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 am a 64 year old guy who almost died from small clots in my lungs and a monster clot behind my right knee this past March. I also have COPD. I began to have pain in my leg and difficulty breathing. Could not go more than 10 feet before breathless. Pain got worse, Doc increased my Oxygen to 5L per minute. Could no longer walk and wife bought wheelchair. Could not climb stairs to second floor. Went to see my lung Doc when my leg was puffed up almost double. They checked me into critical care unit immediately and hooked me up to Heparin. Also diagnosed me as Type II diabetic. In hospital 2 weeks. 2 months of hospital physical therapy and I could walk short distances with a walker and then a cane.
I am not sure what I have. Is there a name for this blood disease? The Cumadin treatment failed and I am now on Xarelto. Is this a lifelong condition? Any information helpful. I exercise 1 hour every day of the week.
Thank you-Sabalo
I am not sure what I have. Is there a name for this blood disease? The Cumadin treatment failed and I am now on Xarelto. Is this a lifelong condition? Any information helpful. I exercise 1 hour every day of the week.
Thank you-Sabalo
There are many, many reasons why people clot. Some of them are blood disorders (Factor V, Factor II, or lupus anticoagulant, for example), some are related to other health issues (e.g., cancer, autoimmune diseases) some are circumstances (long plane flight, birth control pills, dehydration, surgery, for example), and some of us clot for no known reason (like me, and I've clotted three separate times). I wouldn't really call clotting a "blood disease" just because there are so many different causes for clots.
Do you know why you clotted? Have your doctors thrown out any possible causes? It's hard to say whether you have a "lifelong" condition without knowing why you clotted to begin with.
When you say coumadin "failed," do you mean they had a hard time getting your INR to stabilize? Or do you mean that you re-clotted while on it? Those are very different things and can affect your later medical treatment. It's good to know exactly what did and didn't work and why.
You might also check out some of the patient advocacy web sites for people who have clotted:
www.clotconnect.org
or
www.stoptheclot.org
Both have lots of info for patients and you might be able to get a lot of your questions answered.
Hang in there! It sounds like you've got a lot going on with you medically right now, but it really does get better!