Fair Warning... This one may make you go Eewww!

This one can also be called "Life Is Fun On Blood Thinners" or my favorite...
"The Blood Thinners, the Nosebleed and Feminine Hygiene Products"

As you know, I've been in the house for many days. I've also been going through the difference between warm, dry air and cold, crappy air, physical and emotional turmoil... And on and on.

One of the things I've been doing a lot is sneezing, followed by the inevitable blowing of my nose... I did that once too often yesterday I guess, and the result was of fairly major proportions. I started bleeding from my nose. A lot. It was literally gushing.

While I'm not surprised at the speed with which it's flowing because I am after all, on blood thinners. I wasn't expecting after a few minutes of "pinching and head back etc. etc." to go into the bathroom and be surprised at the amount of blood on the towel.

Then I took it away from my face. Gush. So I'm thinking to myself, "This is going to go on forever. What should I do?" I decided that it was too soon to think of going to the ER as it hadn't been that long yet.

That's when a memory from my youth bobbed up to the surface of my mind. While I can't remember if it was Scouts or Hunter Safety classes... Although further reflection on my part, now makes me think it was most likely hunter classes because I remembered the great embarrassment I felt when we were instructed to use sanitary napkins in first aid, because there were boys there.

Back then (yes, this alluding to my age) we girls were embarrassed to learn that we had to use something like that, much less actually having a male instructor holding a pad and explaining that it makes a world class compression bandage!

Back to my bathroom...when this thought pops into my head I'm thinking, "I don't have any pads..." Followed by, "It is a nostril, which is essentially an orifice..."

So now you know what I did.

I sit down in my chair and recline back, pinching the nose and doing all the other "nosebleed" stuff. Then my nose is getting rather uncomfortable. I'm checking my watch... not too long, just a couple of minutes... gees... it feels weird and rather odd... and then ow, ow, ow! It's getting fairly painful!

I get up and walk into the bathroom. As I'm looking in the mirror at myself, laughing so hard I'm crying (well, some of it could have been the discomfort too) I realize the pain is stemming from the fact that the heretofore "unspoken item" in my nose has done its job... Think about it a second. They're absorbent and they.... keep thinking... That's right, they swell.

This was not exactly a good thing because one: It was obvious there was some very heavy bleeding still occurring and two: It hurts like crazy!!

So I end up taking it out and when I do... it's an immediate outpouring. So I call the lady next door and she drives me to the ER. All this while I have been holding a towel to my face because I obviously don't want anyone to see what's up my nose. Yes, I had to use another one to make it to the hospital.

When I get there this stupid nurse (in full view of others) wants to look at it and have me tell her if it looks worse (more "advancement of color") than before. I give her a look that seems to convey my staunch refusal to not comply with her request... She didn't ask again. In hindsight, it was more than likely just the look I shot her... it probably scared the crap out of her.

Whatever works...

A bit later they use this "hema-stat-something-or-other" to curb the bleeding, They couldn't cauterize the bleeding vein because it was to high up in my nose to see. Another reason I was bleeding so bad... it was a larger vessel than the usual nosebleed culprits.

I end up going home feeling (yes, this pun is intended!) drained. I went to bed at the crack of dusk and slept off the remaining aftereffects of a lousy day.

Now I'm on my way out to do stuff I shouldn't and hurt myself further... lets hear it for my life!!

Yay.