I've gone through the basic steps of having a blood clot, now I really am stuck on what to do next.
It seems I am having a problem with the incision. It formed a blood clot between the two sides and was keeping the sides of the incision from healing. Got that cleaned out and have it packed and to change that packing every two days.
I've caught up on all my shows, NCIS, The Americans, People of Interest, Burn Notice, etc. I have often thought how cool it would be to combine some of the shows into a 2 hour movie. Wish I could have learned how to screen write or something like that when I was younger.
Since I've retired, I learned how to make soap, keep bees, read a lot on different subjects that I've thought about. Some of it was a surprise and some of it was just confirmation. I haven't got to the quantum physics yet.
Today, I had to put my little truck in the shop. Think it's got rear seal problems, at least I hope that's all it is. Had them replaced about two months ago, but I don't know if they cleaned the vent pipe out and if it's clogged up, the rear end chunk will build up pressure and blow the axle seals out.
Religion is one of the things I have been reading about. There are so many of them. And there are so many websites to point out the different ways to worship. Strangely enough, it has pointed me to the history of mankind. Whoa ! Way before the Bible and the Koran, and the other documents of doctrine, there seems to be a history of advanced cultures and alien visitors and other things that are definitely movie worthy.
The lost continent of Atlantis is just a beginning of the different ages of evolving into what we have now. There is the continent of Lemuria, which was before and during Atlantis, believed to be in the South Pacific around South America and Asia. That was like 100,000 years before Christ. WOW According to what I've read, they could do a lot of stuff with their minds and were much more advanced than what we are today.
There is also a theory to note that the earth is hollow as documented on February 19, 1947 when Admiral Richard E. Byrd left Base Camp Artic and flew
northward.
Well, tired of writing right now....more later
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Blood Clot in my Leg or DVT PT III
I don't remember much about first waking up in CCU, except the confusion of a strange place and a bunch of tubes. So, from here on until I get to my wits about me is pure heresay. My wife tells me I was a total illpill and demanding a bunch of stuff, which is probably true. I'm not much for one to stand by and let someone dictate how I'm suppose to act or feel. But, there was nothing I could do about it, and was completely out of it.
That first day in CCU is a blur, but the second day, the doctor came in and updated me on my condition. My pressure stayed so high, I was either going to stroke or I was going to lose my leg or both. A one hour surgery took three hours.
I had a Popliteal Aneurysm and had to have a stent and a graft and also had several small clots in my right leg. I was on a Heparin drip for three days and now on a Coumadin regimen for 90 days. I was in the hospital for 5 days and told I couldn't take my herbal supplements because it would alter the effects of the Counadin. Green veggies are out because of the Vitamin K factor that causes clotting. Shock! No brocolli or apraragus, and brussel sprouts. The greener the veggy the more Vitamin K content.
I'm still due for a complete artery scan of all of my artries and from what I've read probably have another aneuryam somewhere. They found another small one in my left leg at the same place, but they don't seem to concerned about it and an ultrasound was done on some of my body before I left the hospital.
I now have some slight numbness in some parts of my leg at times, like it has gone to sleep, but when I get up the feeling comes back. I don't know how long that last or it will ever go away. I know my doctor told me that my life will totally change now that I have this and to be ready for a lifestyle change.
Here is a text book description of what I had:
The popliteal artery, like any other peripheral artery, can be affected by embolism. Macroemboli have a tendency to lodge in the popliteal artery at the bifurcation into the tibioperoneal trunk and anterior tibial artery. An embolus in the lower extremities most often has a cardiac source. Other sources include aortic aneurysms and proximal arterial plaque or ulceration. Regardless of the source, acute arterial embolism almost always requires urgent treatment.
Patients with arterial embolism present with acute symptoms. The five cardinal signs and symptoms of arterial ischemia are pain, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia, and paralysis. With an occluding embolus, the patient will experience acute rest pain. The lower leg and foot will appear pale and have no pulses. If the condition is left untreated, it can progress to paresthesia and paralysis. Noninvasive arterial examination may be performed prior to angiography. With acute occlusion, there may be a total lack of Doppler signals at the ankle; thus, an ABI cannot be obtained. Color duplex US can also be used to depict thrombus, but the patient will usually proceed to angiography due to the acute clinical presentation. Thrombus in the popliteal artery appears as a complete angiographic occlusion producing the classic “meniscus sign,” a filling defect or abrupt vessel cutoff
That first day in CCU is a blur, but the second day, the doctor came in and updated me on my condition. My pressure stayed so high, I was either going to stroke or I was going to lose my leg or both. A one hour surgery took three hours.
I had a Popliteal Aneurysm and had to have a stent and a graft and also had several small clots in my right leg. I was on a Heparin drip for three days and now on a Coumadin regimen for 90 days. I was in the hospital for 5 days and told I couldn't take my herbal supplements because it would alter the effects of the Counadin. Green veggies are out because of the Vitamin K factor that causes clotting. Shock! No brocolli or apraragus, and brussel sprouts. The greener the veggy the more Vitamin K content.
I'm still due for a complete artery scan of all of my artries and from what I've read probably have another aneuryam somewhere. They found another small one in my left leg at the same place, but they don't seem to concerned about it and an ultrasound was done on some of my body before I left the hospital.
I now have some slight numbness in some parts of my leg at times, like it has gone to sleep, but when I get up the feeling comes back. I don't know how long that last or it will ever go away. I know my doctor told me that my life will totally change now that I have this and to be ready for a lifestyle change.
Here is a text book description of what I had:
Arterial Embolus
The popliteal artery, like any other peripheral artery, can be affected by embolism. Macroemboli have a tendency to lodge in the popliteal artery at the bifurcation into the tibioperoneal trunk and anterior tibial artery. An embolus in the lower extremities most often has a cardiac source. Other sources include aortic aneurysms and proximal arterial plaque or ulceration. Regardless of the source, acute arterial embolism almost always requires urgent treatment.
Patients with arterial embolism present with acute symptoms. The five cardinal signs and symptoms of arterial ischemia are pain, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia, and paralysis. With an occluding embolus, the patient will experience acute rest pain. The lower leg and foot will appear pale and have no pulses. If the condition is left untreated, it can progress to paresthesia and paralysis. Noninvasive arterial examination may be performed prior to angiography. With acute occlusion, there may be a total lack of Doppler signals at the ankle; thus, an ABI cannot be obtained. Color duplex US can also be used to depict thrombus, but the patient will usually proceed to angiography due to the acute clinical presentation. Thrombus in the popliteal artery appears as a complete angiographic occlusion producing the classic “meniscus sign,” a filling defect or abrupt vessel cutoff
Angiogram obtained in a 52-year-old patient who presented with acute bilateral ischemia of the lower extremities shows abrupt occlusion of both popliteal arteries (arrows)
That's about it for right now. I will continue this as I go along for the treatment and my new change of life.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Blood Clot in my Leg or DVT PT II
This is a continuation of my latest experience. In Part I, I described the sudden onset of this incident. Now to continue.
My blood pressure has always been a little elevated, but this was well above elevated reaching 237/130 and maintaining that level through the transport. I am located in a rural county, but the response time by the local EMS service was quite surprising from where they came from, which is about 12 miles away and commend them on their response and professionalism.
On arrival to the ED, I still had the same pain level, despite my 50 mcg of Fentanyl. The ED physician and my nurse along with the rest of the staff did not hesitate on making the right decisions, despite my request to talk about the treatment. When the vascular surgeon arrived, I was glad they didn't listen to me. No pulses noted even with the doppler and my foot was in its fourth cramp and just barely felt it because of the numbness in my leg. I might add that by this time I had received 2- 1mg IV pushes of Dilaudid and this still didn't ease the pain. I went straight to surgery.
The vascular surgeon was the best and I didn't have any reservations about his capabilities. He had treated my wife, so I was pretty familiar with his work.
The last thing I remember hearing was that I was fixing to get an IV of Versed and that was my first pain relief.
I don't remember anything until waking up in CCU and that will be in the next part.
My blood pressure has always been a little elevated, but this was well above elevated reaching 237/130 and maintaining that level through the transport. I am located in a rural county, but the response time by the local EMS service was quite surprising from where they came from, which is about 12 miles away and commend them on their response and professionalism.
On arrival to the ED, I still had the same pain level, despite my 50 mcg of Fentanyl. The ED physician and my nurse along with the rest of the staff did not hesitate on making the right decisions, despite my request to talk about the treatment. When the vascular surgeon arrived, I was glad they didn't listen to me. No pulses noted even with the doppler and my foot was in its fourth cramp and just barely felt it because of the numbness in my leg. I might add that by this time I had received 2- 1mg IV pushes of Dilaudid and this still didn't ease the pain. I went straight to surgery.
The vascular surgeon was the best and I didn't have any reservations about his capabilities. He had treated my wife, so I was pretty familiar with his work.
The last thing I remember hearing was that I was fixing to get an IV of Versed and that was my first pain relief.
I don't remember anything until waking up in CCU and that will be in the next part.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Blood Clot in my leg or DVT PT I
Well, to begin with, I've never thought of myself as indestructible,
however, I didn't think I would ever be brought to my knees like the
pain I experienced with Deep Vein Thrombosis.
It all started on the afternoon of April 6, 2013, at around 1 PM. I had been at an auction all morning and bought an old lawn mower and my neighbor, who was there, had offered to bring it home on his flatbed. With some help from another neighbor, we got it hooked up and set it down on the ground. I had gotten up and down off the tractor 2 or 3 times during the process. Here's where the fun starts.
When I got down the last time, I felt a little cramp in the calf of my right leg. I didn't think much about it. I'd walk it out. Gave a wave bye to my neighbor as he drove out the drive and started walking towards my dogs to let them off the leash. The pain is starting to gradually get worse, radiating down in my ankle and to the outside of my right foot. It was about 30 feet to the front door and I like to not made it.
My whole right leg felt like it was in a vise. You can't pinpoint the pain origin. You can't rub out the pain or maybe hit a muscle to massage it out. It's just there. And it don't go away, as you will soon notice. I had broken out in a sweat, and I knew then I was in serious trouble. Oh, by the way, I'm a retired Paramedic with 35 years street experience, and when this stuff hits home, you never really get a grasp of what's going on, because for one thing, denial, is your first reality and two, your first reality is quite a shock.
My sweet wife had taken her parents to lunch and should be about on the way home, so I call her and tell her that my leg is killing me and for her to get home as soon as she could. They was close because, fortunately in about 3 minutes they were there. I didn't tell her over the phone that I wasn't under a car or in a trauma situation, so my fault if she looked around the place before coming in the house.
When she saw me, she saw my pain, and my anxiety to get this over. I changed out of my pants and into pajama bottoms so my leg would be easy access for observation. What a shock when I pulled my pants off, the inside of my knee was cyanotic and purple. I had no feeling in my tib/fib next to my knee and tingling in my foot, which had turned a little ashen colored. The decision was made to call an ambulance and take me to the ED at Williamson Medical Ctr.
I'll stop here and we'll call this Part I. Stay tuned for Part II.
It all started on the afternoon of April 6, 2013, at around 1 PM. I had been at an auction all morning and bought an old lawn mower and my neighbor, who was there, had offered to bring it home on his flatbed. With some help from another neighbor, we got it hooked up and set it down on the ground. I had gotten up and down off the tractor 2 or 3 times during the process. Here's where the fun starts.
When I got down the last time, I felt a little cramp in the calf of my right leg. I didn't think much about it. I'd walk it out. Gave a wave bye to my neighbor as he drove out the drive and started walking towards my dogs to let them off the leash. The pain is starting to gradually get worse, radiating down in my ankle and to the outside of my right foot. It was about 30 feet to the front door and I like to not made it.
My whole right leg felt like it was in a vise. You can't pinpoint the pain origin. You can't rub out the pain or maybe hit a muscle to massage it out. It's just there. And it don't go away, as you will soon notice. I had broken out in a sweat, and I knew then I was in serious trouble. Oh, by the way, I'm a retired Paramedic with 35 years street experience, and when this stuff hits home, you never really get a grasp of what's going on, because for one thing, denial, is your first reality and two, your first reality is quite a shock.
My sweet wife had taken her parents to lunch and should be about on the way home, so I call her and tell her that my leg is killing me and for her to get home as soon as she could. They was close because, fortunately in about 3 minutes they were there. I didn't tell her over the phone that I wasn't under a car or in a trauma situation, so my fault if she looked around the place before coming in the house.
When she saw me, she saw my pain, and my anxiety to get this over. I changed out of my pants and into pajama bottoms so my leg would be easy access for observation. What a shock when I pulled my pants off, the inside of my knee was cyanotic and purple. I had no feeling in my tib/fib next to my knee and tingling in my foot, which had turned a little ashen colored. The decision was made to call an ambulance and take me to the ED at Williamson Medical Ctr.
I'll stop here and we'll call this Part I. Stay tuned for Part II.
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