GWS ColinJ.. DVT/Pulmonary Embolism

[david k]

Usually 18-22 miles, with about 1,500 ft of climbing. I have a slightly tougher one in mind which I intend to have a go at soon.

and as mushy-headed as I was after nearly dying from carbon monoxide poisoning a few years back!

CO poisoning !! whats the story here?

 

[ColinJ]

CO poisoning !! whats the story here?

All was revealed in this thread!

 

[ColinJ]

I did a 23 mile ride today, taking in the 5.5 mile Cragg Vale climb. I got chatting to a local rider on the way up the hill and he told me that he was trying to get fit again, having been knocked off his bike by a van last year. I told him that I was on the mend too, having had health problems for the last year. I mentioned that I have to take warfarin every evening and he said "Oh, my dad has to take that - he got a DVT in his leg, which broke up and caused a dangerous clot in his lungs" ...

It is more common than most people think - be vigilant!

 

[MartinQ]

Mind me asking that the supplements are? I'm not expecting miracles, but the way I'm feeling, I'll try anything sensible. I'm doing some commuting each week (~25 miles, 3 times a week), but its at a snail's pace and hills hold no attraction.

 

[ColinJ]

Think they're more to try and prevent PTS
http://files.www.clotconnect.org/patients/resources/brochures/compressionstockinghandout-1.pdf
which if you're having some "trouble" after ~15 months, you may be experiencing, even mildly?

I'm doing a lot better now. When I am standing about in the kitchen, I try to remember to walk about a bit or at least stand on tiptoes a few times every 5 minutes, just to keep the blood moving. It seems to help.

My range on the bike is improving. I managed 23 hilly miles the other day and my bad leg only started to feel a bit tender when I got home. I have a 31 mile hilly ride planned, and will be interested to see how I cope with that.

The biggest problem at the moment is that I am still not comfortable sitting for long periods at a dining table, or at a computer desk. When I got ill last year, I got myself a footstool and sit with my legs up on that. I have been eating from a tray, and using my notebook pc on my lap. I am trying to work out a way of sitting at a table with my legs raised on a footstool.

Mind me asking that the supplements are? I'm not expecting miracles, but the way I'm feeling, I'll try anything sensible. I'm doing some commuting each week (~25 miles, 3 times a week), but its at a snail's pace and hills hold no attraction.

They are just Vitamin B complex from Sainsburys. One small tablet a day which contains 100% of the RDA of all of the B vits, except for B12 which I think is about 40% of the RDA.

I have definitely been feeling better since I started taking them. I might have been feeling better by now even without them, but the timing is a bit of a coincidence if that is the case. Anyway, they are very cheap, so you might as well try them.

I hope that you start feeling better soon yourself!

 

[potsy]

A year ago (when I was 56), I think I looked about 50.

Think again Colin

 

[ColinJ]

Think again Colin

A year ago (when I was 56), I think I looked about 45?

 

[ColinJ]

I have been wearing a hat when walking to the shops the past few nights, and I realised that my hair (or lack of it) is the biggest part of the 'looking old' problem. My face looks a lot better since I lost weight and got some colour back in it. (But yes, it does still look like me - before any cruel person points out that particular problem!)

 

[MartinQ]

They are just Vitamin B complex from Sainsburys. One small tablet a day which contains 100% of the RDA of all of the B vits, except for B12 which I think is about 40% of the RDA.

Thanks I'll try some ... snake oil for me pls.

 

[tony111]

I call by Hebden Bridge now and then because of my job. You RIDE those hills? Wow you got my respect.

 

[gbb]

I rarely venture into H&F, I havnt read this thread for ages. Blimey Colin, I didnt realise you were still struggling.
I was thinking today, does the loss of fitness and lack of exercise have a double negative effect ?. Have you noticed the little things, like viruses seem to hang on longer...I seem to struggle for ages with everything. Now I have a scabby nose, after a light cold about three weeks ago...its a mare in the night, I can hardly breathe. Anyway, I was riding along today thinking, does exercise result in your bodily systems pumping away and purging the bad stuff quicker, be they colds, viruses, etc etc

Since I had pneumonia etc, ive really just been ambling along, not much exercise...and everything seems to have imploded this year. The trouble is, finding the mojo to get out there is twice as hard...but maybe twice as important.
TBF, it doesnt sound as though (forgive me if I'm wrong) ypuve lost the drive to get out there, hats off to you.

 

[ColinJ]

I rarely venture into H&F, I havnt read this thread for ages. Blimey Colin, I didnt realise you were still struggling.

Yeah, I had a bit of a relapse. Scrub that - I got ill with the same thing again! Fortunately, I spotted it early this time and have made rapid progress since going back on Warfarin. I am now better than I have been since August 2012.

I was thinking today, does the loss of fitness and lack of exercise have a double negative effect ?. Have you noticed the little things, like viruses seem to hang on longer...

I have been very lucky, in that I haven't suffered from any illness other than the clotting since I was diagnosed in summer 2012! I think a good dose of 'flu then would have killed me, since I was so weakened by the pulmonary embolism.

I seem to struggle for ages with everything. Now I have a scabby nose, after a light cold about three weeks ago...its a mare in the night, I can hardly breathe. Anyway, I was riding along today thinking, does exercise result in your bodily systems pumping away and purging the bad stuff quicker, be they colds, viruses, etc etc

I think exercise does help as long as you don't overdo it. I was overweight when I got ill, but I was very strong from dragging that fat body over endless hills in Yorkshire and Lancashire. That strength was probably what saved me. One doctor told me last year that she had never seen anybody still walking with an embolism as bad as mine. Many such patients died before even getting to hospital! (I wasn't walking far - I could just get from my hospital bed to the bathroom and back, and that was my limit.)

Since I had pneumonia etc, ive really just been ambling along, not much exercise...and everything seems to have imploded this year. The trouble is, finding the mojo to get out there is twice as hard...but maybe twice as important.

I am sorry to hear that, but it is understandable! Some people were trying to get me to do too much too soon. I wanted to do more, but it was too hard and too scary at the time.

I hope you get your mojo back soon.

TBF, it doesnt sound as though (forgive me if I'm wrong) ypuve lost the drive to get out there, hats off to you.

I'm doing pretty well now. This afternoon, I did my hardest ride in 14 months. I'll write it up in Your Ride Today, er, tomorrow!

 

[Garz]

I'm doing pretty well now. This afternoon, I did my hardest ride in 14 months. I'll write it up in Your Ride Today, er, tomorrow!

Look forward to reading it Colin!

 

[bicyclos]

Hi Colin
How 's it going, hope you had a good ride from your last post and keeping well.......Did you grit your teeth on your hardest ride in 14 month......if so, good on ya ! Still thinking about ya....wish you well......

 

[ColinJ]

Look forward to reading it Colin!

Hi Colin
How 's it going, hope you had a good ride from your last post and keeping well.......Did you grit your teeth on your hardest ride in 14 month......if so, good on ya ! Still thinking about ya....wish you well......

Thanks chaps! Yes, I did do the ride - report here.

I am feeling pretty good, considering. I am okay walking and cycling, or sitting with my legs up, but I can't sit for too long in seats or on chairs before my left leg starts to swell up and go a bit numb. My legs still feel 'heavy' and 'clotty', and I am beginning to think that might be what I'll be stuck with. If that's as bad as it gets though, I can live with that.

The former fatigue and fuzzy head problems have diminished greatly. That might be due to my vitamin B supplements, or just part of the healing process, but either way it is a big relief because I could hardly do anything when I felt like that.

I'm still slowly losing weight, which is a good thing, but as the flab disappears from my legs I am beginning to see the damage to my veins. Not a pretty sight!

I have a routine blood test this week, so I will be able to see if the vitamin B is affecting my anticoagulation. I don't think there is a problem, but it will be reassuring to have it confirmed.

If we get a nice day soon, I am going to take my bike to Garforth by train and do a flat 100 km ride. That will be a doubling of distance over last Sunday's ride, but by avoiding hills it should be ok.