Hello Blood Clot: Treatment and Moving Forward

We finally made it to the outcome and moving forward. (Again, I'm sorry I ramble so much.) Everything has happened in such a short amount of time that I know things are likely to change and I don't know what will change or come up.

So the doctors found a blood clot, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my upper left leg. Having a blood clot while pregnant immediately puts makes this a somewhat "high-risk" pregnancy. (That seems SO weird to say since everything has been so low key and better than expected up to now.)

Aside from the pain and discomfort, the blood clot itself isn't the main concern; the potential pulmonary embolism (PE) is the bigger threat. PEs are life-threatening and occur when a clot moves to the lungs. There's also an increased chance of a clot forming in the placenta. A clot has to be treated with a blood thinner which could also cause complications come labor and delivery.

So here's what this means for me:

Switch in Doctor
My medical insurance is through the military and I'm being treated at the local naval hospital. Most pregnancies are handled through family medicine. With this new development, I am being switched to an OB specialist. This means I'll probably be seen more often and will have more ultrasounds and attention throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. I'm pleased with this because I wasn't super confident in my previous doctor and was considering switching anyways.

Crutches (For Now)
Before I was allowed to be released from the hospital, I had to meet with the physical therapy team. The doctor had requested I have some help since I had become so unable to walk. Initially they were thinking they'd send me home with a walker or cane (hello, grandma!). But after meeting with the team, they saw that I was young and typically active. We went with crutches because the problem wasn't balance (which walkers/canes help) but rather relieving pressure from the leg. The PT team made me practice standing up and sitting down with the crutches, walk all the way down the hall, and then practice going up and down stairs. That was the most activity I had down in a while and it left me really tired and sore. I'm hoping I will only need them for a week and can return to somewhat normal activity within two weeks. The doctors says everyone is different but definitely encourages me getting back as soon as I'm able to tolerate.

Monitor Swelling
My ability to return to normal activity depends on the swelling going down. The swelling causes pain and indicates that the blood thinners aren't quite working. Currently anytime I have to move a lot or

have been in a certain position too long, I'll have a noticeable increase in swelling, and thus pain.

Here is a look at my legs after my PT session (mentioned above) that probably lasted at most 10 minutes (left side) and Saturday evening after going to dinner with a group, sitting in a booth, and using crutches to and from the car. The difference in color is more noticeable on the left. Can you guys see the difference in size??? I swear my left leg seems twice its normal size. You'll also see the measurements still written on my legs from the hospital. (Yes, I've showered). Jake and I have continued measuring at home.

Injections Twice Daily
I will be on blood thinners for the remainder of the pregnancy. This medication comes in the form on an injection I will need to perform myself twice a day, 12 hours apart. Yes, twice a day. Until January. I have to insert the needle in the fatty sections of my side and alternate sides with each injection. Tonight Jake helped me decide to do "Night, Right" so I remember to inject on the left in the mornings and on the right at night. These injections MUST be done 12 hours apart, but I do have about 30 minutes to work in adjustments. Because I received my first injection at 11:30pm Thursday night, I'm adjusting each injection by 30 minutes until I get it to appropriate times. I've made it to 10pm/10am, but think I may aim for 8:30. We'll see. Before leaving the hospital, the pharmacy delivered my medications for the next month (Left: my two large bags of medication; Right: a look at my injection needles)

Managing Pain
For now, I'm on Percocet to manage the pain in my leg. I definitely do not want to stay on this long term, but for now it's been necessary. I don't think Tylenol will ever do anything for me, but I hope that will do in an emergency after we get this leg pain and swelling under control. I have enough for a about a week depending on how much I take. We'll reevaluate my need at my follow-up appointment next Friday.

Be Ready for an Emergency
The doctor tried not to scare me but made it very clear that I need to seek emergency help should I notice anything concerning moving forward. I need to call 911 for ANY chest pain or difficulty breathing. Immediately. She advised me to also check out the other local hospitals to know which I'd prefer should the need arise (the naval hospital does not have an ER). I'll also look into the different labor units in case we end up needing additional attention.