My left leg swelling got to the point this weekend that I decided I had to see the doctor, no more being "patient" that it would clear up.
Turns out, I need to be patient.
My doctor said that if it was a problem with the IVC filter, both of my legs would be swollen like this, and I wouldn't have localized pain in one spot (in my pelvis), it would just be overall swelling.
"You probably have another blood clot, even though you're on blood thinners. Or you have a pinched vein inside your abdomen from the surgery, your IVC is pinched and it has taken a while to rear its ugly head."
Turns out his first hunch was correct, as the ultrasound showed yesterday. I have another blood clot, this time up where my leg meets my pelvis. It is a doozy. And it really shouldn't be there, since I'm "anti-coagulated" with the blood thinners.
So my blood thinners have been increased, and my doctor is worried about removing the IVC filter in 2 weeks. He thinks it may be a good idea to leave it there... but if we do so we leave it for life and I don't know about that.
Pros of keeping it are that no clots will make it to my lungs and I won't die because of a blood clot, ever. I won't have a stroke or horrible brain injury due to the clots, I will live with that and that'll just be part of my life. Something else will have to kill me some day.
Cons are blood thinners for life, the possibilities of the IVC filter getting out of place or harming my vein or awful things happening with it. I keep seeing TV commercials (God forsaken Daytime TV lawyer commercials) about IVC filter death and problems and whatnot and it scares the piss out of me.
Groan.
So I still have the appointment set up to remove the IVC filter, I have to get this clot cleared in the next 2 weeks in order to have this done. I'm nervous.
We'll see what unfolds based on the timeline of things to come. In the meantime, percoset is a wonderful drug for pain relief (so much better than Tylenol3)...
I feel like you need a reset button, so you could just take the past two years and get rid of them. The relationships stuff and the growth stuff stays, but the rest just goes down the drain... That would be nice. Praying for your healing.
ReplyDeletehahhaa! a reset button would be so nice. a vacation would be just as nice. hot tub. sunny. something.
Deletethanks for the love.
but but...how does the swelling go away if they don't take it out? this is a pain in the...leg and I'm sorry you have to go through it.
ReplyDeleteThe swelling and pain will go away when the blood clot clears out. They increased my blood thinners to tackle it. I think that it is working to some extent because last night I was in horrible discomfort with pins and needles in my foot on that side, meaning the blood is moving around maybe? i hope. i hope it is a good sign and that a couple days from now I'm swelling and pain free. fingers crossed!
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