The Traveling Bruise

[Aggie85]

I knew there would be bruising issues with being on coumadine, but I hadn't expected THIS! A week ago on Tues., I banged my shin on the car door. I didn't think I had hit it hard, but it hurt like all get out. It was sore during the week, but nothing outstanding. I was amazed that the bruising wasn't as spectacular as I'd expected since my INR that Monday had been 4.1. Then on Sat evening we noticed my lower leg was swollen and I had a HUGE bruise on my inner ankle. We rushed to the ER thinking clot, even if INR was high. Turns out, it's a traveling bruise. Apparently, I've been bleeding just below the skin since Tues and when I had been on my feet all day at a craft show, the blood and fluids pooled at my ankle and caused my leg to swell above my sock band. I'm now over a week past that initial bang, and still having swelling and bruising appearing if I'm on my feet more than an hour or so. If I keep my foot elevated, the blood in the bruise moves back up my leg along my chin and fades from around my ankle. What's even stranger is the pain. Where the blood is on my ankle doesn't hurt at all, but where it is along my shin bone is very tender and sometimes makes it hard to bear weight on my leg. The area where I got hit has a good sized lump but virtually no bruise!

I'm not sure how the photos are loaded up, so will describe them here. Sorry not sexy but at least I shaved my leg first! LOL these were taken this Wed evening, just over a week after the injury. Today was the first I've been up more than just short times. My leg wasn't hurting today, so I ran errands. It swelled up and blood pooled around my ankle again. This had all but faded away yesterday.

The shin shot is harder to see. At the very top of shin is the bump, just below my knee. It's a little red but not too discolored. Still VERY tender. Harder to see is a yellow splotch that travels up my shin bone down to the ankle. If I elevate my leg for a couple hours, the bruise on my ankle fades and the yellow on shin gets more pronounced.

I CANT GET THE IMAGES TO POST. IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW, PLEASE TELL ME AND I WILL POST THEM. I've tried doing an "Upload Attachements" and it tells me I'm not authorized. Can't get it to copy in images either. ?????



So, here's my questions. Anyone else experience something like this? Anything I should be aware of or watch out for? Other than dramatically increased swelling of course. This blood is obviously moving back and forth and I assume the injury is still bleeding, since it swelled up again today. With below the surface, active bleeding, can a clot still form?


Hope all are well and traveling bruise free. Linda

 

[Freddie]

Oh yes, had a few of those. Ice, ice, ice on the bump is all I do and put my foot up.
Sorry that I can't be more help, but I've never worried about them since the doc told me that the pooling around the ankle will
fad away in time just by walking.

 

[chaconne]

Linda,

Had something very much like this happen to me when I banged my shin on a stump in the dark two summers ago in the woods. Hurt at first, a few days later a large purple spot with swelling, then purple splotched down near my foot. I think it took a few weeks for it all to go away without any trace left. I just continued doing what I do (Hike, bycycle, swim etc...) and was none the worse.

 

[chaconne]

Linda,

Had something very much like this happen to me when I banged my shin on a stump in the dark two summers ago in the woods. Hurt at first, a few days later a large purple spot with swelling, then purple splotched down near my foot. I think it took a few weeks for it all to go away without any trace left. I just continued doing what I do (Hike, bycycle, swim etc...) and was none the worse.