LIFE CAN BE A SURPRISING OUTING
Two weeks ago, I tripped on a sidewalk pushed up by tree roots, and "smushed" my knee. I am such an active person this has been a pain in more ways than the one in my leg that nothing seems to aleviate. Taking Tylonal, Motrin, Advil and combinations of each is like eating candy, but the pain doesn't go away. When I was in Urgent Care on the day of the accident, the doctor urged me to head back if I saw any signs of swelling in my ankle.
I have been doing everything as ordered: the ice backs four or five times a day, elevatated foot while sitting or when sleeping, and walking around with a cane in the house, a few ventures out with a cane, and had spent the first three days after the accident flat on my back with foot elevated above my heart. I saw my physician a week later because the swelling of the knot filled with blood wasn't going down and I wanted assurance I was doing all I could do to heal. She did some tests, checked for torn muscles or tissue, and told me to walk more as inactivity could cause blood clots also.
That's when the ankle and foot began to turn purple/black. Then, almost two weeks after my fall, two days ago, the ankle began to swell.I headed for the doctor this morning; my physician couldn't see me but one I knew from a prior appointment did. He immediately sent me to the lab for a special blood test. I waited 30 minutes for the result and cringed when it came back positive. For what? Could be a blood clot, or constriction of the veins. I would have to drive 30 miles to the hospital and have a vascular scan.
No blood clots. No blood poisoning. Just very severe, deep trauma to the entire leg. The swelling is caused because the blood from my "knot" is slowly draining out and downward. The doctor showed me where the discoloring is getting lighter in most other places and that was a good sign of the blood seeping into my system. I am to continue the ice packs, do 60% leg elevation and 40% walking. I am to definitely continue sleeping with my leg elevated. And it may be weeks (yipes!) before my leg/pain/swelling is gone.
So hope you will understand that my writing time has been somewhat curtailed. But I hope to drag this laptop across my knees and keep up this blog.
I'll be back tomorrow.
I have been doing everything as ordered: the ice backs four or five times a day, elevatated foot while sitting or when sleeping, and walking around with a cane in the house, a few ventures out with a cane, and had spent the first three days after the accident flat on my back with foot elevated above my heart. I saw my physician a week later because the swelling of the knot filled with blood wasn't going down and I wanted assurance I was doing all I could do to heal. She did some tests, checked for torn muscles or tissue, and told me to walk more as inactivity could cause blood clots also.
That's when the ankle and foot began to turn purple/black. Then, almost two weeks after my fall, two days ago, the ankle began to swell.I headed for the doctor this morning; my physician couldn't see me but one I knew from a prior appointment did. He immediately sent me to the lab for a special blood test. I waited 30 minutes for the result and cringed when it came back positive. For what? Could be a blood clot, or constriction of the veins. I would have to drive 30 miles to the hospital and have a vascular scan.
No blood clots. No blood poisoning. Just very severe, deep trauma to the entire leg. The swelling is caused because the blood from my "knot" is slowly draining out and downward. The doctor showed me where the discoloring is getting lighter in most other places and that was a good sign of the blood seeping into my system. I am to continue the ice packs, do 60% leg elevation and 40% walking. I am to definitely continue sleeping with my leg elevated. And it may be weeks (yipes!) before my leg/pain/swelling is gone.
So hope you will understand that my writing time has been somewhat curtailed. But I hope to drag this laptop across my knees and keep up this blog.
I'll be back tomorrow.
posted by Barb | 9:28 PM
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