Posting from a hospital bed again. Monday afternoon the pain got so bad we went to the ER, they did yet another ultrasound looking for a blood clot or something to account for the source of all this pain. After doing another, they did find a
psudoaneurysm. The local hospital cannot do this specialized procedure so they amublanced me down to another one in Virginia. Collectively they've tried the "wait and see if it resolves on it's own" approach, the "ultrasound-guided compression repair" (Ouch!) and tomorrow they're going to try the ultrasound-guided compression repair. If that doesn't work it is surgery. This is wearing thin and not at all what I anticipated in retirement.
OTOH, I'm grateful that I live in a part of the world where this medical care is available and that I have good insurance that will make it easily affordable for me. Apart from sporadic episodes of short duration I am in little to no pain and they give me some nice drugs to take care of it. But dagnabit, they're still refusing my takeout requests for the drugs. And no wine list with dinner, can you believe it?! Yes, I know, first world problem.
All in all though I still don't make this out to be more than a mid-range irritant/inconvenience. Yes, there is risk of anything happening in surgery, but this is almost to the level of about routine, not ground-breaking or anything, the hospital staff are great, so I'm optimistic for a good outcome and hopefully I'll be out and recovered soon, camera in hand, getting some late-spring flower photos.