extensive rectal surgery with an open wound I just coundn't tell where this blood was coming from. I was informed it was actually coming from the perineium incision. This is an open area that we have to pack with special packing to help it heal. Anyhow.....I went to the doc, another doc checked me out, and said it was fine. It's an open wound and it's going to bleed. Even when they tried to touch it with a q-tip it bleed, Well, they sent me home knowing my doc will be on Tues. Well the blood never stopped and I got weaker and weaks. Finally at 2:00 a.m. I got up to go pee and I yelled for my husband....the blood was just pouring out. So of to the er we went. Once in the er they took me in immediately and got the OB.GYN on call to check me out. Another that said it's normal. But I have to be more careful not to continue to open it us. So I had to put myself in self-imposed bedrest since yesterday. I think it's worked. I have only had a tiny bit of bleeding since yesteray. Tomorrow I'm going to push myself a little bit. We'll see what happens then.

Point being, anytime there is bright red blood....you are NEVER wrong in getting checked out. In the ER the other night they told me I did EXACTLY what I should have done. So I felt better.

You have to go with that "I don't feel right" feeling and march straight into your doctor's office and tell them so. At the very least, everything is normal and you now is normal healing with may a set of high emotions. I'm starting to figure out that is what my problem is.

So if you nervous go to the doc. Listen to your body.

Hyster Hugs,

The problem is, from here I have to go to the ER and I'm just not sure it is an emergency. I've already been in to see the other doc in my regular doc's office. I felt like he patted me on the head, accused me of seeking pain meds and didn't really answer my questions. It won't do me any good to call or go in to my doc's office until next week. I've been on mostly bed rest (also self imposed) since last night other than the trip to the doc. I don't want to tie up the ER or pay the added money (since I'm out of work so long) if it is normal for the bleeding and normal for the pain to increase some.

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Originally Posted by Beadmaker The problem is, from here I have to go to the ER and I'm just not sure it is an emergency. I've already been in to see the other doc in my regular doc's office. I felt like he patted me on the head, accused me of seeking pain meds and didn't really answer my questions. It won't do me any good to call or go in to my doc's office until next week. I've been on mostly bed rest (also self imposed) since last night other than the trip to the doc. I don't want to tie up the ER or pay the added money (since I'm out of work so long) if it is normal for the bleeding and normal for the pain to increase some.

IMO all bleeding needs to be checked out, especially if it's heavy and especially after it has stopped and come back again. Better safe than sorry.

I also had unexpected heavy bleeding and I wasn't sure what to do. Finally the girls here and my family didn't give me a choice. My DH hauled me off to the ER almost against my will. It turned out that part of the wound that was part of my rectal surgery had begun to granulate so the tissue was very raw. What we learned was that it was going to bleed from time to time. When it does, bedrest 'til it stopped. But at least we know now. Even the doc said we did the right thing coming in.

Honestly, I think you should be seen especially if the bleeding doesn't slow down or stop completely.

HysterHugs to you.....

I'm glad you got checked out and that bedrest helps. I did go see the doc yesterday but it wasn't my regular doc. I didn't really trust his answers. I think I'm just going to take it extremely easy until my regular doc gets back from vacation and then go back in and see him.

Thanks
Lora

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Originally Posted by Beadmaker I'm glad you got checked out and that bedrest helps. I did go see the doc yesterday but it wasn't my regular doc. I didn't really trust his answers. I think I'm just going to take it extremely easy until my regular doc gets back from vacation and then go back in and see him. Thanks Lora

My regular doc was on vacation this week, too. I have to see her next Tuesday. Good thing, too......I have been bleeding all day today. I've been bleeding alot the last week or so I'm anxious to get a blood count done. When I left the hospital my count was only 10. I was anemic when I went in and even more anemic when I came out. Now, I'm so lethargic I can hardly stay awake.

How dare our doctors have personal lives and want to spend time with their families!!!! Geesh!!! LOL

If it were me I would go see another DR. Did you go to a gyno or surgeon?? If it were a gyno, how about going to see your PCP? Denise is correct in saying you need to see someone, if it normal or not, it will ease your mind in the long run.