Day 257

I have been thinking about all that I went through last week and need to write it down so I can understand how I felt. So if hospital goings on are not your thing, click away from here.

It started Tuesday at work where I got a cramp in my right leg that would not let up if I stood up for any period of time. By the time I made it home that evening I could barely take the pain anymore. Sleeping overnight the pain did let up and I thought I could go to work as normal. By the time I was dressed the cramping in the leg was back but more intense. Knowing I could not make it to work we made the decision to go to Urgent Care.

When we got checked into Rockwood Urgent Care they put me in a regular room, but, after accessing my condition, they moved me to the trauma room. Next thing I know they were putting in an IV and calling for an ambulance to take me to Deaconess Hospital. I chose there because my cardiologist is affiliated and has his office right there.

First stop the emergency room. I was cared for by Nurse, Jim, who I cannot say enough good about. He was caring, kind, efficient and professional. Did I mention my heartbeat was 190 (60 is normal)?

Second stop, with my dreams of just getting some medicine and going home were dashed, 7th floor, private room with a nice view of downtown Spokane. I met with the first doctor assigned to my betterment, John Peterson. A really weird guy came up from the lab to do a sonogram on my leg to check for clots. He seemed angry because he had to come up to the room instead of me going to the lab. He was rough and not very personable. While he was doing the sonogram my real heart doctor came in because he had heard I was there. The results were negative. So there was talk of sending me home the next day.

The next morning the cramping in the leg returned. Dr Peterson was ready to write me off and send me home. But I insisted the pain was still there and my feet were 2 different colors and the right was ice cold and the other normal temp. He decided to do an agiogram. He went through my wrist and sure enough they found a clot in the artery above my right knee.

I never expected what happened next would ever happen to me.