DVT

[evensteadiereddie]

Even worse than VAR... Just looking for some advice or thoughts from anybody diagnosed with, or tested for, a DVT, a deep vein thrombosis

I woke up Saturday morning with what felt exactly like a pulled left calf muscle and which I'd assumed I'd picked up from cycling or the rowing machine.

I went to the docs havi g seen online a lot of the symptoms match a DVT.

Had a blood test today and, **** me, the chemical that shows a clot being very possible was on the high side.

Scan on. Friday and on blood thinners until then.

Has anybody had a similar experience, am I justified in cacking myself until then or are the partial reassurances I've been given justified?

Daft thing is, just before the doc rang me with the results, I'd just breezed round a thirty miler on the bike with hardly any discomfort in my calf.

[mikeS]

Good luck with the scan Ed. It's like an ultrasound thing that takes around half an hour. Had mine in Burnley General a couple of years back. The doc will probably prescribe you with Rivaroxaban to thin your blood. You might be on these a few months. Good luck mate.

[evensteadiereddie]

Cheers, Mike. Started the thinners tonight, hope the tension of tomorrow night doesn't finish me off first..

[Rowls]

Hope you're getting good care Eddie. Take care & all the best.

UTC

[evensteadiereddie]

Thanks, Rowls.
Everybody seems confident that even the worst case scenario is treatable so I'll take that.
I hope it doesn't bugger up the cycling and family holidays I've got booked over the next few months but a small price to pay if so.
Hope you're OK, I still think back to that awesome day v Charlton away....

[ALP]

I had a DVT following my knee replacement surgery nearly 12 years ago. The pain in my calf was excruciating and the morphine I already had on the cannula didn't touch the pain. I had injections to thin my blood and the clot broke up, past through my heart and into my lungs. I had a CT scan and this showed the lungs to be full of small clots, my oxygen levels at times were as low as 70% and I was on the brink of dying; I woke up at one point to hear a Doctor saying that I was 50 / 50. Weird as it sounds, at no point was I frightened, I actually felt really calm. I had 8 or 9 drips going in, and 2 coming out of my body, I had oxygen up my nose and then another mask over that, it really was ram air, getting as much as they could into my cells. I had double pneumonia and could hardly breath, every breath was a massive effort.

I live to tell the tale, and of you follow the advice given to the letter of what the Docs and Nurses say, you will be fine. Don't step away from any of this advice from the medics, not one bit, if things change, get help and quickly too. I was moments from death, and the interventions all worked out for me.

I really wish you all the very best, I don't take thinners now and my leg is fine, my lungs carry the scars though and it has left me with breathlessness, that is the scarring in my lungs. Had it have stopped in my ticker, I wouldn't be here to tell you my tale. One thing for sure, I look skywards everyday and say thank you to my gods for smiling down on me in those troubled days.

All the best once again.

[ALP]

Yikes, I have awoken my ghosts typing that, I really have and am now running back over it in my mind.......... PTSD is real

[Rowls]

Thanks, Rowls.
Everybody seems confident that even the worst case scenario is treatable so I'll take that.
I hope it doesn't bugger up the cycling and family holidays I've got booked over the next few months but a small price to pay if so.
Hope you're OK, I still think back to that awesome day v Charlton away....

Sounds promising so fingers crossed for you.

Same - I've got a photo of that day as my screensaver. It was simply a perfect day out & great to share a pint. I'll keep an eye out for you if I'm travelling to games on the train again.

[evensteadiereddie]

Thanks Rowls, it was a perfect day from beginning to end.
I'm sure we'll meet up.
Thanks to you also, ALP, a harrowing experience for you and one, thankfully, you came through.
I appreciate your advice re the medics, its so easy to say, " Oh, it'll be right" and carry on regardless.
Well, you've stopped me in my tracks there and your advice has been well and truly taken on board. Thank you.

UTC

[ALP]

Thanks Rowls, it was a perfect day from beginning to end.
I'm sure we'll meet up.
Thanks to you also, ALP, a harrowing experience for you and one, thankfully, you came through.
I appreciate your advice re the medics, its so easy to say, " Oh, it'll be right" and carry on regardless.
Well, you've stopped me in my tracks there and your advice has been well and truly taken on board. Thank you.

UTC

You are welcome, I guess different circumstances for us, but trust me you don't want that bugger breaking loose and going through your heart and to your lungs. Take it really easy, keep the leg raised (if that's what they told you), and as said do whatever they said 100% without deviation. I sincerely wish you all the very best and pray that it is soon sorted without the drama that I had. I hope that my minimal advice helps you, and knowing that I went to hell and back, but am still here to ramble nearly 12 years on. My anniversary will be 3 June, my operation was that date in 2010............ Good luck Eddie.

[claret wizard]

I had a DVT following my knee replacement surgery nearly 12 years ago. The pain in my calf was excruciating and the morphine I already had on the cannula didn't touch the pain. I had injections to thin my blood and the clot broke up, past through my heart and into my lungs. I had a CT scan and this showed the lungs to be full of small clots, my oxygen levels at times were as low as 70% and I was on the brink of dying; I woke up at one point to hear a Doctor saying that I was 50 / 50. Weird as it sounds, at no point was I frightened, I actually felt really calm. I had 8 or 9 drips going in, and 2 coming out of my body, I had oxygen up my nose and then another mask over that, it really was ram air, getting as much as they could into my cells. I had double pneumonia and could hardly breath, every breath was a massive effort.

I live to tell the tale, and of you follow the advice given to the letter of what the Docs and Nurses say, you will be fine. Don't step away from any of this advice from the medics, not one bit, if things change, get help and quickly too. I was moments from death, and the interventions all worked out for me.

I really wish you all the very best, I don't take thinners now and my leg is fine, my lungs carry the scars though and it has left me with breathlessness, that is the scarring in my lungs. Had it have stopped in my ticker, I wouldn't be here to tell you my tale. One thing for sure, I look skywards everyday and say thank you to my gods for smiling down on me in those troubled days.

All the best once again.

With your bedside manner you could be a doctor

[HB Claret]

My wife has a history of DVTs abs blood clots - last of which resulted in her being in intensive care in Rio for 6 weeks. She is now on permanent blood thinners - apixaban - she says that you should be resting the leg as her DVTs moved - so take it easy and hopefully the blood thinners should help.

[Juan Tanamera]

If you're on Rivaroxaban, for God's sake don't cut yourself shaving.

[HunterST_BFC]

Yep.
Fobbed of for nearly a month despite seeing Doctor (yes a stand in agency Doctor). Fobbed off at A&E and told it was a calf strain (could not walk at this point and foot veins going black)
Agony...
My Doctor saw me when he was back in from leave - a quick test - GET TO Hospital NOW - could no drive, found a friend who helped me get there - Doc' had got me squeezed in for an Urgent scan on arrival I could not really stand. So was wheeled- got scan (gel & metal thing) they said iit would take 20 mins - 3 min into scan (away from the area of pain) a call was made and I'm in another department with very ill people and being injected... Probably saved my life.
Next stages were not pleasant it felt like battery acid was being injected into my abdomin daily for 10 days then Pills.
After weighing up the options and rearching I went for Apixaban.

I still have issues because of this and indeed now need yet other/more tablets. I bruise like a newborn to any knock - and bleed and bleed from even the smallest knick. Packed in shaving, just clippers now. Have to avoid some foods but ...
I'm Alive and it was Serious. More than I thought.

Get Checked and don't take No as an answer - that 4 week delay nearly actually killed me.
My Doc' a Partner at the Practice has actually told me she will not work there again - a simple three minute test would have Flagged Me -
As for A&E it was bedlam that day and I can't blame them given what I was showing yet even they should know better that this simple test could be critical it's just not on their radar.

All this was PSOC (Pre Start Of Covid - which is stll wrecking lives and our NHS) - the NHS is Battered at the moment, staff falling like flies - be kind be patient be factual and determind but above all be Supportive And Thankful.
They Save Lives - One Day Out Of The Blue It Might Be Yours.

[bfcjg]

Hope all goes well.

[fatboy47]

Good luck Eddie.. I've heard it can be a right bugger, so glad you're not mucking about.

[matucana]

My leg DVT arose following a long distance flight from Oz. Urgent visit to GP resulted in an immediate referral to the Primary Care Centre. Urgent scanning followed to confirm and then Rivoroxaban for 3 months. Great service but only downside was no follow up scans 3 to 4 months later. They assume that the thinners will do the job. Insist on a follow up in say 4 months to ensure the clot has dispersed. Take care. Be watchful.

[NickBFC]

I had a DVT after ankle surgery about 10 years ago. I complained several times to my GP that I thought I had a DVT and was laughed away. A couple of weeks later I had a heart burn sensation throughout the Saturday, I made it until Match of the Day was on in the evening before telling my wife I was in serious pain. Taken to hospital and told I had pulled a chest muscle through having to use crutches for 8 weeks...

...fast forward another couple of days and my chest pain was so severe I honestly thought I was going to die, and nearly did. Taken back to hospital, finally taken seriously and a scan revealed 2 clots in my lung and pneumonia.

Look after yourself Eddie, glad you have been proactive - touch wood mine was serious but have made a full recovery. If anyone thinks they have a DVT please, please get it checked and insist on further investigation if you're not convinced with the advice given!

[Spijed]

I've got a disorder/cancer called a Myeloproliferative Neoplasm that means I can't stop my blood from clotting without medication due to producing too many red blood cells. Had two clots which meant I sustained liver damage and had to have part of my intestine removed. It's always worth getting checked out for possible blood clots, especially if you get abdominal pains or a burning sensation.

Warfarin is the usual course of action and is very safe to use, although you tend to require plenty of tests.

[evensteadiereddie]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and offering the support and advice you have, much appreciated.
I'm on apixaban at the moment and have got over the shock so it's just a case now of waiting to see how the scan goes.
Today's bike ride cancelled, feet up all day and, finally, a chance to finish the Killing Eve and Peaky Blinders series...
Thanks again.

[Aclaret]

All the best to you.......take it even steadier Eddie !

[claretburns]

Happened to me a few years ago, walking into town one Saturday. The next day I woke up and the same feeling as you in my calf, like I had pulled or strained it but was really painful, especially walking up or downstairs.

After a few days of limping around people at work advised to go to the doctors, I am not one for doctors or hospitals, but I went. Doctor referred me to the hospital and I had a scan and giving some blood thinners and went back a few days later. Luckily nothing appeared and a couple more days went by and my leg was back to normal.

I hope for the best with you.

[evensteadiereddie]

Cheers, burns.

It'll be reyt, as they say.

[evensteadiereddie]

A quick heads up for those interested and particularly those posters kind enough to offer their advice.
Further blood tests at the hospital today, followed by an ultra sound scan on my leg. "Lovely veins" apparently but, alas, two small clots found, one in the knee, one higher up.
Cue six months worth of thinners but, other than that, no change to lifestyle or exercise regime.
They did a chest X ray too but, again, thankfully, nothing doing.
So, what started out as a calf strain was nothing of the sort and, as several of you pointed out and reiterated by the various medics seen today, early diagnosis was of the essence.
Many, many thanks fellas.