Swollen Ankle...AGAIN!!

[GriffsMommy]

This is driving me crazy!!! My left ankle keeps on swelling up. Everyone just says that I'm retaining fluid but WHY am I retaining fluid in just one ankle. It is so swollen right now that it's uncomfortable to move it because it's so fat. I didn't sprain it or anything, it's got to be fluid. I don't know why it's always the same ankle. I know that everyone is going to say that I should go to the dr, and I guess I will if it keeps up. My stupid insurance is just so crappy though, I have to pay $25 for an office visit, plus all my meds that I'm already on. I have to go to the uro on Tuesday so I really can't afford to go to my GP too. Not only that but they'll probably say something stupid like sometimes these things just happen and not offer me any explanation for why it's swollen or what to do to get it to stop. Ugh!!!!!!
Thanks for letting me vent

[SandyRN]

When you press your finger into the fattest part of your ankle, does it "pitt"? Thats a simple way of figuring out how severe the swelling is. If it pitts and the skin doesn't snap back into place right away then it's pitting edema and really does need to be looked at by your doctor. It could be from eating too much salt, or could be more complicated like a cardiac issue, or high bp. It can also be kidney related....it's not something to play with. It's probably NOT serious, but you'll never know what's causing it unless you see a doctor about it. I know it's a pain to go see the doctor, and it's costly, but you've got to find out whats causing this.

Let us know what you do.

Sandy

[SandyRN]

ps....until you get to the doctor, put your foot up on a chair or something, then when you get home, raise your foot above heart level...lay down on the couch and put your foot up on the arm of the couch, or up on pillows. That can sometimes be a temporary fix to help the swelling go down.

[GriffsMommy]

Thanks Sandy. I pushed down on it and it came right back after I moved my finger. It almost feels like my whole leg is affected, like it all feels weird and now my bladder is bothering me.

I know I need to go to the dr but I'm kinda screwed now because I have no paid time off left and my dr's office doesn't have any more evening hours this week. I guess I could call them and see if I can get a Saturday morning appt. With my luck by then it will be gone and they won't be able to see and therefore won't be able to help me.

[SandyRN]

If you have a digital camera, take a picture of it and print it out to show the doctor how bad it is. When you say your whole leg feels effected then you REALLY do need to be seen. I know what you mean about not having anything to show the doctors...it's like if they can't see it it must not have ever happened!

Don't wait too long...there are just too many serious things that can be causing it...and the thought of a clot just entered my mind. Like I said, it's probably nothing, but it keeps happening to you and to be safe you need to have all the nasty things ruled out.

If it were me I'd go ASAP, no matter what. Maybe you can make a late afternoon appt so that you don't have to miss much work? Show your boss your ankle or something....don't know, but I do hope you go to the doctor soon.

I'm worried about you!

[GriffsMommy]

Well I called Sandy, they didn't have anything this afternoon and they're closed this evening. They can get me in at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. My boss isn't at her desk but I just emailed her about it, I should be able to make up the hour or so of time that I'll miss and go, she has to approve it of course. That's a good idea though, I'll take a picture of it tonight when I get home.

Thanks so much Sandy!

[GriffsMommy]

Ugh, I hate it when people treat you like you are crazy!!! I showed a co-worker who is a nurse and my boss my ankle. The first thing Janet (nurse) said was "what did you do to it?" "When did you twist it?" I didn't twist it, ever, it feels stiff like fluid retention, I had fluid retention when I was pregnant because I was pregnant in the summer with a 9lb 7oz baby and I am 5'4", the fluid would go down and couldn't get back up, lol, I know what fluid rentention feels like!!!! On a positive note my boss is letting me leave early to go to the dr's appt.

[tigger_gal]

so sorry your ankle is hurting. The top of my feet swelk and look bruised alot.
let us know what the doc says

[GriffsMommy]

Well I guess it's a good thing I listened to Sandy and made an appt w/ the dr. My whole left leg is really achey today, same one that was retaining fluid yesterday. I don't think it went the whole way down over night and I'm pretty sure that it will still be swollen when I go this afternoon. If it's swollen already this morning it will only get worse as the day goes on since I have to walk around on it.
It's really weird sometimes if I step on it wrong it will send a shooting pain straight up my leg into my bladder
Anyway, I'm really hoping that they don't try to pass this off as nothing, I'm really not in the mood to fight with a dr today. Even one of the supervisors said that I could get it checked out because of my IC maybe I should think about having my kidney function tested because I shouldn't have fluide retention like that at my age.
I'm leaving work at 3:00, had to drag my butt in here at 7:00 so I could leave at 3, yuck! I'll let you all know what happens when I get home, thanks Sandy and Cindy

[BrittanysDance]

have you ever been checked for gout??

hope you feel better...

Brittany

[GriffsMommy]

I haven't been checked for anything. It did this for a couple of days last summer and went away until now. I'm going today to get it checked out. Hopefully they don't just blow me off.

[leelee88]

Christine,
Please let us know what the doctor says and dont leave there until you get answers, like Sandy has said this is not normal...

Ronda

[GriffsMommy]

Thanks for the concern Ronda. I will post as soon as I get home. I hope my leg stops aching so much. I'm supposed to go to a minor league baseball game tonight. The stadium is right down the street from my house and I got free tickets from work. I would hate to miss it, it's supposed to be a mommy and daddy night with no kids, woohoo, lol

[leelee88]

You know when I was on Elavil my hands swelled really bad at times to the point they hurt, but I would think if this was the problem that both ankles would swell.. So strange....

[GriffsMommy]

Hmmm, I'll have to ask the dr if it could be the Elavil doing it, but my ankel did the same thing last summer for a couple of days and it was the same ankel. It went away and I never went to the dr. I wasn't on Elavil back then so it couldn't have been that.