A (Not So) Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Life

A letter to some friends (and the rest of humanity):

Some of you know parts of this story; some of you know most of it; some of you would probably want to know it. Instead of saying the same thing several times, or have it get corrupted through the grapevine, I'm sending it out to all of you once.

Yes, I know by evoking the film and play A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum I'm evoking humor even though I say in the subject line it's not that humorous. But to borrow and modify Socrates: "Life without humor is not worth living." I promise it has a happy (so far) ending.

So: Last Thursday I went to the doctor's office about pain in my left leg I'd been experiencing since that Sunday. It'd gotten progressive worse till by the time of the appointment I was in a lot of pain from simply walking. She sent me to an imaging center to have an ultrasound taken. There I was diagnosed as having a large blood clot. The doctor called in a prescription for blood thinners; I picked them up, and went home. Saturday, with the leg pain a little worse, I started experiencing mild chest pain. It was very mild, but I knew that that was a symptom that part of the clot had migrated to my lungs. I went to the ER where I was hospitalized and was put on a more aggressive blood-thinning regimen. They discharged me today. I'm relatively fine. Chest pain is gone and leg feels much better. I'll be on blood-thinners for possibly a year, maybe even longer since I have a history of blood clotting; I had a blood clot once before about ten years ago.

Blood clots are serious. They can kill. But they are also easily preventable. In the grand scheme of things having blood that likes to clot is NO BIG DEAL. There are vast numbers of people who suffer from afflictions--physical, mental, economic, social, political--much greater than the afflictions I have ever suffered. Thank you all for the well wishes you've given me--whether personally or in your hearts--but honestly, truly, wish wellness more for those far less fortunate than I.