Tuesday, February 02, 2021

Taking my lumps (catch-up post #1)

First, some GOOD lumps – the girls are laying again!

Last Thursday I was surprised by a pale little egg, laid by one of our blue Wyandottes. Did one of the four get wind of my thoughts that as the heaviest hens, they were most likely to grace a neighbor's stew pot?

Over the weekend our new neighbors did chores while we visited the college boy (watch for a catch-up post on that), and they collected three more eggs. This morning, there was a green egg to add to the basket. Woot; stays of execution for all!

That green egg has a story to tell. I picked it up on the way to the barn to do chores. Poppy was on a leash since her recall is unreliable; I secured her in the barn aisle and set the egg up high on the hay stack out of her reach since she once grabbed and ate one. I went to get Lance's medicine, and when I returned, Poppy's harness was hanging limp from the end of her retractable leash! My eyes followed the sound of her bell up on the hay stack and I spotted her ears; when I called, she reluctantly made her way back down – carrying that egg. Amazingly, she turned it over intact and completely undamaged, solidifying the "Retriever" entry on her resumé. 😁

Two weeks after impact, my bruise is fading but the underlying tissue is still quite tender and the goose-egg lump remains. If it were just cosmetic I could ignore it, but that lump doesn't like being jarred by jumping or running. Rick ultrasounded it again last night; he says it is both seroma and hematoma. If I were a horse, he would open it up and remove the clot and excess fluid so the skin could seal down and heal better, although he thinks the muscle itself is permanently damaged. I have a virtual appointment on Thursday to see what a human doctor would advise; I trust Rick's expertise but am not comfortable with him slicing into my leg. 😳

More to come from . . .

9 comments:

Mama Pea said...

I'm not a doctor (obviously) but I have always assumed hematomas were dark reddish in color . . . as in filled with blood. Apparently not as yours isn't. And, wow, the coloration from the bruising has changed quite dramatically. What did Rick mean when he said he thinks the muscle underneath is permanently damaged? Can you tell if there is weakness in it?

A trip to see Brian after he's just gone back to school recently? I hope he's not sick!

Our chickens are finally starting to lay, too. Not well, but we're very grateful for the two or three eggs a day now. That Poppy! She's an escape artist. And so smart in that she just knew that egg was up there on the hay bales. Gotta give her something for a soft mouth though!

Michelle said...

As Rick described it, Mama Pea, the hematoma is embedded – a large clot – inside the seroma. There is still visible bruising but much in this view. As for the trip, it was dual-purpose; I'll share more in that upcoming post.

Debbie said...

I'm glad that you're following up on the hematoma. Fingers crossed all goes ok.

I knew the girls would come through with eggs!!

Nice of Poppy to provide assistance in egg recovery.

Michelle said...

I got more information on my injury tonight, Debbie. Rick called his BIL, an orthopedic trauma surgeon, and found out I have a Morel-Lavalée Lesion; he advised me to go to an ortho trauma surgeon. Will make some calls tomorrow.

Retired Knitter said...

Wow, that is quite some injury you have. So your hubby has some “cross over” skills in his chosen profession. He is quite a handy guy to have around, I would say. I had a friend in college who was setting his sights to be a vet - and he said that there was a lot of competition in getting into vet schooling ... so much so that it was considered harder to become a vet than becoming a human doctor. I have heard that from other sources as well. So not only handy ... but quite smart I would guess.

A :-) said...

I was going to suggest that you actually SEE a doc rather than do a telemed visit. I wasn't thinking about a surgeon, but if you need one, best not to delay (says the woman on her way out the door to the oral surgeon . . . ). I sure hope you can get in quickly.

thecrazysheeplady said...

So...would you really send a chicken to the stew pot?

Michelle said...

Yes, Elaine, my hubby is a very handy guy at a lot of things, not just medical! (Sometimes the cobbler's children have not shoes, though. 😉) Vet school used to be extremely competitive, but as tuition costs have gone up and income not so much, that has changed. Now most applicants are women, and a number of those aren't the supporting wage-earners for their family.

A, I made a telemedicine appt. because the doctor had already seen my injury in person when it looked much worse; I mostly had questions for him. But Rick talked to his BIL after I made the appt.; now I may be asking that doctor to fax a referral.

I never have, Sara, but I WAS contemplating it. Could I follow through? Who knows!

Kim said...

Ooh, don’t let that go too long, speaking (embarrassingly) from experience. Sounds like you’re on the way to getting it taken care of though.
I’m also glad the hens got a reprieve...I think all my chickens will die of old age with me still feeding them. Of course, I don’t have them yet.....