THE JOY OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE

I mentioned 10 days ago or so that I might have a deep vein thrombosis. Here are the details just so you can oppose socialized medicine in the States.

December 17 Friday We took our P-day. We did the wash, went to the internet café to update the blog, checked the mail, and did the weekly shopping at Woolworth’s. After studying for a little while, I got up to get ready to go out. As I did so, I felt a terrible pain in my right calf. It felt as if it were tearing apart. I sat for a few minutes and the pain dissipated. It began to hurt whenever I put weight on it as I flexed my foot to take a step. Standing didn’t hurt it. We went out to dinner (our wedding anniversary). It was painful going up and down the steps at the restaurant as well as walking.
December 18 Saturday I called Sister Cahoon. She recommended I get it checked out as it might possibly be a DVT—deep vein thrombosis or blood clot. We went to the Emergency Department at the Broome Hospital. The nurse there explained that even if the doctor thought it might be a DVT, there was no one available to do a sonogram because it was a weekend. So I took it easy over the weekend, keeping it elevated except for the 2 hours at church. The pain began to disappear.
December 20 Monday We started to do our regular routine. By noon the pain was coming back so we went to the Broome Medical Clinic. I saw Dr. IK (eye-kay). He examined it and said that since it wasn’t swollen and there was no swelling in my ankle, he doubted it was a DVT but gave me an order for a sonogram anyway. He scheduled me to come back in 10 days. He also gave me an order for a fasting blood test to check my cholesterol levels. I went to the X-ray Department. They didn’t know how long to schedule the exam for so they took the order and said they would call me when they found out. The pain only was present when I would flex my foot with weight on it. There didn’t seem to be any place on my calf that was painful to the touch.
December 21 Tuesday I went to the BMC and they drew blood and said they would call me if there was anything serious. Otherwise I could call in on Thursday to find out the results. I called the X-ray department since I hadn’t heard from them. They couldn’t find the orders for my sonogram but scheduled me anyway for a scan on January 5.
December 22-26 The pain lessoned. Other than when I first stood up after sitting and in the morning, I paid almost no attention to it.
December 26 Sunday We took a short ride (30 minutes) and then walked around about 5-10 minutes. I put the ball of my foot on a half-buried brick and let my heel go to the ground. My calf felt like something huge popped in it. It was very painful and continued to hurt as I went back to the car. It continued to hurt and was painful when I flexed my foot even with no weight on it. There was also pain when I touched it.
December 27 Monday We took another ride. It took an hour to reach our destination. We got out and walked around a bit at our destination and then drove home. About dinner time, I noticed that my calf was swollen and my ankle was started to swell. We went to the Emergency Dept at the hospital. I was seen by Dr. JJ. He felt it was probably a DVT and started me on 120 mg of Clexane (enoxaparin sodium) in my stomach. I received some some Ted hose that come up to just below the knee to wear. He gave me orders for an Urgent sonogram and a d-dimer blood test that I was to have done on Tuesday. I’m to return in 24 hours for another shot of Clexane and repeat that until the results on the sonogram come back which takes 2 days because the scan has to be read in Perth.
December 28 Tuesday I called the X-ray Department; it wasn’t open because it’s a holiday. The lab said they weren’t doing anything either and that Dr JJ should have drawn the blood last night if it was an emergency. I called the Emergency Department. They said they would have the doctor there today look at my record to see if he thought it was an emergency. I went to the ED so they could draw my blood. The nurse then told me that I would not have a scan today because the X-ray tech on call doesn’t do sonograms. She said they would try get me in tomorrow, but that wasn’t a sure thing because the schedule might be full. We returned to the ED at 8 pm tonight for my second shot of Clexane.
29 December 2010 Wednesday This morning I called the X-ray department. I was told that there wouldn’t be a tech in until next week who does ultrasounds. I called and left that message on Sister Cahoon’s voice mail. She called back tonight and said that Dr. Burton felt that I wasn’t in any great danger because they had started me on the blood thinner. When we returned to the ED tonight for another shot, Kate, the nurse who’d drawn my blood yesterday commented that she didn’t know why they hadn’t just given me the medicine and let me do my own injections at home. I said I’d be willing to try, so we came home with enough to take me through until next Tuesday. She also commented that X-ray wouldn’t be open next Monday because it would be part of the New Year’s holiday. So much for an “urgent” scan!. Kate also checked the results of the D-dimer test. It was inconclusive
30 December 2010 Thursday This morning we went back to Dr IK to find out the results of the bloodwork he’d ordered. My cholesterol is good and 5 points lower than when I left home. Triglycerides have dropped 60 points to 165. HDL’s improved but LDL’s climbed. He encouraged me to cut out the sugars, pop, and get more exercise. Tonight I gave myself my first shot. It was easy—no problems.