Anemia and high blood pressure

Jennellybean
on 2/2/16 2:19 pm - Canada

Hey all! 

I just went to the doctor's for a one-week follow up. I have been feeling insanely tired. I can't even get up my stairs without being incredibly light headed and short of breath. I'm normally pretty active, so this was worrisome. Due to the blood loss after surgery, I have anemia and my blood pressure is really high (it never was before). My doctor prescribed me liquid iron, and I have to go to him every weeks to monitor my hemoglobin levels and blood pressure. 

Has anyone ever experienced this before? Has anyone taken liquid iron after surgery? Does it hurt the pouch? The resident surgeon at TWH prescribed me iron pills, but my doctor said those would definitely be too rough on me. 

 

Thanks so much for everyone's support! 

Referral: April 28 2015 Orientation: July 29 2015 Social Worker: September 1 2015 Nurse Practitioner: September 16 2015 Nutrition Class: October 20 2015 Psychologist November 11 2015 Dietitian November 17 2015 Meet the Surgeon December 11 2015 Surgery January 26 2016

Hollynik
on 2/2/16 4:51 pm - Canada

I take liquid iron and have been on and off for the past couple of years.  I took it right after surgery and it has been no problem for me.  Take it with a chewable vitamin c to help with absorption.  If it's fer n sol, for me it doesn't cause any bathroom issues either.  Lori

 

steff1970
on 2/3/16 3:32 am - cambridge , Canada
RNY on 07/09/12

I have been taking liquid iron for a few years now along with 900 mgs  capsules daily ...it doesn't seem to bother me but you could be different....all the best to you

 REFFERAL.....APRIL 2010    ORIENTATION.....JULY 14, 2011       SURGERY.....JULY 9, 2012                            

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sfayad
on 2/4/16 12:09 am - Canada

Hi jenn 

have not been on site due to the complications I have had. I guess I just expected everything would go perfect. 

I had my surgery Jan 25 and postoperative suffered a bleed ( dr thinks from a staple that started to bleed)

in Hosp the bleed caused me to loss a lot of blood and dropped my hemaglobin to 72 

really scary going to the bathroom and to find your actively bleeding. 

With all said my dr was sure that it would resolve on his own. I was so close to a blood transfusion that I told him I did not want. 

2 days later the bleed subsided and I was ready to go home. I had to have blood work daily to insure it was surely stopped. 

But going home I found myself exhausted. It was hard to walk stand and move. All I wanted to do was sleep. It's been one week and my hemaglobin is at 82 and climbing. Just takes time I guess. I have been in ferrous gluconate to boost my red blood cells and give me more energy slowly. The good thing is during all this the weight has been falling off me. I've dropped 19 lbs since home and daily my weight is changing. 

My family dr said it could take a month or so for my hemaglobin to rise to normal. 

Im just trying to stay healthy and continue to follow my program. 

 

Simon

Jennellybean
on 2/4/16 4:57 am - Canada

Simon, 

Our stories are nearly EXACTLY the same. Incredible. I was fine on Tuesday when I had my surgery. I was up walking around right out of the recovery room and felt fine. On Wednesday, they started the process of preparing me to go home. They unhooked my IV line and started giving medication orally. When they unhooked my IV line I started to cry and said that I felt like they're unhooking me too early. I felt something was wrong. About 15 minutes later I started vomiting blood- fresh, red blood. All I remember are nurses running around everywhere and them hooking my IV lines back up and then two resident surgeons standing by me trying to figure out what to do. They hooked me up to another IV line (one in each hand), and I had 2 bolus infusions. I kept vomiting and kept losing blood for about 12 hours. I was weak and sore and miserable. They had me lined up for a blood transfusion but thankfully my vomiting subsided after the 12 hours. The next day I suffered from melena- where the blood was coming from the other end- that was disgusting. 

I'm on iron now and can't do ANYTHING without becoming exhausted to the point of nearly fainting. Even showering is a struggle. I went to my family doctor on Tuesday and he's having me visit him weekly until my blood stabilizes and my heart rate goes to normal. Coming out of surgery my heart rate was up over 200. It's lower now, but I'm tachy, so it's always changing. I've been told to not push myself, walk a little bit, but mainly rest. 

They also can't do blood work on me until next week because the hospital blew out so many of my veins trying to get blood from me! 

What an ordeal. 

We'll get through this. Know that you're not alone! We're dealing with the EXACT same thing! If you ever want to talk, I'm here! I'm not someone who waltzed out of surgery feeling great, but rather, cried my face off wondering what the hell I did to myself because going into surgery I had NOTHING wrong with me.

I have faith it will all be worth it though. Every day is a little bit better, right??

Referral: April 28 2015 Orientation: July 29 2015 Social Worker: September 1 2015 Nurse Practitioner: September 16 2015 Nutrition Class: October 20 2015 Psychologist November 11 2015 Dietitian November 17 2015 Meet the Surgeon December 11 2015 Surgery January 26 2016

sfayad
on 2/4/16 8:36 am - Canada

OMG jenn 

we are exactly alike. My bleed was from a bleeding staple and wow did I bleed. Your right bleeding rectally is no fun. My concern was the amout I was bleeding. Don't know how low your hemoglobin was mine was 72 and critically low. Was not till my rectal bleeding subsided was I feeling better.  

Jenn it was hell for the both of us. I had to stay an extra day to insure my hemoglobin did not drop future. 

Once home jenn I was like you. I was so weak 

but I truly believe it was not anything he did wrong it's risk of surgery you take and thankfully it's stopped and now healing. 

What is amazing for me now jenn is the weight is falling off me in big chunks it's crazy every day I'm lower 

I ve lost 19 lbs in the first 8 days 

that part is great to see. My family dr. Said that men will lose it in larger chunks 

Jenn I would love to talk if your up for it. 

Please get well as you have done so much hard work. 

Its just crazy how similar our situations are.  

 

Simon

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