Very sad news. Makes me realize how lucky I am.

Hi, TossNTurn, it's been a long time since I visited this group and just popped in to post this same link.

It stopped me cold when I saw it on CNN.com because I just KNEW that this is what he died from and sure enough ...

Yes, we are all really, really lucky to be alive. I'm still on my 11mg Warfarin and going to make an appointment with a Hemo for January. I have not been keeping up with my INR tests too well or doc followup visits, so my clinic just dropped me. Just as well because the tech. hurt my hand last time for 4 days.

Anyway, RIP Heavy D. I will be sure to take better care of myself in 2012. Who knows, maybe even some day I'll be able to get off the Coumy ...

"Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are serious medical conditions that are often undiagnosed, but they are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Um ... what? Is that really an accurate representation of the CDC's view? A. I hope not and B. What an unfortunate choice to include this in the article. DVT and PE are so misunderstood already.

Speaking of instances of PE in the news, did anyone think "DVT" or "PE" upon hearing of the death of Kim Jong il during a long train ride? They are saying the cause of death is "suspected heart attack" but my mind went somewhere else.

Wow I saw this yesterday! When I first heard about Rapper Heavy D unfortunately that was the first thing I thought. RIP Heavy D. This condition needs more attention that it's getting right now.

hits so close to home. He died 3 days before my diagnosis (I actually had symptoms then, just didn't realize it). I guess it is a 'natural' cause of death but that phrase bothers me just the same.

Wow. First and foremost, how very sad. Secondly, the comments that followed the article are nothing short of... well... let's see... ignorant, frustrating, ridiculous, and so on.

Triple: Addressing only the CDC's official view, there is indeed a preventability aspect to DVT, to PE, and to both. Unawareness is what is so deadly. There are certain things that everyday people can do, such as frequent stretches when traveling (especially by air) to prevent a number of occurrences. Those at higher risk, such as elite distance athletes, pregnant women, postsurgery patients, trauma victims, and those on oral B/C need to be aware of symptoms and simple preventions, and the same goes for their doctors.

Some of us, throughout our lives, may have remembered more than one acquaintance who died after a straight-through long drive, or weeks after surgery, or suddenly and mysteriously without explanation, but we never "connected the dots" until we landed there ourselves.

Far too many went to doctors with specific complaints but were misdiagnosed, were dealt with dismissively, or were diagnosed in early stages but sent home untreated. In such cases the potential for escalation was not prevented. Some got over that hurdle only because they were stubborn patients.

The potential for lives saved and problems prevented, with existing treatments at low cost, is so vast that the Surgeon General finally got in the act in 2008 with the now-famous Call To Action to Prevent DVT and PE.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/deepvein/calltoaction/call-to-action-on-dvt-2008.pdf

We are all so lucky, thanks for sharing!