Hemorrhaging at two weeks PP

I meant to write this blog a long time ago so I wouldn't forget little details that happened that day. Last night I couldn't stop thinking about writing this blog because I don't want to forget the small miracles I saw not only during this experience but throughout my whole pregnancy, even though it was a rough ride.

I had pretty much stopped bleeding after the first week postpartum. I was back on my blood thinners and I was really excited to not be pregnant anymore. On Thursday June 9th, 11 days PP, I woke up and noticed blood on my sheets and clothes. I didn't think anything of it and went on with my day, the bleeding didn't get any worse. The next morning, I woke up around 6 and could feel that I was bleeding again. I went to the bathroom and cleaned up, changed my clothes, and when I went back to bed I told Tyler it looked like a crime scene in there (ha...just wait Kelli). I went to the bathroom again about 30 minutes later and there was a lot of blood again. I am really bad with blood and get light headed pretty easy. I cleaned up again and threw myself on the bed (feeling really light headed) and told Tyler that I think something's wrong I don't think this is normal. He was already putting the baby in the carseat, we decided to go to the ER. Tyler dropped me off at the front and I slowly walked in, wearing one of the very uncomfortable large pads I got from the hospital. I went to the front desk and told the lady I think I am postpartum hemorrhaging, she said okay go ahead and sign in on the computer. In my head I got mad at her for this, I felt really weak and it was hard to stand up. They got us back really quickly and tested my blood and did an ultrasound to see if there was something stuck in my uterus making me bleed. They didn't see anything and my levels weren't low enough to keep me there so they sent us home. I laid on the couch and Tyler made me a breakfast burrito. That was nice of him. I knew I needed to eat to help keep my strength but I didn't really feel hungry. I kept water right by me because it seriously felt like when I would drink it, it would give me life. At some point that morning Tyler went and got me adult diapers because I used all the huge pads from the hospital and regular maxipads were not cutting it. I went through 3 pairs of pants that morning until I decided to just lay on the couch in the mesh underwear from the hospital with a diaper. I was laying on a towel and a blanket. About every 30 minutes I would go to the bathroom and clean up, that would take like 5 minutes and I would get hot, sweaty and light headed each time because of the blood. At one point, I was bleeding a steady stream of blood, like if someone left the faucet on a little. That freaked me out. I called my dr's office and talked to the nurse, she kept asking "can you soak through two maxi pads in an hour?" I was pretty sure I could. I knew heavy bleeding after delivery is normal, but I wish I could have been more certain that this was definitely not normal. I was passing a lot of clots at this point, they looked like large grapes. This is also normal, but I was passing 3 or 4 every time I went to the bathroom. So like 6-8 large grape size clots an hour. Around noon Tyler's brother came over to help give me a blessing. When he knocked on the door, Tyler came out of the room and I could tell that he had been crying. I didn't know if I could sit up for the blessing but I did. I just laid my head against the couch. I had no strength and I don't think I said two words to Bryce because I was so tired. Sorry Bryce.

So this kept on for the rest of the afternoon, I would get up clean all the blood, pass a lot of clots, wait until I wouldn't pass out if I stood up and tried to make it back to the couch to recover for my next trip to the bathroom in what felt like a couple minutes. I drank lots of water when I laid down. Like I said, that was giving me life and I felt like that is what was kind of keeping me awake/alive. At around 2 we got a knock on the door and it was my dad. He had made a surprise trip up. What a time haha I put a blanket on (still not wearing pants) and he came in and met Leila and gave us all hugs. My doctor prescribed me some medicine so this was perfect timing. We needed someone to go get it but Tyler definitely couldn't leave me alone. My dad went to Smith's and got my medicine. While he was gone I started passing big clots. I probably passed 3-4 the size of plums. I remember I stood up and they just started coming out. It was a really strange strange feeling. I showed them to Tyler and he was pretty freaked out, too. One of the times I was in the bathroom I started feeling very lightheaded and I got really hot. I wasn't even able to clean up or change myself, I got too lightheaded. I called out for Tyler but he couldn't hear me because there was a fan on in the living room and he was playing with the baby. Somehow I made it out of the bathroom, I felt myself blacking out so I kind of dove for the couch. Well, I guess I didn't make it because I woke up to Tyler saying "Kel, Kel are you okay?!" and I was laying on my back on the floor on the fan. He helped me up and got me back laying down. "I'm okay" I said and reached for my water. Tyler said I was SO white and my lips were the same color as my skin. He started pacing and called my dr and told him that we were coming in because I just blacked out. My dr said that was a good idea. Tyler got the baby ready, got me some pants and we started down the stairs. We live on the 3rd story so this took a long time. Tyler wanted me to move quickly and was acting very "urgently", completely understandable, but I couldn't go fast because I didn't have any energy and knew I would pass out. It is a weird feeling trying to keep yourself from fainting. I was trying so hard to stay awake. I really felt life leaving me. Its an out of body experience when your spirit is fine but your body is failing. We got to the last set of stairs and I told Tyler I had to sit down. And then I laid down on the metal stairs because I really needed a rest to make it to the car (The car was about 10-15 feet away). I blacked out but it must have only been for a couple seconds because I don't think Tyler noticed. He put the baby in the car, my dad happened to be coming back from smiths at this time and helped me on the stairs. I wanted to rest on the stairs for a little bit longer but Tyler was really wanting me to get up (again, understandable), he pretty much picked me up and took me to the car. I hoped that I could make it there without passing out and I did! I laid down and said "Okay, Im okay, Im okay" and then I told Tyler to just take me to the ER. I was scared. He called my dr and told him we were going to the hospital and my dr said that's probably a good decision.
We go to the hospital and Tyler drove up to the front. There was no way I could walk this time so the baby and I stayed in the car and he got a wheelchair. A doctor that was coming to work happened to walk by just at the right time to wheel me into the hospital while Tyler parked the car with the baby. The dr had a bag of food and he joked about spilling it on me and them thinking I was bleeding because he had packed spaghetti. Good one dr. lol I said I'm here for hemorrhaging lol. The immediately took me back and checked my blood and it had dropped to a 9. My normal blood count is probably around 14 or 15. Blood transfusions are usually given at 6 or 7. There wasn't any rooms available on the L&D floor so I stayed on the med-surge floor. I was hooked up to a lot of machines the whole time I was there and the heart monitor I had to keep in the pocket of my gown would always make my milk let down. lol They started me on medicine to stop bleeding. It was the worst feeling like life was leaving my body and I can't tell you how helpless I felt. I am so grateful for doctors and nurses and medicine because without them I probably wouldn't be here. I stayed in the hospital for two nights and my blood dropped to either 7.2 or 7.5 (I can't remember) before leveling out. My doctor said he would have ordered a transfusion if hadn't started to look and feel better. One of the times I went to the bathroom while at the hospital my nurse came running to the bathroom door and asked if I was okay and I said yes? I'm just going to the bathroom and she said you scared me your heart rate went up to over 160 bpm! That's over 80% of my maximum heart rate. My heart was working so hard! Of course I was tired and it was a lot of work getting up but I didn't realize I was working THAT hard.

When they let me go home I was scared and I questioned if I should be released. I wasn't allowed to be alone (especially with the baby) for two weeks or so. Here I am 3.5 months after and I feel like I am STILL getting my blood back up. One of the weirdest things is how much water I would drink and that I hardly went to the bathroom. My body needed it all. I weighed myself a few days before this happened and when they weighed me at the hospital I was 5-7lbs  lighter. Not sure how much of that was blood but I thought that was pretty crazy. Again, I am so thankful for everyone who helped me, especially Tyler who watched Leila the whole time and made all the right decisions for me.


Miracles of this experience:
Bryce & Tyler giving me a blessing
My dad showing up unexpectedly
The dr that wheeled me in
That L&D was full. I dont think they would have let Leila stay there with me, which would have been hard emotionally and nursing-wise. Plus she slept in the bed with me because there were no rules against it. :)

So many people were angels to me and I have no doubts that I was being watched over. Thank you for all those who prayed and reached out to me during this time. It made a difference. We really are here to help and support each other.

Love,
Kelli

PS We really aren't sure why I bled so much. Your uterus usually goes through a round of contracting around two weeks PP so it might have been that or something might have been stuck. Whatever it was, I was still on my high dose of blood thinners according to my pregnancy weight, and they made me bleed a lot.

Thankful to be here and to be feeling good!!:)