Knee update

I went to my doctor's office on Friday morning for a routine prescription refill type of appointment. I happened to mention a significant bruise on my leg and asked if it needed special care. Well, I pulled up my pants leg and watched them all promptly go nuts!

Next thing I knew, nursing students were being paraded into the room to see the spectacle that was there before them. They all looked suitably aghast. I could just imagine hearing the intercom call for that one, "Freak show, exam room 1--you don't want to miss this one."

Ahem. That's how my simple appointment began. It ended a few hours later in the Radiologist's office for a "doppler study" which seems to actually mean sonogram of the femoral artery to look for blood clots (I had none, thank God above). In between stops, I went to have blood drawn to check my platelet and white blood cell counts in case I had used them all up in trying to deal with my large bruise.

For the sake of Guiness Book of World Records, my bruise measured 28 cm at the longest point and 28 cm at the widest. The shape vaguely resembles a child's drawing of the continent of Africa. My left calf is officially 2 cm larger in circumference than the right one. Now that's swelling, folks. But, it gets larger daily as gravity pulls the blood further down my bloated and discolored leg toward my icky, swollen foot (with a lovely blue tinge).

After I admitted that the bruise wasn't painful and that I was running up and down stairs at work (and teaching kids to disco dance for our disco themed prom in two weeks) the nurse practitioner took my aleve rights away from me. She said that a little pain would slow me down and make me rest. No kidding, sista! This part stinks.

Now, I do fairly well hobbling around work until around 1 pm and then life isn't what it's cracked up to be anymore. Oh well. I guess I am getting more reading, blog reading, and crochet done than I have done in a very long time.