Four years ago (almost exactly) I had just returned from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth having had an operation for cancer.
A few days after coming home, I collapsed in the bathroom and hit the stone floor, hard!!!! When I came to and got up I realised that I was bleeding - my lip was split. I assumed that a tooth had gone through my lip or that hitting the floor so hard had split my lip.
Four years on, if I smile too widely my lip bleeds. I think that, after hitting the floor with such force, I should have had my lip stitched.
I think that I have kept the lip balm industry going by buying so many products from them (I use Vaseline or lip balm ('Berry Blast' is the latest)).
It has never occured to me to ask the Doc what I should do about it.
Has anyone any idea how to make my lip heal properly? I'm on Warfarin (for life) and every time it bleeds it doesn't stop for ages.
Annec
xxxxx
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Pepsicoley
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I'm sure that I'll get some advice from the members.
I should have done something about it four years ago but because I felt so awful after the op I didn't feel up to going to see the Doctor (that sounds stupid - feeling too ill to see a Doctor!).
I think I'd be too scared to turn up at A&E. I'm sure that they would say that as I had put up with it for four years then I could put up with it for a while longer and go through the normal channels.
Love and hugs
Annec
xxxxx
I think you should see a maxillo-facial person, esp as you're on warfarin. You have to be able to smile! It can't be right that this still happens after 4 yrs. You could go to A&E next time, as sw says, but I would just mention that they're very wary these days about non-urgent stuff, you might not get a very nice welcome. Also you could have to wait hrs to see a max-fax specialist.
Know what you mean Annec, I went once with severe asthma attack and could hear person in next bay complaining he'd had a sore throat for 3 whole days! Now things have gone a bit the other way though, I had a fall very near the A&E dept of my local hosp, dazed & big deep gash to my leg, bleeding heavily, two kind people took me inside, only for the nurse to have a go at ME! She said I should have gone to my gp (5 miles away), though how I could get on a bus when I could hardly stand and had blood streaming down my leg she didn't say.
Btw I think you're a real pollyanna, love your comment below about chemo and your hair!
What a mean nurse! That's must have been so upsetting for you. I hope that she doesn't come across someone like herself if she ever needs help.
I'm sure that the bus company would have loved you bleeding all over their seats NOT.
Annec
xxxxx
Eat lots of carrots when you are suffering from the split lip, as they should help healing in the mouth area. B vitamins are very good for your lips too - and use a lip balm with either beeswax or one with added vitamin E. But all these remedies are for the average splitting lip problems. Because you had such a nasty accident and injury then you really ought to chat to your GP and maybe ask for a referral to a specialist.
The only beeswax I have is the stuff I used to polish my furniture with - I'm sure that's not the type of beeswax you are suggesting (lol).
I've been to my GP's surgery so often in the last few years that the staff give me hugs when I turn up!!! I'm not sure if they hug me because they like me or because they know something that I don't.
If it's any consolation - I put a tooth through my top lip a few years ago, on the way in to A&E a couple of hours later I bumped into a consultant surgeon friend and he said 'you'll just be wasting your time, you should have come in immediately it's too late now and it's far too swollen to be fixed'. Mine healed but scarred for life.
I believe that you have to go to the GP, it doesn't sound right, I see you're on warfarin - which cant possibly help but the mouth normally heals quickly. Do please see doc xx
The Warfarin is quite a problem. I was told to stop taking it for a few days (prior to having a second operation for cancer in 2011 - which turned out not to be cancer).
I ended up with another DVT and PE. Short of breath and painful.
Thank you for your post though - I appreciate it very much.
you don't have to say when you did split your lip, I have been falling a lot in the last 4yrs and one fall was very bad but I thought I wouldn't have anything to show for it, how wrong was, I had a black eye and face of beautiful colours but did not go to docs, like you I am slightly afraid of docs and hospitals.
warfarin is your problem for bleeding a lot, good luck
I'm not afraid of Doctors, I just don't want to admit that I have waited four years to do something about my split li.
Warfarin, although great for dealing with my DVTs and PEs is a problem. I haven't seen my dentist for about two years and I really do need to go. It's just that I'm afraid that if I have to stop taking the Warfarin I'll end up in hospital again.
I am a very smiley person - I always see a silver lining.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I thought that if I needed chemo then I would lose my hair and it would grow back white (my natural colour). I've been going to the hairdresser for years having it coloured, highlighted etc.
I didn't have chemo so I am still having my hair highlighted. I'm sure that it would be lovely if I could get back to my natural colour.
Maybe I should just 'bite the bullet' and cope with the transformation from highlights to natural.
I will keep on smiling (and bleeding).
Love from
Annec
xxxxx
I wouldn't see a quack doc, go chat with a professional to find out what options may be available. Hindsight is great, you should have seen the doc after the fall.
Being on warfarin is bound to make you bleed more easily. Chat things over with your doc.
There is a high risk of infection where a wound won't heal properly with the possibility of more complications down the line if left untreated.
I know that I should have gone when it happened. It was just that my operation (in 2009) went wrong and I was in Derriford for a month which seemed an awfully long time.
Since hitting 60 I seems to have fallen to bits.
I wonder if doing something about it now would involve some surgery and I really have had enough of that.
Sometimes when I have a coughing fit I have a mini blackout, just for a split second. Last time I had one I headbutted the floor. The floor won. Smashed my specs and cut my face about a bit. I didn't see the doctor either. It was quite bad though. stopped me flirting for all of three days. Love from Bobby xxx
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