The pain is so bad tonight that I can't sleep. I know that I can't go on the trip. How long will the severe pain last?

Pain is pretty normal for a while with a DVT. My most severe pain started to subside about 3 - 4 weeks after getting out of the hospital, and it actually was worse once I got home than it was than before diagnosis. I did get some mild pain killers from my doctor so I could at least ease the pain to be able to sleep and work. I took those as needed for a couple of weeks.

When your doc's tell you it's ok to travel, they are correct. They mean you're not in danger if you travel. But it's your personal call though if you feel you're in too much pain to go.

I'm not telling you what to do. I can say though that if it were me, if it were me, remembering how much pain I was in, I'd cancel the trip. And I'm not a big baby, trust me. I'm pretty good with dealing with pain,except not only did the walking hurt, but more so sitting too long was killer on my leg. The flight would have done me in. I would though talk to your wife and see what she thinks, talk to whomever booked your trip if they can make a special exception about refunds or rebooking based on this medical event, if you decide to not go.

DVTs are incredibly painful. They really are. You sort of have to ride it out initially. There's no set time frame for when the pain goes away.

Man, what a tough call! On one hand a great vacation, but on the other hand you don't feel that you'll really be able to enjoy it.

It's really hard to say how long the pain will last because everyone's clot is different and every heals at different rates. I had a pretty severe limp for a while after my first DVT. I don't remember when I was able to start feeling not in pain so much, but it was probably about 4-5 weeks or so. I did have some discomfort up until about two years out, but it wasn't enough to stop me from doing stuff Of course, mine wasn't as bad as yours, since I'm not sure I ever took any painkillers.

I think I would start by exploring options. Maybe send your family but have someone else go instead of you so you can rest and recuperate. Alternatively, see what the options are for postponing the trip.

Or consider going, but talk to your doc about getting some painkillers to take the edge off, get some compression stockings, keep your leg elevated as much as possible (even while you're sleeping).

I wish there was more to suggest, but with healing from clots it is really just a wait and see kind of thing.

I would first check with your doc about wearing compression stockings at this early stage if your doc hasn't recommended them yet. You want to be sure they're the right size, compression grade. They can actually cause more pain in the early stages of recovery for some people, particularly if they're not fitted just right.

Definitely a tough call. I can't speak to DVT pain, as the docs never found any blood clots in my legs, just the right lung. It happened 3 days after a short flight home from FL after a taking a Disney cruise with the family. I was so thankful that the event didn't happen while on the ship or they probably would have had to airlift me out of the Caribbean. So maybe the bright side is that this hasn't happened during your Alaska trip and you have a choice to make now. Good luck with your decision. I hope it goes the best way possible.

Thanks for everyone's advise and information on your recovery time. It really took a while for it to sink in how the healing process takes. I am thankful that it didn't happen to me while we were traveling. I've been trying to get back to work too and that has been tough. Last week I was able to go in a half day on Monday then all day Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday night I woke up with the bad leg pain and my doctor had an ultrasound done on Thursday. It showed no new clots but a lot of fluid. He thought that I over did it with a 2 mile walk on Wed. Before the PE I was walking 5+ miles a day. By Friday I felt good enough to work all day. I rested over the weekend then decided to lightly stretch on Sunday. Sunday night I woke up with worse pain and wasn't able to go into work until yesterday afternoon. Then last night was worse than all the rest. I guess there are going to be a lot of ups and downs.

I had been taking the Xarelto with breakfast and my doctor wants me to switch to with dinner tonight. He wants my blood to be the thinnest at night while I'm sleeping for safety. Maybe that will help me have less pain at night. I'm a little worried that the afternoon pain will get bad.

The compression socks seem to to help me. i did read on here somewhere that you shouldn't wear them at night mainly to give your skin a break.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. As you all know, it is a tough journey.

We cancelled our trip and I feel disappointed but very relieved. We are planning to go next year so we all have something to look forward to. I think it will be much more fun when I am feeling better. Thanks again for all your advice.

There could be a big improvement in how you feel in two weeks. Is it possible to hold off on deciding whether or not to go until the last minute? Your family will need to realize that if you aren't up to it, the trip was not meant to be.
Sleeping is definitely hard but that may be better in two weeks... So hard to tell! Plus I know you'll be nervous while on the trip for fear of needing medical. Attention so far from home. What an ordeal you've been through!

Oops. Just saw your message. You will certainly enjoy the trip more when you're fully recovered. That was,a good decision.

Thanks Slick.

The shots you describe were most probably Lovinox (Low molecular weight heparins LMWH).
I guess those are standard procedure until the other anticoagulants can build up.
Clot busters are usually TPA given in a drip for an hour. It can be dangerous to use for 3%. And is monitored by a trained nurse the entire hour and then another hour after.

Elsners, I think you are right that the shots were Lovinox. On a follow up visit with the pulmonologist, he said that he was considering a clot buster when I was in ER but decided that it was too risky because I have a small meningioma in my brain.

As a follow up to my original post, I'm really glad that we did't go on the trip. I've had a lot of pain that keeps me awake at night even with pain killers. I also have a lot of swelling mostly near my knee. I think it is made worse by a Bakers cyst that I've had for some time. Sometimes I can barely walk. My lungs feel good but I can't exercise much with the leg problems.