Thank you Tuck for the update .Like everyone else I am glad Karen is okay .I know everyone was concerned .
Melissa
Thanks for the update, Tuck! It's good that she's okay.
Thanks! After reading about her throwing up blood, it was pretty concerning. Glad to know she's doing okay.
Just an update. A member has spoken to Karen after trying to contact for several days. The member was very relieved to discover that Karen is stable and did not go to ER. She has been working.
Her out patient procedure is still scheduled for tomorrow.
I just wanted to ease every one's concern.
~Tuck.
This is really getting worrisome. I really hope we get some news on Karen soon.
According to one of our members Karen is not answering her phone. So sorry, no word.
~Tuck
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.
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
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!
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!
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
Prayers from me too.
Hugs,
Flower
I'm thinking she must have been admitted?......sending you my prayers Karen..♥
Im sorry to hear that i hope you feel better and good luck in your surgery!
I'd love an update also...we were all so worried! I know you've been having computer problems, but it's been a few days since you started this thread, and we all just want our minds eased a little:) I'm hoping and guessing that no news is good news??
Any news on this??? Karen, I hope you got this checked out and are doing okay. Maybe I just can't find the update.
Hoping to hear some good news, Karen. Glad to hear you're getting this checked ASAAP! Thoughts and prayers are with you.
Jaybay is right about you needing a hemoglobin check - throwing up blood and feeling tired can = low hemoglobin which can need a transfusion to correct.
Last year I went through a period where I was throwing up alot (daily) and I noticed it was sometimes black too. And then one night I started throwing up blood - bright red, I threw up about a litre (I was very alarmed!) My partner took me to the ER. I threw up another litre as they were admitting me - they took my hemoglobin and they were alarmed at how low it was. Within 15 minutes of walking into the ER I was having an emergaency blood transfusion.
They did an endoscopy - it turned out I had an osophoegeal tear - they repaired it with an endo clip. I ended up having 4 blood transfusions and was in hospital for a week.
I guess I'm telling you this because if you have ANY more vomit that has blood in it (black vomit is often old blood) please go straight to the ER.
Good luck, hopefully we hear back from you soon saying you're okay :-)
Thank goodness...I hope you are getting checked, and let us know the outcome please:)
Oh thank the Lord! At the very least you need a quick hemoglobin check. I'm seriously worried about you!
I really think you need to get checked out but I know we both took long naps today and how that goes. I really think you should call your dr and let them know what is going on. I know how much you have been thru and how stressful it is to still be having problems but you need to stay on top of them so they don't get out of control. I wish you nothing but the best and you know I am always here for you.
Love
Jamie
Hi Karen I am sorry I am so late to post but I agree with everyone .You need to go to the ER and get checked out .Jaybay and the others are right this could be very serious .With all the problems you have had be safe and make sure it's nothing drastic going on .I hope you let us know how everything goes .Take care
Melissa
Jaybay,
You have convinced me, and so has everyone else. I'm getting off the site and will call my doctor right now....
Karen, my mother died of a GI bleed and that didn't show up in her stools either. She had been slowly bleeding internally for several years and refused to see a doctor until she nearly bled out. The last year of her life was transfusions every one to three weeks until the final hemorrhage.
The dark brown/ black material you are bringing up IS blood that has been collecting in your stomach, and you need to get to an ER NOW. I am not kidding. This is not something that you should take a "wait and see" attitude with. At the very least, call your gastroenterologist tonight. If he isn't on call, someone else will be covering for him. Please don't wait!