Just joined.....my story :) x

I'm Sam and I live in the UK. I am 21 years old and got DVT eight months ago so I was 20 at the time. My clot starts just above my knee and continues up my thigh through my iliac vein right to my heart. In all its 22 inches long! Very unusual in size and for my age, so I'm told. I am very healthy, I ride two horses everyday, go for long runs daily and don't smoke or rarely drink. So the doctors are quite baffled as to why I got DVT in the first place.
I had no symptoms in the run up to getting ill. I was at work on thursday and felt achey and tired. I went home and got in bed...after that I a very bad flu untill the sunday when I started to feel bit better. I even went for a short walk, which surprises me now as less than 12 hours later I was in hospital!
The middle of sunday night I could not sleep and had a really bad pain in my left hip, I got up to walk around and my left leg felt very heavy. I said to my mum I hope I haven't got what you get on planes!! (dvt) don't know how I knew that!! We went to hospital where they tested everything, from kidney stones to cysts on my ovaries... but they didn't test DVT as apparently I was "too young"
Eventually a doctor suspected and I had a Ultrasound scan on my leg and over my my tummy. I was started on Heperain injections and warafin. I was so ill and had to stay in hospital for a week.

When I left hospital I couldn't walk unaided for about 5weeks. I then moved onto crutches and eventually unaided. It took a long time and it was very painful I gradually built up my exercise through the gym. I walked on the treadmill and now can run for about 15mintues before it gets to painful. I have horses but am not supposed to ride whilst on Warafin, but me and the doctors came to a compromise on that!!

I still see specialists and surgeons as my clot has not reduced. My body does not seem to be able to break it down due to the extent of it. I have large veins which stick out from the top of my leg right up my tummy, they are similar to bad varicose veins expect these are actually my blood supply to/ from my leg, so nothing can be done about them. I still get alot of pain when i walk to far. But I just get on with things, I feel lucky to have survived it in the first place so don't let it stop me doing ANYTHING!! (apart from drinking alcohol!) I'm back at work full time, I ride my horses everyday, going running and walk my puppy!! I don't have time to worry about DVT now!!

Obviously there are questions we all have and I have found this website very helpful in answering them for me. I have found a lot of doctors are sketchy in their knowledge of DVT so it is great we can all help each other out!

Thanks x x Best wishes to you all

Hi Sammy

Wow what a story...So glad that you carry on with your life and still ride your horses.

My story, I had a liver laceration 5months ago when falling of my arab and then unfortunatly he stepped on me, after being hospitalised for a week I developed DVT and PE. I am on Warfarin now, and unfortunately couldn't convince my doctor that I can carry on with horseriding. Suppose I could'nt realy reduce my risk of falling as part of my job as riding instructor is to school young horses and competing in endurance riding, which can be hazardous, espescially on my hot - spooky little arab.

So I am dying to ride.....I must go back to doctors beginning of December and then they will decide if they can take me off Warfarin on not....a vascular surgeon, i went to see with the hope to get off earlier refused to take me off for the next 12 months or perhaps lifelong. I am currently under treatment via a naturopathic doctor that gave me some new hope as to dissolve the clot...the medicine is in conjunction with Warfarin and he can't take me off as yet..

Are you on a reduced dose of Warfarin since you started horseriding?

Hey Annemarie

Oh no I can't imagine not be able to ride I have event horses so obviously cross country is quite dangerous in the risk of falling off, so I managed to compromise that I would just do dressage whilst on Warfarin. It definitely helped my spirit and picked me up loads, I had something to get better for! I am on 4 and half mg of Warfarin and my INR is 3.2. I have seen two vascular surgeons,(got a second opinion) and I have to stay on Warfarin until Feburary which will then be a year after my diagnosis. They will then re-scan my clot and see if it has improved. If not, they may do a vein bypass/graft. I hope I can come off Warfarin then but they know. I find it all quite vague!

With the naturopathic doctor, is that more herbal? I was thinking of trying a different route. I have had a lot of reiki which helped alot with pain/discomfort.

Have you got some one riding your horses for you? Are you able to work, teaching? I teach people to ride too!!

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