Here we are in Tok, Alaska, where we have come to see a Doctor about my leg
There are two streets in Tok, and the clinic was on one of them, we had a clue when we saw the ambulance, pretty smart, us city folk
After hearing of my complaint, they rushed me into the exam room, and I have never been treated nicer, very professional, EKG within 5 minutes, blood work, and had it back in 10 minutes, the ambulance driver was at ready to haul me to Fairbanks, and they were ready with an IV, if needed, they were all concerned that I might have a blood clot
Some of you have told me you want to see pictures of my leg, my brother for one, he said to put it on the blog, so here it is, Saturday when I felt it hurt there was no bruising, this is on Sunday
This picture is today, on Wednesday, it hurts alot, hard to bend, sit down, walk and go up stairs, other than that, it's fine
This is today, the bruising has come around to the front of my leg, my knee is swollen and hurts alot and the bruising is going down my leg
So, we are off to Fairbanks, hope it takes us only one day, it is just a little over 200 miles, Anchorage is much further, we couldn't make it in a day
There are two streets in Tok, and the clinic was on one of them, we had a clue when we saw the ambulance, pretty smart, us city folk
After hearing of my complaint, they rushed me into the exam room, and I have never been treated nicer, very professional, EKG within 5 minutes, blood work, and had it back in 10 minutes, the ambulance driver was at ready to haul me to Fairbanks, and they were ready with an IV, if needed, they were all concerned that I might have a blood clot
Christy here comes in with her southern drawl, and I suspect she might be from South Alaska, but no, she's from Georgia, she's just up here with her husband, Tim, who is a State Patrol here, and she is ready to go home, mosquitoes must have got to her
Doctor Wahl, just like the clippers, he says, takes a thorough history, examines my leg, and wraps it all up with he thinks it's a serious tear in my muscle in my thigh, no explanation for why all the bruising, but he doesn't think it's a blood clot, if he did, I would have been in the ambulance driven to the airport and been in Fairbanks, but....he is not sure that it isn't a blood clot, he has some thought that it could be, so that he would suggest that we drive up to Fairbanks, or Anchorage and have an ultrasound to make sure it isn't
Doctor Wahl, just like the clippers, he says, takes a thorough history, examines my leg, and wraps it all up with he thinks it's a serious tear in my muscle in my thigh, no explanation for why all the bruising, but he doesn't think it's a blood clot, if he did, I would have been in the ambulance driven to the airport and been in Fairbanks, but....he is not sure that it isn't a blood clot, he has some thought that it could be, so that he would suggest that we drive up to Fairbanks, or Anchorage and have an ultrasound to make sure it isn't
Some of you have told me you want to see pictures of my leg, my brother for one, he said to put it on the blog, so here it is, Saturday when I felt it hurt there was no bruising, this is on SundayThis picture is today, on Wednesday, it hurts alot, hard to bend, sit down, walk and go up stairs, other than that, it's fineThis is today, the bruising has come around to the front of my leg, my knee is swollen and hurts alot and the bruising is going down my leg
So, we are off to Fairbanks, hope it takes us only one day, it is just a little over 200 miles, Anchorage is much further, we couldn't make it in a day
5 comments:
Holy Pooh Girl, that legs looks BAD!! I am glad you are headed to Fairbanks, and pardon me for saying this but if you do end up being admitted to the one and only (I think) hospital and I really hope you do not, but if that should happen, let me know because my son's girlfriend works there and she can check in on you and maybe be of some help in some way or another, one nevers knows!!. I know it must hurt like the dickens!! Dang. Well, you take care of you and keep the latest news posted. I have told some of my friends about your travel blog and they are checking in on a daily basis now, I am sure they will be watching to see the latest leg news too. Take care, I will be thinking about you.
Hi Wilderness Girl,
I looked through some of my medical books and checked some Internet sites to see if I could offer some explanation for your leg bruising. Are you sure you didn't fall out of the car and roll under it? Or did a bear get ahold of you and kicked you in your back side? Do you take any blood thinners or take Aspirin? Is it hard for you to climb into the RV and you possible hit your leg in doing so? If you could remember hitting it on something -- the explanation for the severe bruising would be much easier. I just can't imagine it looking this way and you having pain -- without you injuring it on something.
And the trip was going so well!!! You sound like you are in good spirits - even with your leg looking like this. Be careful with it and if you can keep it elevated (I know this is hard to do -- while driving down the road and while you are taking pictures but right now -- you are going to have to take care of yourself. Stick some books under the foot of your bed -- which would elevate the foot of it. Keep an eye out for red streaks on your leg -- and if you see any, head to the closest medical center. (Yes, I know that may be a few miles away for you - but tell Cindy to get you there - pronto.) I don't mean to sound so concerned here -- but I am concerned. And for goodness sake, show Cindy how to post comments so she can take over - in case you aren't able to do so. We don't want you out there with the bears -- and us not hearing from you. You are in my prayers my friend. Try to behave yourself.
(Thank goodness, I finally got the hang of how to read and write these blogs.)
First of all, thanks Barbara, I am not in the hospital yet,and I don't think I will be, but what a beautiful ER, the coolest one I have ever saw. I am just fine, kind of funny everytime a nurse see it they go kind of ballistic and then a Doctor sees it and they are kind of like, I don't think so, but let's do an ultrasound to be sure, so tomorrow that's what they will do, in the mean time they gave me a three page ER handout on bruises, the nurse look kind of sheepish as she gave it to me and said, we have to do this, but we'll see you tomorrow. I knew you'd be looking up in your nursing books Linda, can you figure out what I did, it does look like Cindy ran over me though, doesn't it? Maybe when I was asleep......
Hi Wilderness Girls,
You sound so chipper to have a leg that looks like this. Maybe you shouldn't have sent us pictures of it - then we wouldn't be so concerned. I guess with it being on your back side - you can't really see it very well either unless you look in a mirror or you get a picture taken of it. So is it looking better? From what you said about the ER visit - it doesn't sound like it looks very good. I am sure it will be changing different colors - as the blood is absorbed. I don't think Cindy would run over you -- so you can cross that theory off of your list. I am wondering how the beds are anchored down in the RV? Perhaps bolted to the floor and if so does this mean the mattresses are somewhat encased in a wooden frame? We have a cargo bed and the mattress has a wooden case (frame) that goes all around it. This keeps the mattress from sliding off of the box springs. And with the mattress on -- it is quite high off of the floor. When I go to get out of it, the back sides of my legs hit that wooden case (frame) and then I have to jump a little to get my feet onto the floor. It hurts my legs and I can imagine it would give me a bruise if I didn't hurry and jump off of the bed. If your clotting time (Vit. K) is low or you take some kind of Aspirin, you could bleed (bruise) from this. So this is one theory that I have of what could have caused the bruising. All of my other reasons, suggest that you injured yourself and that all of the mosquito bites have given you amnesia and you can't remember what hit you. Perhaps you were leaning in the car/RV and the door shut on your back side or perhaps, you slipped and fell and you don't want to tell others about it (I don't really think this is the case for you are telling us everything about this trip). Or perhaps, you and Cindy saw an opportunity to participate in a "mud fight" on some of those back roads -- and Cindy won -- leaving you with battle wounds. My last theory is that a giant mosquito got you while you were sleeping and drained most of your blood out of you but didn't have enough "jars" to store it all in so he left it under your skin. It is getting late here and I know I am losing what little bit of sanity that I had. Sorry.
What time is it in Alaska? Are you on the same time -- as you are in Washington?
I am anxiously waiting to hear what they tell you from your ER visit today after you have your test done. Hope you get some good news. In the meantime -- take care of yourself.
They did take blood test in Tok and my blood clotting was just fine, I do take a 80 aspirin a day and have for years, still hardly ever bruise, even when I broke my feet, or had the shoulder operation didn't hardly change color. And Cindy couldn't beat me in mud wrestling, I've been saying I am a mud wrestler for years, when people asked me about my feet breaking, Cindy has never broached the subject so I am sure I am better at it than her. No, bed sits on top of the bedsprings, all I did was swing my leg back and forth when I was trying to get the leg cramp out of my leg, that's when it started hurting and I thought that the cramp just hadn't left my leg all day Saturday, then Sunday night it started to bruise, just a small bruise. Now it looks worse than it ever did, the blood is dissapating and my whole leg is covered with a bruise, it's gone all around to the front and going down to my ankles. I don't think, well I know, that it didn't help my leg any having them prodding and pushing on it for so long, it hurt so much everthing in my body hurt, I just had to go to bed, that's why I am so late, in putting this on, but I feel much better now.
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