Hemorrhage Means Ross Procedure Postponed

[StretchL]

Greetings, all.

I'm sorry I've not been in touch in a while, but I nearly bled to death last Monday.

Actually, they could've given me a transfusion, so I guess I wouldn't have bled to death, but my BP did drop to 60/40 and hemoglobin count to 7.6. They pumped enough IV fluid in me to float a battleship, and decided against the transfusion, in the end.

You may remember details of the hemorrhoidectomy I had two weeks ago. Well, it turns out the Catheter of Doom wasn't the worst of my troubles.

Read on:

Exactly one week after the hemorrhoid "day surgery," I was back in the Emergency Room bleeding profusely from one of the incisions. A couple of the sutures had come out, and the docs eventually put me back under and sewed me back up, but not before I'd waited about 8 hours in the ER and had lost a lot of blood. One nurse told me my lips were turning blue and that I was going into shock.

Fun.

After surgery and two more nights in the hospital I came home, but I've been too weak to get out of bed, much less check e-mail, etc.

So.

My primary care physician told me it would take a month or so for my body to recover from the blood loss; my Ross Procedure was scheduled for 11.7, a little over four weeks away.

I e-mailed Dr. Stelzer and he agreed that we should put off the AVR surgery for a while, probably until the beginning of December. His perspective was that the "little stress test" of the blood loss at least demonstrated that my heart is in good condition, and agreed that waiting on the Ross Procedure is a good idea.

Damn. I thought I had the rest of the year all planned out...

I also had to cancel a wedding shoot this past Saturday (found a pinch hitter, thank God), and a magazine assignment this Monday.

In all seriousness, this was one of the most frightening experiences of my life... if not THE most frightening experience. The amount of blood I was losing was beyond anything I've ever seen. I didn't seem to be getting the attention I needed in the ER, and it wasn't until I started blacking out and yelled for help that they started really working on me. Then, suddenly, there were six people in the room. And even though I was very glad they were going to go back in and suture up the wound, I was a bit nervous about a second anesthesia experience just a week after the first.

All in all, very frightening, very sobering.

But today has been a good day.

Our lives are so fragile...

 

[Nan]

Wow, that is scary stuff that you have gone through! Particularly scary about the treatment (or lack thereof) that you were given in the ER. Glad you are feeling somewhat better.

Gee, it seems that what we would consider "minor" (compared to OHS) surgery can be more serious than the "major" surgeries! Sorry yours was in that category.

Hope you are feeling stronger and better each and every day.

 

[Adrienne]

That is unbelievably scary! I have a feeling that after all you have been through recently, when you finally do have your OHS, it will seem like a breeze!

 

[Karlynn]

Stretch - so very sorry to hear of your ordeal. How terrifying. Sounds like the ER has an issue and I'm sure when you have the energy, you'll make sure the hospital knows they need to take a look at their triage and response times, to say the least.

Best wishes. Rest and get some energy back.

 

[Lynlw]

Stretch, I'm so sorry you went thru that how scarey, I am glad they finally paid attention to you how awful that must of been. I'm sorry you have to miss a magazine shoot, for you and the magazine, (i really like your work) actually I was beingning to wonder where you were and was going to email you if we didn't hear from you soon,Please take it easy and don't push yourself. and I'm thinking you made good choices on your valve plan, Lyn
ps do you have someone that can post here for you when you need prayers?

 

[Marguerite53]

Well, honestly....after that....any kind of heart surgery is going to be easy!! That was way too much drama!! I'm so glad that Dr. Stelzer was able to respond to you, and in a comforting way. That must truly have scared the bajeebers out of you.

Prior to my AVR I had my first colonscopy and a month later had to have a breast biopsy where they put in a wire to locate the bugger and then excise it. My anesthesiologist scared me big time because he wasn't comfortable putting me out!! (my AV measure was .53). But you know, I just thought, hey....this is how it all has to go down.....this is the stuff I decided to do before my AVR and I just have to grin and bear it. Of course, I had better luck than you!!!

The Waiting Room can be hell, but we all get through it!! There will be a ticket out!!

Hang in there and please have better days these next few weeks!

Good luck. Keep us posted about your plans.

Marguerite

 

[StretchL]

Stretch - so very sorry to hear of your ordeal. How terrifying. Sounds like the ER has an issue and I'm sure when you have the energy, you'll make sure the hospital knows they need to take a look at their triage and response times, to say the least.

Best wishes. Rest and get some energy back.

Thanks, Karlynn. Even though I sort of feel like doing so, I don't think I'm going to raise hell with anyone about the ER. I do think I could have been tended to more quickly, but we live right in the city, and the DT hospital where I was, gets all the wrecks, life-flights, knifings, shootings, etc... plus all the poor SOB's who have to go to the ER as primary care because of a lack of health insurance. They stay innundated... I suppose they got to me in time, even though it scared the crap out of me...

 

[StretchL]

ps do you have someone that can post here for you when you need prayers?

Thanks, Lyn. Yes, my wife, Noni (who shot that ugly mug of mine!) can do that... I didn't ask her to this time just because she had so much going on trying to work and take care of me... She'll definitely keep y'all in the loop when/if the Ross Procedure takes place!

 

[StretchL]

I'm so glad that Dr. Stelzer was able to respond to you, and in a comforting way. That must truly have scared the bajeebers out of you.

Ya... he's amazing, Marguerite... responded to my e-mail in less than 24 hours... said he'd have his sec'y call me to reschedule... how's that for service?

His nature is so kind... the first line of his e-mail was, "Wow! They really put you through the ringer!"

I think that pretty well sums it up, from a medical perspective.

 

[aussiemember]

Stretch - So sorry to hear of what you have been through - hope you soon start to feel much better - Jeanne

 

[Phyllis]

So very sorry to read this Stretch, but thankful that you are on the mend. You obviously picked a winner in Dr. Stelzer and I agree that your Ross will probably be a piece of cake after this past month. Rest up, heal well and let us know when you have a new date.

 

[Ross]

In all seriousness, this was one of the most frightening experiences of my life... if not THE most frightening experience. The amount of blood I was losing was beyond anything I've ever seen. I didn't seem to be getting the attention I needed in the ER, and it wasn't until I started blacking out and yelled for help that they started really working on me. Then, suddenly, there were six people in the room. And even though I was very glad they were going to go back in and suture up the wound, I was a bit nervous about a second anesthesia experience just a week after the first.

All in all, very frightening, very sobering.

But today has been a good day.

Our lives are so fragile...

Stretch you know how well I can relate. The only difference is, I didn't know because I could not see, how much blood I lost. When I got down to 67/40, I could feel things were not right and everything I looked at were as if the Sun was sitting directly where I was looking. Things were so bright, I could not see. Even after the colonoscopy, I'm still sitting on pins and needles waiting for a another possible event. I don't like it at all.

 

[Mb]

Dear Stretch:

Wow! That is some event! I can't blame you for being scared.....and postponing for a bit sounds like a great idea.

Man plans, God laughs. Sounds like He had a plan, somewhat different than your own, with regards to the timing of the surgery.

Heal well, my friend.

Marybeth

PS - Tell me that you are on antibiotics.

 

[susieq14]

Stretch,

What a scary ordeal! I'm so sorry for all that you went through. Although it is understandable to a degre; it is really unforgiving what you had to endure in the ER. Unfortunately that is the sad state of affairs of health care in our country. However, your surgeon is a definite ray of sunshine. I envy you for finding someone so caring and compassionate. I hope I am as fortunate when my day comes....
Anyway I hope that you recover quickly and well from this ordeal. And that you get get your valve surgery rescheduled without too much confusion.

Take Care!!!!

Susie

 

[AlonnolA]

Wow stretch - what an awful experience. Makes you want to swear off hospitals for a long time! Sometimes I think the most dangerous part of surgery is not the procedure itself, but being in the hospital, having all those different people poking and prodding you. You hope they're paying attention like they should! From everything I've read about him, Dr. Stelzer sounds like a guy who really pays close attention to his patients, so hopefully that procedure (when you finally get to it) will go smoothly for you.

 

[Mary]

I'm happy to see you back and posting.
Hopefully, there will be no more drama until your Ross Procedure.

 

[StretchL]

Stretch you know how well I can relate...

Yes, Ross, indeed I do. I was thinking of you as I was writing that post. SO many here, in cluding you and your son, have been "through the wringer," that my problems seemed to pale in comparison.

I've always heard that these kinds of medical experiences change one's perspective; I'd thought that was a cliche, but it's so true.

As I lay there on the ER table, looking at the blood in the bed-side commode and waiting for the dox to do something (ANYTHING), I thought about and prayed for the thousands of people in under-developed parts of the world who at that very moment must be in a similar but more desperate medical situation... hemorrhaging, afraid, slowly dying, but, in their case, without the benefit of medical care, completely alone, without sanitation or even clean water to drink, without hope of recovery.

The only difference is, I didn't know because I could not see, how much blood I lost. When I got down to 67/40, I could feel things were not right and everything I looked at were as if the Sun was sitting directly where I was looking. Things were so bright, I could not see.

Interesting... everything was going gray on me... mebbe you were headed toward a bright shiny place and I was headed... ???

 

[StretchL]

PS - Tell me that you are on antibiotics.

I asked the ER dox as well as the surgeons several times about an antibiotic prophylactic and each time they demurred. I'm not sure why. I think I'll ask my cardiologist (chief at the same hospital) about it via e-mail.

 

[Wise]

Sorry to hear about this temporary setback. You have really been through some unexpected turns on your way to your Ross procedure. Take care and hope you don't experience any more "excitement" of the uninvited kind.

 

[pipersmith]

WOW - how scary. I hope that you are on the mend - for real this time.

This may sound a little cheesy - but bear with me. . .

have you ever come around a turn, just to see that an accident just happened exactly where you would have been if you hadn't (gotten behind a slow driver, stopped for that coffee, had to wait on your 10 year old to go back into the house 3 times) ?

Maybe this is the universe's way of making sure that you have your surgery exactly - how and when - you need to. (albeit an interesting strategy )

Best of luck to you!!