The Recovery…

So I am on the mend.  Absent one Great Saphenous Vein, and feeling like my leg is swollen and scarred right now!  But, I have been down this path of testing, observing, and interviewing for almost 8 years.  Watching my leg vein worsen in appearance, but more importantly, watching it worsen in function.  I am highly against medical procedures that don’t move towards healing… but there are times and places where it might make sense.

I am still weighing whether this one makes sense… but it has only been two days.

I feel like it is such a big deal when I do something medical, that it really takes a discussion to help explain why.  First off, there are certain things that have their root in your genetics, that simply cannot be altered.  As much as we talk about your phenotype expression of your genetic code… I have never been able to direct a redhead to make themselves blonde… naturally blonde I mean.  Nor a blue eyed girl into a brown eyed one.  Certain things are there, and that is how they are.

I believe varicose veins, or better yet, venous reflux, tends to be one of those.  However, I DO believe there has been some of that damage rooted in the early damage to my nerves, as well as to my leg on my right side.

It started when I was two.  Broken femur.  I dragged my leg behind me for almost 18 months in my healing process.  The resulting rotation in my leg has caused an increased amount of tension of the inguinal ligament across the veins of my leg, as well as the nerves.  This started an increased amount of stress in this leg, over what would normally happen in somebody.  Strike one against my leg veins.

Over time, the pressure on the nerves, in my opinion, decreased functional healing of the tissue in my leg.  Over years of cellular replacement, it creates a weakening every time there are new cells, which speeds the aging process, and creates decline.  Strike two.

And lastly of course, the pre-genetic determination of varicose veins in my family history adds up to strike three.

One, without the others, would likely have been a minimal impact.  But, with all three.  Well, here we are.

I point this out, because these have been my thoughts for 8 years, as I have been trying to stretch my pelvic muscles, and alter my leg position.  I have seen momentary short term improvements over the years, but nothing lasting, and slowly I have had decline.  Torn calf muscles two times, significant cramping during adventure races, and low recovery… all in the right calf.

This is how I arrived at my decision.  It was not an easy decision, but one covered up by years of discernment…. I hope it was right.

Be well and be blessed.  – Dr. E