A Fun Trip to the ER

I knew that my surgery and discharge went too smoothly.  I always have at least one unexpected complication.  That’s just how I roll.  

At 6am, I noticed I was bleeding a bit from the surgical drain hole under my left breast.  I put some gauze and an abdominal pad over it and went back to sleep.  When I woke up at 10am, I was lying in a pool of blood, like I had been shot.  I had to yell at Claire and Julia not to come in.  It would’ve scarred them for life.  

After sending photos to my surgeon, I went to the ER.  Jeff wasn’t allowed inside, so he went back home.  I was admitted to a room right away and lay there bleeding though my robe and the hospital blankets, waiting for my surgeon to come.  The ER doctors didn’t even know what DIEP surgery was, so they just drew my blood and checked my hemoglobin, which was a little low from the blood loss but not critical. At one point I got up to use the bathroom and left a huge trail of blood in the hallway.  

My surgeon finally arrived and thought the flap was okay (huge sigh of relief!) and that the drain had probably pierced a vein in my abdomen.  I’m on a blood thinner and ibuprofen so that exacerbated the blood loss.  He gave me injections of epinephrine and added stitches and pressure, and that stopped the gushing.  

My surgeon does not enjoy being in the ER.  He’s a germaphobe, and Travis County has been experiencing a spike in COVID cases.  There was a code blue on the COVID floor while we were talking.  He insisted on sanitizing my phone for me.  

My surgeon checked on me after an hour and the bleeding was still under control, so I should be going home in the next hour.  I can’t wait to get out of this place. 

In case I needed surgery, I avoided food and water all day, so now I’m grumpy and starving.  I told Jeff to fill the car with snacks when he comes to pick me up.  And clothes that aren’t soaked with blood.  What a fun adventure!