My doctor sent me to see a vascular surgeon a little over a year ago. He made me do another doppler ultrasound which was a little more in depth than the regular ones. After all of that he told me there was nothing they could do for me. I just wasted more money on more tests with nothing in return. My clots are chronic so I still have a bunch that didn't and will never dissolve. They are now part of the vein wall.

I don't want to discourage you because maybe you will have a different experience. Maybe your vascular surgeon will be more up to date on new procedures that can help.

My experience was that I was told by a vascular surgeon that my clots were chronic and nothing more could be done. I showed him information that there were a few interventional radiologists removing them. He still told me it was not possible. I pursued going to an intervential radiologist that I knew was removing chronic clots and he did remove many of mine. I'm still seeing him - sometimes it takes more than one treatment. I'm pain free at this point, minimal swelling and way over 90% of my spider veins are gone. The doctor I am going to has removed clots as old as 10 years. Though, the sooner the better.

I clotted over 6 years ago, and my clots are both gone, but I have varicose veins that began giving me slight pain. I've had the VV for over 10 years, but they're significantly more noticeable. I didn't expect us to take any action, and we didn't, but I was glad that I had my initial eval and I have another doctor in my armory, should I need him in the future.

Thanks everyone. Thats kind of what I am expecting. Feel bad for you BlackMamba that you are paying out of your pocket your medical treatments. I live in Canada so pay through my tax dollars!

With Obamacare I get to do both. My taxes are being raised and my insurance premiums are going up. On top of all that with a high deductible I pretty much have to pay for almost everything anyway. In the last 5 years even with all the problems I have had, I haven't reached my $5,000 deductible yet. It really is a messed up system. I pay a large premium payment each month for insurance that won't really pay for anything unless things get REALLY bad. And I have had to fight with them through an appeals process for them to cover what I pay for. It took 4 months and hours worth of phone calls and writing letters to get them to change the coding for me getting my INR done at the local Coumadin Clinic. It was being coded as a doctors visit with a co-pay even thought I didn't see a doctor and didn't get the benefit of paying a co-pay. Then when I went to see my doctor they told me I had used up my doctors visits and had to pay for the whole thing. In the end I won my appeal but that was after being turned down 4 times and threatening to write letters to the state attorney general and also hire an attorney to sue them. I told them I didn't care if it cost me thousands of dollars to save a few hundred I would take it all the way to get them to be honest and fair in their dealings with me. Sorry to go off on a rant but I was already fired up because this month is our renewal for our policy and the one my wife and sons are on went up 50% even though they are completely healthy and had no big claims this past year. I am on a different policy because of my health history and it went up too but not that much and I am the one who has health problems. I hope our politicians can get something figured out before they bankrupt us all. Sorry again for the off topic rant but right now it is a sensitive subject.

Mamba out

You can vent all you want!

That is exactly why I raised my family in the UK! As mentioned to you earlier, on Oct 3rd the vascular surgeon is removing my husbands vein that clotted. Its scary but he said it is not working properly and is scarred from the DVT. I wish you could come here for a second opinion. Things here are not done on a commercial basis. If there is anything they can do, they will! You could at least be seen. Take care.