For those who fix (some) medical issues at home...

[creekland]

This sounds horrible. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. :grouphug:

 

 

If I can make my plans work out, I will only need to deal with it all until June.  Then I can melt into the background (medically) and continue to let my body take care of itself for the most part.  Time will tell.  Old age can toss in kinks!

 

In June I find out how the brain tumor's been faring.  Dec's report was "stable" with no significant change albeit all measurements were slightly higher (within the margin of error - and no "looking closer" to anything major).  It would have been nice to have had measurements decrease just for the psychological benefit, but I fully understand the margin of error involved, so will wait until June to see what's up pattern-wise.  If it works out well there - mission accomplished!

 

The other issue that was really bugging me had been radial nerve pain (vs the median nerve of CT which does NOT bother me aside from perhaps some numbness).  Doctors never came up with a reason for that one, but the Physical Therapist did seem to know what it was and how to go about making it better.  That's actually why I'd love to hear his thoughts about CT surgery.  I think he should be allowed to verbalize them - even as a friend if not as a medical professional.  He knows FAR more about it than I do and was (mostly) successful at fixing the radial nerve stuff that was bothering me when the doctors admitted they had no idea.  He and his cohort have definitely earned my respect - and they are simply fun to be around as people too.  That was a nice win-win.

 

CT issues are what they found looking for the reason for the radial nerve (and other numbness) stuff.  I'm told I can't argue against the results (even though the classic symptoms are just not there the way they usually are).  My options are to keep letting it go and have permanent damage (soon) or have surgery that should fix it.  If they are correct, then it's a no brainer to do the surgery.  If they are not, then doing so gives me risks of side effects plus not fixing the numbness stuff (that's still around, but not classic for CT) and the inconvenience of going through it all (cutting ligaments just for fun is not in my ideal plan for life).  I detest making decisions like that when MY knowledge is so slim.  Brushing up with google and people who have BTDT has been no help.  All I get is the same thing.  Test results = CT, symptoms mostly do not.

 

I'm looking forward to melting into the background again medically!  Hopefully soon.  I'm hoping the doctor is correct regarding the CT, because if so, the melting will be able to happen more quickly (and the surgeries won't have been for nothing).

 

If you had waited and it wound up causing problems, he would have been the first one to ask why on earth you didn't come in earlier!! 

 

This is what I usually get chewed out for with medical issues from pneumonia (another of those 4 visits) to the brain tumor (how long have you had these symptoms?  18 months???  And you didn't see anyone sooner because??? - Because I detest all these medical things!).  I'm actually thinking it's better than feeling foolish about the minor stuff, esp when "I" didn't see it as a "see the doctor" problem, but switched my thoughts.

 

It's ok though.  I'm not seriously traumatized from the experience.  It's just a new one for me.

 

Being made to feel silly is a barrier in some people's minds to seeking help of any sort so doctors should not do that because it only lessens the chance that those folks will get help in the future when they may really need it.

 

Mostly I think it's taught me to trust my judgment.  Had the issue continued to get worse, it'd have made sense to see someone.  With it getting better (and the last two got better on their own in just a few days), the body is doing its job of fixing itself.  Things that are annoying are sometimes just annoying.

 

This, of course, will be a problem should I ever get something like meningitis as I know I'm history in that situation, but it works for almost everything else. 

 

What I REALLY wish I had done was to have graduated middle son from high school right after 4th grade.  Then he could have done his undergrad followed by med school and have been ready to offer his thoughts on all of this for me.  Since we were foolish enough to have him take time to complete 12 years of schooling - 13 if one counts K - I don't have him here to help now when I need it.  (sigh)

 

When he's finished with all of his med school stuff (and residency, etc), then I might come back out of medical hiding.  By then I'll be old enough to NEED to come out of medical hiding!

[ktgrok]

Have I ever told you I loved you?   :lol:

 

And... this is just affecting a small section on one hand at the moment.  I can feel the pulse and vein for about an inch and a half.  The affected part around it is probably just silver dollar in size now that the numbness and color are back to otherwise normal levels.  It doesn't really seem like ER material.  I could easily see someone looking at it and telling me it'll be fine and sending me home (with a bill to come later - though paying for it isn't an issue in $$ - just $$ for "nothing.").  

 

Maybe (probably) they'd have been concerned earlier with the numbness and blueishness.  I probably would have to endure another chewing out as to why I didn't come see them yesterday.  But now?  Now it's just a bit better.  Lancing it wouldn't even hit my radar now.  It just doesn't hurt as badly as it did.

 

I'll see how it ends up tomorrow when I get up and active again.  If it's like the others, it'll be less - or completely gone.

 

I'm not worried about your hand. Do you understand that the clot, if it is a clot, could easily dislodge and go to your brain or heart? If it blocks an artery there you will be DEAD. Becuase you didn't want to bother going to the doctor. Are you will to risk your children being motherless, or having to take care of a brain damaged parent for years? Because that is what we are talking about here. Yes, maybe it will get better. Or maybe it will kill you. That's the gamble. 

[Reefgazer]

I generally avoid the doctor, but I would be concerned about a blood clot anywhere (that it might portend a larger clot I would throw and lead to stroke or embolism).  I think I'd head over to the docs; not the ER, necessarily, but I'd make an appointment.

If you had what you thought was a tiny blood clot in your hand in one of the small veins up next to the skin (poking out some - can feel heartbeat in it) and it was really annoying (for the second day in a row) plus making your hand sort of numb, would you lance it and let it drain or something else?

 

Just pondering my options here.  It was better getting up this morning so I thought it had fixed itself, but being up and moving has proven otherwise.

 

I'm at school now, so won't really be able to do anything until my prep at earliest (10am today), but could also wait until I got home and could do a better job with it.

 

Or maybe I'll get lucky and just threatening to do something with it will get my body going to fix it itself!

 

[creekland]

I'm not worried about your hand. Do you understand that the clot, if it is a clot, could easily dislodge and go to your brain or heart? If it blocks an artery there you will be DEAD. Becuase you didn't want to bother going to the doctor. Are you will to risk your children being motherless, or having to take care of a brain damaged parent for years? Because that is what we are talking about here. Yes, maybe it will get better. Or maybe it will kill you. That's the gamble. 

 

Oh, I got it.  It's just easier said than done for me - even for the future.  That could be the part people consider a character flaw.

 

I trust you read to the end and saw how it ended up?

 

In hindsight for this situation, the key would probably have been to go when it was at its worst (early Friday when I made the first post or shortly thereafter).  At that point about a third of the hand was pale and some was blueish, most of it was numb or would easily go numb when movement changed, and it was hurting like crazy.  It wasn't too far off from that when I saw the school nurse and it took her one look to tell me it was worthy of a doctor visit to check out (above her pay grade otherwise, but I certainly wasn't expecting her to do anything about it).  She didn't seem phased when I mentioned I might stop by after school.  At the time I was considering doing that.

 

However, by the time it was early afternoon - when school let out - it was already getting better and not nearly as nasty looking.  I could still feel some of the pain/numbness, but that's more difficult to convey to anyone.

 

And by today, it totally looks like a non-issue, so whatever it was that caused it, it did get better by itself.  Even now, it's not perfect, but it's far, far better than even this morning.  I'm expecting tomorrow to be perfect.

 

If it happens again?  If it's like the first two times where I just feel it (elsewhere in the hand) and no one can really see anything other than some swelling, I'm not doing a thing.  It's way too difficult to convey anything to anyone.  If it's like this one (easily visible) then it will depend upon my schedule at the time (for better or worse) and whether I can get over the character flaw part of it.  If it's like this one and continues to get worse rather than better, that tends to make it easier for me to give in to reason.  If something gets bad enough, sooner or later I'll pick up on the fact that the body isn't going to heal itself and grudgingly do something about it.

 

But for anyone without the character flaw, my suggestion is to go when you can just point and say, "look" as then there's not nearly as much explaining to try to have to do.  Earlier might be better as far as the gamble is concerned, but earlier is also a harder sell.  Later is pointless.

 

I've no idea if this was a blood clot the body fixed or something else.  If the doctor is correct, it's just something that happens on occasion to people with no real known cause if nothing happened to the hand (hit it or similar which didn't happen in my case) - BUT - he didn't see it early yesterday.  He only heard about it.

 

I'm just glad it's essentially over.  It doesn't feel good to want to lance your hand in hopes that it will make it feel better.  ;)

[trulycrabby]

You have far more trust in my family doctor than I do. He's dismissed essentially all of the concerns I've ever had (not that I've been with him for long - just the past year and a couple of months). I also have to keep reminding him of the things Hopkins wants HIM to keep track of blood-test wise. In order to even get the CT diagnosis I went from Hopkins (getting referrals) as they at least believed me in that something was wrong worthy of checking into. Things get muddy there (somewhat) as the symptoms aren't terribly typical of CT, but I'm told that's what the tests showed and supposedly the tests can't lead to anything else, so have reluctantly agreed to the surgeries to see if they prove to be correct.

 

I consider him worthy of keeping track of diabetes numbers (not diabetic yet, but I also don't care to get there) and I need him in order to get the blood tests done I'm supposed to keep on as our medical system doesn't believe we minions can do such things ourselves, but that's about it. He's also good at reminding me I ought to lose about 40 lbs. (We don't disagree about that fact.) To him, that's the most important issue in my life. To me it's a "yeah, I need to" issue, but not the most important.

Gee, if he is your doctor, I don't blame you for not wanting to go. I won't grump at you for whatever decision you make as you are an adult and it's your life. I am glad you did not lance the clot/whatever it is, though. :)

[creekland]

Gee, if he is your doctor, I don't blame you for not wanting to go. I won't grump at you for whatever decision you make as you are an adult and it's your life. I am glad you did not lance the clot/whatever it is, though. :)

 

He's a nice enough guy - no complaints on personality.  He just isn't what the ideal world built as a picture of a doctor, but there aren't any better choices around who are still accepting new patients (yes, I checked some time ago).

 

I am actually getting considerably better with the doctor-type stuff (going to appts, etc). I'd have never opted for treating the brain tumor if I'd been the sole one making the decision and following through with it.  It definitely helps that I have a good friend at school who's had b cancer and overcame it.  She also gets to deal with other issues too, and is a parent, etc.  The two of us can (and do) talk about all of it - good, bad, and ugly.  But I'm not sure I'll ever get to the point of being quick to making decisions requiring care or even joining her (or my other friends who encourage it) with all the usual maintenance deals.

 

There really is a reason I keep some/most/all of the details to myself (pending what we're talking about).  It helps avoid peer pressure of all sorts (family, friends, Hive, etc).

 

There are more details on this thread than I'd really think about sharing if I were in my right mind - so there probably has been some brain damage in the deal!  It's definitely a good reality reminder with the lancing a blood vessel of any sort thought.  I can't even believe I thought that might be a solution in hindsight.  It's kinda scary.

[texasmama]

I am a little scared that you thought blood letting was an option.  Always ask the hive. :)  No one thought that was a good idea!

[creekland]

I am a little scared that you thought blood letting was an option.  Always ask the hive.  :)  No one thought that was a good idea!

 

Well, it worked for people in the old days.  Oh, wait, it didn't work.  Oops! I knew I should have paid more attention in history class.   :D

 

Occasionally it is a good thing to run ideas (esp first thing in the morning ideas) past the Hive.  That is what families are for, right?  Keeping us all in line every now and then?

[.Michelle.]

I'd be a lot more concerned about this than your doctor.  You had/have a clot in a pulsating vessel.  Veins don't have pulses, only arteries.  An arterial embolism can be a sign of serious underlying issue.  If I were your nurse and you had a clot in your hand with a distal area of blueness and numbness, I would be on the phone with your doctor to request a stat Doppler.  That blueness and numbness means that the clot is blocking oxygenated blood flow to the area.  You can wind up with tissue necrosis pretty quickly.  Beyond that, arterial clots can mean that there is a systemic issue.  I would be very wary of the advice from your orthopedist.

[Alice]

I just saw this topic and it's too late to say much. Except that if your son is like me he'll go into something like pediatrics and then constantly be telling his mother "sorry, you're not in my age group.". :) To which my mother says she doesn't understand the point of having a daughter who is a doctor if I can't help her. 

 

I have no idea what the clot thing was. You're out of my age group. :) Did it sound like this at

all:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000172.htm

 

My one useful piece of advice though was to say to take a photo/video next time. I have people all the time who take photos of rashes or videos of weird noises or movements and it's really helpful in diagnosis when it's something that goes away by the time they come to the office. 

 

Also, I'm also not sure I'd trust the orthopedist. Most orthopedists are not going to be that interested in something they can't cut to cure. 

 

I don't know much about the brain tumor, but some tumors can make you hyper coagulable. That might be something to ask the person seeing you for the tumor. 

 

Hope all this is pointless advice because it doesn't recur. 

[creekland]

I'd be a lot more concerned about this than your doctor.  You had/have a clot in a pulsating vessel.  Veins don't have pulses, only arteries.  An arterial embolism can be a sign of serious underlying issue.  If I were your nurse and you had a clot in your hand with a distal area of blueness and numbness, I would be on the phone with your doctor to request a stat Doppler.  That blueness and numbness means that the clot is blocking oxygenated blood flow to the area.  You can wind up with tissue necrosis pretty quickly.  Beyond that, arterial clots can mean that there is a systemic issue.  I would be very wary of the advice from your orthopedist.

 

In spite of the humor in this thread (that's part of my life IRL and online) and my (very real) natural reluctance to deal with medical stuff, you have perked my interest a bit mainly because you are saying things I haven't yet heard from anyone. I am a math/science person, but the science is Physics and Chem - not Bio - and certainly not medical except where I deal with basic first aid and that's almost always equine (we raise ponies).

 

After lunch (youngest is fixing it now) I'll check a bit with google.

 

Then there will be that (also very real) issue of the local doctors.  I've requested something all of ONCE in my life - it was to check on something google told me could be an issue.  Chances were slim, of course, but due to my previous ability to beat slim odds and it matching a bit of what I felt, I actually wanted it for peace of mind.  They (both family doctor and ortho) said no as the chances were too slim to worry about.  Hubby even got in on that one - asking himself (for me).  They still said no.  I ended up figuring that since I didn't really want to hear bad results and deal with the aftermath, I might as well just go along with them and assume all was well.

 

When I mention the stuff Hopkins wants them to keep up on (blood tests) they (family dr) get a little miffed and says they should request that stuff themselves.  Then the office calls down to be sure I'm correct (we minions could be wrong, of course) and re-issues the paperwork correctly.

 

I've come to realize there's the ideal medical world and then there's the real medical world similar to how we have movies and sitcoms, but live in real life.

 

Nonetheless, thanks for your post.

[JFSinIL]

I just have to toss in my two cents ;-)  what if the hand thingie, which you could see, is representative of a condition that might crop up elsewhere where you can not see it?  Like in arteries near major organs or the heart?  What if a clot where you can't see it does break off and - bang - your are dead.  :-(  

 

I am six months post-car crash, and two months post-gut reconstructive surgery. Yeah, I'm done with doctors!  Nope - now I am wheezy, chest x-ray shows possible scarring in lower right lung (seat belt trauma? Why only noticed now, though? Could be something else?)  doctor had me do two weeks of abuterol inhaler four times a day - which made the wheezing worse, so now doing two weeks steriod inhaler and pills.  And see doctor again in two weeks for another x-ray. 

 

Might be something totally unrelated to car crash.  Your thing might be totally unrelated to carpel tunnel or anything else you have been treated for to date.  Assume nothing.

 

 

[creekland]

I just saw this topic and it's too late to say much. Except that if your son is like me he'll go into something like pediatrics and then constantly be telling his mother "sorry, you're not in my age group.". :) To which my mother says she doesn't understand the point of having a daughter who is a doctor if I can't help her. 

 

I have no idea what the clot thing was. You're out of my age group. :) Did it sound like this at

all:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000172.htm

 

My one useful piece of advice though was to say to take a photo/video next time. I have people all the time who take photos of rashes or videos of weird noises or movements and it's really helpful in diagnosis when it's something that goes away by the time they come to the office. 

 

Also, I'm also not sure I'd trust the orthopedist. Most orthopedists are not going to be that interested in something they can't cut to cure. 

 

I don't know much about the brain tumor, but some tumors can make you hyper coagulable. That might be something to ask the person seeing you for the tumor. 

 

Hope all this is pointless advice because it doesn't recur. 

 

Hubby and middle son already have the conversation about specialties.  We tell him to be sure to go into geriatrics.  He tells us he'll go for pediatrics.  Hubby tells him it's close enough as both are in diapers and need assistance.  ;)  IRL, I have no idea exactly what will interest him.  He might have ideas of what interests him, but if so, he's keeping it a secret and we don't press.  It IS his life after all.  We'll just hound for advice.  He tells us all pre-meds have heard this warning from their parents so we wouldn't want him to feel left out!

 

Very doubtful on the link.  Besides the fact that this isn't an everyday issue, I've also never smoked in my life.  It has been tempting to take it up so I can quit and make everything much better though (since Quit Smoking is usually the first bit of advice on any pamphlet).   :lol:

 

Kinda doubtful on the tumor too since it's benign, but I'll admit to guessing on that part.

 

I just have to toss in my two cents ;-)  what if the hand thingie, which you could see, is representative of a condition that might crop up elsewhere where you can not see it?  Like in arteries near major organs or the heart?  What if a clot where you can't see it does break off and - bang - your are dead.  :-(  

 

I am six months post-car crash, and two months post-gut reconstructive surgery. Yeah, I'm done with doctors!  Nope - now I am wheezy, chest x-ray shows possible scarring in lower right lung (seat belt trauma? Why only noticed now, though? Could be something else?)  doctor had me do two weeks of abuterol inhaler four times a day - which made the wheezing worse, so now doing two weeks steriod inhaler and pills.  And see doctor again in two weeks for another x-ray. 

 

Might be something totally unrelated to car crash.  Your thing might be totally unrelated to carpel tunnel or anything else you have been treated for to date.  Assume nothing.

 

JFS, you are ALWAYS welcome to offer your two cents (as is anyone in the Hive family).  This was never posted as a JAWM deal.  I try not to close my mind to much in life and certainly not to "family" suggestions when they seem reasonable.  

 

Changing habits isn't that easy, but I wouldn't be that disagreeable to figuring things like this out if there were a "real" viable way to do so.  Puzzles bother me mentally more than physical issues.  But, I'm not so sure there is a viable way in my location - esp considering the experiences I've had.  Our medical system doesn't allow ME to take the advice from those on here and actually do anything with it anymore than it allowed me to want to check out the one thing that seemed to be a possibility.  Even the physical therapist agreed with me that it was worth it to check out the other, but they can't authorize it either.  Having looked at the doppler deal (via google), it reminded me of one pt session (with a different lady) when she asked if I'd had one done.  I told her since I had no clue what it was, then likely not.  She mumbled something about that being strange, but we moved on to other things and I haven't thought about it since.

 

Part of what is frustrating is that whole "ideal world" vs my "real world" deal.  The ideal world sounds like a great place.  The real world makes me want to just forget about it all and pretend it doesn't exist rather than feeling like I'm going crazy on top of the physical issues.

 

The plus side is when I made a mental list of physical deals I would love to have fixed, the pain from the radial nerve topped that list.  It's been one week now without major issues from it (the first week since late April).  I'm quite pleased and hopeful the fix will last.  All the rest, if need be, I can live with.  Some of it I have no choice but to live with, so it's a good thing those didn't top the list!

 

Switching subjects, did y'all ever get that graduation party of some sort in?  If not, it should still be on your "to do" list!  How's your graduate doing?

 

You have my sincere best wishes and prayers that ALL recovery (and whatever this new stuff is) gets better soon!

[TranquilMind]

I'm not worried about your hand. Do you understand that the clot, if it is a clot, could easily dislodge and go to your brain or heart? If it blocks an artery there you will be DEAD. Becuase you didn't want to bother going to the doctor. Are you will to risk your children being motherless, or having to take care of a brain damaged parent for years? Because that is what we are talking about here. Yes, maybe it will get better. Or maybe it will kill you. That's the gamble. 

This is what I tried to convey as well, more than once. 

 

Glad the OP is still with us! 

[creekland]

This is what I tried to convey as well, more than once. 

 

Glad the OP is still with us! 

 

Memories of Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn are running through my mind as I contemplate what life could be like had we opted to travel today rather than spending an ordinary day at home.   :lol:

 

You did convey things - enough that I did go see someone yesterday, which I might add, is saying something.  It might not be saying all you'd like for it to say, but it's still saying something as to my thoughts about Hive advice.  I trust you read the results from that.  It's kinda sounding like I will be paying for dubious advice, but that's the advice I got.

[JFSinIL]

"

 

"Switching subjects, did y'all ever get that graduation party of some sort in?  If not, it should still be on your "to do" list!  How's your graduate doing?" 

 

Graduate still had to do two more major chem. classes to get diploma (and of course each only offered once a year - NOT fall term, either) but looks like they are on hold for quite some time as the anxiety and bipolar stuff he was diagnosed with mid-senior year is not any better....and now he has PTSD on top of it all according to his psychiatrist (from the car crash - he saw the site and the crushed car the next day and is having nightmares now about it).  Not good times here.  He can not do school, nor hold a job.  Thank goodness we did not co-sign his student loans. 

[creekland]

"

 

"Switching subjects, did y'all ever get that graduation party of some sort in?  If not, it should still be on your "to do" list!  How's your graduate doing?" 

 

Graduate still had to do two more major chem. classes to get diploma (and of course each only offered once a year - NOT fall term, either) but looks like they are on hold for quite some time as the anxiety and bipolar stuff he was diagnosed with mid-senior year is not any better....and now he has PTSD on top of it all according to his psychiatrist (from the car crash - he saw the site and the crushed car the next day and is having nightmares now about it).  Not good times here.  He can not do school, nor hold a job.  Thank goodness we did not co-sign his student loans. 

 

I'm so sorry!   :grouphug:  Is there any way his loan repayments can be deferred due to his medical condition? If not, it sure seems like there should be - another kink in real life.   :grouphug:   

[creekland]

Having just returned from my hand surgeon's visit prior to the CT surgery next week I thought I'd update with his thoughts.

 

Since it's almost entirely fixed itself by now, I actually didn't bring it up, but since it was his office I saw, he asked about it from the notes.

 

Apparently, veins can have a pulse (at times) as he said there are no arteries in that part of the hand (palm, below thumb a third of the way toward center), but there is a vein that runs there.  This makes me feel a little better considering the "medical" people I was seeing never questioned that it was a vein - only on here.  It sure looked blue like a vein does at the time.  (You can't see it now.)

 

Otherwise, he asked if it was better now and it is except for being somewhat sensitive in the region still.  He said that was normal and to be expected, but not a concern as long as it's not numb, etc.

 

He never mentioned one way or another whether it should have been a concern at the time it was bad and I didn't ask.  It wasn't really the purpose of the visit.

 

This guy is pretty well known and respected as a hand guy in our area and others come to him from quite some distance due to his reputation.  His medical pedigree includes Harvard, so it's difficult to believe he doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

Regarding the carpal tunnel issue (since I know a couple have been wondering about that for their thoughts) - he's as stymied as the rest of us.  The EMG is conclusive.  Many of the symptoms are not.  Some are - sort of.  He left the decision up to me... (yeah, me, the only one WITHOUT medical knowledge in all of this) and I deferred back to him.  Since we have the issue that if it progresses it could leave me with permanent damage and steroid shots did help for a bit, the surgery on the left wrist will be next Monday.  Time will tell if it works.  We're both going in with the understanding that it might not be "the" answer, but at this point, all I can do is defer to best guess from someone with far more experience than I have.  There's no way I'd ever hold anything against any doctor who was making their best guess, esp when the situation is quite cloudy.

 

If it works with the left, then we'll do the right in another couple of months.  We're all in agreement with that.  The left wrist just gets to be the guinea pig since it's not my dominant hand and gets numb more quickly (< 10 minutes until it's quite bothersome with driving or holding a cell phone, a little longer with general lack of movement).

 

I don't know that this helps anyone else in their situation since it appears my body likes being atypical.  I never thought I'd say it, but there really is a time when normal would be nice.

[creekland]

And now I wish I had asked him how, exactly, a vein can have a pulse.  Google isn't being any help.  Does anyone know?

 

I'm 100% absolutely positive it's my pulse.  I can still feel it lightly as can others (nothing like what it was).  It matches what is felt in normal places, plus it matches what I can hear (something that's been going on for almost a year - a different issue - but an easy one to compare).

 

Yet he was adamant that there is no artery there - only a vein.

 

Puzzles bug me long after they should.  (sigh)  It's been that way since infancy.  I really prefer to know why things happen - the nuts and bolts of why/how.  I suspect that's why I became a science lover.

[texasmama]

I'm glad it is not a problem.  I have no help with your pulsing vein, though.  I want to know the why's, as well.  It is maddening.  :D

[creekland]

I'm glad it is not a problem.  I have no help with your pulsing vein, though.  I want to know the why's, as well.  It is maddening.  :D

 

I am so seriously tempted to ask him again on Monday.  I mean, he will be cutting very near the area - he could easily look to see if I'm wired differently or something if he doesn't simply have an answer for it.

 

But I wonder if he'll be annoyed by the rabbit trail when his concentration is on the surgeries he's supposed to be doing that day.

 

First world problems for sure - but I'm 100% curious.  Frustratingly curious.

[texasmama]

What the heck - ask him!  He won't be distracted.  He will think you are weird and perseverative, but that's okay.  :D  Maybe he will find it interesting.

 

I would SO do it, but I ask all sorts of weird questions due to an extreme lack of embarrassment.

[creekland]

What the heck - ask him!  He won't be distracted.  He will think you are weird and perseverative, but that's okay.  :D  Maybe he will find it interesting.

 

I would SO do it, but I ask all sorts of weird questions due to an extreme lack of embarrassment.

 

I'm not quick enough on my feet (mentally) in stressful situations, but if I have it planned out, it might happen.  It's got even better odds if I remind hubby to remind me as he remembers everything.  He gets to go along on this trip since they tell me I can't drive home.  

[ocelotmom]

Apparently, veins can have a pulse (at times) as he said there are no arteries in that part of the hand (palm, below thumb a third of the way toward center), but there is a vein that runs there.  This makes me feel a little better considering the "medical" people I was seeing never questioned that it was a vein - only on here.  It sure looked blue like a vein does at the time.  (You can't see it now.)

Oh, I have this same thing. I wouldn't describe it as a clot, so it didn't ring a bell when you first described it (I was actually picturing the back of the hand), but I do have a palpable pulse there most of them time on my left hand, and sometimes visible.

 

Look at the picture on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_arteryof the radial artery. Does that seem to be about the right location?

[creekland]

Oh, I have this same thing. I wouldn't describe it as a clot, so it didn't ring a bell when you first described it (I was actually picturing the back of the hand), but I do have a palpable pulse there most of them time on my left hand, and sometimes visible.

 

Look at the picture on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_arteryof the radial artery. Does that seem to be about the right location?

 

I've been looking at that pic (and others of blood vessels in the hand) with my youngest son (who actually took Anatomy I & II).  We're stymied.  IF it's the radial artery, it would need to move 1/2 cm (or a little more) in that pic to be in the correct spot and it curves the wrong direction.

 

However, the little red guy heading to the "v" between the thumb and index finger in this pic:

 

http://www.anatomy.yalemedicine.org/Lab_16/Case_rez/case_X/index.php?remember_pos_lab_16=main.php

 

could be it if it wasn't supposed to be in the back of the hand (he tells me).

 

My family is getting a little miffed that I am considering following instruction #4 to have my answer.   :lol:

 

I'll grudgingly admit it's probably best to see if the Dr will remember to take a look at it on Monday.

 

I'll also admit I probably shouldn't have looked too closely at what he plans to cut.  :ohmy:

 

I have no problem working on things myself.  I don't particularly like others doing it - and wonder (again) if we're even making the correct guess.  If only the symptoms were textbook...