Monday I had my annual physical and thought everything was good until Tuesday morning when my doctor’s office called and said I should get over to the ER for a blood transfusion since my hemoglobin levels were so very low. What? So I went to the ER and they had my paperwork from my doctor and asked me if I was really sick because I didn’t look sick or act like someone who was on death’s door, except for the fact that my heart rate was 110. They took more blood and determined that yes I really was in trouble because my hemoglobin level was 6.9, half of what it should be.
I suffer from chronic anemia, but thought I had it under control. However, now they were concerned that I could be bleeding internally. I was admitted to the hospital because blood transfusions take three to four hours per unit of blood and they wanted to give me at least three or four units and they wanted to see if I was bleeding somewhere inside.
Thursday I had an endoscopy and on Friday I had a colonoscopy. The first test is a scope down your esophagus to look in your stomach and the second test is through the other end to look at your colon. There was no obvious signs of bleeding, but they did find polyps in my stomach so they took a biopsy and cauterize one that had some kind of fluid coming from it. Other than that they thought it looked pretty good and they said my colon looked pretty good too. So they gave me a shot of Procrit to help my bone marrow since my anemia was siphoning off my bone marrow to help my blood, and then they sent me home. It’s so good to be home!
For the most part my care at the hospital was good except for the first night when they tortured me for several hours trying to start an IV in my tiny little veins. I kept telling the nurses and doctors that I needed a central line since that is the way I’ve gotten blood transfusions in the past, but no one would listen to me because I’m just the patient and we don’t know anything since we didn’t go to medical school. My heart rate was already accelerated because of my blood loss, and the stress of the painful needle sticks and digs over and over again caused my heart rate to climb to 150 and I started having chest pains. At that point Norm said it was enough and insisted they stop. A doctor from the ER came in and put in a subclavian central line which was very easy and painless for me. I think this whole thing could’ve been avoided if my own doctor had been there. Unfortunately Scottsdale Healthcare does not allow you to see your own doctor while you’re in the hospital because they use doctors who are hospital specialists and they only consult with your doctor by phone. This is not the best way to manage a person’s health care.
Except for being sore and a little tired I’m doing pretty good. I think I’m sore from being handled by so many different people who really don’t know how to take care of my body. My husband Norm does a great job of taking care of me. It’s so good to be home — I know I said that already. Some things are worth repeating.
