These days, it seems that I find myself typing things about busy schedules, traveling around Michigan for soccer, and a subsequent lack of quality riding more and more. This post is no different. Last week I got out for a few rides, including one hell of a fun mountain bike ride at MMCC, but then the weekend came and that meant two days of 5:30 AM wakeups, driving, spectating, cheering for, and photographing B’s soccer games. Not going to complain about that, that’s all great stuff, especially since I watched B’s U13 team make it the whole way to the Michigan State Cup U13 D2 Finals on Sunday. They lost 4-3, but to make it that far was a hell of an accomplishment, and B had excellent games in both the Semifinal and Final playing as a winger and a right back at times.
With my Soccer Dad duties complete, I was anxious to get back to riding come Monday, but Monday meant catching up on all the stuff that I didn’t do for two days while I was driving around Michigan with B and Wifey. So a ride had to wait until Tuesday. It wasn’t a long ride (another thing I type way too often these days), but it was nice to be out on the bike.
B-Man (in white) during the State Cup final.
The most troubling thing over the past four days has been my left leg. To those unfamiliar with the blog, I am a DVT magnet. Since 2008 I have had three DVTs; one on my right calf in 2008, one in my left calf in 2010, and one in my left thigh in 2013. All that means that I take blood thinners in the attempt to ward off new blood clots and to prevent a pulmonary embolism in the event that a new one would happen to form and break free. To make a long story long, but not too long; I was in front of the computer for hours on Friday working on stuff and later that day found that my left leg was a bit swollen and feeling a bit heavy. So I found my compression sleeves and put them on to get the blood flowing freely again and get some swelling down. But then on Saturday when I got out the car for B’s early morning match I found that my leg felt super heavy and tight. Like an overstuffed sausage or something. My ankle had all but disappeared and to poke it left a deep mark. This put me in a super foul mood and it took everything I had to concentrate on the game.
Once home I contemplated going to the emergency room to get a doppler scan of the leg but instead mowed the grass (go figure). Two days of compression, hydration, and rest had the swelling go down, but I was/am still concerned and feeling a bit of discomfort in the leg that may or may not be imagined, but there nonetheless.
I told myself that I should go to the ER on Tuesday to get it checked, but instead, I rode my bike, doing a 21 mile Better Than The Trainer Ride©. Again, probably a stupid move, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. The ride was OK, the swelling in my leg seems to be gone, or at least back to normal 1, and there was little discomfort.
Despite the ride, the swelling going down, and way less discomfort I am still concerned. So after I pick B up from his half day of school later this morning, I am finally going to stop at the ER and get it checked. I just won’t feel right until I know for sure one way or another. Plus we’re making a quick trip back to PA on Sunday and I do not want to be out of town and have a medical emergency. If I go today and do have one, I can start treatment ASAP and save the week…and my probably my life, ha!
I, of course, hope it’s nothing, but I’d rather be wrong than dead. Sadly I wasn’t wrong the last three times, so I’m not overly optimistic. Packing an overnight bag just in case. Shit.
AFTERNOON UPDATE: Happy today that the test was negative! NO CLOTS! Just some random swelling. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.
Later.