Blood Pooling Under the Skin- Where Does It Go?

Kind of a gross question, but appropriately gruesome with Halloween approaching. Last Sunday, the 11th, I was running Pie in agility and was three jumps from the end of the course with a clean run when I twisted my knee. And fell down. Pie was upset, but I was more so. And before you ask, yes, I was wearing my brace.

I was helped up and hobbled off the course (the show must go on!) and Fancy was due to run in a little bit. I was working on a Double Q with her, so I didn't want to give up my run. I limped around the course, using my "out" and "go on" commands and as usual Fancy was listening really well. We were clean up to the same jump I came to grief on Pie with. I was about 50 feet behind Fancy (that's half of a 100 foot ring) and there were two jumps to chose from. I called her off the incorrect one, but she took a different incorrect one. Good try Fancy.

I exited the course and found I could no longer walk. Very strange. Even though in pain, I've always been able to at least move on an injured knee. Not this time. There was a chair in front of me so I sat down and stayed there while my knee swelled up. This swelling was different than normal. It was high and on the inside, where a more general swelling is normal. The bump was approaching soft ball sized, or at least baseball, and the pressure on my skin from the liquid felt really gross.

Eventually I slowly made my way back to were my stuff was set up. Luckily, one of my friends was there and she moved my car closer, packed up all my stuff, drug it to the car, and also put it away. I used my folding chair as a cane to make it to the car. Then it took some time to get the leg bent and into the car. Luckily it was the left knee so I didn't need it for driving. The ice I had been using earlier melted so I drove through the nearest fast food place and ordered a drink and some ice in a baggie. They thought that was really strange until I explained what it was for.

I left the ice on for the entire hour and a half drive home. By the time I got there, the swelling was back to the normal generalized swelling, and I could walk, mostly.

A few days later, I started to develop a bruise in the area of the softball swelling. It has gotten darken and darker as the days go by, an spread down the leg. The thought of the loose blood just pooling around grosses me out. But not so much that I can't take pictures of it. It is hard to take a picture of a bruise! I'd say it is grosser in the flesh (ha, ha.) It started above the knee cap and is now off the knee and on the lower leg. Ewww.

The swelling on the knee is almost gone, and I've been able to hide the limp ever since I went back to work on Tuesday. I might start running again tomorrow. Or I might use it as an excuse to put it off another day.