You are your own best advocate. - DVT awareness

I really wish I was a good writer. I really would love to be able to put some sort of witty comment in here, in the just right spot, to make this less... well, dull. It is however something that has scared the shit out of me, and has taught me a valuable lesson.

The point of this post is that you have to be your own best advocate. If you think something isn't right- push and push. Don't worry about being a pain in the ass... the docs are getting paid big bucks to take care of you, and you know your body better than they do.

As many of you know, I had vericose vein stripping that went horribly wrong. I knew something was wrong, just after the surgery on September 25th, but was willing to accept what the doctor told me. Even on October 1st, when the doc saw me (sick as a dog with a 102 fever) and told me that was "normal" , I took him at his word, instead of fighting with him to give me the antibiotics I so desperately needed.

Just after the second surgery to evacuate the hematoma in that same vein leg (left), I had some pain in my right calf, that was NOT there before. Once again I listened to the physicians assistant, and the surgeon that this was most likely the start of compensation pain as the pain in my left leg was diminished by about 99%. So, I go through 1 1/2 weeks of pain and swelling in my right leg and call the doc again. This time he had me come in.

I had no other symptoms, except for some swelling, and the pain had gone down to hardly anything. He had me get a doppler study on my leg just to rule out anything. I call and get the next closest appointment that I didn't have to take off of work for (my intuition)- which was 1 week later. I will save my doctors appointment rant for another post.

Now, for anyone who has had ultrasounds, you can always tell when something isn't right. Mind you, at this point the swelling was down to nothing, and ZERO pain. Well, turns out I have a Deep Vein Thrombosis. This is the thing that killed David Bloom, and one of those things that has always been a fear of mine.

About 50% of clots have no symptoms, but these are the symptoms that can show up.
- pain or tenderness in the leg
-swelling, discoloration or redness in the leg
- warmth in the leg.

Those were the symptoms I had, but they all but went away. Please, take a look at this site, and just know the risks.

http://www.vdf.org/diseaseinfo/dvt/index.php

I will be fine, THANK GOD, thanks to finding this out early. Yeah, shots in the belly 2 times a day isn't fun, but its better than leaving my daughter without a mummy and my husband without a wife.

Some pics

notice the sneakers on with the jimjams!

pre-chipped tooth... she's such a weirdo

that chipped tooth... :(

doing her "job" of collecting the cat food bowls, weather the cats are finished or no.

bad blogger=me

Okay, been a long time, but had to get my butt back to work. How are you, you ask? Well, lets see...

for 2 weeks my "good leg" has been painful and swollen. The doc seems to thing that it is from compensation for the "bad" leg, but still wants me to go get a doppler study to rule out a DVT or other clot.

hubby passed his Citizenship test, although not without doing it with a bit of drama.. In true Philly style, they lost his file. When they find it, it took forever to get him foing. He had a 9:30am appointment and got to work at 1:30pm.

Emma chipped her front tooth. I have no clue how it happened, bie keut I know it happened here. No crying, screaming or anything like that . She looks a lot like JOhn, still.

well, thats it for now- before I fall right to sleep!

email

my new email is now up and running!

more infection and emergency surgery

What does that equal? A 3 night hospital stay with emergency surgery to just round off the week.

I'm just going to put in an order of the weekend... its easier.

Remember- this was supposed to be a simple operation (vericose vein) that I'd be back to work and "normal" in a few days..

Monday-Friday
Very ill with fever. On Wednesday went to surgeon told him I was sick and leg was very swollen, red and hot. I was told that that was "just normal" That night I was calling my parents to watch Emma because I couldn't hold my head up.

Thursday- went to GP and got antibiotics, and sent home to bed for the rest of the week.

Friday- John off. and He took Saturday off seeing how ill I was


Saturday: had a slight amount of dark blood oozing from the top incision. Called doc on call, told to keep it up, ice it and if it got worse, go to the ER... So, by that evening there was a lot of blood (well, at the time- I had no idea what was to come) so off we go to the ER. John tried to lighten my spirits in the er.. He'd be gross (smell wise) and then walk away to leave me with the smell. Well, he did it, and just then the girl came out to get me. That did make me laugh because he had to move me out of the stentch before the girl got there. Yes, our little one was there being naughty too.
When the ER doc came in, took one look at my leg and informed me that I was NOT going anywhere due to the huge infection I had. Forget about the little bit of blood- the infection was horrible. I was hooked up to IV's (fluids/antibiotics), lots of blood taken, and a good dose of pain meds.
After they wheeled me up to the room, I went to the bathroom and when I came out- the leg started bleeding... no- gushing blood. They called the surgical resident who came up and stitched up my incision - did I mention it was in the groin - again.

Sunday- pretty boring. More IV antibiotics, but that night, it started to gush again, through the stitches. They came and put another pressure dressing on it. ***I felt like the villiage dart board- everyone had a poke at me***. The surgical resident said that they might have to drain it, but it could be done bedside.

Monday - 5:45am, woke up in a pool of blood. Surgical resident came in, and called the vascular surgeon (whom I had already met). By 8am, I was getting prepped for emergency surgery. They had to surgically remove this giant hematoma in my leg. Now, here's the topper to my stay- well, several of them.

1) got my monthly on saturday
2) had to sit on a commode prior to surgery- because they didn't want me moving too much
3) some old volunteer walks in my room whilst I am on the piss pot, to make sure I had "all the equiptment I needed"
4) when I was wheeled back into my room, a guy from matinence chose that time to come and fix the bedside table, which held my clean undies and my tampons
5)When matinence man finally left, and I got settled snuggling with John, when another guy comes flying in asking if I'd like my room sanitized...

I tell you what- I felt a bit like the village dart board... seemed like everyone in that hospital had a poke at me.

So, now I'm home, trying to keep my let up and relax. Its easy until Emma comes home from nursery. Boy did I miss her, and john. Hospitals suck.

vericose vein stripping- bad recovery

bad. fever, pain, swelling beyond the "norm", hurts to sit on toilet. I'd rather go through natural childbirth a thousand times. Plus, now fever has set in. Surgeon says no infection- MD says yes infection. On antibiotics and pain killers.

whoever might ever think of getting this done- think again. and again and again.