Blood Clots, DVT, and the Future Pussification of My Skiing

[cloudswinger]

Apparently when you've been on coumadin long enough, you can feel when the level is off.

I just had a discussion about ways people die, and apparently a lot of people are found in their bathrooms, having had a stroke or heart attack after straining too much. So probably better to die doing something you love than to die half naked in the bathroom.

[Sierra Cement]

It's not really my nature to put all of this personal information out on an internet forum, but if my story allows some other folks to feel a little better about their situation and have some optimism for a healthy active future - then it's definitely worth it.

AK - Josie from LapCorp was amazing with the needle - literally never felt it. Others were like gardeners. That's crazy about the bloody clothes AK.

From a long term persepective I've always felt that a lot of regular aerobic activity can only help those of us with a history of blood clots. Kind of like how a fast flowing river is less likely to dam up than a slow one. Keep the ticker thumping hard and let that river flow!

[longboardkook]

.........

From a long term persepective I've always felt that a lot of regular aerobic activity can only help those of us with a history of blood clots. Kind of like how a fast flowing river is less likely to dam up than a slow one. Keep the ticker thumping hard and let that river flow!

That is why I'm doing Crossfit. But damn, I tore myself up with last Thursday's Workout of the Day. Pulled a muscle right where my clot is. Thought I did some real damage but it was better by Saturday, so I was back in the gym.

.................

Surfing is part of his identity, so when the first doctor suggested giving it up, that was not an option. Nowadays doctors are a little more enlightened, because part of this discussion is quality of life, and if it's in your soul to surf, or ski, or whatever else, then giving it up completely is horrible. Even people who have lost limbs to sharks still go surfing, if that's what they need. None of us get younger, and to be able to continue doing it(whatever it may be) in your 90s is our goal. Most likely not at the same level as when we were in our 20s, but living out loud is better than living in bed! I watched my grandma deteriorate in her body, stuck in her room as things fell apart through inactivity, and don't wish to go that way!

I mentioned to my wife that if my clot happened back in my surfing days, i would have told the doc to pound sand if he thought i needed to stay out of the surf. Then again as my wife reminded me, i did blow my out eardrum hitting the reef solid with the side of my head while surfing.

As I mentioned before, I was advised by my hematologist specialist doctor; it is not a risk of bleeding out due to a cut while on blood thinners or even internal bleeding due to trauma to the body, it is the deadly risk of a head injury and bleeding of the brain that worries him the most.

Cloudswinger, since your husband is on blood thinners for the unforeseen future and if he is surfing some big stuff or over reefs, then he might consider a Gath Helmet. I used to see people using those Gath Helmets on big days when we were surfing shallow reef breaks.

[AKbruin]

New doctor suggested that I might be able to cut the coumadin after 3 months (former doctor said 6 months). Hello spring couloirs in the Eastern Sierra and early-season mountain biking!

Edit: "Gardening." Very apt expression, SC.

[longboardkook]

New doctor suggested that I might be able to cut the coumadin after 3 months (former doctor said 6 months). Hello spring couloirs in the Eastern Sierra and early-season mountain biking!

Edit: "Gardening." Very apt expression, SC.

Good news! Why the new doc? Hematologist?

[AKbruin]

Good news! Why the new doc? Hematologist?

No, my local clinic just had this doc take over supervision of my coumadin regimen, which he seems to do for all the DVT patients. He didn't actually say that I could get off in 3 months. But my plan is to tell him that I desperately want to ski fun stuff and that the danger of my concussing myself is far greater than the development of a second clot. For now, I'm in bar exam lock down, so it doesn't matter. But come March . . . .

[longboardkook]

. I had another ultrasound on my leg and the clot is still there despite 4 months of taking rat poison. My DVT is much smaller than before and considering I had three clots in total in that leg, I guess I'm doing much better. But s*#%, the balance of my snowboard season is in peril. It is hard to keep my spirits up knowing that this might be my first winter in 12+ years that I might miss out on snowboarding. Can't snowboard, can't surf (not living at the beach anymore), and can't skateboard. Thank god I have my family and for now my job..... Could be worse I guess. Oh well, got to look at the bight side of things.

[Alaska Skier]

I am glad I found this thread. I was just diagnosed with a DVT in the left thigh and put on Lovenox (glad I have insurance, that shit is expensive) and Coumadin. I have know idea why I got the DVT, we are waiting for the blood tests to see if there is any genetic issues or something else that might have caused it. I don't fit any of the typical profiles for having a DVT. The cancer thing is freaking me out a bit as well as the dying from a pulmonary embolism. I was surprised how easy it was to give myself a shot, not nearly as bad I thought, all though I have bruise all over my abs. I am having a real hard time with the fact that my ski season is probably over for the year. My doctor told me I had to take it easy for awhile but I realized yesterday that my idea and his idea of taking it easy are not the same thing. A lot of doctors do not understand people that are passionate about the outdoors and working out. I am going completely nuts sitting on the couch now but I guess it beats the alternative. I hope I get an OK to start working out again soon. Thanks for a place to vent.

[cloudswinger]

Cloudswinger, since your husband is on blood thinners for the unforeseen future and if he is surfing some big stuff or over reefs, then he might consider a Gath Helmet. I used to see people using those Gath Helmets on big days when we were surfing shallow reef breaks.

We're in Florida, so no reef breaks. But all the injuries that he has had have been on small days where he's just messing around. Broke his board on a small day. Probably more dangerous because the water is shallow...

Anyway, the clot might always be there. It doesn't necessarily have to stop your activities. Personally, I think doing a full stop is not the best thing for recovery. Do some walking.

[AKbruin]

. I had another ultrasound on my leg and the clot is still there despite 4 months of taking rat poison. My DVT is much smaller than before and considering I had three clots in total in that leg, I guess I'm doing much better. But s*#%, the balance of my snowboard season is in peril. It is hard to keep my spirits up knowing that this might be my first winter in 12+ years that I might miss out on snowboarding. Can't snowboard, can't surf (not living at the beach anymore), and can't skateboard. Thank god I have my family and for now my job..... Could be worse I guess. Oh well, got to look at the bight side of things.

Damn, man. Sorry to hear that. I think skiing is still okay though, so long as it's done relatively safely. At least I hope this is the case as I'm still skiing.

I'm going in for another ultrasound this week. Fingers crossed.

I am glad I found this thread. I was just diagnosed with a DVT in the left thigh and put on Lovenox (glad I have insurance, that shit is expensive) and Coumadin. I have know idea why I got the DVT, we are waiting for the blood tests to see if there is any genetic issues or something else that might have caused it. I don't fit any of the typical profiles for having a DVT. The cancer thing is freaking me out a bit as well as the dying from a pulmonary embolism. I was surprised how easy it was to give myself a shot, not nearly as bad I thought, all though I have bruise all over my abs. I am having a real hard time with the fact that my ski season is probably over for the year. My doctor told me I had to take it easy for awhile but I realized yesterday that my idea and his idea of taking it easy are not the same thing. A lot of doctors do not understand people that are passionate about the outdoors and working out. I am going completely nuts sitting on the couch now but I guess it beats the alternative. I hope I get an OK to start working out again soon. Thanks for a place to vent.

Sorry to hear that. It is a bummer, and SierraCement's story is scary. To be honest though, it's not something I think about that often these days, except when I'm skiing (in which case I remind myself to dial it back). Having to do the Lovenox shots for 35 days kind of sucked though.

[Alaska Skier]

My doctor just let me go back to the gym but I can't do any leg stuff yet. I now have a canakle and don't think I could even begin to get my foot in my ski boot. I am wondering how long the swelling is going to last. My doc is still trying to figure my rat posion dose out so I have had about 7 INR tests done in 2 weeks. It also looks like I got the DVT on a 4 hour flight from Anchorage to Portland and did not know I had it for about two weeks. I always thought you had to be on a long overseas flight to get these. Live and learn

[AKbruin]

Yeah, my INRs have been all over the place. It took me over a month to get over 2.0 (thus the 35 days of Lovenox shots). And I'm still all over the place. I've gone from 1.4 to 3.2 in the space of a week or so.

Weird that you'd get it on only a four-hour flight. I think I got mine from the impact of my bike crash in Whistler combined with the 24-hour drive back to Tahoe. I'd certainly done my fair share of 10+ flights and long drives (e.g., SF to Anchorage and back) before without any problems. Good luck with it.

Anyhow, today the nurse indicated that my doctor wants to get me off the coumadin soon. I have an ultrasound next week, which I assume will be to ensure that the clot is no more. If that fucker is gone, I hope to be aggresively engaging in blood sports by the end of the month. Razor fight anyone?

[AKbruin]

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

Serena Williams' absence from tennis could stretch to almost a year after two new health scares -- a blood clot in her lungs followed by a hematoma -- have added to her injury woes.

Her agents confirmed Wednesday that Williams was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism last week and later needed treatment for a hematoma. The 13-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played an official match since winning Wimbledon last July because of a foot injury she sustained not on the court but at a restaurant.

Her latest health problems have been "extremely hard, scary and disappointing," Williams said in a statement. "I am doing better. I'm at home now and working with my doctors to keep everything under control. I know I will be OK but am praying and hoping this will all be behind me soon.

"While I can't make any promises now on my return, I hope to be back by early summer. That said, my main goal is to make sure I get there safely," she said.

People magazine first reported on Williams' condition, quoting spokeswoman Nicole Chabot as saying Williams underwent "emergency treatment" Monday for a hematoma suffered as a result of treatment for "a more critical situation," the pulmonary embolism.

The 29-year-old Williams was treated at a Los Angeles hospital and then returned to her home in the city.

"Thankfully everything was caught in time," her agents said in a statement. "With continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict medical supervision."

Williams' mother, Oracene Price, tweeted: "Thank you for your concern. She is fine."

The tennis star attended Sunday night's Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party. On Tuesday night, Williams posted on her Twitter account, "Tough day." A few minutes later, she retweeted Kim Kardashian.

The younger sister of seven-time major champion Venus Williams has been out of competition since she cut her right foot on broken glass at a restaurant shortly after winning her fourth Wimbledon title July 3. Her comeback has been repeatedly delayed by complications with the injury.

Williams had surgery after initially hurting her foot and pulled out of the U.S. Open. She resumed practicing in September but kept pushing back her return and needed an additional operation in October.

Williams missed the Australian Open in January, where she was the two-time defending champion.

Chabot told the magazine the embolism was discovered after Williams returned to Los Angeles from New York "for doctor appointments for the ongoing issues with her foot."

Dr. Mark Adelman, chief of vascular surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center, said a patient with a pulmonary embolism would need to take an anticoagulant for six to 12 months but could play sports on the medication.

"A blood clot can occur in any vein or extremity, most commonly in the leg, and can travel to the lung," Dr. Adelman wrote in an e-mail. "Prior surgery, air travel, prolonged sitting, birth control pills, obesity and pregnancy can predispose a patient to a blood clot in the leg that can travel to the lung."

Adelman said if a clot-dissolving agent is used to treat an embolism, it can result in bleeding around the catheter used to deliver the drug. Williams' agents said the hematoma was removed.

Williams has a wide range of business, fashion and charitable interests that keep her in the public eye even when she's not on the court. Since winning her first Grand Slam title in 1999, she has struggled with injuries on several occasions only to come back to win more championships.

Doctor's take on Serena's condition here: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=617...goryid=2378529

Interesting. I like Serena Williams and can somewhat sympathize with a small, freakish accident leading to bigger and scarier issues. The doctor's comments on the video are a little scary.

[Making a Pizza]

Dear Users of Lovenox, the slower you push it, the less it hurts, and the smaller you bruise!

[Ski4Life!]

I am a 65 year old tournament water skier and snow skier, {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfV8ucAIFhk}. I was still competing, until they put me on Lovenox, temporarily (3-6 months) for a recently diagnosed partial thrombosis in a vein in my liver. The hematologist and hepatoligist told me not to ski, water or snow, and I took that on face value and decided to follow their instructions. I've had several season ending surguries and injuries in both sports, but have always been glad none were career-ending. After reading the comments in this forum, I'm reconsidering the doctors' proscriptions. I ski to live and live to ski, it's my 'fountain of youth." There are another 6 weeks of snow ski season and the whole summer for water skiing. I believe I am competent to get on the "board(s)" and "ski lite" this year. So, should I take this year off, being the wise old 65 year old that I should be, or follow the advice I've read here, which is:
"Limit risk, don't let risk limit you..."
"I am apalled at how much folks are increasingly willing to trade in safety for freedom,"
"No Eternal Reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn..." Jim Morrison

Any advice for me, please?