I was showing signs of Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clot in the leg) over the weekend and finally got ahold of my doctor's nurse today. She advised me to get my rear to the emergency room. I went in and the doctor gave me a thorough check. She thinks it is not DVT, but a Baker's Cyst rupture. The ultrasound clinic was closed until tomorrow morning so she ordered a precautionary injection of blood thinners (which they gave me in the stomach), some pain killers for the discomfort and told me to be back at 9:00 AM for the ultrasound. This doctor who is on duty in the ER all night tonight, assured me that she will be there in the morning to get me into the clinic and will stay until the results are in and we know whether it is to be treated as DVT or Baker's Cyst. I am impressed with the treatment I received at the VA today.
That's awesome treatment. Too bad they couldn't get it done faster. Prayers for a quick recovery. Keep us posted!
I have no idea what any of those things are , but I hope you get better. The VA has always been good to me.
Thank you Slugger. I should know exactly what is going on tomorrow. If it is a clot, I guess they treat with blood thinners. I would prefer all future blood thinners be in pill form rather than injections into the stomach, but whatever it takes. If it is a ruptured Baker's Cyst, nothing can be done but to try and manage the pain until it subsides. I wish all the doctors at the VAs nationwide were more like Dr. Jones than a lot of them I've had to deal with.
Like I sad, a DVT is a blood clot that forms in the leg, if not dealt with it can break loose and lodge in the brain, heart, lungs, etc and cause serious illness or death. A Baker's Cyst is related to people with arthritis and forms in the back of the knees. If it ruptures, blood and fluids end up in the calf muscle and foot causing something that feels like a cramp that sticks around for a week to 10 days. Neither is on the top of the list of things I want on my bucket list.
You're way to stubborn and ornery to let this beat you. Best of luck in the morning my friend. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
Decreased pulse in your leg? Discoloration? Swelling? Cool to the touch? They don't have Doppler in the ED?
They used a thing like a a microphone and picked up a pulse in the ankle, but not on top of the foot. Leg is not discolored but the ankle is. The ankle is swollen, but the calf is not. The calf is cool to the touch; and we're talking about the VA not the Mayo Clinic. The pain killers eased the pain, but taking them cause me to itch all over and I can't seem to stay asleep.
Thank guys, I did end up sleeping from 4:30 AM to 6:30ish so I should be good to go until after the med tests.
Good luck Mark! My dad has been real impressed with the VA as of late. And that is saying something because his other clinic is Mayo.
Iowa: Thankyou for your service. Hope you recover soon. I don't know why but I have never been to the VA. With insurance getting as expensive as it is, I'm going to check into it.
Just got home from the hospital. They say they are 100% sure it is/was not a blood clot. They are 99% sure the pain is caused by a ruptured baker's cyst. After I told them the reaction I had to the painkiller last night, they added it to the list of allergens for me. No to both codeine and synthetic codeine. Now have Tramadol, I hope it works. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers, it's now time to try the new narcotic and hopefully get some sleep.
The VA has it's downfalls.. But I could make the argument they have some of the best comprehensive healthcare teams around. I'm sure you were in great hands. Glad to hear it wasn't a DVT, those can get very serious, very quickly.
Glad you're home and resting....im the same way with codeine....the tramadol worked wonders though....hopefully it's the same for you...rest up sir!
