I have take tramadol periodically. For me, it does make me dizzy so I don't take it that often. But for others it doesn't have that affect.

I think this report is really positive. Most people recover fully from their DVTs and PEs. The being completely debilitated by either is what's rare. I think when it comes to driving a truck again, it's a matter of if you really want to, and if not, then what do want to do.

Don't be so hard on yourself because of what the tests showed. If you have Post Thrombotic Syndrome the tests wouldn't confirm either way. The Doppler isn't perfect either and the techs aren't either. I have had two ultrasounds a few months a part and got different results as to blockage and valve damage. The more experienced tech explained to me the damage she saw and how it would help explain some of the pain I am in. The younger tech shrugged and said she couldn't see anything that could explain my pain. My doctor understands PTS and didn't react to the tests saying all it did was rule out any new clots. It still showed my chronic DVT's and he trusted I was in the pain I explained.

I am not trying to discourage you but just wanted you to realize that you are not alone and others of us have had similar or worse post DVT pain. Best of luck with the Tramadol and I hope you are able to get back driving again.

Yeah, I'm not saying just because your scan is clean that doesn't mean you don't have pain or to diminish the severity of yours or others' experiences. I don't know when your DVT was diagnosed, but if it was within the last few months I personally think it's too soon to write it off as PTS. Lot's of people have pain for a while after their DVT but experience eventual improvement. So while I'm not trying to dismiss what you're feeling, I'm just trying to offer you some hope. I'd hate for you to convince yourself that you're screwed.

Jerry when you met with your doc, did you tell him how much you're struggling and if so, what did he say?

The doctor ignored it RMB. Same as the pulmonloogist. He dismissed my pain as trivial, prescribed the Tramadol, and didn't even address the fact that I can barely climb up stairs, or get out of chairs. I'm just getting to the point where I'm tired of fighting with doctors. I can tell you with absolutely certainty that my leg is only functioning at 50 percent. I walked around with the DVT for five months before I went to the hospital. I have not seen much improvement in mobility for 17 months now. That is the five months prior to diagnosis and now it's been over 12 months since I began treatment. I found a doctor who will write down that I have severe mobility problems, but he is a shady hole in the wall workmans comp doctor, and his price is 850 dollars.

I can't work a physical job, I know that much. It has to be full driving or in an office. That is what the doctor said when I complained about the pain he's like "you drive for a living don't you what's the problem!" I told him that the problem is not driving it's getting in and out of the truck, securing freight with load straps, running back and forth through loading docks looking for shipping and receiving offices.

I can't even get on my knees to do my own oil changes anymore. Driving is doable, but I will have to go a lot slower than I did before I got sick. If I get another truck, there goes half of my savings, and I have to make it work for at least a year just to break even again. I don't have any other marketable skills for an office job, no money for college, no money for medical billing training, all I have is driving. If three doctors already refused to write notes down in their files about my pain and limited mobility, claim that they will not lie for me, what else is there to do? Spend every last dime I have trying to find a doctor who will listen?

Go to the workmans comp mill doctor and pay him to say whatever I want him to say on a disability report for ssi? At what point do you just try and go back to being normal. Believe I will make it work on the road if I have to just so I don't have to deal with doc's who fail to acknowledge my pain and mobility issues.

I forgot you were this far out from your diagnosis, so yeah PTS seems to be the obvious culprit. I can't kneel at all anymore due to pain and lack of mobility when bending my knee like that. I think I mentioned that in another thread. So I understand the issues with mobility at times. My dog for some reason tends to let his treats roll under the couch, and I swear, I have to basically get in a push up position to get the treat, because I can't kneel at all. I do a lot of improvising. What else can I do? I mean, we have to find a way to live our lives a bit.

I think too that sometimes if docs could just acknowledge our pain or issues or whatever, that would at least just make us feel legit. I've had that issue in the past, for non related clot health issues, and really sometimes it's just that you want to be heard. I've left doctors not because they were unskilled at practicing medicine, but because I never felt like they were in it with me. I get that there are some things for which there is nothing they can do. But a little empathy does go a long way, for me anyway.

PTS is something that is what it is. I mean, even if your doc said, Jerry I know you're in pain and I'm sorry about that, in the end there's not a whole lot that can be done about it, in my opinion. And really, I don't know the criteria for state disability, but I honestly think it would be difficult no matter how many docs you see. Fair or not, the process is designed to be difficult to due the massive amount of fraud in the disability system.

But as far as your leg and your pain, sometimes a vascular doc can may be help you or tell you what's going on, and that may be a good option for you, even though I'm not high on vascular surgeons. BlackMamba, didn't you look into participating in some study or procedure a while back? Maybe I'm mistaken about that. I'm not saying go run our and see a vascular doctor but it could give you insight into your leg issues.

On a philosophical note and you can just ignore me if I'm crossing a line here: many people have to reinvent themselves right now due the economy, losing their jobs etc. So it's a matter of getting a plan together if you really don't think this trucking business is going to work for you. There are student loans for school. I took them out, for all 4 years of my college education because I couldn't afford it otherwise, even though I had a little bit of scholarship money. My parents didn't pay for anything. It put me in about $10,000 of debt by the time I was 23 which sucked,and it took me FOREVER to pay it off. But it was worth every penny. I'm not saying go out and take out a $10,000 loan, or any loan for that matter. I guess I'm saying it's hard to feel like you can do anything when you feel like you have no options. But there are options. They may not be ideal at this point, but there are things you can do. But they may require a little leg work (no pun intended) on your part. There may be job training in your area, job counseling, that could possibly cost you nothing. So it's seeking out those avenues. Maybe your local unemployment office may have some resources.

I'm not trying to tell you what to do so sorry if I'm coming across that way. And I feel bad that you are at this crossroads in your life. I just think you're too young and too otherwise healthy to assume you're at a dead end.

Nah, you are all good RMB. I am not one who just give up and lazy. I have been working since High School. But I know what I used to be capable of before this injury. I know what my limitations are. I also know that the pain meds make life bearable for me. For example, I felt hardly no pain all day Tuesday when I went to the doctors, and I felt no pain yesterday. Then today I wake up and my leg is sore, buckling, and my lungs feel like they're on fire. I took 2 pain pills and I'm still hurting, but it's tolerable now.

I'm like you RMB, I never complained before. I'm the type of worker who comes into work sick. I can count on my two hands the number of days I've called in sick since 1994. When I commit to a job I'm there no matter what. The problem is retraining. I was already in college for 2 years, from 2003 to 2006. I left abruptly after I had a small nervous breakdown and decided to go back on the road. I would have to start all over again and pay for an associates degree out of my own pocket before I can qualify for student loans again. I just got done rehabilitating one of my student loans and I pay interest only payments on the other loan. So I'm no longer in default.

I'm not dumb, I'm pretty smart, I just have anxiety that is so severe, I have to literally force myself to sit in the classroom. It's terrible. That's why I became a truck driver, because I could work alone, in my own truck, and live in my own comfort zone. It's the anxiety that has truly held me back from my full potential. I can do way better than driving a truck for a living, but there are days when I'm too nervous to even come out of the house. I have to literally force myself out into the world. Now when I'm driving it's different. I run right out of the house becaise I'm being paid to perform a service. Once I'm under a dispatch, I spring into action. I don't play games when other people are depending on me to come through.

I've been fighting anxiety and depression since the day I walked out of High School because I couldn't take the prying eyes anymore. I'm not one who normally gives up on things. I've always found a way to be viable. So before I can get into some sort of clerical job, I'm going to have to address my mental problems, which means more medication. I don't want to have to go through all that. I'd rather drive and be in my own world again. I also don't want to have a medical record that says I'm depressed. Did you know they can expell you from college if you tell them that you're depressed, because they think you're going to shoot the place up?

I already have an offer from one of the carriers that I used to work for. I have a loan lined up for a cargo van, and I'm preparing to do what needs to be done. I'll give it 8 months and see what happens. I'm going to work the entire 8 months straight through with no breaks, cept on weekends. That's how long it's going to take to repay the loan and replenish my savings. Once I drop the hammer there's no turning back. I have to work at least 8 months just to break even. I've been running the numbers for two days now.

With regards to surgery, I was reading that a blockage of the deep vein and the superficial vein behind the knee can cause pain. I think they can reroute, or open up the superficial veins behind the knee and eliminate some of the pain. Maybe if I get on a company medical insurance plan at my new carrier, I will be able to use that insurance to obtain better treatment for this condition. I know there is a lot more that they can do for Post Thrombotic Syndrome. They just need to get their butts in gear and do it.

Also, don't feel bad about being too harsh on people, I never liked free stuff. That's part of the reason why I waited until I couldn't get up out of a chair before I barged into the local Emergency Room. I didn't want to get a free ride. And as you can see, sometimes pride can hurt you more than it can help you. Five months caused the massive Saddle Embolism, and it's more than likely the reason I'm still in pain. Lesson learned. Sometimes you need to ask for help even when you don't want to. Any how, thanks for being there for me guys, I don't have anyone else to vent to. This forum helps me cope with things a lot better.

I like rmb's idea about reinventing yourself. As far as school, you wouldn't believe how much financial aid is available out there. Hubby started working on his Associates at a small community college a few years ago, and since he's back in school later in life (he was 31 at the time), he gets a workforce improvement grant every semester. It's not based on income at all, since we make decent money between the two of us. He did it while working full-time (and while I was finishing my master's and working full-time, lol), but we made it work. There are loads of online classes available now too, so it made it much easier on us than it would have been otherwise. He'll graduate with his associate's this fall, and then he'll transfer to the local state university to finish up his bachelor's. If you do go back to school, I would recommend a similar route. Community colleges often have smaller class sizes, which allows the teachers to work more closely with the students. That's been his favorite part of the experience, since it had been so long since he'd done any kind of real math or anything.

I also agree that it's probably PTS at this point. I know this sounds harsh, but you're probably just going to have to figure out how to accept it and deal with it as it goes. That's what I've had to do. Some days my leg is so swollen that I can't even put on my shoes or pull my jeans over my calf, but again, you just do whatever you can to get through the day and then start all over again the next day. I've dealt with it for 15 years now, so chances are pretty good that it's not going away (although I secretly fantasize about that, lol). It just is what it is. Sad but true.

Oh, and I'm on Tramadol for the pain too. Lately, I've been having to take it every night just to get the pain to let up enough so that I can fall asleep. It does make me a bit sleepy, but I can still get through the day if I take one in the mornings occasionally. Most of the time, I just try to tough it out through the day and then take one at night if necessary.

There is always hope Luckymom. Have you ever read about the documented miracles in Lourdes France? I know I come across as sort of angry and gloom and doom. But I do have a deep spiritual side underneath my rough and rugged anti-social exterier. There are medically documented cases of healings that have taken place in Lourdes. Medical cases where there was no scientific explanation for the type of healing.recovery that the patients experienced.

Don't ever give up on hope. I might break stuff, vent on here, and talk about chokign doctors out of frustration, but I will never curse god, or blame him for the situation that I'm in. I still hold hope that God will heal me when he sees fit to do so. The DVT experience has made me a more spiritual person. I pray that all of us will be healed some day.

Jerry are you seeing someone about your anxiety and depression? Seriously that's a big deal, and something treatable, unlike the stupid PTS.

Also to address the issue of SSI and Post Thrombotic Syndrome. That condition falls under Chronic Veinous Insufficiency and it is an automatic qualifyinf factor for disability if you meet the following criteria. 1. you have a partial blockage in one of the deep vains in the lower extremities. 2. you have brawney edema/swelling over a certain portion of you lower extremity, red itchy skin, veinous eczema, vericose veins, or skin ulcers. With what you, RMB, Luckymomm, and BlackMomba have described would qualify you for SSDI, or SSI on your first try. You wouldn't even have to go through the appeals process. They would view the Ultrasounds that you have residual clot, and then the swelling. Case approved. They just call it Chronic Veinous Insufficiency.

I don't have hardly any swelling in the lower extremity, no red skin, no itchy skin, no vericose veins. All I have is pain and agony. My case would be harder to prove because pain is subjective. But if my leg ends up ballooning up I'll have a set case. I do know I have some swelling though, because my right shoe is hard to get on. It's just too minute to be seen by the naked eye. So you can get disability if you ever need it. You're just going to have a hard time finding a doctor who will support your claim.

I want to say this too and then I'll shut up. I think it's completely appropriate to mourn our previous life prior to the DVTs and PEs. I totally get that it's a loss.

But at a certain point, we have got to move on and not stay too long thinking about all the things we used to do or be able to do. It's counter productive thinking, and it takes us out of the present. And when we do that, we miss out. Everyone else in our lives is in the present and planning for the future. So we're letting stuff pass us by if we keep thinking about what our lives used to be. I have had my share of tragedy and pain in my 48 years on the planet. If I kept looking back and lamenting and longing for what once was, I'd be a broken person. We have to turn our heads forward. We just have to. Period. Longing for what was just keeps us stuck.

I'd literally throw myself from a building before I'd ever try to go on SSI for my PTS. I know people who have such severe ulcerative colitis and Crohns that they can barely get out of bed and function, plus they're shitting themselves several times a day, and they get turned down for SSI. While it may be a qualifying disease, it still doesn't mean you automatically get SSI when you apply.

Jerry, I also like the idea of re-inventing yourself. Maybe you should consider some other types of driving jobs.

My sister is also pretty anti-social so she'd never be able to work customer service or any sort of similar type of job. She's also pretty artsy, so I can't imagine her hanging out in a cubicle farm like I do. She's been very happy with a couple different driving jobs over the last few years.

First, she delivered pizza for a while. Doesn't sound like much, but the tips are super good. Also, she's recently become a courier and drives five days a week taking papers and other deliveries around Colorado (and occasionally into other states). Both of those types of jobs have the perk for a clotter of being in and out of the car pretty often, so you're not just sitting stagnant for hours on end. Also, you're not away from home for days on end, so makes taking care of yourself in the evenings a little bit easier.

Plus, in your case, you wouldn't have to put out as much money to get a special vehicle. Could use a regular car and you'd maybe be able to get in and out of it easier and faster.

Not saying those pay crazy-well, but they are good options if you like to drive and you don't necessarily want to spend all day interacting with people.

Also, in terms of getting in and out of vehicles, it might be time to channel a little Bo and Luke Duke. There are creative ways to get in and out of cars and not all of them will put the same stress on your leg.

I've got an elderly uncle (95 this summer) who had the knee on his right leg blown out by a shotgun when he was 12. So that leg doesn't bend at all. He's got all sorts of tricks for getting in and out of cars (seriously, harder than it sounds; try getting in the passenger side without bending your right leg) and can do it pretty quickly, even at his age now. Maybe thinking out of the box a little (instead of trying to do it how you've always done it) will make things a little easier.

No RMB. My dad is schophrenic and so is my aunt. I don't want to be another doctors mind medical expirament. It takes weeks and months to adjust and readjust meds to get your mind stable. I really don't want to mess around with any Psychotropic medication, not do I want to take valium for anxiety. I get through my depression by talking to people about it and the darkness usually passes. I don't think that cognitive therapy is going to help with anxiety. They usually prescribe psychotropics or MAOI's for that. I don't want to go there.

I simply force myself to go out into public. Like today, I have to go to the super market to buy groceries, I just push myself out into the situation and then do my shopping as fast as humanly possible. This condition is a real drag too at times. Can you believe I've been all over the country and never really explored much of it. I spend most of my time hiding inside my truck on the computer. I don't even eat in restaurants unless they are empty late at night. Once there are so many people in the restaurant, and plates are chinking, I have to leave right away. I can work around this without taking meds.