left leg soreness

[KatJansen]

I had a pulminary embolism 2 years ago and I am constantly concerned about getting another one.  The outside of my left calf feels bruised and slightly swollen.  I don't recall hitting it on anything, but it's possible chasing a 4 year old boy around.  Nevertheless, I am concerned about my leg.  It is sore most of the time since the blood clot.  Should I be concerned about the bruise feeling of my leg?

[National Jewish Health]

Your concern about your “sore most of the time, bruised and slightly swollen”  leg, is warranted.  That doesn’t mean that you are having a recurrence of what is called, deep vein thrombosis; it just means that it is a possibility, one you don’t want to miss.

Once one has experienced a clot in one of the deep leg veins, that person is at higher risk for having another, than a person who has never had one.

The circumstances surrounding the pulmonary embolism two years ago are also important.  If a change in your body put you at risk then, such as your having surgery or having had an injury to your leg, then the risk of having another episode is not as great as it would be, if the clots to leg and lungs just “came out of the blue” so to speak.

What you must do at this time is to contact your doctor, express your concern about your leg and through him/her arrange to have an ultrasound examination of the veins of your left leg.  Otherwise you will continue to be apprehensive and possibly even be at unnecessary risk.  If not a clot in your leg, your doctor may be able to determine the actual cause of your leg being, “sore most of the time.”

Good luck