THROWING UP BLOOD.

[design112]

Hi everyone!  It's Karen. I've had issues keeping my yahoo id, and I had signed out and not remembered my password. When I went to yahoo to pull it back up under yahoo and designgyrl, I was unable to.  So, this is Karen.

Now to my issue.  I'm having surgery next week for a EUS, where they go in and look at all my organs, take any biopsies that they need to, drain fluids if they need to and basically come up with the definite answer if this is chronic pancreatitis.  I haven't felt good the last few days but have made it through with working, etc.. and I've taken off Wednesday and Thursday to work the weekend.  It's less stressful than the week day and I was throwing up yesterday and didn't think much of it. This morning I woke up at 3 am and started throwing up black stuff.  I looked down and there was actually blood in the bowl where I was thowing up in.  Anyone think I should be super worried.  I have a hernia, so they say on top of the gallstone that he took out and then the 2nd surgery to correct some of the first one.  I'm feeling ok today, just tired as normal but I figured that is due to the fentanyl patch since I've only been on it for a couple of weeks.  But I didn't know how worried I should be about this?  What do you guys think?  I'm glad to be back on the forum and hopefully this will be my last change.

Love to you all,

Karen

[mellie4]

Tuck, I'm worried, too.  Has she posted since this?I hope she has gone to the ER, though my guess is if she did, they would have admitted her.  Is anyone in touch with her by phone or anything?  It doesn't sound as if she has much home support.  This is getting kind of concerning.

[Tuckamore]

Sorry I am late to this thread. I've had some huge issues at home. Looking after my mother increases my pain, I have relatives visiting... which increases my pain....and well...you know!!

Anyone heard from Karen? Black emesis IS indicative of blood. Ppl are under the misconception that you should only be worried if it's red...actually not so. The gastric enzymes turn the blood from red to black...or even a dark brown. When you have an upper GI bleed it will often look like coffee grounds.  

So I am very worried about her. Please post if anyone hears from her.

Thanks,
~Tuck

[JadedSweetheart]

I hope Karen is doing well.  I'm sorry if she had to go to the hospital again.  Goodness, no one would want to be in the hospital that much.  It must be hard.  I will keep her in my prayers.
Jaybay, that was really interesting about transfusions.  I never knew all of that.  I always wondered why they check my blood type every time there was a thought of admission or a new condition.  I tell them I'm O neg, it's on the charts, now I understand a little better.  It makes the job they do sound much more interesting!

[Jaybay]

I'm guessing Karen is back in the Klink again, which is a good thing.  If she needed a transfusion, it isn't exactly a quick "hang the bag and turn on the hose" proposition.  It can take hours to type and cross, and longer if certain antibodies need to be matched.  Then the blood bank has to "make" the blood for the individual patient.  Depending on antibodies present, that process can take quite a while.  

The blood bank folks have a pretty interesting and involved job to do.  They do a whole lot more than just store and dole out bags of blood.  The patient gets only what he needs, which usually isn't whole blood.  In the case of a slow bleed, it's usually just packed cells.  Some people only need plasma, and so on.  With each successive transfusion, the patient can pick up new antibodies which means he has to be typed and crossed every time, unless another transfusion is needed within a couple of weeks.  Typing and crossing results are only good for 72 hours, so if the transfusion can't be done in that time, you start all over again.  There are some rare antibodies that require the blood to be run through a wamer as it's being transfused.

Each unit can take a few hours to transfuse because if it's done too quickly you risk heart attack or stroke.  The floor nurses take a whole lot longer with transfusions than most outpatient facilities who deal with transfusions, chemo and other infusions every single day.  My mom would do anything to avoid having to be admitted for a transfusion since it took twice as long as her usual Monday through Friday outpatient facility.  Besides, we got to know the nurses there so very well that it made the day go a whole lot faster.

Sorry to ramble on so much.  This thread is about Karen and her symptoms remind me so much of my mother's.  I HOPE Karen is in the hospital!

[melissaky]

I hope she is okay .Does anyone have a way to get in touch with her ? I too have been wondering how it all came out .
Melissa

[flower12345]

Prayers from me too.

Hugs,

Flower