Kelly's DVT

On Saturday, March 8, my inner thigh on my left leg started to hurt. I thought nothing of it, figuring that I just stepped wrong at work that night and pulled a muscle or something. I worked the next night at Outback and my leg still hurt, not badly, but I did notice that the area was red and sore to the touch as well. Again, I wasn't too fussed about it. The next night it didn't feel any different until after my shift and I slowed down enough to notice. Then it really started to ache and was hot and very red. I was a little concerned, so I called my mom (always good to have a nurse in the family, although I suppose I also could have called my brother-in-law, Nate, who is a P.A.) and she said it could be a blood clot and that i should go see the doctor. So when I got home I took a closer look at my lweg and it looked really bad, but I didn't want to go to the doctor if it was something silly like a pulled muscle or just "chub rub", so I called the 24 hour nurse line provided by our health insurance. He also thought I had a blood clot - or DVT - and wanted me to go into an urgent care immediately. As it was already almost midnight, there was nothing open and I didn't fancy sitting in the ER for 6 hours and paying the huge co-pay, so I waited 'till morning to go to the urgent care. I slept horribly because I wasn't really sure how dangerous the clot was or if I could have a pulmonary embolism in the middle of the night or something. Anyhoo, went to the urgent care on Tuesday. They did an ultrasound on my leg and, yep, it was a clot. They drew A LOT of blood from my arm, leavng the first of many ugly bruises,




my poor bruised arms


and put me on Lovenox (injections in the belly aren't as bad as you might think, although it took 15 minutes of holding the syringe and staring at my belly button the first try to get my nerve up) and Coumadin. I have now been to the doctor (counting Tuesday's UC trip) 4 times, had my blood drawn three times, seen a Hematologist who reccommended more tests, and I see the doctor again in two weeks and have my blood drawn at least one more time before then. There is a good chance that I have Factor V Leiden because my dad also has it. That and the use of birth control are the only risk factors I had. The doctors have all seemed a little perplexed because I am young and the clot seems to have come out of nowhere (no injury, no surgery, no long trips in the car or airplane rides). So far it hasn't disrupted my life too much. The trips to the Coumadin clinic for lab work are a pain and my arms look horrible (I wonder if my tables in the restaurant think I'm a junkie). The only real cramp is that i like to have the occasional beer, which is no longer allowed. They said I can drink, but I have to do so consistently so the medicine can be adjusted to accomodate. the problem is, I don't want to drink consistently. I usually only have a couple of beers every week or so, not every night or even every other night, so unless I want to make it a habit, no drinking at all. *sigh* The hematologist today said I will likely be on Coumadin for a minimum of six months, but more likely a year. Guess I need to be extra careful shaving my legs now!