DVT – A New Acronym for our Vocabulary

I expected to blog tonight about Jeff’s latest speaking engagement for the Morrisville Presbyterian Youth Club.  It was to be a longer speech than those he has done and so we prepared a PowerPoint presentation that works well to prompt Jeff as he tells his story.  We were both excited about it - as was Dan, who was to introduce Jeff, and Elizabeth, a customer/friend who recruited Jeff for this talk.

Unfortunately, we ended up in the ER instead.  While recovering from a stomach virus, sinus infection and extreme fatigue, Jeff developed a sore leg which he said “feels like five pulled muscles but I’ve done nothing but lay in bed.”  Giblet walked on his sore leg and Jeff could tolerate two of the dog’s legs but the other two caused extreme pain. He described feeling as though there was a line down his leg that delineated the affected area.  The leg eventually swelled up and got hard and warm.  He has great difficulty walking and any movement is painful. 

Dr. Sullivan, the family doctor, ordered an ultrasound.  After the radiologist conferred with Dr. Sullivan, we were told, “Don’t stop to eat.  Don’t go home for a toothbrush.  Go right to the hospital.”  The nurse didn’t want to tell us which hospital and after hearing us debate between St. Mary’s (15 minutes away) or University of Pennsylvania (45 minutes away) and deciding on St. Mary’s, she looked relieved and said, “Close is good.”  They called ahead to alert the ER we were coming.

So imagine our confusion when Jeff was wheeled into a very busy waiting room next to kids holding vomit basins, given a wristband with the number 40 on it and left there for 45 minutes before they ever asked him why he was there.  At first I wasn’t too concerned because, as I said, there were a lot of sick people there.  They all needed attention, too, and Jeff was feeling okay although he wished he could get comfortable.  Nearly three hours after his arrival in the ER a heparin drip was started.  I was getting tired and agitated at around five hours so Jeff sent me home.  By the time I got home, he texted that he finally had a room in telemetry.   

Jeff has DVT, Deep Vein Thrombosis.  Apparently, it is quite extensive.  He has blood clots in his left leg from his ankle to his hip “and probably further,” the ER doc said.  Jeff thought he heard the young doctor making phone calls and having trouble getting a specialist to take his case.  We’ll see.  We don’t know much about his condition yet but it seems possible that Jeff’s inactivity may have caused the clots to form. 

I am relieved that Jeff is being cared for by the pros. 

Thank you to all who texted and posted good wishes and prayers this evening - and to Dan and Jennifer for taking Giblet.