Blod clots in my legs

Dear friends,

After taking a shower yesterday, I checked a sore spot on the back of my right calf in the mirror because it had been hurting without any reason for a few weeks. I realized there was a big bulging bruise just below my left knee. I am on Femara, a cancer prevention drug that can cause blood clots, so that is why my antennae were up. I had been debating whether to call the doctor about my right leg, and the bruise made me stop wondering. It just happened without being traumatized it any way.

I called the doctor yesterday morning and asked if I needed to come in or if they could tell me what to watch for, and I was there within the hour. Later in the day they did ultrasound on both legs and I got a call this morning from my doctor telling me that I have a clot in my left leg by the bruise, and they strongly suspect one in my lower right leg also. Because they are both below the knee, they are much less dangerous than they would be above the knee and probably won’t break loose. The chance of that happening is low, he said.

So I am to run to the ER if I have chest pain or trouble breathing, and to greatly decrease my physical activity and maybe even use the motorized carts at the grocery store! I don’t think I could bring myself to do that, but we’ll see. He is putting me on Coumadin starting tonight, and I also need to do 5 days of 2 shots a day to carry me over until the Coumadin gets into my system. I sure do hate shots! I miss having my nurse neighbor and other friend in Denver! (Wanna come visit Janet or Lisa?)

Life is never dull! I sure would hate to die of a loose clot after fighting cancer twice! So please pray that the clots would dissolve and not cause any problems. I am not feeling worried or stressed about this, other than the time it will take to learn everything. I am supposed to go to the Coumadin Clinic today or tomorrow for orientation. I’ll know more after I have gone and will let you know.

Here is some great news! Jenni got a job yesterday at Chipotle near Thunder Ridge High School where Laura and Allison went. (They make delicious burritos like Qdoba, but better!) She decided she would go to the strip mall near where she and Allison are staying and go store to store until she got a job. When she walked into Chipotle, she addressed several men sitting at a table and asked if they had any job openings. The men looked at each other and back at her. The store manager and district manager had just finished saying as she walked into the door, that they needed to hire someone over 18, because the 17 year olds working there weren’t allowed to do the register, etc. They asked her how she had heard about the job, and were amazed that she hadn’t, but just showed up at that moment. And when she told them she is 19, their faces lit up! So she started this morning at 7:30 and works until 4. She is very excited. If you live in that part of Denver, she at Wildcat Reserve and Highlands Ranch Parkway. It is close enough to where they are living this summer for her to get a quick ride or walk. Yeah God!

I am preparing our latest prayer letter for the mail and would be happy to add you to either our email or snail mail list if you email me at nancyfritz@aol.com. God bless you! Nancy