Funny Blood: November 2007

Monday 26 November 2007

Clots of Love. . .

I'm back home and pleased to report that this was the only time I've had an op and not had any bloody surprises! No post op bleeding at all, as far as I can tell. By that I mean the pain has been containable, not unbearable, and there has been no major blood leakages from any orofi or entry points.

Woo hoo for "The Plan"! It worked.

Thank you to Dr's L and W for keeping a close eye on me and my levels and making sure I was topped up with lots of lovely platelets and juicy clotting factor.

The op went well and discovered that I had some endometriosis which they heat treated and an inflammatory cyst which they lasered. My tubes were clear tho which is good, always nice to have clear tubes.

Doc A who put the scopes in said he couldn't really see if I had a septum in my womb cos there was too much blood squirtage any time he touched anything, so I could've probly done with higher levels prior to the op but at one point post op my factor viii was 271% and my Ricoh activity 194 - that's damn good for a Type III.

Now just resting up with a very bruised belly, chomping pain killers, injecting for a few more days, under exerting and waiting for my next apt in six weeks time to find out a bit more about what they saw.

Thank you for all the texts, emails, blog dedications, letters and phone calls of support - very kind and very much appreciated :)

Love and clots.

X

Monday 19 November 2007

Is Nail Polish a No No??

Tomorrow I'm off into hospital. I'm going for some internal investigations - a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy to be precise.

My gynaecologist has told me this is to look at the womb, tubes and ovaries, to deal with any ovarian cysts and to see if I have a septum in the womb. A septum is ably demonstrated in the sketch he drew for me below...

I think the little thing coming in at the top right corner is his hysteroscope, taking a look at the womb from above. Quite artistic don't you think?? I hope his handiwork inside me is a little more precise...

Not wishing to worry you but I had a d & c and laparoscopy when I was a teenager and it's not a particularly splendid memory with post-op bleeding into my womb and pelvis and weeks in the Duchess of York hospital in Withington having it all drained out time and time again.

But I am putting my faith in the haemotologists at QE and at the Women's Hospital in Brum, they are working together and have come up with (in a deep and dramatic voice) "A Plan".

This is good. "A Plan" is exactly what they need, what I need, to avoid any of the previously experienced blips - such as hitting a hepatic vein whilst doing a blind liver biopsy. Where they scan your side, mark the spot with an X and then stick a big old needle in to draw out a sample of your liver without actually being aware of what bleeding vessels are loitering under the surface ready to be ruptured.

That was a horrible time, more so for my husband and family than for me - I was just in pain and then in recovery in intensive care. The lesson was hopefully learned by my doctors that von Willies do not always do what you expect - in a bleeding sense of course - and from now on they do all biopsies on all bleeders via the vein so I'm told. In from the neck and down through the vein so there's no chance of any accidental damage.

The poor registrar who performed the biopsy was ever so apologetic and guilt ridden and really rather attractive and I'm sure he would have taken me out to dinner to apologise had Ade not been by my side during most of my stay.

So, my "Plan" (same voice) consists of taking my clotting factor levels after admission tomorrow - the day prior to the op. Then giving me enough factor to get me to levels of at least 100%. Then maintaining those levels by checking and, if necessary, topping up every six hours up to and beyond the op. Also they are going to give me a platelet transfusion before the op and tranexamic acid pills throughout - which should prevent any clots from breaking down, which as von Willie clots they are wont to do. I'll be kept in for at least 24 hours afterwards to monitor for any post-op haemorrhages.

Sound good huh?

Sounds like they are thinking about my treatment, anticipating problems and preparing for them, which to me is as good as it gets. I'm happy. I think Ade is, although he is bound to be worried because his only experience of me being hospitalised was the cock up occasion. Hopefully a straightforward time in hospital will restore some of his faith and ease his concerns slightly?

I guess I'm used to being in hospital, used to handing over control of my welfare to healthcare teams and not worrying about it. After so many years. I think if I was watching someone else having an op then I'd be far more worried about them than about my own - funny that.

When they ultrasounded me earlier this year to see if there was anything adding to my heavy bleeding the scan lady (radiologist?) thought I might have endometriosis. The gynae thought that it looked more like a septum in the womb - see artwork above. This is where the top wall of the womb is either extending down into the womb or is fallen down into the womb. Looking at it from below (laparoscopy) will show if there is endometriosis or a septum. Looking from above (hysteroscopy) will tell him if the top wall of the womb has grown down or fallen down. Then he can deal with both options. Does any of this make sense?? I'm hoping it will when he comes and sees me tomorrow!

I'm supposed to be in for about three days and they're doing it all under general anaesthetic which I much prefer, could do with a good sleep!

My main concern right now is - should I touch up my toenail polish for the procedure or do I have to remove all nail polish for the op - help, I can't remember??!!

I'll let you know how it goes...

xxx