The Miracle of Modern Medicine

Last week Jim wasn't feeling well and I thought maybe he was catching the flu. Thursday, after work, when I got home Jim was laying down and said his leg was hurting him something terrible. He asked me if I would rub it for a bit. So I pulled up his pant leg and when i touched his leg it felt very warm and swollen. I knew then it was more than just a simple leg pain. I urged him to go to the doctors, but he said he would be fine. It was Thursday and the doctors wouldn't be in the next day, but Jim doesn't just go to the doctors. He is stubborn just like his mother.
I watched him walk that weekend and he was limping. I knew he hurt, but he would not listen to me. Sunday, when Keith came over I told him all about his fathers leg and that I thought it was possibly blood clots. Keith read his father the riot act and told him if he didn't want to loose his leg or kill over he better get into the doctors.
Later that evening after everyone left, Jim finally said "make me an appointment tomorrow, ok"? Well Monday, was a holiday so first thing Tuesday, I called and they said they would take him at 4:00.
Jim went off to his appointment and I went visiting teaching. When I returned he was laying down and said the doctor wants him to go to the hospital for an ultra sound. So I called and we were on our way.
I sat through the ultra sound with him and watched the screen and the face of the technician. I knew it was not good news. After the tech. read the report she confirmed that he did have a deep vain blood clot.
I was afraid they would put him on cumadin (sorry I don't know how to spell it). My father was on it and it's so hard to regulate your blood. He was constantly having to go in and have his blood checked to make sure it wasn't too thin and that he would bleed to death. Well, as of Jan. 1st of this year a new drug was put on the market here in the United States. It has been in Europe for about 8 years, but because of our laws we are jut now getting it. It's called "Pradaxa." It is much easier to regulate.
So, Jim has been down all week with his leg elevated and taking this new medication. I have to admit, he has been a much better patient than usual. He is feeling much better and the pain has pretty much gone away. His leg is still swollen some, but not as much as it was, and as long as he wears support socks and elevate his leg now and then he does ok.
They don't know how it happened. Normally blood clots form because of an injury, but he hasn't had one. They also took blood sample to test for antibodies that make his blood form these clots or he will be on medication all his life. We find out in another couple weeks what those results are, and then in another 6 months they will do another ultra sound to make sure it's gone completely. If I can slow him down over the next little while until he is completely out of the woods it will be a miracle.
Thanks to modern medicine and many prayers he is doing better. I really don't know what I would do without him.