Sunday, Scary Sunday

So some of you may have noticed my total absence the last two days. And not just from here, but from Facebook and anywhere else. We've had a wee emergency... or not wee. In fact it what pretty darned scary.

source

HWMNBMOTI (he who must not be mentioned on the internet, for the uninitiated) had what seemed like the flu Saturday... except in retrospect the vomit was the wrong color (TMI, right? But read anyway, as I had NO CLUE how important this might be)--it was coffee colored and mucousy. When his DIET had NOT been. (that is the clue to remember--coffee colored).

Then he seemed flu-ee all day—fever, sweats, chills... He vomited... I guess 3 more times... only once more in a place I had to clean it up... yup... still coffee colored... as was the bowel stuff—black and tarry. (as in... like tar). Ick.

And then on Sunday morning.... okay, we get to the real TMI part... with a 5 am bowel movement he could no longer stand—nearly lost consciousness... Called for me, I called the ambulance, as he couldn't get up...

We spent all Sunday morning in the ER... he was bleeding SOMEWHERE in his digestive system... A LOT (this would be the CAUSE of coffee-colored vomit and/or black tarry stool--so you KNOW.... They estimated he lost 1/3 of his blood--through this GI bleed. But FINDING FROM WHERE is another matter. They flushed fluids in then out of the stomach (through a tube in the nose *shivers*) and can see what is there... initially it was the black flaky of dried blood but by the time they get him all poked and prodded and moved up to critical care it was red... so the bleed was either stomach or upper GI...

They did a scope and FOUND it (upper intestine near the duodenum)--a clot they thought was over an aspirin induced ulcer—they clipped the clot (twice) to stop the places it was leaking blood. But they WEREN'T sure that was the only internal injury—though his numbers have all stabilized.

They moved him from critical care to a regular hospital room yesterday, but will keep him at least another day.

So my apologies for not getting around like I should yesterday and Sunday—I will try to catch up. And apologies for my absence. But as you all know, sometimes life takes over.

HWMNBMOTI has a VERY good prognosis, though I am a little nervous as to whether they resolved it... it's highly likely the next few flu episodes will send us to urgent care, just to avoid this.

Anyway, that's where I've been and why I've been scarce. I will work hard to catch up, as tomorrow I have a special guest (February Grace) and want her to get the full attention she deserves.

So there you have it... my excuses, regrets, and pleas to not hold it against me or my guests. I will get back to normal (for me) shortly.