Re: Calf Pain

From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Wed Nov 21 12:45:50 2001


Dear Kimmi,

In your previous message about calf pain, you said: "Yesterday morning I woke with severe calf pain, and I still have it today. It hurts really bad when I stand or try to walk.

"Anyone know what can cause calve pain."

In another posting you said: "Vascular pain is the veins/vessels expanding and causing pain. Sometimes they bleed which is what they really watch out for."

~ ~ ~ ~

Kimmi, I had a similar experience many years ago.

What led to the severe pain I had in my left calf?

In November of 1968 I began to experience pain in my pelvis; and with medication I was able to manage the pain.

Then in July 1969 I suddenly started to experience pain that became so severe that I had to be hospitalized for more than a week. During this time I was continuously kept on Demerol.

About a week later, the pain became so severe that even morphine did not help. At that point I was transferred by ambulance to a hospital, where an Urologist was on the staff. Within a few days I passed a kidney stone that was the size of a grain of wheat.

Once I passed the kidney stone - and a few days had gone by - I was finally able to go home; however, I continued to experience pain.

So in February of 1970, my doctor decided it was time to take a look - and I underwent a laparotomy. Five (5) days later I experienced the return of pain. I continued to experience pain for several weeks and my doctor tried various medications that failed to relieve my pain.

I could sense that my doctor was becoming frustrated; so finally - in March 1970 - he decided that maybe I had endometriosis; so he put me on a therapeutic regimen of birth control medication - Enovid and Combid.

I was kept on Enovid and Combid from March 1970 - until in November 1970, I started to have severe pain in the calf of my left leg. The calf of my leg actually felt "hard" to the touch!! The pain was so severe that I had to use my son's crutches (he had broken his leg in September 1968) in order to walk.

After I had endured this severe pain for 10 days, I finally went to the doctor. The doctor told me that he wanted me in the hospital right now!! Why? He told me that I had a blood clot in the calf of my left leg!!

When I told him that first I had to go home (22 miles from the hospital) and make arrangements for the care of my family (4 children - ages 6-16); and then I would return to the hospital. He warned me that to do so would be at my own risk!

I did go home and make arrangements for my family; and then had myself admitted to the hospital. In short order a nurse whisked me away in a wheelchair to my room; because of the seriousness of a blood clot. Now, the hospital was responsible for my care.

I was not allowed to get out of bed for a week. I spent all of that time in bed with my legs elevated; and during this time I was given blood thinning medication. I had no idea that the severe pain in my left calf was a life-threatening situation.

After experiencing this blood clot, I have never been able to take birth control medication.

Kimmi, I am not trying to scare you; but if the pain in your calf is really severe - and especially if the calf area in your leg feels "hard" to the touch - I urge you to go to your doctor to have this checked out!!!

By the way: For the first time in 27 years a diagnostic laparoscopy in August of 1997 proved that my constant pain had been caused by the adhesions that had formed after my 1970 laparotomy. Adhesions had definitely been the cause of the severe pain I had endured throughout those 27 years.

I am very thankful that the many, many, many doctors I had been to (during those 27 years) did not suggest any additional surgeries!! Surgery is definitely one of the causes of adhesions!!!


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