On the drive over I decide to use my time wisely and do a couple new PT exercises--they're basically isometric holds trying to get the muscles firing again. So I squeeze my quads (or what's left of them), slowly lift my foot off the floor as far as it will go (about 1 inch), and SNAP! What the hell was that?! In an instant I couldn't breathe, I was seeing spots, and I thought I was going to be sick. My quad muscle did this terrible snap, pop, and flutter move like an overstretched rubber band that caved under pressure. I was certain the muscle detached, or at the very least tore. I let out this horrible scream, terrifying my mom and cousin as they hadn't heard the muscle make any of these awful noises.
I end up having the ultrasound (no clots!!), and then head over to the ER per my surgeon's orders to check out my quads. My biggest concerns were, 1) a tear would require more surgery & 2) am I bleeding internally? which could be complicated by the blood thinners. I'm sent off to have a CT Scan which was relatively quick and painless, except for all the radiation exposure (when I asked the tech how much I was exposed to she replied "A lot." Great.)
CT Scan shows no rupture, thank God! After 4 hours in the ER, it's determined that what I experienced must have been one wicked muscle spasm. Those quads must be pissed off at how puny they've become and are letting me know! I've dropped about 6 pounds and it's all from my leg muscles =( Anyways, it's the best possible news so I'll take it.
It's off to rest & ice for the next couple of days, hopefully that does the trick!
4 comments:
tough day :(
-D
I had a similar experience and totally understand how terrifying it can be.
http://iampaod.blogspot.com/2007/11/snap-goes-leg-sung-to-tune-of-pop-goes.html
Remember to be good to yourself and at the same time you find that your body is a lot more resilient than you think.
Lauren
Keep an eye on the leg...make sure you get it re-checked if it doesn't improve and/or has continued discoloration, pain, or swelling.
Are you still wearing TEDS stockings while resting?
SHC
Hi D,
I've had several orthopedic surgeries, including a knee scopes, hip scope, a femoral osteotomy on both hips, and just two weeks ago had all my hardware removed. I've lost almost 10lbs in less than two weeks and am not sure if it is something to worry about. After reading that you have lost 6lbs to lack of muscle, I feel better. I would love research and find out how much the metal plate/screws weigh. Anyway, I've really enjoyed your blog and I'll be back to visit often.
Also, the longest I've ever been on crutch was during a recovery from one of my osteotomies and I used crutches from November- June. It was funny because I was sitting in my car at Sheetz wondering why all the people looked so different compared to me. It was then that I realized...."They aren't using crutches" - how funny when you use them all the time they become the norm. :)
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