| Accident Waiting to Happen |
I have a doctor’s appointment today to find out what is wrong with my legs. They are covered in bruises.
I happened to mention this to my mother at the beginning of the summer and I kid you not, red flags sprouted out of the top of her head.
“Karla! You need to go and see a doctor right away!”
When I was a younger, something similar happened and my legs were covered in over 100 bruises. When my parents took me to see a doctor they were first met with raised brows and accusatory glances before finally being presented with the possibility that I had purpura, which isn’t exactly a bad thing unless it's a sign of an underlying life-threatening disorder. Either that or I was an awkward mess of limbs and appendages with the grace of an elephant.
Ironically, neither of us can remember what the official diagnosis was, but if memory serves me correct, I did not die.
Since I had that conversation with my mom over three months ago, it should be rather obvious that determining the cause of the bruises on my legs has been a very important priority for me, right up there with baking a casserole and darning the holes in Mark's socks, neither of which happened this summer either.
But the other day I noticed the top of my left leg was covered in splotches of red and the mother of all bruises had appeared. It is the size of two golf balls and a painful shade of electric purple. I decided to do what I always do when faced with diagnosing my own medical conditions and sought the supreme knowledge of Dr. Google Images because isn’t a picture worth a thousand words?
I found myself completely immersed in images of human bodies totally covered in skin the shade of bruise. When I had finally seen enough to convince myself that the 37 bruises on my legs were totally normal by comparison, I stood up and suddenly felt weak and dizzy. And if Mark had not been there to catch me and bring me a plate of cookies and later cook dinner, I am certain I would have fainted.
So that is why I am going to the doctors today. Nate cannot have a wuss for a mother who faints at the sight of a bruise because when Mark and I were mixing the ingredients to make our little boy, we put in one part curiosity and one part rough and tumble and then I birthed an accident waiting to happen.
I have a feeling the only thing that will be confirmed at the doctor’s today is that I am also an accident waiting to happen wrapped in a clever disguise of clumsy.Labels: It's All About Me |
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Karla, I'm glad you're going to the dr. Some people do just bruise easily, but it sounds as though this bruising is unusual for you, and it could mean that there's something about your blood you need to pay attention to.
I know this from personal experience. My advice: make sure they do thorough bloodwork on you. It just astounds me looking back at my situation (I also presented with bad bruising) that in 2 ER and 2 clinic visits, nobody did any bloodwork, which was the key (a very low platelet level) to diagnosing and treating the blood disorder that I had.
I'm not saying this to freak you out (what I had is very rare)...but just to let you know that sometimes moms do know best. Better to seek out an expert opinion.
Oooh, here's hoping it's something like needing to switch from shiraz to a chardonnay...
Oh sweetie, how scary!
And, remember from one of your previous posts that your health was the most important thing in being Nate's mommy? I'm glad you are going to the doctor. Let us know...
Good luck at the doctor's. My mother in law bruises easily, and I'm not sure if there was ever any real diagnosis, but she is (at last check) still alive too. Google first and then doctor is always a good way to go. I have scared the beejesus out of myself by googling, which then forces me to go to the doctor. So self diagnosis attempts can't be that bad, if they get us to the doctor!
You'll be in our thoughts.
Good luck from one clutz ALWAYS covered in bruises to another. Wishing you the best.
Dr Google's main job is too scare bejeezus out of us. Worse case scenario and all that. Good luck at the Drs.
Gosh, let us know...which I'm sure you will. I hope all is well. I DO think your mom is right - you should get it checked out. Probably nothing and if it is nothing, then what is the harm in checking it out? I'm thinking about you....
Oh Karla, do let us know what you find out. Until then I will be thinking of you. Hugs!!
Could it maybe be low potassium?
Yes, google can be a very scary thing!
good luck and I hope for the best.
((Karla))
My mom says I was extremely clumsy when I was little, and I was always covered in bruises. I ran into EVERYTHING! She said she was always scared to take me out in public b/c people were always giving her evil looks and she didn't want them thinking she beat me.
That must be how Nate feels when you take him out in public with all those bruises! You better get it checked out...if not for you, then do it for him. Lord knows the kid doesn't want to start off life w/people thinking he abuses his mom!
A person I know and love manages to bruise all over the place and no one ever remembers why.
I'm no doctor but your symptoms sound like you have low iron. That's what I have and it's easily remedied by taking a liquid form of iron. You can find one at a health food store called "Floravital" which is mixed herbs and iron. Pretty tasty. If you do turn out to have low iron, I recommended buying Floravital rather than taking pills because liquid iron is absorbed in the body quicker. Keep us posted!
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Anonymous : August 21, 2007 
