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.