Anyone had disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?
Has anyone experienced DIC following back surgery or any trauma? If you have, I'd like to know if you've experienced any long term issues and what are your symptoms & diagnosis?
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Hey, so I also DIC in 2020 after a postpartum hemorrhage. I had a lot of weakness afterwards and trouble gaining full strength back. I ended up needing multiple surgeries afterwards (acl repair, left ovary removed, right ovary removed, cervix, endometriosis, and ovarian remnants removed, and the last one was an endometrioma I had removed). I did have memory and speech problems when I was released from the hospital, but over time they got a bit better. I also have fibromyalgia and my fatigue has been much worse since the DIC. I do have the extreme pain associated with fibromyalgia though, actually going in today to find out why it's been so much worse recently. I did not have to go on any of the medication you had to be on though, so I'm not sure if my answer helped a ton!
Sorry for your long struggle w DIC, especially late effect of total kidney failure! Pulmonary embolism, heart issue serious also. I never heard of this until 12/22/23, my niece thought she had flu & went to urgent clinic:
“My 45-y/o niece ended up with DIC after walk-in clinic sent her by ambulance to hospital for septic shock (she thought she had flu); but had strept pneumonia. She went to ICU quickly, her fingers were turning purple. A clot in Rt wrist found by IV site. Surgery to remove clot. Then surgery to remove hand below wrist, so she can have more movement with a hand prosthesis. Now watching purple toes for demarcation. She’s on IV Heparin drip & vasopressors to live & preserve her major organs; at the expense of her extremities. (They found out her spleen was shriveled or small or something, so the pneumonia was bad). She is in a Level I trauma hospital, but I wonder if that is the right place? I read Cleveland Clinic is good with DIC. But being so serious, hard to transfer at this point? It’s all so confusing for this rare DIC. Podiatrist was hopeful for skin on toes. But ortho unsympathetically said amputate above toes. Shocking & sad, so young.”
Now it seems to me, that you still have your extremities, but your major organs were severely affected. Whereas, she is treating to preserve organs at expense of digits. Seems a big difference in Drs’ treatments!
I went to Japan this Christmas and woke from a four day coma in a hospital in Osaka. I had acquired DIC from a flu infection.
That is so sad. I got DIC from flu while on holiday in Japan. It affected all my major organs but, after a four day coma and 3 weeks in hospital, they got all my organs functioning.
Since being diagnosed with DIC 3 months ago (I was in a coma), I have suffered amnesia and feel very weak. I was told to expect recovery to take 6-8 weeks. All my blood results are normal now. It sounds like you’re still suffering. Do the doctors say it is all due to the DIC?
Hello everyone, I want to begin by saying that I was the witness not the patient. The details I remember like yesterday as one of most horrific days in my memory for my family. My sister in law (love her like my own sister) had a repeat c section scheduled at 39 weeks in Atlanta hospital. She had a history of thyroid disease , but other than that had healthy uneventful pregnancy and even worked until midnight on her computer before the big day. I was called (I was two hours away) at 3:15am by my brother who was quite upset & she was screaming out in pain. He told me her water had broken at home and it was very bloody. I was a labor & delivery nurse myself of over 20 years at that time so I was concerned when he mentioned a lot of blood. I encouraged him to go to closest ER instead of the scheduled hospital which he did quickly. The staff met him outside , she was carried away quickly , had emergency c section with my nephew doing well after initial apgar score of 1. (That is low for a newborn meaning he had a heart rate , but barely breathing) nephew went to NICU and by the time I arrived he was doing great. Apgar was awesome at 5 minutes and it made this aunt so happy to see him pink & crying. My sweet sis though did not come out of recovery and then did not get to breastfeed him and then we hear she “went out” on them and had a nicked bladder from surgery. I reassured everyone these things happen she would be fine. She did not come out for hours & had a hysterectomy next. Approximately 2pm after delivering at 3:45am a OBGYN came out and told us that she had gone into DIC & received over 42 units of blood by two infusion machines not including the plasma & platelets. She was on vent in CCU , lost 90% of her blood volume. Massive hemorrhage from DIC. She had brain bleed that was treated with steroids after and tube to her kidney bc MD accidentally sutured her ureter trying to save her life. With DIC there is so much blood the MD could not see she said. She also had a picc line at home for IV antibiotics when infection after the CCU /recovery stay which was 10 days. I was in the room when two members of the surgical team that saved her life came to visit. The words of one of them “you crossed a line with us , we wanted you to know that God left you here” . I know she heard them , but was massively swollen that day still and had the kidney tube and severe headache from the brain bleed. She recovered came home. My nephew had autism and I credit his mother to all the progress he has made. She has pushed for his therapy and best schools in Atlanta and all the while being a good mother to my niece who was two when she had DIC. She however is concerning me now 11 years later. She has worsened slurred speech , wide unsteady gait, and problems finding her words and remembering things. I know she needs a neuro work up , but she also needs a MD that is familiar with long term DIC concerns. Please let me know who anyone recommends & location so I can speak to her about my concerns. My love & prayers for you all as I have read all your stories & cried. The post of “actively dying” , I felt that in the waiting room on my knees that day that I would never see her again. In all my labor and delivery years I will say DIC is so rare that I had never experienced it with my patients & then it happened in my own family to one of my most important people to my heart.