*headdesk*

[fenchurch]

My mom just called at 7:00am, so I knew something was up...

I knew my aunt (her sister) was supposed to be having surgery soon and had intended to call this weekend to find out either how it had gone or when, exactly, it was happenening... and to see if she wanted me to come down to help her out afterward like I did the last time. She's had surgery on her shoulder twice now and had told me that this was, and I quote, "Follow-up surgery for my arm."

Yeah. Right.

Well, apparently, it was *spinal* surgery. They fused two vertebrae in her neck and replaced one vertebra with one from a cadaver! (I'd had no idea they even did the latter. Weird!) Technically, she wasn't lying about what it was... this surgery was to take care of the root cause of the problems she's been having with her arm. But still!

Even worse, she came out of recovery just fine, was talking to her husband when suddenly she lost all feeling and movement below her neck! So, several more hours of emergency surgery due to the VERY large hematoma in her neck, blocking off her spinal cord.

She hadn't told any of us that the surgery was this complicated... we're guessing it was because she didn't want anyone to make a fuss.

*headdesk*

My mom is probably going to drive down there today or tomorrow and was wondering if I wanted to fly down to Boise so she could pick me up on the way... but tomte and gidgiddoni are coming to visit this weekend, and I really don't want to miss them, so I may look at driving down early next week, to take over from my mom.

Oh, and the other tidbit of info that was rather interesting... my aunt apparently has a form of hemophelia, something I should probably look at getting checked too. Not your normal sort, though. Nope. This one makes your bones bleed. Yeah, I'd never heard of it either, but evidentally it often goes undiagnosed.

Comments

[xionin.livejournal.com]

whoa. hugs all around!

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

one vertebra with one from a cadaver! (I'd had no idea they even did the latter. Weird!)
Yes, they harvest all sorts of things these days. Sending healing vibes along to your Aunt and calming ones along to you and your family.

[pmgoose.livejournal.com]

Yikes! *HUGS* *praying for your aunt's rapid full recovery*

[cathyteach2.livejournal.com]

praying for your aunt's swift recovery and a safe journey for your mom.

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Good grief!! Well I suppose she may have been making light of it to spare everyone else panicking? Hope she recovers well.

[sith-bitch.livejournal.com]

Being the medical librarian and having never heard of bone bleeding before, I had to look it up. The term is called bone hemostasis. I can't tell if it's genetic or not. It seems to happen when a bone is cut during surgery. There isn't a whole lot I can find on the topic that isn't from a medical journal.

The best consumer health article I found is below. It's really short.
http://www.answers.com/topic/bone-hemostasis


I hope your aunt is doing better.

[fishsanwitt]

Sending ::hugs::

[cyndisuesue.livejournal.com]

Thinking of your aunt and prayers are sent.

I've been tested for the same thing as your aunt too. I always have low iron -even when female issues aren't in play- and they've tested me for every possible souce of anemia that they know of.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Good luck to her and the whole family. And that kind of hemophelia sounds very odd - not least because I thought women were carriers of hemophelia but were rarely symptomatic.

[jerusha]

Yikes! I hope she has a speedy recovery! I have relatives who would do stuff like that, too. *hugs*

[gamiila.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to your aunt and to your family!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

This one makes your bones bleed.

Gosh - that sounds a bit scary!

I hope she recovers quickly and fully.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

Meep. Scary stuff.
I hope she makes a full and paid recovery and that you don't have it.

((hugs))

[spikesleman.livejournal.com]

((hugs)) and prayers for you and your aunt.

From my experience, there's truly no such thing as "routine" surgery. Things have gone wrong in some of my most common surgeries (my poor abdomen is just criss-crossed with surgical scars).

And I've never heard of the bone-bleeding thing, either. It's scary the things that can crop up when you least expect them!

[marsterslady.livejournal.com]

she came out of recovery just fine, was talking to her husband when suddenly she lost all feeling and movement below her neck!

Omgoodness! How terrifying.

Your aunt is in my thoughts.

[tomte.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting us come, even if it was at an inopportune time. I'm glad to hear your auntie is doing better.