oh, i forgot--- also, please remember that you can develop (over time and
through continued use) allergic reactions such as this, to products you
might use all the time, or things you are commonly exposed to, without
realizing an allergy is developing.

think about what you were doing before this all began and trace back 24
hours preceding the first symptoms.

kate

Hi Guys, thanks for your input thus far.  

No, I am not on any blood thinners of any kind nor have I really been
anywhere lately.   In fact, I had been homebound for several days with
an intestinal bug (diarrhea) and it is only the last 3-4 days that I
started getting out and about again.  This literally started in the
middle of the night after the hard sneeze and I can't think of any
unusual exposures I might have had.  I don't have high blood pressure,
in fact, just the opposite.....I take 2 meds to keep my bp up because it
generally runs so low and it used to run so low I would pass out all the
time.   Now, with these severe bloody noses I get a bit light headed and
have to sit down in order not to pass out.  Very strange and not like
anything I have had before.   Am trying now to get my laundry done from
the mess I made earlier, but it is a challenge to keep the nose from
having blood run down my face and also from getting light headed.
Hopefully as soon as the couple of loads that are in the dryer are done,
I can sit down and get this all under control soon  (Guess mopping the
floor will have to wait a bit, at least I got the worst of it up
already.)  If not, I may end up doing what you all suggest and heading
for the ER.   Man is this strange!

Donna G

If not sooner.
Cooly

Once again I thank you all for your suggestions, your support, and your
concern!   What a wonderful bunch you are!!!

OK, here is how the last 12 hours or so have played out.   I ended up
finally managing to get the laundry done and the bloody mess cleaned up
for the most part last night.   Since I continued with the bloody noses,
I paged the ENT on call and talked to him.   He suggested trying a
cotton ball soaked with Afrin nasal spray as I guess this helps
constrict the blood vessels and often will help bloody noses stop.
This seemed to help considerably slow things down and during the night I
still had oozing but not the huge gushing I was having.   The ENT called
back this morning (what a sweetheart,  I sure wasn't expecting that!)
and after learning that I was still having some bloody nose although not
as bad, he recommended I still go to the ER and get this checked out.
So, off to the ER I went and spent several hours there.   They said it
looked like I had a pretty nasty sinus infection but also felt that the
bloody nose thing was from a combination of the infection and the
dryness caused from my continuous oxygen use.    They packed the side
with a packing soaked in an antibiotic solution and I will have to have
that in for 3 days and then removed by the ENT so they can further
evaluate to see if further action like cautery or surgery to ?ligate the
vessel is needed.   They started me on an oral antibiotic to take for
the next 21 days.   They gave me several bags of fluids as my bloodwork
showed my ?hemaglobin had dropped from a normal of 13 down to I think he
said 7 or 8.  Anyways, low enough for them to want to get some more
fluids on board.   Thankfully I got there before the blood work numbers
got too low, cause the ER doc said if they had been much lower they
would have had to admit me and even think about giving me some blood!
Wow, never thought a stupid bloody nose could cause so much problems!!!
I am to rest and do nothing strenuous at all for the next 3 days.  Don't
know how that is going to happen when you live alone and no one is
around to help with things.  Oh well, will get it all figured out.
So, that is my saga and I will follow up with the ENT this week to
figure out what might be next.   The doctors in the ER also suggested
keeping on hand the afrin nose spray and cotton balls in case I run into
future problems like this again.   Sheesh, never a dull moment!!!
Keep them prayers going if you don't mind, so hopefully this will end up
being done with and no further monkeying around will be necessary!

Thanks again everyone for your prayers and your loving concern---I
appreciate it more than words can say!!!

Lots of hugs and wishes for painfree days for all of you!!!

Donna G

oh, donna, what a miserable time you've had! i'm so glad that you went
to the e.r. and hope you're not too, too uncomfortable over the next
few days. hugs coming your way,

diane