So, remember that sore calf muscle that keeps swelling up? 

Went to the doctor earlier this week, don't even remember what day... wednesday.  Yeah, that's it.  So.. he had no clue what was wrong with my leg.  He did the same crap I had done.  Felt for a knot or sore spot.. checked the temperature of each leg.  Then he just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me and said.. "well, what do you want to do."  Sheesh.  This bozo got paid 90 bucks to ask me what I wanted to do.  I said well.. the first thing we should check for is a blood clot.  So, he made an appointment for today at the big hospital.  So, I went there at 9am.. and didn't get out of there till 1.  When I went in, my blood pressure was 140/80.. when I left.. it was 160/80.  I was so pissed off.  Partly at them.. partly at myself. 

Bottom line is I have a blood clot in my left leg.  Now I have to take coumadin for the next 6 months... or at least that's what they want me to do. 

When I got to the hospital I went to the diagnostic center.  You walk in to this huge cheaply appointed waiting room where some lady directs you to a computer touch screen.  You choose whatever it is you are there for, in my case "ultrasound", though the appointment slip I had didn't mention ultrasound anywhere on it.  Then it spits out this little ticket with a number.. DMV style.  So you sit and wait.  Great job lady.. pointing me to the computer sceen and all.  About 10 minutes later a computerized voice says "now serving number 114 at window 2".  Sheesh.. so I stroll over to the window and talk to this lady that smells like a brewery.  I don't know if it was her.. or the liberal dosing of hand sanitizer from the dispenser sitting at her window that people had obviously been spilling.  So she takes my information.. updates whatever.. blah blah blah.. and says go back and take a seat they'll call your name.  So.. I sit.. for 45 minutes.  In the most uncomfortable chairs I've ever sat in.  I was about ready to just lay down on the floor when somebody showed up.  I went back.. had the ultrasound.  I kept asking the US tech what he saw in the scan.  I knew what I was looking at and thought I saw clots.. arrghghgh.. Like a good little drone he said he couldn't tell me cause he'd get fired.  Whatever..  So, after the test he asks if I can wait while he goes to get a doctor.  I knew then I was in trouble.  After another half hour wait, some doc shows up.. I start asking some hard hitting questions and I could see him squirming.  He said he didn't really know and couldn't answer the questions and that I had to go to the ER.  So.. the US tech walks me over to the ER.. where I get admitted and proceed to sit around and waste about 3 hours.  They wanted to admit me to the hospital, inject me with heparin and start dosing me with coumadin.  I refused.  I told them I've had this clot for 6 months now apparently, I'm not going to get the shot and sit around in the hospital for 3 days.  So, of course, they sent in 2 other nazis to try and talk me into it.  I said look.. I've been exercising, riding my bicycle, doing plyometrics, weight lifting.. running.. and if this clot hasn't knocked itself loose by now, 3 days waiting for the coumadin to build in my system isn't going to make a bit of difference.

Up until two weeks ago.. when I seriously started thinking I might have a blood clot, I had been eating pretty poorly.  Last couple of weeks, I started eating foods that I knew were "heart healthy" and would thin my blood in order to dissolve clots quicker.  So now I'm mad at myself for not doing that 6 months ago.  If I had, I could have probably avoided this whole thing.  But now, taking coumadin, I have to watch everything I eat.  So frustrating.

Now I have to take this drug.. have my blood tested a couple of times each week.. then they can adjust the dosage.. it's a crap shoot.. litterally.  And.. I don't even know what caused the blood clot to start with.  I apparently had one in my other leg a couple of years ago, that cured itself without any intervention.  The doctor said it may be genetic.. and may have to take coumadin my entire life.  ARRRRRGHGHGHGHGHGH.  Did I mention I'm really angry?  I just feel like i could snap at the drop of a hat.  sigh. 

Oh.. and I can't EXERCISE.  They said no exercise till they can stabilize the coumadin dosage..They better stabilize it quickly.. if I don't have some sort of release like exercise, I really will snap.  At anybody.  That's your warning. 

Looking at it from here.. that PE (pulmonary embolism) doesn't seem like such a bad deal.