Baggy
Cake connoisseur
- Location
- Where the chevrons are
Glad to hear you feel well enough to come home Colin, but do make sure you take it steady! Defrosting is far too rock 'n' roll!
GWS ColinJ.. DVT/Pulmonary Embolism
- Thread starter potsy
- Start date
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Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
It's no good Baggy, you can't tell 'em. I leave NT alone for 5 minutes, he's jacking up Land Rover axles...
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
I've been in the workshop taking apart a BMW K100 gearbox.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Ha ha! I have to laugh, otherwise I'd cry ... I never thought I'd see the day when defrosting a fridge would push me to my physical limits!
It has certainly given me an insight into how frail, lonely pensioners must live their lives. I've struggled to open packets when I couldn't find the scissors; I couldn't carry a 12 pound rucksack round here because it was too heavy for me; having to ask my friend to make me a cup of tea because I couldn't handle another trip down the stairs; not being able to do my own washing and shopping; sitting around the house all day just waiting for someone to come round to talk to me and help me out ...
Baggy
Cake connoisseur
- Location
- Where the chevrons are
Although not as serious as DVT, I've (so far) twice had illnesses that were physically debilitating, the first time I was able to go back to my parents' house to be looked after, but the second time was living on my own and had the same kind of insight - cooking was too much effort, I'd be desperately thirsty as i couldn't face going to the kitchen for a drink, was unable to walk down the street or go shopping without a friend escorting me etc and lost confidence in my capacity to handle the outside world.Ha ha! I have to laugh, otherwise I'd cry ... I never thought I'd see the day when defrosting a fridge would push me to my physical limits!
It has certainly given me an insight into how frail, lonely pensioners must live their lives...
Luckily that's now just a memory (as I'm sure it soon will be for you!) but it still acts as a reminder to me to not take anything for granted health wise, and prompts me to have a bit more consideration for my elderly relatives and neighbours, even when they're driving me round the twist!
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I'm using this thread as a kind of online diary so I can (hopefully!) look back later and remind myself of how my recovery went, so here is a quick update ...
My breathing is much better. I don't have any problem with long conversations any more, whereas when I was in hospital I tended to get breathless when I talked for more than a few minutes.
I can now walk (slowly) up and down stairs a few times without collapsing afterwards.
The pal I stayed with when I came out of hospital invited me round for a meal the other evening and I managed the 50 metre walk to her house fairly comfortably and got home okay afterwards.
The leg with the blood clot in it is still swelling up if I stand or walk about on it for more than a few minutes but it was packing up after 30 seconds a few weeks ago, so that is actually good progress.
I am not yet able to walk to the nearest shops or cafe which is my next big target, but hopefully I will manage that some time in October.
I am still frustrated at how slow the progress is, but a month ago I only just had enough breath to stagger 20 feet to the bathroom so I'm not going to complain!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
And now, a public health announcement ...
If you develop unexpected pains, swelling or discolouration in a leg, it could be due to a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis - a.k.a. a feckin big blood clot!)
If you develop a dry, hacking cough which lasts more than a few days and you become very breathless for no apparent reason, that could be due to a pulmonary embolism (a.k.a. a feckin big blood clot in/around a lung!). I can tell you from personal experience that this is defintely *not* a situation where a 'HTFU/MTFU' attitude is going to help you - GO AND SEE YOUR DOCTOR, ASAP!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
My breathing is much better. I don't have any problem with long conversations any more, whereas when I was in hospital I tended to get breathless when I talked for more than a few minutes.
I can now walk (slowly) up and down stairs a few times without collapsing afterwards.
The pal I stayed with when I came out of hospital invited me round for a meal the other evening and I managed the 50 metre walk to her house fairly comfortably and got home okay afterwards.
The leg with the blood clot in it is still swelling up if I stand or walk about on it for more than a few minutes but it was packing up after 30 seconds a few weeks ago, so that is actually good progress.
I am not yet able to walk to the nearest shops or cafe which is my next big target, but hopefully I will manage that some time in October.
I am still frustrated at how slow the progress is, but a month ago I only just had enough breath to stagger 20 feet to the bathroom so I'm not going to complain!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
And now, a public health announcement ...
If you develop unexpected pains, swelling or discolouration in a leg, it could be due to a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis - a.k.a. a feckin big blood clot!)
If you develop a dry, hacking cough which lasts more than a few days and you become very breathless for no apparent reason, that could be due to a pulmonary embolism (a.k.a. a feckin big blood clot in/around a lung!). I can tell you from personal experience that this is defintely *not* a situation where a 'HTFU/MTFU' attitude is going to help you - GO AND SEE YOUR DOCTOR, ASAP!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I was told that a DVT could be caused by something as trivial as a bruise. Pretty shocking really when you realise how serious the consequences can be!
I'm glad that your former colleague is still with us, though I am hoping that 6 months of Warfarin treatment will be enough for me.
One reason why I am keeping this thread going is to try and prevent other CycleChat members going through what I am, or worse ...
The other reason is that I was getting lots of messages asking how I am doing, so it makes sense to keep you all updated in one place.
I am looking forward to cycling at a much more sensible weight in 2013!
I think it might have been enough for him if he had been sensible. Instead he treated the DVT as an excuse to give up exercise and carried on drinking and smoking for another thirty years. He only saw the light in his mid 50s, by which time it was far too late to reverse any of the damage.
It is depressing how many conditions are caused or made worse by being a lardy lump.
Everything from tiniitus to ingrowing toenails.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Good advise about the DVT. A friends mother was taken to hospital with a DVT and her life was never the same, mind you she was quite aged and frail to start with.
I did not know that DVT could be caused by something as simple as a bruise though. That has quite shocked me.
Good advise about the DVT. A friends mother was taken to hospital with a DVT and her life was never the same, mind you she was quite aged and frail to start with.
I did not know that DVT could be caused by something as simple as a bruise though. That has quite shocked me.
Christopher
Über Member
Get well soon Colin! I seem to have posted above on the wrong thread, I will delete it!
After you are well we can go up Shibden Wall aka Lee Lane, just north of Halifax: a cobbled 1 in 4 climb. You'll love it! I only just got up it in 26x25 on a tourer. After the first third of the climb there is no respite from the gradient and no escaping the cobbles, you just have to grind up.
After you are well we can go up Shibden Wall aka Lee Lane, just north of Halifax: a cobbled 1 in 4 climb. You'll love it! I only just got up it in 26x25 on a tourer. After the first third of the climb there is no respite from the gradient and no escaping the cobbles, you just have to grind up.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Causes of DVT
I think that my problem developed due to a combination of excess weight, eccessive alcohol intake, long periods of time sat at a computer, dehydration and possibly genetic factors (my mother suffered a couple of DVTs so there might be a family tendency to suffer them).
I think that my problem developed due to a combination of excess weight, eccessive alcohol intake, long periods of time sat at a computer, dehydration and possibly genetic factors (my mother suffered a couple of DVTs so there might be a family tendency to suffer them).
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Thanks.
I think it will be a few (hundred!) days before I'll be ready to cycle up 25% cobbled 'walls' again!
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Oh - another thing ...
Large amounts of vitamin k in your diet can increase the tendency to clot. A lot of the vegetables that I really like and was eating large amounts of are high in vitamin k. Veg such as broccoli, peas and lettuce. I didn't realise that it was possible to eat too much of that kind of thing. I do not want to reduce my intake of those vegetables so I am going to look for other vegetables that thin the blood and try and balance out the effects.
I have been told that cranberries and cranberry juice are a big no-no when on Warfarin.
Alcohol intake should not exceed the government guidelines. I'm playing safe and have cut it out altogether while I am on Warfarin. If I start again after recovery, I will stick to those limits.
Large amounts of vitamin k in your diet can increase the tendency to clot. A lot of the vegetables that I really like and was eating large amounts of are high in vitamin k. Veg such as broccoli, peas and lettuce. I didn't realise that it was possible to eat too much of that kind of thing. I do not want to reduce my intake of those vegetables so I am going to look for other vegetables that thin the blood and try and balance out the effects.
I have been told that cranberries and cranberry juice are a big no-no when on Warfarin.
Alcohol intake should not exceed the government guidelines. I'm playing safe and have cut it out altogether while I am on Warfarin. If I start again after recovery, I will stick to those limits.
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
I think Grapefruit might also have drug interactions, I know my parents had to cut down their consumption of it - my Dad is on Warfarin permanently.
