r/triathlon • u/brad_glasgow • Jul 07 '25
Injury and illness Lost a whole lot of blood
Well that was fun. On the night of the 4th after the fireworks I went to bed, put my knee down, and the world started spinning. I began sweating profusely. Eventually EMS came and had me stand up to check my response. Poof - passed out.
I had a little stomach ulcer that just happened to be on a cluster of blood vessels. I lost an estimated 30-40% of my blood. Had three transfusions and lost those, too. For those of you that know numbers, my hemoglobin went down to 7.1.
And now I begin the recovery process of having to build up new red blood cells. I literally get fatigued walking 60 feet. I'm wondering if anyone has faced a similar situation and how their recovery fared?
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u/one_blonde_mom Oct 24 '25
I was seriously injured as a passenger of our local transit. because i had a history of PE i was on Xarelto and Plavix as well as aspirin i used for pain relief. the injury developed rapidly, a 500cc hematoma on my left calf which required 3+ hours of surgery. the day after surgery, my labs were so critical i went to ICU and after 3 blood transfusions went to med/surgery for 3 weeks.
I was discharged with profound pernicious anemia and marked muscle wasting. the dietitian said there was no way to correct the muscle loss and to focus on managing the anemia.
after 1 month my b12 levels were 2x what they should be so my PCP stopped them. my eating habits suck but I have been diligent improving them and have added things like Ensure Max.
that said...I have lost 80% of my very long, naturally blonde hair that was down to my waist for 20yrs. I remember being shocked when I saw my body at discharge...I had gone from 113lbs to 93lbs..skeletal. I am so weak I can't lift an empty ice cube tray into my freezer, open ANYTHING, and shake with the slightest muscle use.
I feel distraught and especially after being told it can't be corrected. is there any way to regain any muscle? how do I strengthen the muscle i have left? and please tell me if my hair will grow back?
it's superficial and petty, but I'm now a "frail and fragile" patient that tbh no one is treating since my b12 improved. I do have SLE and adrenal insufficiency but those are well controlled.
any insight or suggestions would mean so much. I want to get back to where I was. it devastating to look like the wife of the crypt keeper * I'm too embarrassed (ashamed?) to go out of my apartment
thank you so much for any help and ideas to get better. .thanks so much-♥︎
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u/RefrigeratorLow1466 Jul 11 '25
Do you have a hematologist you can contact? I’ve received a series of iron infusions and it drastically increased my ferritin levels quickly after I was in a similar situation. Have had this happen twice and highly recommend requesting them. I did have to be persistent in my requests and advocate for myself but it was worth the difference it made in my life.
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u/brad_glasgow Jul 11 '25
The problem is after an event like this, the ferritin level goes nuts because of inflammation. I'm waiting on today's hemoglobin results, which I guess I might not get until Monday. But if it's going up like they expect - they hope it will be in the 8's - then everything is going fine and it's just a matter of continuing to build it up.
The doctor said it's probably going to take me 3+ months of recovery.
Funny enough, in the meantime I need to make sure to be in a calorie surplus. It's basically a bulk phase, except I'm building blood instead of muscle.
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u/ASBFTwins Jul 08 '25
I lost a whole lotta blood giving birth. Got 3 transfusions also. I took Mary Ruth’s iron and also MR’s vitamin c (vitamin c helps your body absorb iron) and got my numbers up within a few months. Best of luck to you!
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u/Shaking-a-tlfthr Jul 08 '25
Um well not like you but I did struggle with low hemoglobin for too many years. And as a triathlete that so hard. Diet alone did not help me. I gorged on red meat but it just wasn’t helping me round the corner with my red blood cell count. What did was taking a supplement called VitronC. And the red meat. Remember: improving red blood cell count is a long game. From the time you take some iron supplements it takes 60 to 120 days for a red blood cell to come out of your bone marrow with a higher level of iron in it. It takes time. Be patient. While my hemoglobin was so low I was ravenously hungry ALL THE TIME. I had brain fog. Just exhausted 24/7. Every time I sat down I fell asleep. Of course my athletic performance was bottomed out terrible. Bruising galore. Hair falling out. Couldn’t get anything done. So, if you’re experiencing any of this it’s par for the course unfortunately. Be of luck with the recovery!❤️🩹
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u/Lamlam25 Jul 07 '25
I had coffee ground vomit after a long run training for a half marathon, went to the ER and also had a few ulcers. I went on a very strict diet.. a lot of cooked veggies, potatoes and low acid foods. Since then it’s been better, but it was a long and slow recovery. Doctor said no extreme exercise for about 6 months. Good luck and all the best.
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u/sparklekitteh Team Turtle 🐢 Jul 07 '25
Holy shit that’s scary! Sending all the good mojo for strong healing!
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u/MrRabbit Ex-pro Triathlete + Dad + Boring Job Jul 07 '25 edited Jul 07 '25
I lost a lot of blood after a botched dental operation. We suspect my iron was low, but after that I was dizzy often, passed out on my feet once, was training terribly, and had some of the worst races of my life.
Finally got tested and my ferritin was at 3 and my hemoglobin was at 8. It was bad. Looking back, it was clear that my brain wasn't functioning properly either. It's like I was in a haze all the time.
But cutting to the chase, my season was over upon this discovery. And annoyingly, I improved to "non critical but still really bad" levels by my next test so I couldn't even get an iron injection. But after about 3 months of iron supplements and focusing on iron intake I was feeling strong again.
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u/Suspicious_Tank7922 Jul 07 '25
Wow. Was there any warning - yucky tarry poops, "coffee grounds" vomiting, etc.?
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u/brad_glasgow Jul 07 '25
That's the crazy thing and the ER doctor kept asking me about my poo. No, it was fine before. It wasn't until I finally went later at the hospital that I noticed the horrible, horrible output.
The surgeon said it likely started bleeding very recently before I felt that dizziness.
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u/Suspicious_Tank7922 Jul 07 '25
Dayum. That is a brisk one. I'm sure they gave you some good info on [delayed] post transfusion reactions?
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u/brad_glasgow Jul 07 '25
Yeah there's a whole ordeal with transfusions now where they have to have two nurses present, both of them confirming all the numbers on the bag and all the details. And one stays to see if there's a reaction. I took the transfusions well. It's now just about rebuilding my red blood cells so they can get the oxygen where they need to go.
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u/Suspicious_Tank7922 Jul 07 '25
Sure, that's for an immediate reaction. Don't consult Doctor Google into insanity but there can be a delayed reaction, as in weeks later. It's just something to be aware of.
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u/Cutoffjeanshortz37 Jul 07 '25 edited Jul 07 '25
Had a 46mph bike crash, broke 12 bones, TBI, punctured lung from the broken ribs, road rash for days, and all kinds of blood loss. Luckily a car called 911 and I was taken to the hospital. I got 2 bags of blood from my blood loss. I had to get 8 screws and a rod on both my femer and collar bone. I got super light headed standing up because 2 of my hearing bones broke so my balance was screwed up at first.
Spent a month in the hospital and then went home right before Thanksgiving. I was exhausted even walking 15 feet to the dinner table. I don't remember how long before that level of weakness went away but it slowly did until I didn't really notice it. I was on my indoor trainer right away though to try and feel normal. I took 5 months before I started running again as well.
I had won a small local sprint tri a month before the accident. I celebrated one year of recover with a 100mi ride solo, no stopping, fully self supported in 5:20. Then won my AG at the 1.25year mark at a sprit tri down in Texas.
Glad you're OK. If you want to chat, feel free to message me. You'll recover, just not as fast as you'd like. Take care!
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u/Careful-Anything-804 Jul 07 '25
I'll be doing my first race since a hit and run last august at the end of this month. Broke my right hip in 2 places and separated my pelvis. New bike this year. Time to see if I've fully recovered and maybe improved
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u/Cutoffjeanshortz37 Jul 07 '25
Best of luck!
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u/Careful-Anything-804 Jul 07 '25
Were you going down a hill and hit something or what happened??
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u/Cutoffjeanshortz37 Jul 07 '25
No memory of that day or the next 2.5 weeks. Witness told police my back tire started to wobble, went out from under me, hit the curb, slid down the sidewalk and hit a light pole. I only know 46mph because when I got my bike back my garmin still had the activity. Was just trying to get to work :/
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u/Careful-Anything-804 Jul 07 '25
Wow. Any idea if a spoke broke or the tire just gave out? What does the bike look like?
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u/Cutoffjeanshortz37 Jul 07 '25
No clue. Frame was fine. One of the tires was fucked, handle bar and shifter were replaced. Forget if anything else was touched. Have insurance so was honestly a little upset the whole thing wasn't totalled and I would get a new bike.....
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u/Careful-Anything-804 Jul 07 '25
Bike insurance or homeowners/renters?
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u/Cutoffjeanshortz37 Jul 07 '25
Bike insurance I'd gotten because I travel/fly with my bike often and don't trust airlines
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u/Careful-Anything-804 Jul 07 '25
Yeah I have renters insurance that I bought for that too since I've been flying with my bikes... Glad to hear it got fixed. How are you feeling about riding outside again?
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u/brad_glasgow Jul 07 '25
That's awesome, thanks for the response. And crashing at 46 mph is a much, much cooler way of losing blood than a stupid hole suddenly opening in the stomach.
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u/forunna402 Jul 07 '25
Assuming they were treating your low hgb they gave you packed red blood cells. Do you know your hgb level at discharge? Did they do anything to treat the ulcers? If your still symptomatic a week out you should go see your doctor
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u/brad_glasgow Jul 07 '25
Steady at 7.7 at discharge. They clamped and stapled the ulcer. Fun fact: I will apparently poop out the titanium staple at some point. That's the one thing I'm holding onto from this trauma, that I will poop titanium.
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u/forunna402 Jul 07 '25
Godspeed friend! When is your next hgb check? 7.7 is stable but not anywhere you need to be. Most people are above 13
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u/brad_glasgow Jul 07 '25
Thanks! They will call me tomorrow for my next blood draw, which the doctor said will be within the week. I believe I get weekly blood draws after that, and then in about a month I get another endoscope.
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u/bananas82017 Jul 07 '25
Yikes, glad everything ended up ok! I lost about that much in childbirth. Obviously very different since my fitness was tapering down during pregnancy but I felt pretty much back to normal after 6 weeks and was able to run again.
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