# Foot injury - advice? {It’s a blood clot} **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446 "2022-08-27T20:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/241 "2022-09-14T03:33:42Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > but consider you’re current problems are generating medical tests that provide a bigger picture A good point. The admitting doctor suggested I might see a hematologist (blood specialist), see if they can scope out the origin of my clot, not just deal with the fact that there is a clot as-is - how did it get there? A very good question. I’ll ask about this with my new PCP next Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/242 "2022-09-14T19:06:00Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > One more question to ask the doctor: _“doc, will I be able to play the violin after treatment?”_ > > When he/she answers, _“yes”_, reply, _“Sweet! I never could before!_" hey, I actually got to ask a doctor that question once, in all seriousness! (well, I asked about the piano…). I very hastily interrupted with “I actually DO play!!”. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/243 "2022-09-14T19:26:09Z")
It’s also fun to set your doctor up for a joke once in a while: _Hey, doc, it hurts when I do this._ [move your arm or leg in an awkward motion] If he has a sense of humor, he’ll reply: _Then don’t do that!_ ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/244 "2022-09-14T22:08:29Z")
Did you mean “indestructible”? Some of us ARE somewhat indescribable, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/245 "2022-09-15T02:25:51Z")
I once had a patient ask me if he could ever play the violin again. However, since he came into the ER with an injured foot, it seemed a bit non-sequitiry. I asked if he could play the violin now. He looked a bit perturbed, then grumbled “no”. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/246 "2022-09-15T02:30:44Z")
“Doc, will I ever play double kick drum again?” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/247 "2022-09-15T11:37:12Z")
Twenty some years ago, a musician friend gave me a nice key of C harmonica. He told me if I kept it on my dashboard before I knew it I’d be playing. That was how he had learned harmonica. Every time I run into him I tell him I still have the harp on my dash and I still can’t play a note. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/248 "2022-09-15T12:29:01Z")
🤔 Hmmm… did he say anything about raising it to your lips and blowing into it? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/249 "2022-09-15T12:41:09Z")
Heh, if he did I missed it. I have zero musical ability other than as an audience ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/250 "2022-09-15T13:14:40Z")
was the idea you would get so bored in a traffic jam that you would start to play the blues? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/251 "2022-09-15T13:22:49Z")
First 0:37 seem important here, particularly for its oft-touted anticoagulant properties\* [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/krjBzvQ4j1U/maxresdefault.jpg "BLACKFOOT , TRAIN TRAIN , 1979 VINYL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krjBzvQ4j1U) \*No. Not really ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/252 "2022-09-15T13:58:15Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > was the idea you would get so bored in a traffic jam that you would start to play the blues Yeah, he would pick up his harmonica at every red light and play a bit. He was self taught, but eventually became very good. If you go to bars/clubs in West Virginia/Pennsylvania/Ohio/Maryland maybe you’ve seen him. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/253 "2022-09-23T03:44:48Z")
I met with my new PCP yesterday. I have to say, he was a crackerjack, really on top of stuff. Key takeaways: - Since my clot may be ‘unprovoked’ (no proximate cause) I may be on blood thinners the rest of my life - He’s referring me to a hematologist (blood specialist) to determine point 1 above. - My clots will _not_ be monitored, no imaging, he says there’s no point. Big surprise to me and not sure I understood the rationale. Basically if there is or isn’t a clot, the treatment is the same: blood thinners. - He poo-poohed the whole “eat blood thinner meds with fat” thing, but sure, eat meds with cheese or full fat yogurt, whatever. - I can travel after 3 months on blood thinners and my travel risk will be the same as anyone else - But for the next 3-4 weeks stay close to a hospital just in case - He showed me how to test my swelling in my clot leg: press thumb against shin bone, it stays indented (it’s quite startling when someone shows you). In other “trouble comes in threes” news, I got bloodwork (PSA) back 2 days ago that shows my prostate cancer may have returned. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/254 "2022-09-23T03:50:29Z")
Could those be related? Thanks for posting, i was worried about you, and happy to see that at least you’ve found a good doctor. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/255 "2022-09-23T03:51:48Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Could those be related? Clot and Cancer? Thank you for worrying about me, @puzzlegal 🤗 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/256 "2022-09-23T03:52:52Z")
Yes, could something about the cancer have triggered the clot? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/257 "2022-09-23T03:56:02Z")
It’s complicated, but my cancer was prostate - they removed the prostate. There’s a prostate marker (PSA) that shouldn’t be in my blood because I don’t have a prostate. My PSA was zero for 4+ years and now it isn’t, so what’s generating PSA? Likely answer is cancer - cancerous prostate cells grew someplace in my body. Marginal/unlikely answer is some of my prostate survived. I don’t see how that could cause a clot. Basically bad luck I guess ☹ ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/258 "2022-09-23T10:30:41Z")
I’m sorry for your troubles. Health problems are never much fun. I hope your health and your luck improve soon. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/259 "2022-09-23T11:08:23Z")
Yes some cancers can trigger blood clots. A family member is going through treatment now for cancer that was discovered due to sudden onset of a blood clot. Good news where you can find it- even after a successful surgery the doc says they will always have this cancer but they most likely will not die from this cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446/260 "2022-09-23T12:08:36Z")
There is a link between cancer and DVT. Some metastatic cancers are more likely to cause clots, but prostate cancer isn’t one of them. [DVT and Cancer: Is There A Link?](https://www.webmd.com/dvt/deep-vein-thrombosis-cancer-risk#:~:text=Some%20types%20of%20cancer%20are%20more%20likely%20to,clot%20can%20be%20an%20early%20sign%20of%20cancer). > **[Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots) and Cancer](https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/cancer.html)** > > If you are currently being treated for cancer, it is important to know that you are at increased risk for developing a blood clot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foot-injury-advice-it-s-a-blood-clot/970446.md?page=14)