I'm gonna live...

Last week while playing basketball I was kneed in the back of the leg, at the top of my calf. It hurt a lot, but I finished the game. That night it was really sore, but I just figured I had bruised my calf. A week later the pain was equivalent to the first day, but there was no swelling or bruising. I started to get concerned, so I went to the doctor.

The first doctor poked around, asked me some questions, and then referred me to an ultrasound clinic to get more information. I went to the ultrasound clinic and the doctor there referred me to another doctor, adding that I must go there "immediately". That doctor took one look at my ultrasound results, and sent me to Emergency, and told me to get there "stat". Apparently, the rush had to do with a lot of blood that was pooling in the tissue, and concerns that a clot could form.

The ER doc, despite his high level of self-assurance, did a couple of cross-checks to make sure he gave me an accurate diagnosis. He called a hematologist, and also checked his medical database to make sure there was no risk of clotting. He said that taking blood thinners wasn't really necessary ("you don't really want to take rat poison, do you?") and said that anti-inflammatories, heat, time, and mild stretching should do the trick. He also added, with a sly smile to Caroline, that vacuuming would be an excellent way to stretch that stubborn calf muscle.

The good news is that I'm gonna live. The bad news is that now I still have to write all my law school exams in two weeks.