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treehugger1
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« on: September 10, 2008, 08:58:29 AM » |
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Yes, yet another medical question from treehugger1 <sigh>.
I had major abdominal surgery about 2 1/2 weeks ago (and have already babbled on about it some 20 odd posts). For the last two weeks, I've had steadily increasing pain in one of my thighs. Last night, someone suggested I might have a blood clot. So, I did a little on-line research last night and it seems like my symptoms are just like those of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) -- or at least one way that it presents.
This morning I called my surgeon. The response? DVT happens only in the calf, not the thigh. Therefore the pain has nothing to do with the surgery. This seems just plain wrong to me. What do you think? Am I just being paranoid? Or is my surgeon being silly?
In any case, I'm going to go call my regular doctor and get a second opinion while I wait ....
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ideagirl
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« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2008, 09:01:26 AM » |
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I googled "dvt thigh" (no quotes) and got some hits that suggest that indeed, your doctor's wrong. And DVT in the thigh is more serious than one in the calf. http://blood.emedtv.com/deep-vein-thrombosis/deep-vein-thrombosis.htmlI would go to the ER right away, if I were you. Not to freak you out, but it seems wise to err on the side of caution here. |
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sarcomere
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« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2008, 09:04:30 AM » |
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Uh... your surgeon is wrong. This is serious, go to the ER immediately, as Ideagirl suggests.
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Share the road - watch out for cyclists
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historyphd
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« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2008, 09:06:41 AM » |
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This reminds me of that old joke.
What do they call the guy who came in last in his medical school class?
Doctor.
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mccfan
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« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2008, 09:54:52 AM » |
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Though I hesitate before typing this, as it is a tv reference, I do believe that the main character on the show "House" may have ended up with a permanent limp when a blood clot in his thigh was not attended to properly and some of his leg tissue died. Of course that is tv, but the ER docs on that episode dismissed his problem as merely muscle pain (blew him off like the OP's doctor) and the consequences were bad. I know, I know, this is fictional tv, but they sometimes supply us with real medical info. For that show, I imagine the writers flicking through the PDR and some old medical textbooks for the most obscure conditions they can find. I mean, after 3 or 4 seasons, how many cases of plague can you diagnose? And there was a study a few years back that showed ER watchers actually gleaned real medical info from watching, so who knows?
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erictho
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« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2008, 10:05:43 AM » |
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If I were worried about a medical issue, I'd go see my doctor rather than accept a diagnosis over the phone, even from my surgeon. Do you have a family doctor? Health Services on campus? nearby ER?
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Damnit, people, spread the word about responsible pet ownership.
erictho speaks the truth
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dysnomia
Wait, when did I become a
Senior member
Posts: 545
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« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2008, 10:23:25 AM » |
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You are not being paranoid. I would question that statement made by your surgeon. I recently had a doppler sonogram on a vein in my upper thigh/groin region because they suspected a blood clot (it was negative). Blood clots travel, which is why they are dangerous. They can eventually move up to your kidneys or lungs, which is when you know you're really in trouble (and by then it's pretty much too late). The most common time to experience blood clots is post-surgery.
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« Last Edit: September 10, 2008, 10:23:58 AM by discordia »
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marlborough
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« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2008, 11:00:11 AM » |
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You certainly shouldn't discount the DVT suggestions you've had here, but after my recent abdominal surgery, I was warned that the surgery might have irritated major nerves that run down into the thighs, and to be on the lookout for the kind of pain you describe.
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gennimom
Somewhat Southern (Have I really posted that much?)
Distinguished Senior Member
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Let's get summer over with! Me want snow!
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« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2008, 11:11:47 AM » |
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Okay, now we're all going to be on the lookout for you, Treehugger!
Keep us posted on how you're doing!
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...only after reading gm's post, my new mantra is "always listen to gennimom".
Monday reeks! - Garfield The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person (or something like that). |
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curiousone
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« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2008, 11:39:31 AM » |
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My father had a DVT behind his knee and ended up with multiple pulmonary embolisms. This is an emergency situation, not a doctor appt situation. Go now.
(FWIW, my father is fine--my mother, a nurse, had a sixth sense when she heard my father coughing repeatedly and got him to the ER right away.)
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spork
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« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2008, 11:44:13 AM » |
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Surgeons cut. Once the cutting is over, their minds are on cutting someone else. Post-op care is best left in the hands of the professionals.
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a.k.a. gum-chewing monkey in a Tufts University jacket
"Please do not force people who are exhausted to take medication for hallucinations." -- Memo from the Chair, Department of White Privilege Studies, Fiork University
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treehugger1
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« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2008, 12:59:36 PM » |
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Update: I went to see my family doc right away. He was concerned enough not only to order both an ultrasond and an X-ray right away, but also to drive me to the clinic himself when he found out I didn't have a car.
The ultrasond was negative and I'm still waiting to hear about the X-ray. One thing I don't quite understand, however. The ultrasond only tests for clots in the primary veins, not all the little ones. I'll have to ask my doc about this later today or tomorrow. In any case, it's time for a little nap. (I was so stressed out last night, I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours.)
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anthroid
Proud yod dropper
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Posts: 15,781
No happy socks because nobody gets Manitoba.
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« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2008, 01:02:58 PM » |
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Update: I went to see my family doc right away. He was concerned enough not only to order both an ultrasond and an X-ray right away, but also to drive me to the clinic himself when he found out I didn't have a car.
The ultrasond was negative and I'm still waiting to hear about the X-ray. One thing I don't quite understand, however. The ultrasond only tests for clots in the primary veins, not all the little ones. I'll have to ask my doc about this later today or tomorrow. In any case, it's time for a little nap. (I was so stressed out last night, I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours.)
Good for you for getting on this right away. Your doc sounds amazing, BTW. Please keep us up to date on what's happening--I was relieved to see you post! |
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gennimom
Somewhat Southern (Have I really posted that much?)
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 16,764
Let's get summer over with! Me want snow!
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« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2008, 01:03:43 PM » |
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Update: I went to see my family doc right away. He was concerned enough not only to order both an ultrasond and an X-ray right away, but also to drive me to the clinic himself when he found out I didn't have a car.
The ultrasond was negative and I'm still waiting to hear about the X-ray. One thing I don't quite understand, however. The ultrasond only tests for clots in the primary veins, not all the little ones. I'll have to ask my doc about this later today or tomorrow. In any case, it's time for a little nap. (I was so stressed out last night, I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours.)
Good for you for getting on this right away. Your doc sounds amazing, BTW. Please keep us up to date on what's happening--I was relieved to see you post! Second! |
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...only after reading gm's post, my new mantra is "always listen to gennimom".
Monday reeks! - Garfield The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person (or something like that). |
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treehugger1
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« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2008, 05:54:41 PM » |
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Update: I went to see my family doc right away. He was concerned enough not only to order both an ultrasond and an X-ray right away, but also to drive me to the clinic himself when he found out I didn't have a car.
The ultrasond was negative and I'm still waiting to hear about the X-ray. One thing I don't quite understand, however. The ultrasond only tests for clots in the primary veins, not all the little ones. I'll have to ask my doc about this later today or tomorrow. In any case, it's time for a little nap. (I was so stressed out last night, I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours.)
Good for you for getting on this right away. Your doc sounds amazing, BTW. Please keep us up to date on what's happening--I was relieved to see you post! Well, he has his moments, but I also think he tends to overprescribe. After I got back, his office called to say that they had phoned in an antibiotic prescription to my pharmacy for me. Whaaa?!?!? Antibiotics for this??? I asked why, and they said: "Possible inflammation." I'm not convinced, and I really dislike being put on any kind of medication, but I'll probably just wind up taking them anyway. Too tired to protest/do more on-line research/whatever at the moment. |
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Not a member of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. May we live long and not die out.
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