Ironic/Iatrogenic

I went to the lab on Friday for a blood draw, to get my PT/INR checked, and walked out with a stinging pain in my arm like a bee sting.

Later in the day one of my kids pointed out that I had a pretty nasty bruise, which isn't too surprising given that I take medicine to slow my clotting times. Bruises are kind of a fact of life. But this one was different; it was three dimensional with an odd raised part that was shaped like a worm. By the time I went to bed it was looking super creepy, white in the middle surrounded by a black square, the whole thing a big lump with this squirmy thing through the middle.

Saturday when I woke up the squirmy part was hard to the touch so I called the lab and spoke to a singularly unhelpful person who said I could leave a message on the complaint line.

I finally went to the urgent care clinic last night and the doctor told me I have a blood clot from the blood draw, which I got done because I take medicine to prevent blood clots. Amusing I suppose. Then he told me to take ibuprofen to bring down inflammation but I can't because it is a blood thinner so I just came home thirty bucks poorer and slightly aggravated.

The doctor did draw a picture of a vein for me but it wasn't worth keeping, either from a scientific or artistic perspective.

My arm is still very tender, all the way up to my shoulder. Here's hoping it feels better by the weekend when I head off to con.