Wednesday, February 16, 2022

With A Name Like THAT, How Could It Be Bad

I am growing a bit concerned. It has been almost two weeks since I was released from the hospital, and something weird is happening. I am itching! Severe itching! With a little pink rash that seems to be spreading. Oh, I don't scratch it. That would be bad. Might aggravate the area. Which is my belly.

The problem is where I got my Lovenox shots. The shots of blood-thinner they give everyone in the hospital so they won't get blood clots from lying around. I had them when I got my gallbladder out, and of course when I was hospitalized with the multiple bilateral pulmonary embolisms. Just shot into your belly fat every 12 hours. Not even painful. A jab. And later, a lot of bruising. I had no issues before. I KNEW that I'd have a line of bruises across my belly. I did NOT expect the itchy bright pink rash. It's only about the size of two quarters. For now...

When I looked up the side effects, this isn't really one of them. It seem to be considered rare. I can only assume that maybe my dose of steroids had something to do with it. That seems to be when this rash started, a couple days after I was off the steroid. I know steroids suppress the inflammatory response. So maybe that kept the itchy rash at bay, and it took hold once the steroid got out of me.

I didn't have the itchy rash, just one little bright pink spot, when the nurse called to check on me. So I didn't bring it up. I DID ask about my liver enzymes, which were "slightly elevated" from my bloodwork on my appointment Feb 9. But this nurse looked it up, and said they test for three different liver enzymes, and that while I was in the hospital, TWO were elevated, and now it was only one. So that was a bit of a relief. She said that while my body was fighting the pneumonia that all kind of toxins were being tossed around, and that could be why the liver enzymes were elevated. None of the drugs I listed, including the Lovenox, were anything that would affect the liver, she said.

Anyhoo... short of my whole body breaking out with this bright pink rash, I think I'll ride it out. My belly is just now getting those dark purple bruises from the six shots I had. So I figure maybe the bright pink rash will be gone by the time the purple bruises get absorbed. If not, I'll call and ask the nurse at my NP's office about it.

Seriously. With a name like LOVEnox, how could it be bad for me? It did its job. Now I just have to let it get out of my system. Which technically it does in 12 hours. But those bruises always show up later. Now with a new mystery rash!

4 comments:

  1. Blood thinners make you bruise in slow motion. Mine came up so long after being in the hospital had to stop and think about it, forgetting the shots. You are right, they do not hurt, so you tend to forget. Keep an eye on the rash and you could apply steroid cream to help with the itch, or even Benadryl cream. My bouts of poison ivy make me an expert on itch relief!

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  2. Kathy,
    All of the bruises and the bright pink rash start around the still-visible needle-prick scabs. So it HAS to be related. Right now I am soldiering through, but after my nice hot shower, the itching of course escalated. I might look for some cream when I regain control of T-Hoe and get to town. I feel ready.

    I had poison ivy ONE TIME when I was about 10, and I've never gotten it again, though my mom, dad, and sister battled it regularly with Calamine Lotion.

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  3. Benadryl cream should help it contains an antihistamine, or any of the many baby rash creams available might also help.

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  4. River,
    I will see what's on the shelf in Country Mart's pharmacy, when I get T-Hoe back on Friday. Or I could drive next door to my actual pharmacy, and ask what they have that might work.

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