Hot to Clot - Thrombophilia & other big words

Well it's been one crazy summer for sure. In fact, 2008 can go away any time now. From my workplace suddenly closing in February, my elderly dog getting sick and my husbands freak episode of Bell's Palsey, things still managed to degrade. We're falling apart around here!Sharp, odd pains in my ribs & back led to sharp odd pains in my left leg and thigh - diagnoses: DVT. Diagnosis: FV Leiden, homozygous. And what, praytell, what the heck is THAT? How do you live 44 years on this earth and NOT know you have a genetic clotting disorder? I've gone from 0 doctor visits to weekly doctor visits. I've gone from smoker to ex-smoker, party-girl to darn near teetotaler (well, at least by MY standards...), jewelry-free to medic alert bracelet wearer in just a few short weeks. I hardly recognize myself. And still, I'm grateful for the science that can look into my blood and tell the future. I'm grateful for the nasty little pill that keeps FV Leiden from clogging up my veins even more. I'm glad I had tell-tale signs, and I didn't just drop over dead one day, because people do it all the time. About 300,000 every year in this country, if I can believe what I read. So I am increadibly lucky, and I know it every day.