[bruceolee]

I had just had gallbladder surgery when this happened. Instead of a laparoscopic surgery they had to open me up to remove my gallbladder. So i woke up with a 14in scar and in horrifying pain which they couldn't control. I was told i'd be home in a week. So after a week and on the day i was to be discharged i started passing gas (sorry for this detail) that would knock the wings off a fly. They took my morning labs and we waited. Two doctors came in to explain to me that i was losing blood at a rapid rate so i couldn't go home and would have to be transferred to the ICU at jackson memorial hospital in Miami. I actually argued with them to just let me go home and if it got worse i promised i would return. I'm glad they didn't even listen to me. So, i was taken by ambulance next door to the hospital. It was there in the ICU that i went to the bathroom and we found blood. my HGB was 4.6 and to keep in mind the average HGB is 12 -17 so i was down a few pints. I had to have constant transfusions while they tried to find the bleed. My family could tell you i was getting so much blood my skin changed color. I "looked cuban" according to all my nurses.


So, after not finding the bleed i was presented with a surgery that was so rare that it had not been done since the mid-eighties. I was told only 10 doctors could do it and only 2 of them WOULD actually do it and one happened to work for the hospital the chief of surgery. I was told i had a 40% chance of living through the surgery. So, i spoke with my family and we decided to do a round of labs one more time and if my bleeding hadn't stopped and gotten better we would go ahead and they were prepping the OR while this was happening it was that critical. We prayed like we have never prayed in our lives and by Gods mercy my labs actually got better. not by a lot but enough to delay it. I was told if my labs fell even once then that was it. So, for 3 days in the ICU in miami i lived and died on those lab numbers. after 3 days i was transferred out of the ICU to room. I don't think i've ever slept so hard since getting out of that ICU as i did then. So, by faith alone my family had nothing to cling to other than the rock of Jesus Christ in those days and God delivered me out of that hospital I'm sure of it. I've been told i will bleed again, it was just a matter of time and i was to get back to Miami ASAP. well, that was 2005 and I haven't bled since that time. I'm now anemic so i don't carry a lot of blood but i have enough to live on and that's all one needs. I'm sure we all have stories of the times we almost died and i'd love to hear about yours if you feel comfortable sharing. God bless you all and thank you for tolerating me and these stories!