A definition and information, please.

[jackthehat]

Thrombosis.

I have a cousin who claims to have a thrombosis in her lower leg, and have had it for several years. It causes her numbness and tingling and she has a special 'cream' to massage into it when it 'flares up' - which means it hurts and she has to sit with it up for a couple of days at a time.

She is on *no* medication whatsoever........ and I know what I think !?!

However, this has started to impact on other family members and I would appreciate being in possession of the full facts before I say anything to anyone.

Thankyou.

[Sqad]

Thrombosis relates to the DEEP veins and doesn't go on for years.

Your cousin has thrombophlebitis which affects the SUPERFICIAL veins and can go on for years in a chronic state with acute exacerbations of flare ups involving pain and tenderness to the affected area.

[jackthehat]

That's certainly along the lines of what I suspected, sqad.

However, she is adamant that she has 'a Thombosis' and has her family waiting on her hand and foot when she has a 'flare-up'.......the fact that these 'flare-ups' usually only happen when she doesn't want to do something, or things aren't going her way is purely coincidental, I'm sure....

Thank you.

[Sqad]

LOL.

[China Doll]

I'm still using 'I had an operation' to see if that gets me out of things. It doesn't.

If she is having a lot of 'flare ups' could the GP not send her to a pain managment clinic? That should help her cope with her episodes and be a little more able to do things... regardless of whether she wants to.

[jackthehat]

This woman has had more operations than you could shake an anaesthetist at.

Apparently, at her last operation in December, (to deal with adhesions caused by previous surgeries) her surgeon opened her up, had a look, shook his head and decided to do nothing because 'he didn't know where to start', so stitched her back up!

There is never anyone to corroborate these medical issues and as she's on the 'dim' side of the family.....they all seem to believe in her. She's allergic to every pill and potion known to man so can *never* take tablets for anything (!) and yet they admire the fortitude with which she bears her ailments (dim, see?)......Two of the people in her immediate family are genuinely not well and shouldn't be being expected to run around after her.......it makes me cross!

[China Doll]

In fairness, if the people that are being taken in so to speak allow her to carry on like that, I'm not sure what you could do to stop it. If they're on the dimmer side of a low watt bulb, then I wouldn't have thought any facts that you present would be understood/taken on board for what they actually are.

Also, people get caught up in the physical, one of my docs sees chronic fatigue and unexplained symptom patients. Even when every test has been done and nothing abnormal has been found, parents and patients often still want to pursue the physical rather than the mental because they see the symptoms and how they're effected by them; it's all very real to the family and patient and it can take a lot of work to get in to the psychological side of some of the issues.

Even if this girl is just putting on (and actually not unwell in another way like some of my lot), you could be hard pressed to get your family to understand because they'll see the physical symptoms she has (pain, difficulty walking, whatever...) and want to comfort her. It's probably easier than believing that she's actually just not a very nice person.

[jackthehat]

The only person I really want to say anything to is my cousin!

Her daughter had her first stroke aged 3; she holds down two jobs, has two children 3 & 7 and is being investigated for sudden fainting and crippling headaches. The S-i-L is a farmer and works long hard hours.

My cousin and her husband have just sold their house and have moved in with the daughter and S-i-L whilst they look around for their next house...... because they are all living on top of each other a bit, there has, naturally, been a little bit of friction........and my cousin develops sudden Thrombosis attacks at these moments of high-tension (which involve her sitting around doing nothing) whilst her daughter has to run round after her, too.
The grand-daughter also has some health issues but unless my cousin is King-of-the-castle in the 'bad-health stakes' she's sulky.
I want to be able to 'suggest' some things to her to pull the rug out from her feet!!

[evil__sheep]

thrombo phlebitis can be a very painful condition, and when it flares up as such she might feel like not being on her feet much. She might well think she has "thrombosis" - my nan went round forever telling people she had cellulite (cellulitis) and a "herbaceous cyst"! (sebaceous cyst)

[China Doll]

Sorry to keep peeing on the parade, I know it's frustrating... but if you said something is it not likely to increase tension for everyone else? I know it's hard to sit back when you know somethings not right in families (having issues with middle sister myself at the moment but can't say owt to any other family member) but sometimes you have to cause it'll hurt other people more.

Put a pin in her shoe :c)

[jackthehat]

I think part of it is that I hate malingerers......and she makes the rest of us complicit in her fantasies when she's telling me about her latest 'triviality'.....I want to let her know that *I* know that she's talking out of her thick end.....

I shouldn't imagine I'll say anything......but at least now I know that *IF* I were to snap, I can say with reasonable certainty "You do Not have a Thrombosis, you ridiculous woman!!!" or something similar.......:o)

[whiskeryron]

JTH, is it at all possible that you could invent a very serious ailment & convince this woman that she is suffering from it & put the frighteners on her? e.g Pulmonary embolism.Ron.

[rowanwitch]

Acute TALOIA is a good one for someone too dim to work it out