Is there a doctor in the house?

[Pow4Brains]

So, after begging Armada to send me a new ski to replace the one that delaminated (which they did based on an emailed pic! Props to Armada), running around to find a shop to mount a binding on a moments notice (which Alpenglow in Golden did for free in 15 minutes. Mas props) in preparation for the storm that Mtbikerskierchick and folks so nicely documented, I wasn’t able to make a single turn while 80 plus inches destroyed the San Juans due to my 8 month pregnant wife being admitted to the hospital for a “swollen leg”.

After begging the docs to do an ultrasound on her leg (they initially told her to go home and rest and caulked up the swelling to the pregnancy), they found a blood clot that went from her belly button to her knee! We sat in the hospital for 7 days watching the snow reports waiting for her blood to thin (My wife actually told me to take a “day trip” down south cuz there was no reason for “both of us to be bored”. God I love this woman.) Having your brain switch back and forth between the health and well being of your wife and first unborn child is not kool!
Finally, on the 7th day, after pumping her full of copious amounts of blood thinner her test results came back within the “range” they where looking for (between 60 and 90 something, I still don’t know what this number signifies.) She was released from the hospital and is now at home resting and it appears that the baby is fine. They never really found a reason for the blood clot, which has been driving me nuts.

The problem is, the swelling is gone but she still has severe pain (went from taking Codeine to Vicodin to Percoset and now is on Morphine, which the docs said is due to the nerve endings being irritated around the blood clot.) and her blood test results have dropped to 32. She/I are now injecting (can’t take it orally due to being pregnant) the blood thinner 3 times a day and have increased the dosages per the doctor’s orders but the test results are not getting any better.

Just doesn’t seem right that her blood results aren’t getting better and she is still in a great deal of pain. I am I being too impatient? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Mrs Roo]

Don't stop the blood thinners. I know of people who keep taking it for 6 months after a deep vein thrombosis.

Pregnant women can get leg pain for many reasons. The doctors theory is reasonable and nerves take a long time to repair. The other possibility is that it is a coincidental but seperate problem. Babies love to sit right on their mum's sciatic nerves and other sensitive structures. A women's health physical therapist may be able to help with pain management, positions to reduce pressure etc. If it is pain from the small nerves (as suggested) normal analgesic pain killers won't help. Here in the UK we give people with 'neurogenic' pain drugs like Amyltriptilline or Gabapentine but these are strong anti-epileptic drugs and they may be reluctant due to her pregnancy. I'm not a doc but a physiotherapist. A physical therapist could be helpful to you.

[Mrs Roo]

Sorry, I just realised you had a whole heap of expert answers in the main forum.