Deep Vein Thrombosis

I heard that also, now I have a twitch goin'...

I almost lost hubby 3 years ago to this.. Spent 1 wk in hospital, barely made it while another friend 39yrs. old died enroute top the hospital because of DVT... Its a very scary thing.
It's seen more in the Summer months --at vacation time...Everyone needs to be aware of the symptoms...can start at the ankle, will travel quick to heart, lungs or brain.
Thanks for posting this.

I am very aware of this as I have had a stroke and no feeling in the left side. I have to remember to change positions and walk every couple of hours, and to not lie down for extended periods of time (except to sleep at night) even though I am on blood thinners.

Take it seriously - even those of you who are young - I was pretty young when I had that stroke.

Kimmi - I'm so sorry for the loss of your young friend, but I am so glad your hubby made it!

What are the symptoms of DVT?

Some people have no symptoms at all. Most have some swelling in one or both legs. Often there is pain or tenderness in one leg (may happen only when you stand or walk). You may also notice warmth, or red or discolored skin in the affected leg. If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away.

If your doctor thinks you might have DVT, he or she will do one or more tests. These may include an ultrasound (uses sound waves to check the blood flow in your veins) or venography (a doctor injects dye into your vein, then takes an x-ray to look for blood clots).

http://familydoctor.org/800.xml

A secretary I used to talk to quite frequently (she was at another site across the country) lost her mother to DVT. They thought at first it was sciatica, but within a couple of hours, she was gone. The clot caused a pulmonary embolism.

So yeah, get up, walk around, fidget, wiggle, do whatever, but stay active...

Six years ago my husband had a DVT and subsequent near-fatal pulmonary embolism. It was a horrible, horrible thing, with a long recovery period. He teaches private music lessons and I'm always nagging him to be sure to get up and walk between lessons. Writers need to do the same thing! Don't sit at that computer for hours without getting up and moving around at least a little bit.

Kimmi, I'm glad your hubby came through it! I'm so sorry about your friend.

Oh, one more thing--during that time, we found out my husband has a condition called Protein S Deficiency that makes him prone to blood clots.

I was just talking about this with my husband today. I have ME and spend long periods of time in bed or on the couch. It really concerns me. I do try to stretch and move my legs (restless leg forces me to a large part of the time). But until my condition improves I am forced to stay inactive.

Thanks guys, one thing hubby still has the 24 in blood clot in left leg, but the Dr says its scarred over and the blood I guess is now working around it...it was a long recovery, however that day of discovery I looked on Mayo's clinic, called an an Er doctor friend after and she said get him here...yesterday.
The Dr. said it was a miracle. Also we got a pair of thigh medical pulumonary. socks he now wears, and I know the medical stores sell some w/o out Rx so you may want to invest in a pair to wear while writing...just an idea.
hugs
kimmi

The TED hose are what we put on patients in the hospital who are going to be less than active after surgery. Still, there's nothing like activity. Walking actually serves as a pump to send blood from the periphery to the heart. Dorsaflex your feet (like you do for calf cramps) to help pump blood when you're sitting down, move around as much as possible. I was afraid I had DVT last year, but if I did, it dissolved. I'm on so many blood thinners (asprin, plavix, etc.,) it's not likely for me to get one easily. Still, I make sure I move around and do isotonic and isometric leg exercises when I'm seated. I have a bad habit when I fly of not getting up much, so I do the exercises in my seat. It's definitely something to watch for.

BTW, the dorsaflexion of your foot is also a way to check for DVT. We call it looking for the Homan's sign. If you have excruciating pain when you do it, in your calf or thigh (or behind the knee), you may have DVT--that's a positive Homan's sign. Of course, don't confuse tight muscles with DVT pain.