THIS IS NOT MY PERIOD

Friday was St. Patrick’s Day. I bantered with anesthesiologists about great restaurants in Philly, and becoming a girls’ lacrosse coach, but really, I was not feeling well. I had four cases scheduled and helped my associate with another two, but they were all pretty light cases and I couldn’t wait to go home and rest.

I was bleeding. Really all along, since my biopsy. It had turned a blackish brown and lightened some mid week, but by Friday I was noticing a redder tinge and heavier flow. I called my doctor and she returned my call while I was doing my second to last case. She asked if the flow was like a period, and reminded me that irregular periods was the initial symptom that we were working on when we found this. I agreed, that it was not any heavier than a regular period, promised to call if it gets any heavier, finished my cases, passed by the office, then went home to rest. I put my feet up, ate some corned beef and cabbage, and went to bed. I was on call, but only got a call or two that night.

The next morning I got a call at 6 am. One of our patients in the hospital was vomiting and sick. The housestaff had taken care of making sure he wasn’t having a heart attack, but I decided to go in early to make sure he was OK. He was, and after we decided the nausea was some of the after-effects of anesthesia and pain medicine, I let him go home as we had planned.

I then proceeded (late) to a full morning of patient hours. The satellite office where I spend almost every Saturday morning is about an hours drive from the hospital. Seven new patients, and some established and post op visits. I was rushed, stressed, and irritable, although I tried hard not to show it. I was also still bleeding, but was more annoyed that I didn’t have enough pads with me than that it was soaking through the ones I had.

Later that night, my husband, my son, and I were in my office, fiddling with a new computer they had bought me for my birthday. After apologizing for bothering him on a Saturday night, I had the office IT guy on the phone for an hour, trying to install a new driver and port for an old reliable printer. That finished, I went to the bathroom to pee and passed a clot the size of a fist. I told the boys they’d better get me home quick, I needed to lie down, and to call the doctor.