Wednesday, November 14, 2012

So here's the thing ...


So here's the thing, I've been to the doctors, had lots and lots and did I mention lots of blood drawn and sent away to be tested. I had the unique experience of a doctor stopping me in the hallway of a major medical center to say "you're bleeding in the floor." I had just had blood drawn and was sent on my way with a cotton ball when I noticed that my arm inside my coat sleeve felt wet. Then a random passing doctor commented on blood dripping from my sleeve. I looked down at my arm.

Blood.

I spun around and entered the nearest bathroom. (Let me correct that statement - I entered the nearest men's bathroom. The nearest bathroom was the women's.)  I yanked off my coat and sure enough, blood was streaming down my arm from the spot where they stuck the needle in. My first thought, of course, was to turn my coat sleeve inside out and start frantically wiping off the still-wet blood. Once the coat was as clean as I could get it, I started working on my arm. The active bleeding seemed to slow enough that I was able to wash blood off my arm and hands. I didn't put my coat back on, though, because I wasn't quite that confident that there wasn't more bleeding to come.

Anyway, so far the rest results show nothing. I don't have diabetes. I don't have Lyme disease. I don't have rheumatoid arthritis. I don't have anything that they can point to and say "there, there is why you are having these strange problems, injuries, pains, etc."

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, NOT having the things I so far know that I don't have is good. It's possible that I'm just getting old and creeky and my body is rebelling against years and years of physical abuse in the form of various sports I got involved with as injuries drove me out of one and into another, or boredom did. Either way, I'm hoping for this all to just heal. If it doesn't, I have to go back for more tests. Next time I'll wear a less expensive jacket.


16 comments:

  1. Hope you've stopped leaking! Blood that is....

    Good you don't have those things tested for, but so frustrating to still not know what's going on.

    Hope you either miraculously just get better; or get some definite answers soon.....

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  2. AlleyCat, I have indeed stopped leaking, thanks. Yes, it's frustrating not to know, but I have so many critical issues in my life right now that this is just one of many things going on that I wish weren't. Thanks for the well wishes.

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  3. I would have passed out! You poor thing, that's horrible! I'm glad that nothing serious has been found but I'm keeping everything crossed that you get better soon or they find something easily fixable!

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  4. PaddedCellPrincess, it was just blood running out from where they stuck the needle in my vein, so it didn't hurt or anything. But it was kind of annoying because it got on my coat and I like this coat. :-)

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  5. I can understand the frustration of not knowing what is wrong with you. I've had that many bloods taken recently, and they still say there is nothing they can find. Yet I am still not well.
    I mean, they have found out one thing, but that doesn't explain the other symptoms.

    Hope you get some answers soon.

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    1. Ute, I have a sister who has dealt with 15 years of testing and no answers for various significant health problems so I'm hoping this ends before much longer.

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  6. Oh my goodness, I really feel for you. Yes that's frustrating, I'm sure it's nothing serious. But as you've had years of sport and activity and that can wear the body down

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    1. AboutLastWeekend, this has been a uniquely strange year for pains and injuries that I can't explain.

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  7. I almost fainted when I accidentally cut my foot on a kitchen knife couple of years back (it decided it wanted to be dropped out of my hand and straight between two toes, cutting a nice line of red right there) ~ if that happened to me, I'd surely pass out. Not because it's blood, but because it's MY blood...

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    1. Annika, when I was a kid I hacked my thumb with a pocket knife and passed out while blood gushed out of it. I awoke to find my father coating my thumb in Vaseline because he believed Vaseline fixed everything. I still have the scar, but Vaseline did manage to stop the bleeding..

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  8. With blood that flows as freely as that, I'm willing to bet you don't have cardiovascular disease either. Hope the symptoms improve - they often do without medical assistance.

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    1. GorillaBananas, with all the running and biking that I do I sure better not have cardiovascular disease! Argh! That would so totally suck.

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  9. Ouch I hate when that happens...totally the techs fault...should have rapped it up in a condom or something

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    1. JustTellingItLikeItIs, normally they'd have me sit with the cotton ball taped over it and my arm propped up for a few minutes until it clotted and was no longer bleeding, but I think they were in a hurry.

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  10. Keep after the doctor(s) until you get an answer.

    Take care, mate.

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    Replies
    1. LX, I'm still working on it, but so far no luck.

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