Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Support Group
Deep-vein thrombosis, also known as deep-venous thrombosis or DVT, is the formation of a blood clot ("thrombus") in a deep vein. It can be caused by something preventing blood from circulating or clotting normally. Join the support group if you are coping with DVT and find others who are going through the same challenges.
I'm 38 now and had my first DVT at 21 (June 1993) while pregnant with my daughter. The doctors at that time blamed the clot on an increase of hormones and the "baby compressing my vein". My twin sister developed a clot when she was pregnant 7 years ago.
Last month (Feb 2011), I developed a clot starting in my stomach and going all the way down my left leg to my ankle. During the first hour in the hospital I had two episodes of the clot breaking off and have multiple PE's in both lungs.
Vascular surgeon inserted a filter to catch future clots and diagnosed the root of the problem...May-Thurner Syndrome. The artery lays right on top of the vein and compresses it causing clots. Usually this can be helped with a stint, but I had too much damage, scar tissue and veins that have rerouted around that particular spot to insert the stint.
I am a coumadin/warf lifer now. I was in St. Thomas Hospital, one of the best for vascular surgery in the nation (Feb 2011) when diagnosed. I believe if I had known about this 18 years ago, they might have helped me and I would be in much better shape now. I was not in St. Thomas in 1993.
Last month (Feb 2011), I developed a clot starting in my stomach and going all the way down my left leg to my ankle. During the first hour in the hospital I had two episodes of the clot breaking off and have multiple PE's in both lungs.
Vascular surgeon inserted a filter to catch future clots and diagnosed the root of the problem...May-Thurner Syndrome. The artery lays right on top of the vein and compresses it causing clots. Usually this can be helped with a stint, but I had too much damage, scar tissue and veins that have rerouted around that particular spot to insert the stint.
I am a coumadin/warf lifer now. I was in St. Thomas Hospital, one of the best for vascular surgery in the nation (Feb 2011) when diagnosed. I believe if I had known about this 18 years ago, they might have helped me and I would be in much better shape now. I was not in St. Thomas in 1993.
http://clotconnect.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/may-thurner-syndrome/
R/
Tom
I have the mass of collaterals and the big whole-leg clot, so I can sympathise with the problems those things bring - isn't it sad that so many sufferers have been having problems for years and yet the majority of MTS diagnosis is only happening in the last year or two.
At least this is hopeful for other as yet undiagnosed sufferers, but I'm afraid I also belong to the 'if only' way of thinking, I wish they'd fixed me sooner, and that I hadn't been aloowed to clot up afterwards!