Panicandpeace
19-11-18, 13:48
So, I've had a fear of blood clots for several years now. I don't know what exactly started the fear, maybe a twinge of pain in one of my legs, and a Googling wormhole did it. Actually, I'm sure that is what originally did it. One year, a few years ago, when I was having a really bad peak of health anxiety, I went to the doctor, I'd say, at least 4 or 5 times within a year and had ultrasounds done each time, concerned I had a blood clot. Always came back negative. I have no "risk factors" other than the occasional day where I sit around sometimes with funny crossed legs and have a Netflix binge. I am young-ish (29), have never smoked, never been on birth control, not overweight. I have a job where I stay on my feet a lot, but there are certain times of the day where I can be sitting for a couple of hours at a time. So it's been a few years since that episode of anxiety, but in the past year, I've had a peak in HA again, and have been to the doctor twice over the last year over this concern again. Ultrasound the first time and a D-Dimer test a few months later. Again, both negative. I usually get concerned after I've driven a long distance or have been sedentary, sitting around watching TV all day on a lazy Saturday. I had one of those lazy days a couple of days ago, and now I feel a twinge of pain behind my left knee/left calf/ kind of up into my thigh area. When I say pain, I'd say it's about a 1 or 2 on the pain scale. It's really a feeling of tightness/discomfort. Now, I can go see the doctor today at 11:30. Same doctor who did ordered the D-Dimer the last time. He's going to think I'm looney, which I am a little bit, haha. BUT I'm supposed to have surgery next week on Tuesday, and it's cold and flu season, so I'm also torn because I feel like going to the doctor's office right now is also risky for that reason. I don't want to catch a cold before my surgery. I'm really torn as to what I should do. Obviously, a blood clot isn't something you play around with, but I'm also very aware that it could just be tense muscles from stress. These symptoms always present themselves in my left leg. No redness or swelling. But I know sometimes people don't even have any symptoms. Nobody in my family has a history of blood clots that I know of... some relatives on my mom's side of the family take blood thinners for high cholesterol and I guess the potential for blood clots. My mom's aunt (grandma's half-sister) once had a clot that went into her stomach. I think she was older. But again, I know age doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it.