Life DOES go on after DVT
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This site is for people with DVT, seeking comfort and information from others who understand from personal experience.
 
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M2LR




Posts : 2
Join date : 2012-01-13

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PostSubject: New here.    New here.  Icon_minitimeFri Jan 13, 2012 4:49 pm

Hello!

My story...

I've been a runner for about 10 years, maybe longer, I don't know. Smile Last year, I regestered for four half marathons, only completed three.

A week before Thanksgiving, I was in training for doing a half-leg of the California International Marathon. I had 10 miles on the schedule. That week, I'd been feeling sick, had a bit of a cold, so I didn't get in much running. And...I was TIRED. I chalked it all up to the cold. So...I go out for 10 miles on a cold November Saturday...I made it two and had some shortness of breath. Looking back...I shouldn't have pushed myself, but I did. I did some pretty hefty (and probably mean) self-talk, and made it to about 6 miles. I had to stop. Found a friend out on the trails, and went headed back to my car. No biggie, I thought, it's the cold.

Tuesday, I called my doctor saying that I felt like my lung capacity had decreased. I'd had a cold all week, but it felt different this time. I went in on Wednesday, he listened. He didn't hear anything really, nothing like pneumonia, but he gave me an inhaler. He advised that I do not run in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot due to the cold and it irrtating my bronchioles even more...which was his diagnosis.

So, instead of running out side in the cold, I did about 5 miles on the treadmill. Still kind of short of breath, having to stop and take a break here and there.

Took a shower, got ready to head to my mom's for Thanksgiving, and I started to get this excruciating pain in my lower back/right side flank area. I'd had kidney stones in the past, but this was different. IT HURT. We got in the car, still not thinking it was anything serious, drove to my mom's. I cried the entire way, when I'd gasp for breath, it felt like someone was stabbing me in the back. Got to my mom's...and my husband told me to lay down. If it was a back spasm, it might feel better. I laid down, and felt worse. So...he took me to the ER.

They did some tests on me, still never thinking of a blood clot, or Pulmonary Embolism. My d-dimer came back elevated (I still dn't know what the number was), and then that's when they rushed in, gave me the heparin and some dulodid (pain killer). CT scan came back showing several small clots in both lungs. They did mention infarction (lung damage) on my right lung, but they couldn't be certain of how serious it was. So, they kept me over night for observation. My O2 levels were 95% and up all night, my BP was great, and my respiration was around 60 or lower. I was sent home the next day with my Lovenox shots and Warfarin.

They did feel around on my legs, asked me if I ever had leg pain, nope. Never did. They did a doppler ultrasound from behind the knee up to the groin and didn't find anything either. (I'm thinking NOW, that I might have had one in a calf, since it feels kind of odd and crampy every so often).

My only risk factor was being on the birth control pill. So, no more hormones for me, which is fine. I've been through two pregnancies without problems (no misscarriages, etc) and two c-sections without problems. No one in my family has a history of clotting problems. So, after I go off of the warfarin, they won't be doing any additional tests. I woudl like to get another doppler of my legs, but we will see. I'd also like to get my d-dimer checked on a regular basis, but I know that isn't always reliable. I just know that there has to be something I can do to prevent it, along with the usual measures of drinking enough water, walking around, etc. I have seen a hematologist and he said the same thing as my PCP, along with another GP that I sought a second opinion from. The treatments are the same for me until or if I have another clot or PE.

The mental aftermath has proven to be MUCH harder than the physical. I still have some pain in my right side every now and then. I've recently started walking, and even doing some light jogging, but nothing near to what I'd been doing before. My doctor advised against running, just because of being on the warfarin and how it can maybe cause small muscle tears and small bleeds that I might not see. So, walking it is for now. Smile I have had anxiety in the past and was doing great getting past it, without medications. Now is another story.

At any rate, trying very hard to focus on the positives though they seem far away sometimes.
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