Didnt know where to post this so if you want to move it please do @llamedos
Just over a week ago I was showing some friends round my cattle when one suddenly kicked out and caught me right on my calf muscle. I went down but quickly got up and carried on, sore, a bit embarrassed and wondering what spooked the cow for it to lash out.
Anyway being a stoic farmer type who's been kicked in the past I kept on working and thought I would walk it off. That evening it was still sore so I put a cold compress on it and hoped it would get better. Next day it got steadily worse but eased a bit when I moved about so I thought it was just a bad bruise. Next morning I could hardly go so we made the long trek to A&E thinking I might have fractured something.
After seeing two different Docters and having an X-ray they sent me for a scan. Now this was when things started getting a bit weird. Instead of the usual polite chat the doctor became quite animated and asked the nurse to page two other Docters to have a look. Much muttering followed they explained I had a rare condition called Compartment Syndrome caused by the hefty blow to a tight muscle the muscle had smashed and was filling with blood and had blocked the vein in my leg so in effect my lower leg was dying. They explained they would have to operate as soon as possible and I may lose part of my muscle or worse case my lower leg would have to be amputated.
Surprisingly they explained everything in such a calm detailed way that I remained calm and signed the papers and was prepared for surgery thinking how can a small kick from a cow result in the loss of a limb.
Two hours later I was ready for the operating theatre and the surgeon explained he would cut my lower leg open from top to bottom and pull the muscles out and slit them to let the blood out and release the pressure. If all went ok they would leave the wounds open and I would get them sown up again in a couple of days once the swelling had receded but they may have to take some skin grafts at that time if the couldn't pull the skin back to gether again. Once I was sown back up I would be given warfarin to thin the blood and hopefully clear all the clots which had built up in my blocked vein.
So the good news is I still have my leg and to date alls gone according to plan, I'm in some serious pain and in n more drugs than your average junkie but back home and building up the warfarin levels to a stable dose. I have lost the feeling in part of my foot and the front of my leg through nerve damage this may come back in time or not the muscles will repair but will never be the same and my blood supply to the foot will be permently reduced but all they have done an amazing job and I won't need a wooden leg.
The photos below show the extent of the surgery but my main reason for posting this is to warn the rest of you to look out for these symptoms if you get kicked in the arm or leg and you get a very hard painful swelling with not much bruising get to the docs sharpish please.
Just over a week ago I was showing some friends round my cattle when one suddenly kicked out and caught me right on my calf muscle. I went down but quickly got up and carried on, sore, a bit embarrassed and wondering what spooked the cow for it to lash out.
Anyway being a stoic farmer type who's been kicked in the past I kept on working and thought I would walk it off. That evening it was still sore so I put a cold compress on it and hoped it would get better. Next day it got steadily worse but eased a bit when I moved about so I thought it was just a bad bruise. Next morning I could hardly go so we made the long trek to A&E thinking I might have fractured something.
After seeing two different Docters and having an X-ray they sent me for a scan. Now this was when things started getting a bit weird. Instead of the usual polite chat the doctor became quite animated and asked the nurse to page two other Docters to have a look. Much muttering followed they explained I had a rare condition called Compartment Syndrome caused by the hefty blow to a tight muscle the muscle had smashed and was filling with blood and had blocked the vein in my leg so in effect my lower leg was dying. They explained they would have to operate as soon as possible and I may lose part of my muscle or worse case my lower leg would have to be amputated.
Surprisingly they explained everything in such a calm detailed way that I remained calm and signed the papers and was prepared for surgery thinking how can a small kick from a cow result in the loss of a limb.
Two hours later I was ready for the operating theatre and the surgeon explained he would cut my lower leg open from top to bottom and pull the muscles out and slit them to let the blood out and release the pressure. If all went ok they would leave the wounds open and I would get them sown up again in a couple of days once the swelling had receded but they may have to take some skin grafts at that time if the couldn't pull the skin back to gether again. Once I was sown back up I would be given warfarin to thin the blood and hopefully clear all the clots which had built up in my blocked vein.
So the good news is I still have my leg and to date alls gone according to plan, I'm in some serious pain and in n more drugs than your average junkie but back home and building up the warfarin levels to a stable dose. I have lost the feeling in part of my foot and the front of my leg through nerve damage this may come back in time or not the muscles will repair but will never be the same and my blood supply to the foot will be permently reduced but all they have done an amazing job and I won't need a wooden leg.
The photos below show the extent of the surgery but my main reason for posting this is to warn the rest of you to look out for these symptoms if you get kicked in the arm or leg and you get a very hard painful swelling with not much bruising get to the docs sharpish please.
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