DVT

In 2009, I flew from Los Angeles to Melbourne, one of the longest flights at the time. We were in the air 17 hours, plus an extra hour at either end on the plane before take-off and after landing due to some "issues" of some sort.

I had a window seat and was trapped in there by two rather large guys with bladders the size of the pacific ocean. I got up once in all those hours to use the toilet and was met with all sorts of grumbling and complaining by these two.

About an hour before landing, my left calf "cramped" ... or at least, I thought that's what happened. I figured I would just walk it off when I got on the ground and could finally move.

6 weeks later, I was still trying to walk off this cramp. But now it had changed. My calf was still really sore ... but the pain seemed to have expanded up into the thigh was well. I was limping when walking, and couldn't get comfortable in bed at night. I was also having difficulty breathing and everything seemed like a huge effort. Just sweeping the floor felt like I was cycling a 100K randonnee.

On a particular Monday, I walked out to meet my husband coming home from work as I usually did, but just couldn't make it very far. I felt like my left leg had become a heavy tree branch I was dragging with me, and I couldn't get enough air in ... just gasping for breath. That night I had a bath and when my feet were propped up on the end of the tub, I noticed that my left leg was about twice the size of the right, really hot, and I had all sorts of broken capillaries around the ankle. I showed my husband and he guessed that maybe I had been bit by a spider or something ... we were going to watch it for a few days and see if there was any change.

But on Tuesday, while I was trying to tidy the house and not having much luck with that because I couldn't breathe and was having real difficulty moving my left leg, all of a sudden my husband burst through the door, told me to grab my handbag, and ordered me into the van. "We're going to the Dr right now", he told me. Later, he said he wasn't sure why he had come home just then except that he had an almost overwhelming feeling that he needed to do that.

The Dr was pretty sure it was DVT, and got me into an ultrasound on Wednesday. The ultrasound tech would not let me leave the hospital ... my left leg from just above the knee down was chockers full of clots. The clots had completely blocked off the main veins, and the human body being the amazing thing it is had created auxiliary capillaries around the blockages, but they were struggling to keep up. The Dr told my husband that if we had waited much longer, I might not have made it. And it turns out that I have a genetic predisposition to developing clots ... my risk of developing them again is really high.

I was in hospital for 2 weeks, and then on Warfarin for a year. Warfarin and I don't get along particularly well ... it drains my energy. But it probably didn't help that I still had a few clots 5 months later. When a blood specialist finally took me off Warfarin, it was like emerging into the sunlight. My energy level increased and I felt much more like myself. But it was during that year that I started gradually gaining weight.

I have a little bit of permanent damage, but fortunately not too much. Every day, I need to get up once an hour (at least) and walk. And every time I fly now, I have to have injections of Clexane. Plus if I fly or am going to stand for any length of time, I need to wear compression stockings.


So ... I feel for you. I know exactly what it is like. But I'm glad you found them as soon as you did and are getting treated. And if you've got questions or anything over the next few months, feel free to ask ... if I can, I'll answer them.

perpetuallyfit wrote: »

Thank you both for the quick response!! I really appreciate it! I started my medications today . The pain in my leg still persists and I have to be very careful about not injuring myself while I am on anticoagulants lest I bleed to death!! Sounds so ominous!! I am still in shock! Never thought a harmless calf pain would turn out to be DVT!! Thank you Machka9 for sharing your story with me. I would definitely ask you for advice. I am scared

I was pretty shocked too. I was in my early 40s, relatively slender, and a really active person. I had just cycled 1000 km in the 4 weeks before the flight, and I'm the person in the airport who is walking up and down and up and down covering several kilometres before and between flights.

For me, because my blood has a natural tendency to clot, anticoagulants just brought it back to "normal" ... I'm told I bled like a normal person when I was on them. I did nick myself shaving my legs a few times ... and the results there surprised me a bit. I'm used to clotting almost immediately, within seconds, when I do something like that. But while I was on Warfarin, I'd bleed for something like 2 minutes! Really not drastic or anything, but for me things like that came as a bit of a surprise.

But nevertheless, I got the dire warnings too so the first 6 weeks or so, I just walked carefully. That's about all I had energy for anyway. Then I started cycling ... really short distances, close to civilisation, with a handlebar bag full of bandages, and usually with my husband. Talk to your Dr about exercise, but my suggestion would be that if you are OK'd to do it, make sure there are people around who are aware of the situation. For example, if you went to the gym to walk on the treadmill (which should be a relatively injury-free activity), make sure the gym staff are aware you're on anticoagulants. Chances are everything would be fine, but just in case ...

And you will still be in pain for a while ... it'll take some time for the clots to dissolve. It will probably take a month or more, although you'll probably start to feel better during the month. It sounds like you caught it early enough so there shouldn't be permanent damage or only minimal damage. For me, my left leg still swells and aches a bit if I'm on it too much, but it isn't bad.

I also got warnings about diet too ... no foods with Vitamin K ... no dark green veggies. I had a bit of a laugh about that ... chocolate was just fine, I could eat as much of that as I wanted. But no broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, green beans, or greens of any sort!!

Good news about the chocolate.... Fill yer boots!!!

Seriously, though....all the best to you both and if even one other person becomes aware as a result of this thread, it is an added bonus.