A Walking Ink Blot

I'm on all sorts of medication. Most of those medications have to do with some function of my blood. Some prevent clots from forming and some keep my blood a little thin. Thinner nonclotting blood is a good thing because that means a clot can't form in my heart and the blood moves along at a good pace and gets where it needs to go. No more straining my arteries. Mine need a break! That's the good part. The downside is that these two drugs combined cause the only outward sign that I've had a heart attack. I'm a walking ink blot. A Rorschach test in motion. I'm covered in bruises.

Now before I start I should say that there's nothing about my condition that I'm ashamed of. Absolutely anyone can ask me any question and I will do my best to answer it. That's why I built this blog. Every day I have emails. I'm working on it guys! While Plavix (the clotting pill) and Aspirin (the thinning pill) are doing a great job at keeping me alive, bruising is a side effect that is obnoxious for me and causes a few uncomfortable moments for anyone who is near me. Like I said, it's the only outward sign that I've had a heart attack and people tend to notice. I decided to post this blog entry so I can get it out in the open and answer all the questions I'm being asked on this subject.

The blood in my body is different now. Because it doesn't clot and is thinner that means that the slightest bump or nudge can cause the blood to seep under my skin and cause a bruise. They don't hurt and often by the time I notice a new one I've forgotten how I may have gotten it. I try to cover the bruises when I can and ignore them when I can't.

Along with bruising I also get those strange blood blister things. They happen the most where the veins are closest to the surface like on my hands, feet, and forearms. Again, they don't hurt to bad but they sure do look and feel interesting! The first one I got was when I rapped the top of my hand on a skillet I was washing. I looked down a noticed a purple knot there. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I called my husband on the phone all stressed out and thinking I was dying of a blood clot. Nope, no clot, just a blood blister and it went away faster then a bruise so no harm done.

In a way the bruises are a good thing. It means that the medication is working and the narrow arteries I have are getting a bit of a break. The strain on them is less and the chances of getting another clot stuck in there is low. Yay me right? While it's mildly entertaining to have a bunny head on your leg, it would be nice if it didn't show up in the first place. I asked the doctors on my cardiac rehab team how long I have to take Plavix and Aspirin. Weeellll.... that depends. I'll be on the aspirin forever. It's cheap, it's easy, it saves lives. Sold. No complaints from me on that one. The Plavix is the kicker. It's expensive, causes the crazy bruises, and is a pain to take at the same time everyday. More on that later. If I'm lucky, I can quit taking Plavix one year into my treatment. If I'm doing good then, I'll be able to give it up and see how my heart does on it's own. The marks and bruises will go away after that.

Give a girl a break now will ya? It's a little hard to be stared at but I think the staring is harder on you. The next time you talk to a heart patient you can do one of two things gracefully. You can flat out ask. "How did you get that bruise?" then be prepared for the answer of "I have no idea." Accept the answer. A heart patient rarely remembers the tiny nudge that left the mark. I tied my shoe too tightly once. I had a nice smudgy bruise on my foot before I fixed it.

The other thing you can do is ignore it altogether. Yes, there's a bruise. You know what they feel like so why ask. Now that you've read this post you know it's unlikely to be a welcome topic. I'm not embarrassed to be asked but I'm asked a LOT. After explaining it over and over again the year of Plavix tends to stretch out before a person. Now imagine you have a buddy on Plavix (or something similar) and every time you see them you ask. See how tiring that can be?

I've found that the people I am most comfortable with tend to ask me once then drop it. It's hard living with a constant reminder on one's skin and having it pointed out can just make it harder. Ask if you must but don't linger. I've met some wonderful heart patients while I'm being treated. We all have marks sometimes and we all agree. Once you know it's just a side effect of the medication it's best left alone. Thanks guys and I hope that helps! Oh and for the crazy people that like to POKE bruises... quit that! Ow!