Medic?

[Guest]

First, let me say that I AM going to the doctor tomorrow.

When: Last Sunday
What: After making changes to my surround system, I stupidly tried to stand on the arm of the leather couch in my sock feet to check the rear speakers. My foot slipped off and my leg dropped between the couch arm and the end table. The gap was full when it hit my calf, but my weight drove it all the way down to my knee.

It hurt like a son of a bitch that night.
I employed RICE and NSAID's all of Sunday night and Monday AM.

I went out briefly on Monday and it was feeling much better, but there was still swelling.

More RICE & NSAID's Monday night.

By Tuesday, the big knot was still there below and right of the knee, but it didn't hurt much at all.

Wednesday was sore, but otherwise good. Knot still there.

Thursday, it began to feel worse.

Friday was bad.

Saturday I was back on RICE and NSAID's. That's when the blue began appearing in the foot. I'm assuming that is blood draining down and settling.

I've had it up all day today and it seems to more stiff and sore.

My guess is that I cracked open a deep vein and that knot is full of fluid and or blood?
It's firm to the touch, but not hard.

Like I said, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. Just wondering what's going on?

 

[Guest]

Re: Medic?

Oh yea. The ankle is not swollen.
I have xanthomas and they are causing a thickening of the tendons there.

 

[The_Punisher]

Re: Meidc?

spelling for $100 ! Tore gastroc/ hamstring muscle and blood drained into ankle. Looks like a common injury.

 

[Guest]

Re: Medic?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Punisher</div><div class="ubbcode-body">spelling for $100 ! Tore gastroc/ hamstring muscle and blood drained into ankle. Looks like a common injury. </div></div>

Will the knot eventually go down or should it be drained?

 

[DustyJacket]

Re: Meidc?

I think the technical term you are looking for is: your leg is fucked up.

Good lucktomorrow - going to a sports injury doc? Or just a GP ?

 

[Guest]

Re: Medic?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DustyJacket</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think the technical term you are looking for is: your leg is fucked up. </div></div>

Thanks. I knew I'd find the experts here.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Medic?

Good luck tomorrow. Ask if they'll prescribe something for that crabbiness problem too!

Stop by Home Depot on the way home for a new invention called a -















Step Ladder.

They come rated for big fellas now too!
http://www.louisvilleladder.com/product_info.php?products_id=55

 

[smokshwn]

Re: Medic?

Most likely just a deep muscle bruise. Might try some alternating ice and heat, massage and keeping it in the air as much as possible. When you have it elevated move your ankle as much as possible...draw the letters of the alphabet as big as you can with your big toe over and again.

 

[Guest]

Re: Medic?

As suspected, it is a big old hematoma.
X-rays showed no fractures, but they're sending me to get some kind ultrasound to make sure there are no clots in the leg.

They told me to do what smokshwn said almost verbatim.

 

[smokshwn]

Re: Medic?

I want a raise. Would you mind making the recommendation to Frank

 

[UKDslayer]

Re: Medic?

Sorry Tucker, I'm a little late getting on board here. Somehow you busted a fairly decent sized artery to get that hematoma. One thing you need to watch for, and learn now if they didn't teach you, is where your pulses are on the medial ankle, and the top of the foot. There can be a nasty sequelae to a hematoma in a tight closed area like the lower leg called compartment syndrome - the draining blood presses on the microvasculature and causes ischemia (loss of blood flow to normal tissue) which is followed by skin necrosis (aka gangrene). So, at the first sign of ANY pallor (= white areas of the skin), numbness, loss of any of those arterial pulses, change in foot temperature or color (other than the bruising which should go from purple to yellow as the hemosiderin in the red blood cells is broken down) high-tail it back to the ER to have that nasty hematoma evacuated. A word about RICE - complete rest can actually lead to a DVT, esp. with the potential for a component of compartment syndrome going on, so you should actually make sure you move the affected limb and/or wear some lovely TED compression hose - provided you remove them frequently enough to check the above signs and symptoms. DVTs usually present as a tender, palpable cord on the back middle of the popliteal fossa (=the groove behind the knee), but can also start in the back of the lower calf. Most hematomas don't require treatment but...compartment syndrome and infections can really happen (a collection of old blood makes a yummy dinner for a bunch of bacteria so be aware if the area gets unusually bright red, and warm, or you develop a fever, again off to your local ER).A lot of doctors would prescribe an antibiotic that covers both gram positive and gram negative bacteria such as augmentin (unless PCN allergic) or Bactrim (unless sulfa allergic). Nobody likes to evacuate hematomas on the legs because once you commit to draining, you also commit to an open hole that will take about 6-8 weeks to heal in, and the wound care that goes with it. The normal behavior of a hematoma is to "organize" (= form a large firm lump) and then fibrose (= scarring within that lump), until it is eventually broken down by your body.

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: Medic?

i can post a picture of some toes that are a lot prettier than yours.......

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Medic?

Just take care of your crabby ass and pay attention to the Doctor so we don't have to deal with an even more bitter, one legged, codger wannabe.

 

[REELDOC]

Re: Medic?

You can also keep a check on the capilary refill on yer ugly toes. Mash the toenail and then release, should turn from kinda white to kinda red fairly quickly. If it doesn't the bloodflow may be going south. Just a though from my old EMT days..........

 

[Guest]

Re: Medic?

They sent me for venous ultrasound after x-rays.
I've got a hospital within a stone's throw of my house, but I couldn't go there because they're not in my insurance group's network.
Instead, I had to drive 50 miles to get it done.
Then I had to fill out all of the same paperwork there that I did at the doctor's office, because sharing information is apparently a bad thing. Much more efficient and cost effective to pay another person to do it all over again!

Ultrasound checked OK - no clots.

Doc said it would take about three weeks before it was getting back to normal.

I had actually already checked the pulse on the ankle last night. That and the fact that my toes weren't cold or blue led me to believe that the main pipe was clear.

After getting around on it so much today, the damned thing actually feels a little better.
That and having the cute nurse rub the ultrasound thingy close to my scrote.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Medic?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After getting around on it so much today, the damned thing actually feels a little better.
That and having <span style="text-decoration: underline">the cute nurse </span>rub the ultrasound thingy close to my scrote.
</div></div>

THAT'S A MAN, BABY!

 

[UKDslayer]

Re: Medic?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After getting around on it so much today, the damned thing actually feels a little better.
That and having <span style="text-decoration: underline">the cute nurse </span>rub the ultrasound thingy close to my scrote.
</div></div>

THAT'S A MAN, BABY! </div></div>

No, actually its called the cremasteric reflex. But same thing. Glad your on the mend Tucker.

 

[HotIce]

Re: Medic?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i can post a picture of some toes that are a lot prettier than yours....... </div></div>
I think this thread has one too many man's leg pictures already

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Medic?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: UKDslayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After getting around on it so much today, the damned thing actually feels a little better.
That and having <span style="text-decoration: underline">the cute nurse </span>rub the ultrasound thingy close to my scrote.
</div></div>

THAT'S A MAN, BABY! </div></div>

No, actually its called the cremasteric reflex. But same thing. Glad your on the mend Tucker. </div></div>

Slayer,

I was quoting Austen Powers

<span style="font-size: 8pt">i.e., the nurse was really a man...</span>