I spent yesterday afternoon in the doctor's office/Oklahoma Heart office.

I went in, and she asked me a bunch of questions. I'd seen this doctor before, but my doctor is on maternity leave. (they had a picture, cute cute cute!)

She didn't seem very alarmed ..kind of ..blah ... a chronically ill patient on multiple drugs with edema ..ya? So?

I think she was expecting a little water retention one might get with a monthly cycle.

I pulled off my sandals ..and up my pant legs and her face dropped. Her demenor changed. Suddenly she went back to my chart and started to ask me more questions. Dizziness, nausea, chest pain, sweating ... I can't even remember what all.

then as she had me climb onto the table to examine me, she asked me about family history of blood clots. My mind started to work.
I couldn't think.
Who is it that had the blood clot?
Whas it Grandma B?
Was it Grandma P?
Was it one of my Aunts or uncles? I know it wasn't a parent! Someone, important close to me had a blood clot. I should know this.

I shrugged and said I couldn't think of someone, maybe one of my grandmothers?

Then as she started to touch my foot it hit me ...
"um, Dr. G, I had a blood clot, once"

DUH!!!! DERK !!! DORK !!!!

You'd have thought she touched a hot stove by the way she jerked her hands away. Ok, give up the history! Why isn't in the chart? (I don't have the answer to that one)

It wasn't in my legs, and it wasn't just a clot for clot sake ... I'd had a port that clotted off ...big time ... my whole arm got swollen and purple and and I spent 13 days in the hospital while they tried to thin out my blood with heperin (this should just take 2 days .... 2 weeks later ... I finally got out, fun experience). I spent a year on coumadin fighting the clot/clots in the port. I threw some to my fingers ... and then they took the port out.

Not exactly the same thing ...but ..since it clotted less than 24 hours after it's insertion ... it kind of ...well ... is a necessary something a doctor asking about clots needs to know.

duh

So, after she got over the shock of my revelation, she was ready to check the edema again. She was obviously worried. Deep pitting. She said that she could make caverns in my legs. I thought the left leg was worse, she thought the right leg was worse. (Left leg is bigger, right leg she could make deeper caverns in)

So, she decided to go ahead and do a venous study on both legs. I didn't think anything of it, I've had a zillion ultrasounds.

Um ..er ... YEOUCH!!!!!!!!!YEOUCH!!!!!!! Crud those hurt!

Anyway ... a little while after I got home, I got a call from the doctor's office. Take lasix, keep feet up, and drink water. Follow up in 2 weeks. (increase protien as well)

so all of that ...and it wasn't anything they can tell ... well good!