We all know I can be a klutz. I mean, the reason I have had 3 ankle surgeries in 2 years is because I fell on a wonderfully even Philadelphia sidewalk (sarcasm here).
This is day 33. Each and every day it seems I accumulate more bruises. Week one I had 2 close encounters of the door kind and got my right elbow and arm and shoulder. Week 2 I had a huge bruise from a close encounter of a wall kind on my left hip. Week 3 I had a close encounter of the shower door kind on my left shoulder and elbow. This is week 4 and of course I couldn't let a week go by without a few more, right? The above picture is one bruise on my left knee. There are actually 7 in total there now. They were close encounters with my scooter.
So why am I bruising so easily? Well, a bruise is a skin injury that results in a discoloration of the skin. Blood from damaged blood vessels deep beneath the skin collects near the surface of the skin resulting in what we see as a black and blue mark.
There are many reasons why we bruise. They are:
1. Deficiency in vitamin C can make a person more susceptible to bruising. Actually this is one of my problems since anyone who has surgery decreases their levels of Vitamin C in their body. I am currently taking more than I should but there are other reasons I have too.
2. People who are on blood thinners or plain aspirin or even a baby aspirin (which is what I am on also because of the immobility. Nsaids also will cause thinning of your blood. (Yep me again)
3. People typically get bruises when they bump into something or when something bumps into them. (Yep moi)
3. Bruises can occur in some people who exercise rigorously, such as athletes and weight lifters. These bruises result from microscopic tears in blood vessels under the skin.
4. Unexplained bruises that occur easily or for no apparent reason may indicate a bleeding disorder, especially if the bruising is accompanied by frequent nosebleeds or bleeding gums.
5. Often, what are thought to be unexplained bruises on the shin or the thigh, for example, actually result from bumps into a bedpost or other object and failing to recall the injury. (Me again)
6. Bruises in elderly people frequently occur because their skin has become thinner with age. The tissues that support the underlying blood vessels have become more fragile. (If you ask hubs he says I fit here too but I say since I don't qualify for a senior citizen discount yet I don't qualify as an elderly person).
Initially, a fresh bruise may actually be reddish. It will then turn blue or dark purple within a few hours, then yellow or green after a few days as it heals. Bruises are commonly tender, and sometimes even painful for the first few days, but the pain usually goes away as the color fades although mine aren't unless I bump them again. Because the skin is not broken in a bruise as with a scrape or cut there is no risk of infection.
How to care for a bruise:
1. Applying a cold compress or ice pack will reduce swelling.
2. Take 2 or 3 regular Tea bags, and soak them in warm water until they are saturated. Then drain off the excess fluid from the Tea bags and apply them firmly to the bruise for at least 20 min. Do this twice a day early morning and before you go to bed.
3. Now this one I could get into and it could lead to some kinky treatments: Apply melted chocolate directly to the bruise and wrap it in gauze overnight.
Yep, just bathe me in melted chocolate.
