Home March is DVT Awareness Month

[DivaDiamond007]

I know that March doesn''t start until tomorrow, but I''ll be at work and might not have time to post.

March is DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) Awareness Month. As many of you know, I was diagnosed with DVT in June 2009 and am still on the road to recovery. Our friend, Karl (aka Storm), is also a DVT survivor.

Since so many of the wonderful women on here take birth control pills I think it''s important to take a step back for a moment and remember that DVT (blood clots) are a risk of taking the pill. For many people it''s a small risk, but for others like myself, it''s a life threatening one. If you are currently taking the pill for any reason then I urge you to ask your doctor to test you for clotting disorders. It is not routinely done and can be expensive but it can save your life.

Symptoms that all of us should be aware of include:

- Warm, swollen area of the body, most frequently the lower leg
- Severe pain
- Cramping
- Tenderness to the touch

If you have a clot anywhere in your body it is a medical emergency and you should go to the ER immediately for treatment. Clots can break off and travel to your heart, lungs or brain causing damage or death.

My symptoms were mild at first and then became so severe in a matter of a week that I could not walk. My muscles atrophied and I was non-weight bearing for 8 weeks. I was on pain meds and in physical therapy for months and my leg is still not normal and it may never be normal again. I was lucky to have the support of my family, friends and PS through my DVT and I am so grateful for that.

End PSA and off my soapbox

 

[Echidna]

DivaDiamond, thanks for your PSA

(Echidna ascends the recently vacated soapbox)

I just wanted to second your post and wish you a speedy continued recovery. My mum has suffered 2 DVTs, the second of which broke off and clogged up a good portion of her lungs. It was the scariest moment of my life watching her struggle to breath. A quick-thinking doctor whipped out a tape measure to diagnose her DVT (her calves were different widths), but others thought she was having a panic attack. The more people that are aware of DVTs, the better. Clots can also lead to stroke so make sure your family members recognise the signs as I believe the effects can be mitigated/reversed if caught early enough (doctors can chime in here- I'm no expert!).

Australian guidelines use the FAST test, which is an easy way to recognise and remember the most common signs of a stroke:

Face - Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms - Can they lift both arms?
Speech - Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time - Is critical. If you see any of these signs call an ambulance straight away.

Okay, Echidna's turn to vacate the soapbox

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Echidna - thank you for your post. I was lucky in that my clot occurred in my lower calf and did not emolize to my lungs or any other part of my body. It was a large clot, however, and damaged the vein pretty good. I had atypical symptoms in the beginning. I had a bit of pain that lasted a week, which was the result of a minor injury and then one morning my entire calf cramped up and I couldn''t loosen it up at all. I went to the doctor and she ordered an ultrasound and that''s when they found it. I was sent to the ER and started on Lovenox (x5days), Coumadin (x6months) and aspirin (for life).

Since I''m only 27 my family doctor referred me to a hematologist and a lot of tests were done to figure out what was going on inside my body. I was taking bc pills at the time of the clot and that was a contributing factor. The biggest thing that showed up was a gene mutation that causes hypercoagulability - meaning that the blood clots more easily than most. It is genetic, and my mom tested positive for the same mutation. As of right now my treatment is daily aspirin and a daily prenatal vitamin that contains B complex and no vitamin K. I am also having my vitamin D levels checked because if you are deficient it can cause vein swelling, which can lead to clotting in some people. If I have any more clots I will have to go on Coumadin for life.

It has been a long road for me. The damage to my calf caused my muscles to atrophy (contract) and I did physical therapy for months to loosen it up but it''s still very weak. I cannot stand on my tippy toes at all and going down stairs is still a challenge. I can walk pretty normally, but since I don''t have a lot of strength my leg fatigues easily. I exercise my leg daily and do a bit of doctor recommended strength training but it will take some time.

Thank you again for sharing your mom''s story and welcome to PS