The last post had me at the ER.
We waited from around 12:30 AM to around 3:30 until we were led back to room 6 and given a gown to get into.
The doctor there gave me a quick once over and called up one of the residents that works with Dr. Krahe, my orthopedic doctor. At around 4 AM we were told that he’d get there around 6.
My story of finishing the race third with a broken hip was recounted to the nurse and the doctor. Gotta build street cred. 
“Now you know not to go to an urgent care,” the doc said, “they don’t know how to deal with any trauma. Do you know if a radiologist even read the film while you were there?”
Aside: This goes completely against everything that the folks in every benefit meeting ever say. “Use the cheapest form of care.” But the doctors advise against it. Maybe my mother-in-law was right about this one. (If you’re reading this, there, I said it! 
)
Big Al, the resident came right around 6 and like everyone else poked at the massive lump on my thigh.
“I heard you were tough as nails.”
My reputation preceded me. He’d heard the story of the race already.
“Were you at the procedure?” I asked.
“I wasn’t there, but I’ve seen your films.
“Well, it’s most likely a hematoma or a seroma. I’ll stick a needle in it. If it’s a seroma I’ll be able to get out most of the fluid, if it’s a hematoma I probably won’t be able to do much since it would be clotted blood.”
He left to get the equipment to do the procedure. While he was away I poked Mr. Lump. He had some give.
“I think it’s a seroma, it’s squishy,” I told En.
He prepped the lump with some iodine swabs and a few isopropyl alcohol pads and stuck in a giant empty syringe. It went in with no pain at all. Pulling up on the plunger let loose a trickle of some straw-colored fluid.
“I guess it’s a seroma!”
I hadn’t heard sweeter words in a while! 
In all 28cc of the fluid was removed. I was off on my guess since I was taking into account he overlying dermal layer as well. But it’s still a frickin’ impressive amount of stuff!
“Put some ice on it and take some anti-inflammatories to try to keep down the swelling. Try to keep some weight on it too — the pressure really helps to make these not come back.”
The lump was gone. There was still some swelling, but I can no longer balance things on it. It’s just your normal everyday swelling now.
I’ll take that.
Walking out of the hospital I just felt on cloud 9. The lump was no more. I was right about the whole thing. I was on my way to getting really better.
- = -
So I was worried about going to the ER; that I was overstepping what I should do since I had seen a doctor 16 hours beforehand.
He hadn’t done anything.
I think he should have.
I think the 28cc of fluid settles that dispute.
- = -
As I was being discharged the nurses that were there had never heard of a seroma. In a nutshell it’s a collection of fluid caused by inflammation. It’s basically blood plasma. It’s different from a hematoma because the latter would contain the red blood cells as well.
Here’s some further reading:
