Sunday 19 October 2014

Black And Blue

My poor mum was taken in to hospital on Tuesday. She'd noticed the top of her arm starting to swell up on Monday and by Tuesday morning, it was twice the size it should be and bruising was starting to show. It was very, very painful.


This is how it looked last night. It turns out that the Warfarin she takes has caused a hematoma, clotted blood outside the blood vessels. During the week, it has slowly crept right the way down from the top of her arm right in to her hand, though most of the swelling has now gone. It's still very painful though.


She's got a big birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, she'll be eighty, so I hope she's better for that so that she can enjoy her celebrations.

51 comments:

  1. Oh no, it looks so sore. Many best wishes for your Mum and I hope she feels better soon.

    PS I think something handmade would make her feel better (and put a dent in your stash!). x

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    1. Thank you. It's been very painful but I know she's in the right place and they'll hopefully get her sorted out. My mum's been the recipient of many of my handmade things, she used to be a knitter herself but hasn't picked the needles up for many years now so she's very appreciative when I make something for her.

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  2. Bloody hell Jo I bet you were all worried sick! I had to look twice to see it was arm. I hope she's better as well, bless her x

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    1. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I first saw it, and that was just the top of her arm, it's travelled right the way down since then. The swelling's starting to go down now so I hope she's on the mend.

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  3. My sympathies, that looks and sounds rather nasty. I hope that she recovers soon, and gets to enjoy her birthday. Flighty xx

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    1. Thank you. She's in good spirits so that's the main thing. I didn't realise how serious it could be at first so I know she's in the best place for her at the moment.

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  4. Oh my gosh! How frightening is that! I hope and pray she's ok now? And that her 80th will be a great sucess.
    Now, go and have a cup of tea and breathe, because my bet is you haven't done either since Tuesday.

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    1. It is quite scary, isn't it? Mick's told her that we'll be wheeling her out for Halloween, it's a good job she's got a sense of humour. I think hospital visiting is always quite stressful, I'm hoping that it's not too long before she's home again now.

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  5. Oh that looks so sore.......send her my best wishes and I hope she gets better soon

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    1. Thank you. She seems to be on the mend now, though I don't know how long this colour is going to last in her arm. It makes me cringe just to look at it.

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  6. Oh my goodness Jo, your poor Mum. I hope that she recovers very soon and that she can have a good birthday celebration. I am sure that you are taking good care of her though. Good thoughts to you both. xx

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    1. Thank you. It was quite a shock to see it at first but it seems to be settling down a bit now, I hope she's not in hospital for much longer now.

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  7. Ooh, that does look painful! I hope she feels better soon, and especially for her big day. I'm on lifelong warfarin too, and I know it can have some serious side-effects. Best wishes to your mum xx

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    1. Thank you. I had no idea that warfarin could do this. I think the hospital are trying to get the dose sorted out now before they allow her home again.

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  8. Nasty stuff- that warfarin.
    get well soon Jos mum and enjoy your birthday

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    1. Thank you. It can certainly do nasty things, I'd have never believed it.

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  9. Best wishes to your Mum, hope she is home for her birthday! Hope you are ok, thinking of you too. x

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    1. Thank you. I'm fine, just a bit tired from all the trailing to the hospital. It wouldn't be so bad if she was in St.James but she's in the LGI right in the middle of Leeds so it's quite a trail, especially as most of the roads around the city centre have been closed for roadworks this weekend.

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  10. That looks so painful Jo, I have never seen anything like it. I hope your mum is improving steadily. x

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    1. My mum was is such a lot of pain with it, and though it's still very painful, it's nowhere near as bad as it was. I've never seen anything like it before either, I'm just hoping that it will all go back to normal when they get the dosage right.

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  11. Poor mum, hope she is feeling better, send our regards.

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    1. Thank you. I haven't seen her yet today, my dad's been this afternoon and we'll be setting off in half an hour for the evening shift.

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  12. Oh my goodness ! That looks so painful, your poor Mum. My Mum fell down the stairs and her side was that colour, it takes weeks and fifty shades of black green and yellow before its gone. Lets hope they get the dosage right quickly and that it doesnt happen again.

    Best wishes to your Mum xx

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    1. Thank you. We've been to the hospital tonight and it's now travelling down her side so I'm hoping that they sort it out quickly now.

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  13. Oh my goodness it looks really painful. All the best to your mum and I hope the swelling goes down quickly.
    xx

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    1. Thank you. It's still very painful. I don't think they really know how long the pain is going to last, they seem as surprised by it as we are.

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  14. Evening gloves for the big birthday. It's the way forward ;) Glad she's on the mend. Must have been very scary. xxx

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    1. I think evening gloves will definitely be the way to go. It's been a very scary experience for all of us and they still don't have it under control so I'm hoping that it improves soon.

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  15. Goodness No that looks really painful. Hope she will have recovered for her big birthday.

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    1. I'm hoping so too. We've no idea when she'll be home yet but I think she's in the best place at the moment as we don't know what's going to happen next.

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  16. Your mum's arm looks terrible, Jo! I hope they get her sorted out really quickly!

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    1. It's nearly a week now and still more is coming out. It's quite frightening really, we just don't know when it's going to end.

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  17. Oh dear, your poor mum. That looks very painful, I do hope they can sort it out quickly. Get some arnica cream on it ASAP Jo, I swear it works wonders. X

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    1. She'd put something on it yesterday when we went, it wasn't arnica though, I shall have to get some.

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    2. I've just checked re arnica and it can interact with blood thinners such as warfarin so we'd have to check with the doctor before using it.

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    3. I'm sorry Jo, I should've added that one should check with the doctor before using arnica. I hope that the hospital can get it under control quickly. x

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    4. That's ok. My mum's on lots of different tablets so we always check before using anything, you just never know, do you?

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  18. Oh no Jo, do hope your Mum will be OK. I actually thought someone had got a tattoo at first, then realised it was a bruise. Email if you want to talk. With medication, one thing seems to lead to another, but yes hospital is probably the best place till she recovers. Take care.

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    1. I think you're right, you get medication for one thing and it ends up leading to something else. I do hope they hurry up and get it sorted out, she's getting a bit fed up now of being in hospital.

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  19. Wishing your Mum a speedy recovery that looks so painful, glad the swelling is going down, I know she is in the right place but it's still very worrying for you. take care xcx

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    1. Thank you. It's been very painful and still is, but not as bad as it was, thank goodness. It's very worrying, especially as it still isn't under control.

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  20. Wowser! I'm late to reading this post so it sounds like things are under control. Hope she's feeling much better by the time you read this x

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    1. When we went to the hospital last night, we discovered that it's spreading down the side of her body now, so I don't think they've got it under control yet. It's quite worrying as she's been in hospital for nearly a week now. I'm waiting to see what she's like when we go and visit her tonight.

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  21. Oh dear, your poor mum. I hope things will soon be controlled again and she starts to recover. Especially in time for her birthday.

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    1. Thank you. I think the main thing they're looking to do is to get the dosage right for her, I'm hoping that it all settles down once they do.

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  22. My goodness how horrible.
    I wish her a speedy recovery and perhaps a change in meds.
    Susan x

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    1. Thank you. It's the dosage they've got wrong so they're trying to sort that out now.

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  23. Jo I hope your mum is on the mend now. I used to take blood for warfarin patients and know how horrible it can look and be if they get the dosage wrong. Hopefully by now it will have been stabilised and she will be fit enough to enjoy her special day.XX

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    1. I'm afraid the bruising hasn't disappeared at all yet and she's still in a lot of pain but the swelling has mostly gone and she's feeling better being in her own home. I'm not sure what we're doing for her birthday yet, I suppose it will all depend on how she is at the time.

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  24. Oh goodness Jo. I hope your mum is ok. How worrying for you all and how painful it looks. I hope something lovely can be planned for a very special birthday treat.
    Lisa x

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    1. I have to say that the bruising got worse than this, but it's now starting to disperse. It's still very painful though, I think it's going to be some time before it's back to normal.

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