Right Leg OK

Yesterday I went to the labs on Airport Blvd. to have an ultrasound exam of my right leg. Today I got a call from my doctor's assistant with the results.

The clot in the upper leg has disolved as has some of the clot in the lower leg. The rest of the lower clot has stabilized and will always be there. I doesn't hurt very much. It looks pretty bad, but no longer like raw hamburger. Now it's more like lightly cooked hamburger.

Off Coumadin At Last

My primary care doctor said one year should be enough of the Coumadin and I can stop completely, today. I have been taking some kind of blood thinner since November 16, 2009.

I'll need one more ultrasound exam on the right leg to check the progress on the DVT clot. I will schedule it for right after I get home from the upcoming cruise.

Flu Shots

I got my flu shot today.

Shot in Right Knee

The arthritis in my right knee has been troubling me lately so I called the orthopedist and he said come in for a cortisone shot. I went in and the PA did it -- very well. I didn't feel a thing.

Regular Medical Check Up

Saw my MD and I got a list of blood tests to take next week. Asked him about the pain in my right leg. He has very little to say about it and I suspect the medical world doesn't have a clue.

Podiatrist Visit

Annual check up. The podiatrist checked my out and worked on my ingrown nail on the right foot's big toe. He gave me a prescription for some anti-fungal nail polish for it. Very new. First time a topical nail fungus remedy has been on the market.

Knee Replacement Follow Up Exam

Saw the knee surgeon. He took new x-rays and looked them over. He told me the progress was excellent and he wants to see me in a year.

I mentioned the DVT and the vague test results reported by the specialist and his staff. And no mention of any prognoisis.

Perhaps he gave the specialist a call because as soon as I got home there was a call from the vascular surgeon's office. The nurse told me whoever called me on Monday must have forgotten to tell me everything. She read me a list of things to do regarding, what is now apparently, my Post Thrombotic Syndrome. Basically I need to "wear the compression stocking" when I am active and elevate the leg when in bed.

Vasculat Test Follow Up

The vascular doctor's nurse calls to tell me my leg is fine. I ask if it's fine then why does it hurt?

At the Specialist's Office

This time I get some tests, on both legs. The tech says nothing appears to be seriously wrong. But the doctor will make the final decision on that. I meet briefly with the doctor. He is vague. Tells me he will send a report to my MD in a few days.

I must return for more ultra sounds tomorrow and on Friday.

Wednesday, 8:45 A.M. I see my primary care doctor. He says to continue with the Vicodin. But at bedtime if I am in serious discomfort, he prescribes Percocet 10 for me, it's oxycodone; Vicodin is hydrocodone. I want the stuff Rush Limbaugh (ab)uses -- that's Oxicontin. They are very careful about when you can get that one.

My PT/INR is high -- 3.2 -- so I'll need to test that again next Wednesday.

On and On

The doctor is a no-show...

Tuesday at 3:15, I wait nearly an hour to find that the vascular doctor has an "emergency" and has to cancel all of this afternoon's appointments. I will see him next Tuesday at 2:45. From the lobby I call my regular doctor and ask for a prescription -- a better painkiller. I have been asking for a week. He can't do it over the phone and I need to see him early tomorrow morning.

Finally!

On Monday, I get a call from a vascular specialist. Come in at 3:15 tomorrow for an exam. He has several offices. I go to the one nearby at the huge regional medical center.

This test will not cure anything. I am still hoping for a new painkiller.

Still no call from the specialist...

I am still in pain, the Vicodin barely works and there has been no call from the vein specialist. Maybe on Monday?

Another Ultra Sound of My Right Leg

I have the ultra sound today and Peter the technician says the upper leg shows great improvement, but the lower leg still has a clot.

The next day my doctor's nurse calls and tells me the doctor says the upper leg shows great improvement, but the lower leg still has a clot.

Doctor still wants me to see the specialist. I mention there has been no call from the specialist and the nurse says she will remind them, but they are very busy with lots of patients. Well I am willing to bet the specialist's receptionist is not all that busy. And she could surely take a minute and call me to make an appointment. She doesn't have to examine me.

Lower Right Leg Clot

After a week of increasing pain from the thrombosis in my lower right leg I called my primary care physician. (The next checkup on my right leg DVT is for early June.)

I called for just one thing -- I need a stronger pain killer. The Vicodin, even the 750 mg strength is not doing it for me with this kind of pain. It helps for an hour or two but then the pain comes back full force. I get through the daytime OK but in the middle of the night there's extreme aches and shooting pains. The support stocking helps during the day but when I wear one all day I have worse than usual pain that night.

I tell the nurse what I want and she says, "You may need to come in and see him." Later she calls back and says, "He wants you to get another ultra sound exam and then see a vascular surgeon."

The test is tomorrow noon. The specialist will call me to set up an appointment. I tell her I am in pain and need something stronger.

My New Glasses Are Ready?

On Thursday, January 21, I had my eyes examined and bought new glasses, prescription sun glasses and reading glasses. The exam, lenses and frames came to a total of $525.

This was the first eye exam I have had in two years. Recently I have noticed the right eye isn't corrected well at all any more -- very fuzzy. The prescription for the left eye is nearly perfect, however.

I have been seeing this optician for several years and have always received good service. But . . . this time there was a new technician and I thought the young man was distracted and hard to communicate with.

Today I went in to pick up my new glasses. There were problems. For all three pairs of glasses, the lenses for my right eye appear to be from the old prescription. And the clear lenses I asked for were deep brown.

I sent her a letter explaining all the details. I wanted to avoid having to tell my story over and over to her staff before I could tell her directly. A few days later she called and said I should see her when the replacement glasses arrive. I did and two more times as well.

Today, my fifth trip to the optician's office, I finally got the remaining glasses and visually they are fine. Not perfect, but fine.

What a bother. I figure the young man sent the wrong instructions to the lab. The next time I need new glasses I will find a new eye doctor.

Regular checkup with my MD

Last Friday I had blood tests done prior to today's appointment with my primary care physician. Early this week his office person called to tell me that the tests (cholesterol, liver function and glucose) were normal. That's a first. In a long time.

For the appointment I took a printout of my morning glucose levels for the past three months and a printed list of questions for him about my DVT and the apparent lack of progress after three months of treatment.

The PT/INR score was 2.2 and that's a good level to be at.

My blood pressure is too high and I continue to be too heavy. To help with that a little I can go back to the gym and ride the stationary bike. That would be good exercise for my legs and knees and shouldn't bother the blood clot in my leg.

And yes, I should regularly wear a compression stocking on the right leg. It seems to help during the day.

I still have a lot of pain and some cramps at night. It seems the longer I am in bed the worse it gets. I am up every hour or two all night long. Every night.

As for the lack of progress -- my lower right leg hurts as much or perhaps a little more than when I started the Coumadin in mid-November -- from what he told me apparently progress is slow and I can expect it to take a long time to get better. He will look at the leg again at the beginning of March just before my two weeks in London.

H1N1 Flu Shots

Neither of us are sure we need the Swine Flu shots but because we will be going to England in six weeks -- and sitting on crowded airplanes for hours -- it's probably a good idea. So we did, today.

One year checkup for the knee replacement surgery

I saw the surgeon. Several x-rays of both knees were taken. The replaced left knee is in good shape and the range of motion is good. On January 29, it will be one year since the surgery.

The good news is that the replaced knee is fine and feels better than it has in years.

X-rays of the right knee show some major problems lurking in the future and he gave me a cortisone shot in the joint. As for the DVT he suggested I wear a support stocking. My regular doctor had not mentioned this so I have to ask him for details when I see him for a checkup in February.

[A couple days later I tried the stocking on my right leg and it is very comforting. But I worry it shouldn't be worn for long periods. Maybe I am wrong about this. The Internet is little help.]

The right leg's thrombosis is just as painful as when I saw the doctor about it in early November. My toes are purple and the foot around the ankle looks like there are blood clots right under the skin. The mid-calf pain has moved downwards a few inches and the skin is red and sore. It wakes me up at night. Right now I am taking 5mg of Coumadin daily. And that's all I am doing about it (other than taking painkillers: Vicodin with Tylenol, a 500 or 750 in the middle of the night).

Coumadin level stabilized

Today's test result was 2.9. Now I can test just once a month. I have an appointment for a check up with the doctor on February 10, so I will get my blood test then.



My scores for the past few weeks were:

December 1, 4.2
December 4, 3.4
December 8, 2.7
December 14, 3.1
December 21, 3.1
December 28, 3.2
January 4, 3.0

Installing the replacement new bridge

At 9:00 A.M. I got the new bridge installed where teeth 28, 29 and 30 used to be. It felt right finally. It was a tough fight and a lot of work for me and the dentist. A problem for me since November 1, 2008.