In the week before autumn break, I had a fight with my boyfriend. I was disappointed, sad and felt terrible about it. I was sleeping more than I used to and was in bed a lot. He got upset because I was so angry about what happened between my supervisor and me. He thought I was depressed and sleeping a lot because I couldn’t cope. I couldn’t handle healing and coping with the situation with my supervisor while he let painting his house.
I had spent my time there for 1,5 months and went to the gym around the corner. I balanced getting there by car and sporting, because I wasn’t able to follow my routines as I did before I fell, yet. I couldn’t handle him not talking to me, so I went back home. I felt heartbroken and alone.
At home, I read a story about developing blood clots while using medication on the internet. It scared me, I was afraid to die. Without eating I opened a bottle of wine. I got drunk and sad because I was afraid my life was over. I had a conversation with my boyfriend by phone. He wasn’t able to help me.
On October 15th he joined me in visiting the vascular specialist. When he came in I already had gone through the vein examination ultrasound. There were no blood clots, my vascular valves worked, the scar tissue inside my vein (from calf till groin) made my vein stiffer.
The vascular specialist told me there was fluid between my muscle and vein, because of the stiffness of my vein it was not able to let fluids in and out easily. Edema caused pain. We talked about stockings, she advised knee stockings instead of the pantyhose my hematologist advised. Because of my appointment with the orthopedic the next day, I told her I would ask him for a referral for stockings.
At the orthopedic, I had to make new x-rays. I was happy my friend was with me. We had to go to a big hospital in The Hague, I would have lost my way inside. My ankle was healing great. My muscles were still stiff despite all the sporting I did. He advised me to continue till I reached my pain threshold and gave me extra exercises to loosen up my ankle more. The referral for stockings I had to get from the vascular specialist.
After the autumn break I spoke to my vascular specialist on the phone. She would send me the referral and she also told me I had to listen to my body. The tiredness I was experiencing was normal and could continue for another 6 months. It was my third thrombosis, and that would take more time than the previous ones I had before when I was a lot younger.
