THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
Because I am cocky and believe that I am invincible, I ignored very clear warning signs indicating that I had a clot in my leg. Had I not been such an idiot, my clot may not have broken off and lodged in my lung. In fact, the only reason I finally did go to the hospital was at the insistence of my good friend, Creeps, and that was only to shut him up. (Just kidding, Creeps! I <3 you!).
Please learn from my mistake and realize that THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU. It doesn't matter if you are young, old, active, sedentary, healthy, etc. Anyone can develop a potentially lethal blood clot.
DISCLAIMER: this is not medical advice. I'm just someone who wants to raise awareness for what many call a "silent killer." If you believe you have a blood clot or pulmonary embolism, go to your local ER or call 911 immediately. DO NOT WAIT. The below lists are not a comprehensive review of every risk factor or symptom. Contact your physician for more detailed information.
These are common risk factors in the development of clots:
- Recent surgery
- A period of immobility (as in a hospital stay or prescribed bed rest)
- Taking hormonal birth control pills
- Long trips
- Working a desk job or sitting for long period of time
- Smoking cigarettes
- Being overweight/obese
- A family history of DVT
- A previous DVT and/or Pulmonary Embolism
These are the symptoms of a DVT
- Pain in your leg, ankle or foot. This pain can feel like a sprained/bruised muscle, but unlike a sprain/bruise, the pain will become worse over time and not better.
- Swelling. Compare your calves - does one appear to be larger than the other? Does one feel "tighter" than the other?
- Redness. Often times, the skin above the DVT will become red. Sometimes the affected area may turn blue or be drained of color. Have you experienced any recent trauma to the affected area? If not, you may want to try to determine why your skin is changing color.
- Warmth. Is the affected area warm to the touch? Even if it turns out not to be a clot, this is still something that should be reviewed with a physician.
These are the symptoms of a Pulmonary Embolism
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Fever
- Anxiety/nervousness
- Heart palpitations
- A racing pulse
- Cough, with or without blood
- Collapse and sudden death. As scary as this is, some DVTs and PEs present no noticeable symptoms.
The most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. If you feel there is something wrong, DON'T WAIT. GET IT CHECKED OUT.
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| Don't listen to them. Dry shampoo DOES NOT work. |
In regards to my specific case, I had many factors working against me. I smoke (stupid), take hormonal birth control, and was hospitalized for a week during which time, I moved very little. Ladies, if you are like me, you probably just throw away that warning on your BC that says "smoking while taking this medication may cause blood clots." This girl here, the one over there on the right, is living (thankfully!) proof that BC + smoking do not mix. This makes me sad, because few things are more satisfying than a post-coital cigarette. But I digress...
When I began to develop symptoms (the tenderness & swelling in my leg were the first to materialize), it was easy to explain away as a sprain. The mild symptoms lasted approximately three days. However, when my calf started to turn red, warm, and became extremely painful, it was harder to ignore. By Friday, I was limping. The PE symptoms appeared in the early afternoon on that fateful Friday. It started with a SHARP pain underneath my heart, transitioned to extreme dizziness, and then became severe shortness of breath. I'm either dedicated to my job or stupid, because I stayed until the end of my shift and then went to the hospital after work with the same sense of urgency with which I would return library books.
The moral of the story is: Know the risk factors for clotting. Know the symptoms of DVT and PE. Share this information with everyone you know. And, please, please, please seek immediate medical attention if you think you may have a blood clot. If you ignore it, it becomes a ticking time bomb in your body that could kill you in an instant.
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