Hi everyone,
I am very happy to be able to write this blog post. I don’t have too much to say, but Linda sent some pictures to share, so stay tuned for those!
Okay, my Thermal Venous Ablation is a thing of the past and I’m very happy it’s over! When I found out I was going to be awake or at least only groggy, I was a little more than nervous. Then when they mentioned gauge 18 needles used to inject the numbing medicine to protect the nerves, I was even more nervous. So nervous, in fact, that when they gave me the 2 Valium, I was still wide awake when they took me into the room for the procedure. I was talking with them part of the time and watching the ultrasound… They make a small cut in your leg down by your ankle and a catheter is inserted into the vein using ultrasound imagining to guide it. The catheter goes up your vein until it gets to your “gate” or your “shut off” valve in your groin. Then Radiofrequency or laser energy (which gets 300 degrees!) is applied to the vein through the catheter, but you are given those shots with the needle all the way down your leg to protect your nerves from being damaged. The catheter is withdrawn, causing the vein to collapse and close off. It’s like the vein is being cauterized! (The whole reason I had this done was because the “valve” up near my groin wasn’t opening up for a long enough period of time to let the blood pump back to my heart, keeping it down in my leg and making it swell.) By closing off this superficial vein, the blood will join another vein or make a new one that isn’t damaged. And hopefully this will reduce the swelling in my leg by 50%. That’s what the doctor is hoping for. I’m guessing it was a small price to pay if it really does work. My leg does bother me because I sit for periods of time causing it to swell… It takes about 6-8 weeks for the closed off vein to find a new way to join another vein and carry on.
I’ll show you a picture of my leg all wrapped up. The wrapping came off after 2 days and felt so much better. It was wrapped tightly! I felt a little like Lazarus!
I go back to the doctor (again) this week and get another Ultrasound to make sure there is no blood flowing in that vein and then I have to go back 2 days later to see the doctor and he’ll give me his assessment! Oh boy!
Okay, enough about all that! Let’s see some of Linda’s dolls dressed up in some Ice Skating outfits! This is a much better topic!
Hi Jeanne,
Here are the 40’s girls playing in the (imaginary) snow! Sara is having a blast! Hope she doesn’t fall off, since she is not strapped in!
Here are the modern girls ice skating, on ice, once again, imaginary! However, we have the real thing outside, too much in fact!
Here is a picture of my pretty poinsettia plant my daughter gave to me for Christmas. Actually it was used in a Christmas Eve mass, and everyone was able to take home a plant if you wanted. This one is huge, but sure brightens up the living room!
Thank you Linda! You saved me again from a boring/non-dolly post! Your girls look lovely… COLD, but LOVELY!
See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne