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Anonymous Guest
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:25 am GMT +0000 Post subject: A bruise 12" by 6" can't be good |
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I recently did an endo and when all the dust settled, I wasn't too badly beat up. Except immediately the inside of my left thigh (just above my knee) swelled to the size of a baseball. Literally. It was painful, but not debilitating. I iced it and wrapped it pretty religiously over the next few days and the discoloration was an almost black purple, and it spanned from right around me knee to nearly my groin area. It's been almost a week, and it's still a bit swollen, though it's improving.
So my questions are...what the heck did I do to myself? And is there anything different than ice and compression I should be doing now to get it to heal?
I can send you a photo if you want to look at the thing.
Thanks!! |
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The Bike Doc 250+
Joined: 08 May 2003 Posts: 1398 Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:31 pm GMT +0000 Post subject: |
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rt:
I see no one wanted to tackle this one while I was off line for two weeks so I appreciate your patience. You have described a significant hematoma, a collection of blood from ruptured blood vessels, in your case resulting from your crash. Having just returned from several great days of mountain biking and incurring similar discolartions and swellings to my body, I am practicing what I am about to preach.
You did well in applying ice and compression. You can now switch to warm soaks (3-4 days after the original injury) to increase the circulation to the injured area to help speed the removal of the blood that seeped into the surrounding tissue. Continue with the compression with a wide elastic wrap 3-4 inches. Wrap from the lower part of your injured area upward towards the heart with even snug but not tight wraps. Do some easy pedaling on the bike to work the muscles to further speed the removal of the blood. It is not unusual for a large hemotoma to spread out as the initial blood clot breaks down and the unclotted blood spreads through the paths of least resistance leading to incresed bruising-discoloration even though the injured area is starting to feel better. However, it is possible for the hematoma to become infected so if you have increasing pain, local warmth, fever or increasing swelling, seek immediate medical attention.
Thanks, _________________ Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc |
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Anonymous Guest
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Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 5:22 pm GMT +0000 Post subject: |
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Doc,
Thank you! It's getting better, although there's still a numb, fibrous-feeling lump under the skin. The discoloration is gone, and it's feeling better. A few inches higher and I'd be talking about a whole different problem--albiet with a much higher voice!
Thank you again! |
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