After my first below-knee amputation about seven months ago, I didn't notice any bleeding leaking through the bandage. But now, following this above-knee amputation, the dressing on the stump is bloody, and the wound actually bled right onto the pillow the limb was resting on. I'm honestly just terrified that it might start bleeding even more heavily tonight, and they won't even notice because the patient isn't in the ICU. I don't understand how there isn't any room in intensive care for such a critically ill patient, at least for those first couple of days after an amputation while things are stabilizing.
Mom has some serious issues with her arterial circulation. She’s dealing with foot ischemia—basically, enough blood isn't reaching her foot, which is causing ischemia to set in. It's slowly turning into gangrene; her leg looks blue and ischemic. The pain she's in is just awful. It started with her right leg, but now the left one is acting up too. I went to visit her today, and honestly, things don't look great. She spends most of her time sleeping, though I think she understands quite a bit of what's going on. She hasn't eaten much, either. She's on an IV right now. I'm really worried because the wound bled onto her pillow, but the nurse just said it was normal. She mentioned they had to change her dressings twice today. She's just in a regular hospital ward. She actually had surgery yesterday, but she wasn't even moved to the ICU, where she would have had much better conditions to recover.
Could someone—maybe a doctor here—tell me if this heavy bleeding from the wound is okay just one day after surgery? Is it possible she could bleed out from this? I'm just so incredibly worried.
Thank you for the kind words. I asked my sister about it, and she said we don't necessarily have to let this turn into a full-blown wound; she actually applied a dressing to the area. This all just developed over a few days while she was in a different ward—one where they don't seem to pay as much attention to patients with limited mobility. Honestly, my biggest worry is how I'm going to manage once she's back home. I'm wondering if I can really handle everything on my own, even with a visiting nurse who might only stop by for a few minutes a day. I went through this whole ordeal once earlier this year, but back then, her disability wasn't nearly as severe as it is now. I'm also home alone with my dad, who is getting quite old himself. I try to talk things through with him, but it's... difficult. I think he just doesn't realize that things aren't going to be the same as before, back when she only had issues with her right lower leg.
I guess I should jump in here too. My Mom had an above-knee amputation on her left leg yesterday. It’s just been one thing after another—she already had a below-knee amputation on her right leg about seven months ago, and she was finally starting to recover, and then this happens. On top of everything, she’s dealing with kidney issues. Now, some blisters have started appearing on the skin of her backside ever since she spent those few days at Mount Sinai Hospital. While she was at home, she didn't have any of these blisters. Her nurse at the hospital put some kind of bandage on them today. Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to get through this... I feel like I'm doing nothing but crying.
I honestly don't understand why they're making things so unnecessarily complicated. Between these new referral protocols, the sudden inability to get the same treatment we used to rely on, and this whole strike... it's just too much. I’m caring for a very seriously ill patient at home right now, and I have to say, I am deeply bitter about it all. This patient spent their entire career as a physician, dedicated to serving the community, and now? Now they're facing inadequate care and, frankly, what feels like an ironic smirk from our own doctors. Living in the North, it feels like we could just head over to Canada if we had to, especially since we're part of the European Union now. My patient isn't terminal—it's not like they have cancer and have already been written off. It’s a different kind of illness entirely, one where people can actually recover if there is genuine will and expertise applied. Yet, I recently received these incredibly vague, nonsensical suggestions to just administer morphine and let nature take its course, as if they're already a lost cause. That's despite the fact that they recovered remarkably well after their first major surgery and are functioning quite well within their current limits. It feels like these new systemic issues could be resolved if there was actual competence and effort, rather than just relying on morphine to mask the problem.
I’m actually dealing with something very similar right now. My Mom had gangrene in her right foot, and earlier this year, she had to undergo a below-the-knee amputation on that leg. Honestly, you really worried me when you mentioned your dad is facing gangrene in his other leg. I guess... was there really no way to prevent that? Did he have diabetes? For my Mom, her toes on the other foot started turning blue, and she’s also dealing with a contracture in that knee. I’m just so terrified that she might end up with gangrene in the other leg too. Her blood sugar levels usually look fine on an empty stomach, but whenever she eats something, it spikes—sometimes hitting around 11. She takes Glurenorm for her sugar. She hardly smokes anymore, maybe just a couple of puffs a day, definitely less than one cigarette total. The worst part is when she gets the urge in the evening and just won't let it go until she has those few drags. On top of that, she has kidney issues; her creatinine is around 200. I really don't know what else I can do to keep that other leg from failing. I try to work the leg through its range of motion and give it a gentle massage several times a day. She also takes Martefarin every single day; she's on long-term therapy under a hematologist's care.
I was wondering if this D1 referral covers both blood work and seeing the hematologist at the hospital for the entire year. I mean, does that count as outpatient treatment? My mom usually sees her hematologist once a month, and she gets her blood drawn on that same day at the hospital. What kind of referral would we actually need for that? The doctor wrote on her last lab report that she should bring a referral for outpatient services next month, but he didn't specify which tests need to be done. It’s not like they run the exact same panel every single time. They always do the CBC, INR, coagulation profile, urea, and creatinine. Sometimes they also check transaminases and electrolytes. I finally asked the nurse at the hospital exactly what kind of referral we need to bring next time, but she just told me that the primary care physician decides on the referral and that she couldn't tell me what's required. It was strange because just the day before, I saw that same nurse giving a very detailed explanation to another patient about which referral they needed to bring, so I don't know why she wouldn't help me with my mom's situation. I'm honestly pretty worried that they might turn us away next time; Mom is in a wheelchair, so it’s not easy for us to get there, and I'd hate for us to be sent home just because of a paperwork error.
Thanks so much for the reply. Honestly, I’ve actually had an experience where a regular ophthalmologist completely missed a retinal tear. I ended up seeing a second specialist privately, and only then did they catch the rupture and refer me to a retina specialist at the hospital. I really think it’s best if that person with diabetes you mentioned goes straight to a retina specialist for an exam. They just have so much more specialized experience. That said, I suppose you can still find a decent general ophthalmologist who knows their stuff regarding the retina. I don't have diabetes myself, but my grandfather did—he was diagnosed later in life, and it really took a toll on his vision. He even went in for laser treatment, but unfortunately, he still ended up going blind. Personally, I’m terrified of lasers, even though I don't go to that specific hospital in Chicago that he used. It’s just a huge fear for me, knowing there's a laser sitting right there next to the doctor.
I honestly don't quite get this. I mean, a general practitioner shouldn't really be performing a retinal exam on their own. Maybe she was just following guidelines to refer him to a standard ophthalmologist instead? So, he had a fixed appointment scheduled for a specific day with a retinologist, and she just flat-out refused to give him the referral? I actually missed my annual checkup this year because I was looking after my mom while she was sick, so I'm planning to reschedule toward the end of this month. I need to grab a referral before then, too. I really hope they'll just give it to me. It’s just... four whole years ago, I had to undergo laser treatment because of a retinal detachment. One thing though—at the facility where I go for my follow-ups, they call it the Laser Suite, yet most people there haven't even had laser surgery; they're just there for routine checks. I guess maybe they try to direct people to a regular outpatient clinic first, and then if things take a turn for the worse, they send them to a specialist retinologist. In my case, a private ophthalmologist was the one who caught the retinal detachment, and he's the one who referred me to the hospital retinologist four years ago. Usually, the wait times at the standard clinics aren't nearly as bad as they are with the specialists, and from what I've heard from people who went last year, they still dilate your pupils and perform the exact same exams.
I see some mentions here about certain neurological issues being a contraindication for the barokomora. I was wondering if perhaps one of the doctors could clarify which specific neurological conditions would rule someone out from using the barokomora? I haven't been able to find anything concrete online; I’ve searched through quite a few medical journals, but they all seem to focus strictly on the indications rather than the contraindications.
A patient was actually recommended for barokomora therapy by her hematologist—the one she sees regularly—to help with an issue involving her toe. This whole thing started after a manicurist improperly trimmed her nail. She’s currently on a long-term regimen of Martefarin because she dealt with a pulmonary embolism about 11 years ago, and she also suffered from arterial thrombosis in her right leg four years ago. That incident led to some claudication in that same leg and issues with her right pinky toe (dry necrosis), which eventually healed even though she didn't use the barokomora back then. I remember she used to apply Octenisept spray to that leg, but apparently, that isn't recommended for her anymore. She tried applying Octenisept to the toe just now, but it caused a really intense stinging sensation.
The current issue with her right toe is that it has turned a deep blue color and is incredibly painful; it hurts even when she's resting, especially at night, and the pain is so bad she can't sleep at all. I guess the question is, would the barokomora actually be beneficial for her? She has also been dealing with high blood sugar since October of this year, and since then, she’s been taking one and a half tablets of Glurenorm daily.
Regarding those neurological concerns, she has been experiencing something resembling a form of epilepsy for about four years now. It isn't a loss of consciousness per se, but more like a momentary disorientation where she just loses track of things for a second, and occasionally, there is some urinary incontinence. Her EEG results have been perfectly fine, both when she had one done earlier this year and two years ago. An MRI performed this summer showed some scarring on the brain, similar to what you'd see after a minor stroke, but the radiologist noted there’s no sign of any tumorous process—just old scarring. A brain CT from two years ago showed the same scarring, with no significant changes compared to this year's MRI. On top of all that, she has been dealing with kidney issues for several years; her creatinine levels usually range between 200 and 230.
I was also wondering, is heparin (like Fragmin) or something similar always administered via injection for foot ischemia? The first time this happened, six years ago, when she had the issues with her right foot and pinky toe following the arterial thrombosis, she was given heparin injections and spent 12 days in the hospital. Now that the condition has worsened, her hematologist has only suggested outpatient barokomora therapy; they didn't even recommend hospitalization. Her current medication is Martefarin 25%. Also, is it safe to use Byvacin spray on that nail? I wash it with saline or just tap water, dry it thoroughly, and then spray Byvacin around the nail. Is it okay if the Byvacin gets onto the blue skin surrounding the nail? She hasn't received very specific instructions from her doctors, just that she can shower, provided she dries the leg well and keeps the toe separated from the others using gauze. Finally, should she get another Doppler scan? She had one three weeks ago, but the toe wasn't this blue or this painful at night back then.
If anyone could provide some more specific information, I would be so incredibly grateful.
The company I used to work for was really pushing me to turn in paperwork within just one day for an absence. They wanted everything justified immediately, especially since they’re so strict with newer employees who haven't even earned any PTO yet. Personally, I don't think anyone should be coming into the office while they're sick, but I know plenty of people who do it anyway—which honestly just ends up spreading the germs to everyone else.
I get the feeling they held it against me because I had to miss a couple of days when I caught a nasty virus. It happened during my very first month on the job, though I ended up staying there for about five months total.
You don't actually have to show up in person. I guess someone else could head over there on your behalf, provided they make sure to bring both your ID and your Medicare card along.
I'm not really sure about that specific law. I mean, maybe you should just ask your sister where she goes for her follow-ups? A few years back, my sister mentioned to me that if I was scheduled for a checkup—like seeing an ophthalmologist at the hospital—within two weeks of my last appointment, I didn't need to bring a new referral because the old one was still valid. But, if the follow-up was set for a month out, then yeah, I had to grab a new referral. I guess I don't know if any regulations have changed since then. I do remember reading on a forum about a year ago that things were still working that way, though.
If you're going back for a follow-up within a month of your initial appointment (or checkup), I believe you only need to bring the referral for the first visit. I guess that rule still holds true today, maybe.
Please, don't go judging the man. He's struggling to process everything right now, and honestly, he's just terrified for his mom. Maybe you've handled a situation like this better than he has, but if that's the case, then maybe... I don't know, maybe give him some actual guidance instead? And regarding the idea that his partner should be more important than his mother—why couldn't they both be equally important? It's not that simple.
But if she missed the deadlines to register as unemployed, then I guess she won't be able to get that free mandatory health insurance coverage anymore. You really have to watch those windows... they can be so strict. Usually, it’s something like 30 days after leaving a job, or maybe 90 days once you finish school, or even 30 days after losing full-time student status.
My mom is dealing with kidney issues too. She basically has to cut out salt entirely. We don't add any salt to anything we cook at home anymore—not even a pinch. She also has to stay far away from things like canned soups, chips, or any processed snacks. She’s 67 now, and this whole kidney situation started about seven years ago. Since she also deals with blood clots in her leg, she ends up going in every couple of months for blood work and to see her hematologist at the hospital, where she gets her creatinine checked too. Her creatinine levels usually hover somewhere between 200 and 220, depending on the day. As for her creatinine clearance... we rarely get that tested; the last time was actually over a year ago. Most of her talks with the nephrologist happen over the phone lately because he retired from the hospital and moved into private practice. Honestly, things were much easier when he was still at the hospital, since she could go in for checkups way more often.
How old is your mom? What are her current creatinine and clearance numbers looking like? And do you know what caused the kidney problems in the first place? Where is she seeing her doctors? My mom had frequent blood clots, and it seems like they eventually affected her kidneys, so one of them doesn't work at all, and the other is damaged too. She’s on a permanent prescription for Coumadin.
I honestly don't think you ruptured your eardrum, so please don't worry too much. It sounds more like air just moved through your Eustachian tube—you know, that little passage connecting your nose to your ear. I remember an ENT specialist once told me that pinching my nose and blowing gently could help clear things out. I can't quite recall what the specific issue was back then (it was probably twenty years ago when I was still in elementary school), but I think it was just a clogged ear. The only difference is, my nose wasn't running at the time. If your ear feels blocked because of wax buildup, though, you really should see a doctor to get it flushed out, or maybe try using some Debrox drops and letting the water from the shower help out. If that doesn't do the trick, you definitely need to head to the clinic to have them irrigate it with some warm water.