Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The End Of The Mockingbird? And A Photo Of My Leg





When I let Dispatch and Mugsey out this morning (yes Mugsey had been slightly skunked but it wore off thank goodness) I was greeted with a small pile of feathers by the back door, the picture was taken later after the wind had scattered them. They appeared to be, could it be? Mockingbird feathers! If you don't know the tale of the mockingbird you can go here, and here, and here to read about it. BTW the guest in the bedroom in the last post was awake quite early on vacation days because Mr. Mockingbird kept it up. Mr. Mockingbird also had a habit of deciding he needed to sing in a bush by my bedroom window @ 3 am. I wondered why the cats didn't try to catch him.

Every few days I am honored with the cats presents by the back door or between there and the feeding shelf, in the past month the gifts have been feathers probably 4 days, two snakes one of which was brilliant green and large, several mice, and several partial mice. Kitties have been busy, we have lots of toads, evidently toads and frogs can live in the feline kingdom of the yard of Paris Hilton the tomcat and Meany the lovable mama cat among others. You have to remember these cats have food available 24/7, they just like to kill things which is OK, they are supposed to kill mice. We have no mice problem now, they are supposed to kill snakes (or @ least I hoped they would), we've had no live snakes here for more than a month which is some sort of record. The birds? Well evidently kitties aren't as slow as they look. I'm afraid the mockingbird or one mockingbird was among the deceased birds which were sparrows till now I think. Doesn't Dispatch look like "Bird, what bird, I didn't kill any bird, it's HOT out here!" in the second picture?

Now for the leg photo's. First some history, I had lyme four years ago, yeah it's been that long!! And I'm like 95% recovered which is all anyone can ask for. Second bit of history that may or may not be relative. My dad had phlebitis, blood clots, took heparin or whatever they gave him for probably over 30 years. He was hospitalized with them several times. I never took "the pill" because of his blood clots and my supposed predisposition to them.

I sent these photo's to my kids, one is a nurse, one is training to be a vet assistant, and my cousin who has had medical training, so far I've gotten a I don't know from the vet assistant and the nurse who is with her. Background, a month or so ago I noticed my leg was slightly red on the inside of the right one. BTW I don't have FAT FAT legs, it's the pictures, actually my body is fat and my legs are skinny, that said we will continue. I then noticed I had a sore spot (like a deep bruise or small muscle pull) which was getting worse toward the bone right below the knee, no injury, two long car rides but this started before that I think. About a week ago, maybe 4 or 5 days I noticed the red spot on my inner thigh right above my knee, it's worse @ night, not visible in the mornings, till this morning and then it went away after I'd been up a bit. When it turns red it's swollen and warm or hot to the touch but then after I sleep all night it's like it isn't there, it's a little sore below if I poke it but nothing excruciating, I know it's there now but it's just a bit stiff feeling unless I push on it and I don't want to do that? Ideas? I haven't had any ticks on that leg I don't think, actually I haven't had many ticks @ all this year, I do use off, and if it's a blood clot shouldn't it be like PAINFUL??? The red is getting bigger and spreading upwards, @ least tonight. I do have insurance but I'm not one to run to the Dr. obviously, I did go to the dentist today because I'm trying to be like grown up and responsible and my tooth was ugly. Anyway any ideas on the redness and swelling? The small scratch is just that a tiny scratch, don't think it's infection. The spots are grass from mowing. After looking @ these pictures I feel almost obligated to put real pictures of my legs on here but really they aren't fat.

17 comments:

Ziggy Stardust said...

Ok lady listen up, go to the doctor! What if it is something, better to find out before it gets worse. It could be one of those brown retiwhatever spider bites. You could be getting an infection. Ok I am done. Anne

Dispatch, you look very nice in your pictures and I know you would never hurt a birdy.
licks and sniffs, Sasha

Checkers & Chess said...

go to the doctor - my guess is spider bite - but go to the doctor -

that mockingbird would have been long gone here with the cats!

TC said...

I don't think spider bites come and go and neither do infections but I could be wrong. OK, Anne I will go or @ least email the dr the pictures in the morning.
The dr is my cousin and it's like if I'm walking what am I doing in there? Not really, I get excellent care and get in when others don't.
Dispatch says he wouldn't hurt a birdy, unless of course it got real close.........Dispatch thinks maybe he needs about 2 more inches of hair off so he will be comfy in this heat!
licks and sniffs from Dispatch

TC said...

Maybe it is a spider bite, although the little spot you see isn't sore @ all.
Thanks for the advice, I'll call them in the morning and see if I can get by with emailing the pictures, doing lawn work and going into town in the late afternoon.

Lillian Robinson said...

I don't think a brown recluse spider bite comes and goes. I have seen infections fade and get worse, but not quickly. Warm to the touch is not good. GO TO THE DOCTOR! There! I think it's unanimous!

Lillian Robinson said...

Oh, and your legs don't look fat in the picture. My legs are fat. You will NOT see a picture of them.

SquirrelQueen said...

It looks and sounds like a reaction to a bite or sting, from my camp director days I have seen many of them. Probably not serious and will go down but go to the doctor to make sure.
Ice pack and antihistimine will usually do the trick but go to the doctor to make sure.

TC said...

OOOPs sorry the last reply was meant for Checkers, maybe it's time for bed?

TC said...

MzzLily my legs look fat, my legs make my body look fat in real life, something about the camera angle, tomorrow I have a feeling you are going to get a leg shot. I don't know about spider bites coming and going, I picked @ that spot sort of in the middle and it's like not sore, just on the surface.
I am going to call the dr. send pictures and then go, I know I know, just wanted to make sure I couldn't self diagnose @ home being as how I'm the hardy pioneer type that has to drive 25 miles to the dr in the cadillac, oh my.

TC said...

SquirrelQueen I've been doing the antihistime thing anyway, since I do lawn work every day because it rains every day and makes me quit (it's raining now, went from 0% chance @ like 9 to 70% and windy thunderstorm @ 11) anyway back to the antihistimine, I think I'm like allergic to grass, I don't like itch but I do. That's sort of quit though. I was thinking it does look like what happens with a wasp sting with me but on a much smaller scale and not as violent. My leg would be totally swollen and red from a wasp sting, I did get stung by a sweat bee last week, surely that didn't cause this?
Thanks for the feedback everyone, now I know I'm not a wuss and it's not cut and dried what it is?

Al said...

It looks like an insect bite, it looks swollen. Why not try hot compress it can relieve and safe. Stop arguing about the legs... you're legs aren't fat, it only looks fat because it's swollen. Did you scratch it? You better not...damp a hot towel on it and consult a doctor.:)

BTW I'm glad you found my new blog. Thanks!
AL

Rae said...

I don't want to alarm you but I have had lyme disease and my leg looked just like that with all the symptoms you are describing!!! The tick that causes lyme disease is very tiny - not the typical one people are use to. I never saw a tick on me.

Go to the doctor now and get treated with some Vibramyacin pills to prevent it form going to stage 2. Let me know what happens.

Rae said...

TC,
Another thought. Goggle "lyme disease bulls eye rash" and see if your rash looks like that.

TC said...

AL, thanks, I'm leaning toward the insect bit, it doesn't itch though? New blog is great!!

TC said...

Rae, I did google the rash (just now thanks) and it says it can be recurring. I do know people who've had it twice, I had babesiosis and lyme. Two for the price of one.
I went back through the list of symptoms and difficulty sleeping and tingling in the extremities are the two I've been having, other than the red spot I feel FINE.
Doctors appointment @ 3:45 today. Will let everyone know. I HATE lyme and I've been careful but........last time I was on antibiotics so long that the next step was iv antibiotics, thank goodness for zithromax.
This morning the leg is almost normal, I do detect a bit of stiffness in it but if I wasn't paying attention to it wouldn't notice it.
THANKS!!! everyone!

TC said...

It's a blood clot. I was really hoping it wasn't lyme. I know lyme supposedly isn't fatal and all that but after having it once I don't want to again. Blood clots aren't good but they do go away, I remembered I broke my toe in early May on the same leg, duhhhh, so there was a reason for the clot.

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