Blood Clots, DVT, and the Future Pussification of My Skiing
Having had intermittent pain in my left leg, I was diagnosed with DVT (blood clot) in my left leg a week ago. I'm 34, healthy, active, have generally clot-free genetics, and have done countless long flights and drives in the past without issue. I suspect the cause was a fall I had while mountain biking in Whistler a couple months ago. I broke my wrist and hit the back of my left leg pretty hard. I also continued to ride for another 1.5 hours but realized I was finito the next day when x-rays revealed that I had fractured my scaphoid. The day after that, I did a depressing 24-hour solo drive back to Tahoe followed by 2 months of broken-wrist induced inactivity.
Given the foregoing, I'm guessing that (1) the hard impact on the back of left leg + (2) long drive back home + (3) several weeks of sedentary lifestyle = blood clot. At least I'm hoping this is the case.
I now have the pleasure of giving myself daily shots of Lovenox into the stomach until the Coumadin gets my blood where it needs to be. While the first few times involved 10-15 minutes periods of literal navel-gazing before I was able administer the shot, I've gotten much better. It's not that it hurts much. It's really just the concept of puncturing myself and then injecting foreign fluids into my body that gets me. (I have a newfound respect for diabetic and heroin attics.)
Today the doc told me that I'd have to take the Coumadin (a blood thinner) for 6 months, which dovetails harshly with the ski season. He said that I should avoid things that might cause bleeding--e.g., shaving, carpentry, machete juggling.
As for skiing, well I can do it . . . kind of. The doc used the word "groomer" waaayyy more than I was comfortable with. But his point was that I should ski in a manner to ensure that I don't cause external or, much worse, internal bleeding. Bad year to get a Squaw Pass, I guess. Anyhow, my plan is to continue skiing, but to just dial it back. No 15'+ hucks; no park; no skiing in exposed areas; no maching through trees. I plan to continue skiing backcountry. But I'm putting my couloir fetish aside. This year, or at least until April, I'm going to be a meadow-skipping seeker of hippy turns, which, in all honesty, doesn't sound half-bad.
So, talk to me folks. What's your blood clot story? How'd you deal with the thin-blood issue? Ever hear of impact/trauma related DVT? Should I find a specialist? Should I be freaked out or just annoyed? (I right now, I'm much more inclined toward the latter.)