When you think there is something medically wrong what do you do? Go to the doctor and make sure everything is okay. What do I do? Wait and make sure it doesn't go away first. So I am sitting here dreading tomorrow, because if I don't feel better I have to go to the doctor who is most likely going to send me over to the hospital for some testing. Not very happy right now as I have had a history of blood clots in my leg. Luckily none of them have been Deep Vein, at least as far as we know. Of all of the times I have gone to the doctor it always has been shallow, thankfully. Deep Vein can be deadly, especially if they travel.
So the first time I was diagnosed with them was almost a year ago. I remember it very clearly and very scarily. I woke up one morning with my right leg cramping. I had woke up in the middle of the night because it had hurt, and still was sore the next day. So I figured it was phantom type pain and would go away. It didn't. In fact it got worse. I thought maybe I pulled a muscle while it cramped in the middle of the night, it can happen. Everyday it got worse. It was the week of Thanksgiving and I drove ten hours to get home to my parent's house. It got to the point where I couldn't walk straight anymore, my feet were out turned and my knees bent so that the pain in the calf would lessen when I walked. So Thanksgiving morning I got up and my mom took me across the river into Memphis to go to urgent care. Figuring they would tell me I pulled something, give me medicine and send me on my way. Nope. I was told to leave and drive to the ER. They would call them and go ahead and get me registered. I needed to be seen right away. O_o
So we drove to the hospital and I went inside. This hospital is basically midtown/downtown in Memphis. It had a metal detector at the front entrance to the ER. I was not used to that type of welcome at a hospital. I went to the window and they already had the wrist band ready for me. As soon as my mom walked in from parking the car they called my name. There was already a room ready for me and about five nurses waiting for me. That really freaked me out. After a bunch of blood tests, an ultrasound on my legs called a Doppler, and several exams later I was released with the diagnosis of blood clots and some very nasty painful shots. The doctor wanted to make sure that because of the drive home they didn't become deep. Twice a day for tens days I had to shoot myself with this medicine into my belly. Within an inch of my belly button to be exact. By the end of the ten days of putting fire into my stomach twice a day my belly was a very nice black and blue and tender all over.
For several months afterward every time my leg started hurting in the calf I would calmly walk into the ER and get my legs checked. It kind of freaks out a nursing staff if you walk in saying "I have a history of blood clots and my legs really hurt." Oh well. The last two times I went to the ER the Doppler was clear, and my legs were hurting and went down later. That is why I am not going yet. I want to make sure it isn't just a random soreness in my calves. But in the back of my mind I am a little worried. If it is blood clots that means I can't do derby for a bit. That I think worries me most. I had to stop Karate for awhile because of the stupid things. Granted, I could call my doc tomorrow, go get the Doppler and they say that my legs are clear and all this worry was for nothing. If I wake up tomorrow being able to walk without pain and my calves don't hurt then I know it was nothing and I am fine. If it is worse and hurts more to walk than it does now then I will be calling the doctor first thing. And I will update sometime this week on what happens, especially if I get told to take a break from Derby.
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