Day 21: Hemorrhage 5 hrs after post op

I posted this in surgery updates for my fellow 11/29-12/05 Hystersisters. Am reposting here for all those with different surgery dates.

TERRIBLE SET BACK!!!

My post op was Monday at three pm. I got a clearance to go back to work and told my cervix looks like it has road rash but that is normal for the abuse it gets in the procedure. She said the rawness could explain last friday morning and sunday nights little gushes.

Five hours later at home I stood up. This wasn't a gush. It was a FLOOD. Ran to the bathroom. Biggest handfuls of TP soaked to my hands on contact. I listened to my blood running into the toilet. Screamed for hubby. Told him to grab ALL our dark towels. Put one between my legs and ran out in gown and socks in the rain screaming at him to "Hurray!!! HURRAY!!". I probably sounded hysterical to the neighbors. Maybe I was.

We headed to the nearest hospital which is 5 minutes away (right off the HWY I live next to), since mine is 30 minutes away. While DH drove I called 911 en route telling them I had extreme hemorrhaging from a 11/29 hysterectomy and to please tell the hospital to be ready. Told dispatch that it WILL be real UGLY. He asked what car we were in. Told him.

Pulled up and they came running out. The towels I sat on and the one between my legs were soaked. I dripped on the driveway being placed on the gurney. Gurney got soaked. Pads went on the floor for the blood that was dripping down. Blood pressure went from 135 something to got to 92/58. IV's in both arms. Doctor couldn't find source of the bleeding citing there was just too much blood and called OBGYN surgeon. She felt inside and said she felt a cut and blooding gushing out of it. She took me to OR and performed surgery.

My cervix had a tear from original op. Behind that flap/tear was a sliced artery that no one noticed. They think it coagulated that day. She states she feels the friday gush was a clot loosened that then quickly coagulated and the same with Sundays. She spoke to my doctor. Yes, my doctor saw the tear at three but nothing to indicate it had any underlying issues.

My doctor arrived at the hospital and they both agreed the post op pelvic exam I had at three pm aggravated this. The artery was "sliced". I had no bleeding for five hours though!!! Yeah, but the ER found a blood clot the size of my fist!!!!! The blood clot wasn't there five hours earlier.

They both feel confident the problem is now resolved. The artery stitched/wound and the cervix tear stitched. A procedure done by both in baby deliveries when cervix's tear and arteries are torn with them.

As of Tuesday night at 8pm I hadn't slept more than 1.5 hours since I woke in recovery at 1:10am. I was so very afraid to go to sleep.

They say that is very understandable. My doctor feels AWFUL and the hospitals doctor agrees it was just a fluke. ANY one giving that pelvic would have probably seen the same thing and felt all was fine.

Last night was my first night home/back since the hemorrhage. Needles to say the terrors were the worst part. What if there is another sliced or damaged artery lurking and waiting to blow? What if I am asleep when it does? I took a half of a unisom at four and slept FINALLY this morning.

Doctor called me at 11. Bless her heart. She is so supportive of my fears and recovery.

And yes, I still love her.

The other doctor agreed that this was a fluke and could have happened to any doctor doing the pelvic exam at a post op under these circumstances.

Nothing but NORMAL spotting now. Still nervous....off work an additional week now....

Related posts:

• Friday gushing in thread I started called Scary Morning: red/bloody inner thighs
  
• My post op appt update after I left the doctors at 3pm

And I want to add - My DH can NEVER tell me "TMI" ever again. EVER!!!

He sat in the triage room with me, saw all the blood everywhere, and was sitting at the end of the room facing me as I had my feed in stir-ups and the ER doctors were rushing to find the source and stop it. He did avoid looking a lot, but he saw everything....and said he too, had never been so afraid. That says a lot from a railroad engineer who has seen his share of fatalities between pedestrians/trains.

Leia L,

Wow, so sorry that you had to go through this. It is so understandable that you are having trouble relaxing and resting. Hopefully, that will subside with time. I wish you a speedy recovery. Also, only 1 added week for return to work?

Thanks for your post 20 days post op. I know i have over done it. I had grandkids and made candy. On my feet way to much yesterday. DH has been on me but, I have felt good. Only so much tv watching and laying up u can do. So we went back to town to get all the extra things we needed for x-mas. I was in best by. Needed to go to bathroom and had redblood it did upset me have this pulling like feeling on my right side. I saw my dr. on Monday but, she only looked at my belly AH. So we came home and I got in bed and I have not had anymore bleeding.

I am taking it slow for awhile.

Hope u are better too.

Thank you Pipcat, the doctor said that the cervical repair is different than the hysterectomy. The cervix is pretty protected in there from body movement and the work completed on it was especially strong as a precaution. She said though she can extend the time if needed but assured me as awful as the hemorrhage was, that the repair it required is a routine one performed on women who give birth and tear arteries/cervixes when delivering.

Also, my work week next week is just two days (Wed and Thur) and clearly states that if I feel fatigue, bleeding or pain I am to stop working and go back on leave.

Thanks for the update on your very scary story. I think you probably saved your own life by immediately going to the ER.

Since you lost so much blood you might be a little anemic and that can make you tired. Stay off work as long as possible.

Kren, you are right. As per doctors orders, and being sensitive to ferrous sulfate supps, I am dosing up on iron rich foods. My iron dropped a LOT according to my labs yesterday morning verses labs 21 days ago. I am having liver and onions cooked in a cast iron pan for lunch. Prunes. And spinach salad.

And yes, according to the doctor, I did "all the right things" that night. The ER doc pretty much said the same thing you did. I was very lucky. At the time I just felt fear.

Your story is scary. I hope so much that u feel better soon.

I am very glad you are okay now. That must have been awful. Thank goodness you kept your head and headed right to the hospital.

Leia L - Well I think your fight or flight sense kicked in. I would have never thought to call 911 to have the hospital ready for you.

Ick on the liver. Just eat lots of red meat and the good veggies, drink lots of water and soon you will be ok.

A couple of years ago I had a lot of bleeding and was almost at blood transfusion level. But then medicine stopped the bleeding. I remember having NO energy, no spirt, no feeling. After eating well for a couple of days I started feeling better. But it takes time to build it up so that is why if you are tired you need to speak up and stay off work longer.

Just glad for this great outcome!