One Week Later...

It's been a week since I pulled a totally Klutz move and fell while out walking for exercise.
My leg is still Technicolor, and now it aches.  Not sure if pain is just because earlier it was kinda numb, or if I did too much walking/standing before I took care of myself.
Probably a combination.

Hoping now that I haven't done permanent damage,and that I won't be laid up for too long.


Shortly after I wrote the first paragraph, I got a call back from the triage nurse with TriCare.  I had emailed the clinic through our health info system, and sent them a picture of my leg that morning.

This is how the leg looked on Friday morning, July 17th.

After asking me a long list of questions, the nurse suggested I go to the ER again and have the doctors look at my leg, and perhaps do an ultrasound to make sure there were no clots in the blood vessels themselves. 
This was done, and the good news is, no dangerous blood clots in evidence.  The bad news?  I have a LARGE hematoma (basically, a blood blister) in the middle of my right thigh, where I believe I fell on my left foot when I landed after the right foot slipped completely forward out from under me.  I had also partially landed on my left knee, and both hands,and also the corner of my sunglasses, (which cut the skin above my right eye), but the bulk of the impact was on the back of my right thigh.  Right over the hamstring muscle. 
When I went to the ER the first time, on Friday the 10th, the day I fell, the leg wasn't even red or swollen.  It hurt like anything, and felt kinda awkward, but no clue that it would do THIS. 
Since the doc told me I could go to work Saturday if I felt like it, I went.  Bad call.  I was up and around too much, and the leg is now making me pay for that, and other days when I really should have been basically immobile.  SO, until at least Tuesday, I am being basically immobile.  Foot elevated any time I am resting, and taking 800mg of Ibuprofen 3 times a day for the next 10 days at least.   I also have to apply heat to the area three times a day.  No more ice.  Need to get the hematoma to reabsorb, and ice slows down the circulation too much. 

I have two new pair of walking shoes, and even when I go out for about 10 minutes to get sunlight on the bruised area (which is supposed to help healing), I wear the new shoes.  They make my leg feel SO much more stable, and walking is practically painless.  I cannot resume regular activities until the pain is completely gone, and the swelling has subsided some more.  I will have to get medical advice on that, and will need physical therapy before I can safely begin my walking regimen again. 

Resting the New Shoes

In other news, our new siding is done, and it looks TERRIFIC!!

The painters did a fabulous job, and our house looks better than ever on the outside.  See:

Garage, and contractor sign.

Gable end and split by my office.

We are extremely pleased.  House looks like new again.

That's about all the excitement I have time to write about now.  My leg needs to go back to resting position.