the latest adventures of madubois63

[madubois63]

So, it's 7:30 am on Saturday and I am still in a light sleep. I feel my nose dripping (blood) and wake up. I grab some tissues and pinch my nose. Get up, go to the bathroom, make some tea, check my e-mail...my nose is still bleeding. I use Ice...still bleeding...two hours go by and I called the oncology center. The NP calls me back and says to come in for a CBC. She tells me I will probably need a platelet transfusion. So I drive with my big box of tissues and I am still bleeding....my platelets are low but not seriously low. The doctor on call orders a transfusion...I drive to the hospital and have now have finished my second box of soft (aloe) tissues. A bed is waiting for me. They take some blood (I joke - why not just take it from my nose)...They didn't have my blood type, so I had to wait for a few hours for a delivery from the blood bank. My mom, sister and one nephew hop on the ferry and come to the hospital. It becomes obvious that I was not going home that day. After 7 1/2 hours and several of those scratchy cheap hospital tissues, my nose FINALLY stopped bleeding. This morning they did another CBC and then my oncologist's NP came in and said, "your not gonna like this..." My reds and whites dropped considerably since yesterday, but my platelets were good. They would not release me unless I had a blood transfusion. I agreed as long as I was home in myobed to watch Desperate Housewives. I got home about 7ish and feel fine. This was a total surprise to me. I felt fine except for the nose bleed...In any case love you all and am praying for all of us!!! Ugh - I hate this disease!!!!

[Barbara H.]

Dear Madubois,
So sorry to hear about your continuing ordeal. I'm impressed with your abtility to keep your humor through all of this, and laughed when you said you needed to get home to watch Desperate Housewives.
Thinking of you and hope you continue to feel better!
Best wishes,
Barbara H.

[Sheila]

Maryann
You turned a serious situation into a humorous one for all of us....you are so lucky you were not forced to use hospital kleenex....you would have suffered some serious abrasions along with everything else...so glad you are doing better.....take care of that nose...sounds like you have some delicate vessels in there that wanted to act up!

[Lolly]

Gosh, talk about springing a leak! So sorry you had such an ordeal, but your medical team sure takes good care of you.
My husband is a border-line "bleeder" and tends to get nose bleeds. Believe it or not, jello works wonders. It doesn't stop a bleed instantly of course, but will help prevent a recurrence if you eat some daily for a few days or so.
It's one of those folk medicine things, my mother-in-law told me about it.

Thanks for the update Maryanne
<3 Lolly

[Sue2001]

My goodness Maryann, what a way to spend your weekend! I'm so glad everything worked out ok and also that you made it home in time for Desperate Housewives. You have a wonderful outlook on life and a great sense of humor.

Take care of yourself. Sue

[Maggie]

Maryann, I'm glad your home and all is OK, now! Take care of your self and let us know how your doing in a couple of days.


Maggie

[CLTann]

Nose bleeding can be quite dangerous for any person. My folk treatment is to pinch the middle part of the nose for more than 6 minutes, while breathing through the mouth. That is the area where you can feel the indentation or concave shape. In most instance, the bleeding will stop. If one is vulnerable of nose bleeding, stop taking aspirin or blood thinning medication.

The above treatment obviously does not cause any harm. For safety, you should continue do what you would otherwise do, like going to the emergency room for help. Hopefully, you would have done what the medical team has spent 7 to 8 hours in their method.

Ann

[madubois63]

And would you believe?? No Desperate Housewives tonight AND Grey's anatomy is a rerun!!!! Not that I wanted to stay in the hospital...

I will try the jello - thanks!!!

[Chelee]

Hi madubois63, I am so sorry to hear about your ordeal...or should I say nightmare. Seems with this darn disease its always something. I was going to post and tell you Desperate Housewives weren't on after you hurried to get home...but I see you BEAT me to it in your second post.

I am on the herceptin, taxotere & carbpotin also. I have always worried a bit because I always have a bloody nose. Not like you are talking about! By no means even close. But maybe its the herceptin causing it? I just know EVERY time I blow my nose my tissue is full of blood. I do mean always. Not alot...but enough to have red all over the tissue. Not to mention occaisonally dried up blood clots that come from the back of my nose. It stays all crusty in there. I have had to really take care of it to keep it in check.

I like your sense of humor in such a situation as yours. Especially you telling them to take blood from your nose. lol I bet that got some laughs.

I can't believe you got through all that and actually made it home. Your a tough cookie! I hope and pray you are feeling much better by now. I am sending your WARM HEALING thoughts. Hang in there...and you are in my prayers.

[RhondaH]

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

[lisahammo]

Hi Maryann

Glad to hear you got through the ordeal. I was surprised to see your thread, as I was going to ask about nose bleeds tonight. I find that the Taxol gives me nose bleeds, and I get them about 2-3 times a week. I usually bleed for about 10-15 minutes, nothing like what you went through, but I have often wondered if anyone else has this problem.

My chemo was cancelled AGAIN today. 3rd week in a row. My platelets were very low, are now back up, but now my haemoglobin and neutrophils are low. Borderline blood transfusion. Very frustrating. I feel like I'm not doing anything to beat this bloody thing at the moment.

Look after yourself. We have Desperate Housewives on TV tonight, but no Greys Anatomy!

Take care.

Love Lisa

[cherylynnie]

Maryanne,

My nose bleed through most of chemo. Everytime I would blow my nose there was usually blood. I went through a boxes of tissues. Then when I had my last Taxotere, there was no more bleeding. It was weird.

If your nose is bleeding that badly sometimes nothing will stop it. All long time ago when we lived in Fort Worth, my husband was prone to nose bleeds, his bleed for over 2 hours and nothing would stop it. I had to take him to the emergency room, and they put a facial tampon (that is what they called it)up his nose and then he had to make an appointment with an ENT doctor to carterize the vessel that was broken. Of course it took two days to get the appointment. After that he carried around Afrin and tissues. The afrin helped stop the nose bleeds. He also used vaseline to moisted the area.

I stayed up to watch Greys and it was a rerun..argh. My husband hadn't seen that episode, so we still watched. He thought it was hysterical when the lady lived after her heart caught on fire.

Glad to hear you are feeling better, hang in there.

[tricia keegan]

HI Sorry to hear about your "ordeal".Nosebleeds can be very scarey.Mine bled all through chemo,again nothing like yours or as sudden but it went on for months and has only stopped now as I'm nine weeks finished chemo.Glad you could see the funny side though,I have found that a great attribute with this disease. Good health to all
Tricia

[madubois63]

Thanks for all the well wishes. when I was little, I would get nose bleeds when I got a cold, so I guess I have a sensative nose. I have been getting nose bleeds since being on Taxotere, but nothing like this. I truly was surprised that I needed a transfusion. I thought the headache I had was from my LOUD roommate...

[Sherryg683]

Hospitals suck and it was even worse that there was no Desperate Housewifes and I'm getting tired of all the Greys Anatomy reruns too. You have been through so much and keep plugging like the brave gal that you are. You are such an inspiration. Hope you don't have to go through that again...sherryg683

[Annemarie]

Hi,
I am glad you are feeling better and it was not cancer! I get nose bleeds with oral decadron.