Major problems 3 weeks out. The week from hell

well, this past week has been one to remember. Minday was my three week post op and the day I was supposed to be released to eat puréed foods. I woke up feeling really weak and dizzy. I had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. This was the first time since surgery I felt this urge. I went to the bathroom and looked down to find the entire bowel movement was blood. I laid on the couch for about ten minutes and had the urge again. I got dizzy and fell on the way to the bathroom this time. More blood passed. I called my surgeon and was told he would meet me in the ER.

When I got to the ER I was in tach with a 170 heartbeat so they rushed me back. They concluded that I must have lost a lot of blood and they would do a scope to see what was going on. They transferred me from the ER to the endoscopy center. The ER nurse who transferred me told the scope tech that I was tachy and should not be left alone. WeLl, I had to go to the bathroom again and was left in the restroom alone. I got really dizzy sitting there and pulled the red nurse cord which was broken. I remember yelling out for help and nobody responding. The next thing I knew, I woke up with the nurse on top of me finishing CPR. Yes, I actually died in the bathroom and was brought back. What seemed like a million people came into the room to give me blood, get me stabilized and try to get more IVs in me. The scope found that one of the surgery sites that was connected to the new pouch had an ulceration that was bleeding. The vessel was clamped and I was sent to ICU for the night. I spent the next five days in the hospital, trying to get my blood levels back to normal and nursing my broken ribs (from the CPR).

Home now, I can't sleep, I'm full of anxiety and still very week. The opening from the pouch to intestines is now very tight and having a problem even getting water through. I feel horrible and am regretting the whole surgery. I know this will pass, but right now I feel so bad.

Hugs to you (very gentle ones). How frightening. Good thing you called your surgeon and high tailed it to the ER. Hope you are up and about soon and feeling good.

Knowing it will pass isn't much consolation when you have had such a hard time, and so scary a moment!

And the added pain from the ribs just sucks big time! Take your pain pills, keep the pillows close by for when you have to cough and just be very gentle with yourself.

The good news is it sounds as if the actual problem was pretty straight forward and that you should be feeling better soon. When the inflamation goes down I bet the water will be less of an issue. In the mean time just do tiny sips ALL the time. The blood loss does not go well with dehydration, so you have to, even if you feel bad, keep working on the fluids in baby sips. I am sure you know this already. You are a strong person (you have to be to have made such difficult decisions regarding your health) and will be ok. It just takes time.

My prayers are with you for a speedy recovery. Thank God you are here today to tell us your journey. I hope you can be up and around soon and that the opening relaxes a bit to get more than trickels of water through. Please don't feel all alone and bad for doing the surgery. But pat yourself on the back for getting to ER. Even though your ribs are broken you gotta be thankful the nurse brought you back. Keep in touch. Im up in Canada and this is our Thanksgiving Weekend. I give thanks for having you with us. To guide us and for your strength.

So glad you are here to tell us about this. Take it slow and careful, and let yourself heal. Make sure and update us on how you are doing.

Prayers going out to you for a speedy recovery

Holy cow, you poor thing! So glad you're ok.

God is good. Keeping you in my prayers. Hang in there. I am so sorry. It will get better. Hugs

Sending you good thoughts and wishing you great future health.

So thankful that you made it through that. I had a similar experience 2 weeks post op. Not the dying part but the bleeding. It is scarey. I'm glad you are home now and doing better. Stay warm. I had the hardest time staying warm after that and that was in the summer!

Now that you are home you will get better and stronger every day.