Before I was admitted into the hospital the ambulance started an IV inside my elbow. If you have ever had a blood draw this is where the Phlebotomus will typically insert a needle to draw your blood. Also somewhere during my stay they added another IV in the right arm. Eventually the left arm IV started to leak, blood everywhere. Click the button to get the nurse. Nurse was busy for a “few hour”. Let’s say I wasn’t pleased especially being on an ICU unit. After several hours I finally got the IV on the left arm removed.
After being out of the hospital for few days (Wednesday) I started to notice hard bumps in the veins in both arms. So off to the urgent care we went. The nurses and PN maybe a PA looked at it. Didn’t think it was anything but suggested a visit to the ER for a double check and possible scan to see if they were blood clots.
So to the local ER and $500. Finally got a room and a doctor to come in and look. He was not in a good mood for some reason. We got a scolding about how we should of went to the ER of the hospital I was released from. And that I had phlebitis and the solution was something like 4 aspirin 3 times a day.
I wasn’t convinced it was inflammation of the veins.
The day after my first chemotherapy treatment we had a visit at UNMC for a second opinion on this cancer diagnosis. The outcome and suggestions were the same as NCS. We did get info on genetic testing which was the only new information we got from that visit. While we were finishing up with the doctor I had her look at my arms and the bumps. She wasn’t sure and ordered a doppler of the arms. Had the scans done and yes, blood clots. Another prescription to deal with blood clots.
Lesson learned here. Almost everyone when admitted to the hospital should be evaluated for VTE and put on some sort of prophylaxis. Not sure if this was ever done during my first stay. In my work I help design a research study and was an author on several papers on this subject. I never asked, and since I was walking around almost every day I didn’t even think about it. The VTE usually occur in the legs due to being immobile.
