Blood Clots

[red]

my left leg was a little swollen then in the afternoon I could not walk more than 50 feet without stopping.  I was in major  pain SO off to the emergency room and I was quickly told I had blood clots in my leg but for added FUN I had one in my right Lung . I spent 8 days in the hospital lots of blood thinners 24 hour saline IV the surgeon inserted a drain and then removed it the next day . I am walking with a Cane and very weak overall . My next few weeks are going to be spent with lots of Doctor Appointments .  I am very thankful that I am as healthy as I am .   

[Ox]

Geez Louize.  Glad you caught it and got things fixed in time.  Hopefully you get stronger and stronger every day.

[sprucebunny]

Hope you feel better soon.

[WV Sawmiller]

Red,

   Sorry to hear it. Hope they get your lube system regulated to the right thickness and you make a complete recovery soon. They always warn us to use lighter weight fluids in the winter. Maybe this is a seasonal issue.

   Did they make a big change to your diet or tell you what actually caused the blockage and how to prevent it in the future?

[Chuck White]

Blood clots are nothing to mess around with!

I had a blockage in one of the small arteries in my heart back in 1995 and spent a week in the hospital, the last 3 days were in Burlington, Vt where an angioplasty was done.  Since then I've been on a few daily meds, then in 2005 I started in with AFIB, so since then I've been taking Warfarin every day!

No further issues to date!

So, follow your doctors advise!

[thecfarm]

Way too many of us not doing well. 

[Bruno of NH]

Red
I just went through this same thing but the clots went from my legs and filled my lungs.
In the hospital for 5 days lots of shots for a month .
Dr tells me I might be on blood thinners the rest of my life .
Get well Red
Bruno

[WDH]

Yes, get well, Red.

[4x4American]

 


What causes this?


Hope you get that outta yer system soon!

[pineywoods]

Blood clots are NOT something to fool around with. They tend to break loose and then lodge somewhere else. If somewhere else is a lung, you've got serious but fixable problem. Even more serious is a clot in the brain. That's called a stroke and recovery is iffy at best. Blood thinner is a precaution against future clots. Warfrin is the standard treatment, but it's difficult to keep the dosage regulated. There are other options...

[Roxie]

Aww Red, I'm so sorry to hear you had that scare, but so happy to know you're still around.  Please take care of yourself.   

[Chuck White]

Blood clots are NOT something to fool around with. They tend to break loose and then lodge somewhere else. If somewhere else is a lung, you've got serious but fixable problem. Even more serious is a clot in the brain. That's called a stroke and recovery is iffy at best. Blood thinner is a precaution against future clots. Warfrin is the standard treatment, but it's difficult to keep the dosage regulated. There are other options... 

That's right Piney, I take a 5mg Warfarin one night (supper meal) and 7.5mg the next night, and have for years, then about every 5-6 weeks I have to go get my blood tested!

Then I have to stay away from some food items, primarily "leafy vegetables"    the worse part of that is, I love a garden salad!   

[Ed_K]

 Red hope you strengthen up and get back to good health. Like thecfarm says "there's way to many of us not doing so well. The doctor's taking care of me at the oncology dept keep warning me to watch for red spots on my legs.Also that it could be with a warm sensation and pain as you felt. That's when you go the ER quick.

[Magicman]

I have been on a road trip sawing and missed this Red.  My prayers are for your full and complete recovery.

[Ox]

Chuck - why do you have to stay away from leafy vegetables?  This is the first time I've ever heard a doc say to do this.  Usually they say eat more!  Does it interact with your meds?  Does it help thin your blood too much?

[pineywoods]

Blood thinner and some leafy veggies are not a good combination. The problem is vitamin K, which is a clotting factor. It directly reduces the effectiveness of blood thinner. Turnip greens, collards, brussel sprouts etc are loaded with vitamin K. 

[Bruno of NH]

Kale is one of the worst for the vitamin K
I'm on 3 5mg pills a day for 3 days then 2 5mg and 1 7.5 mg then back
There are other meds but I'm to big to be on them
They had a hard time getting me to the 2-3 range
I have lost about 20 pounds
Hopefully I can keep it up

[Roxie]

Chuck - why do you have to stay away from leafy vegetables?  This is the first time I've ever heard a doc say to do this.  Usually they say eat more!  Does it interact with your meds?  Does it help thin your blood too much?

Now, I'm gonna tell a story.  On July 4th of last year, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and admitted in critical condition for septic shock caused by a kidney stone,  I've had problems with stones on and off since I was in my twenties, but they had never captured the stones, or a reason for their continuing to form.  Well, we caught it this time, and after two surgeries and four days in Intensive Care, and 60 days of being restricted, I had a follow up visit with the Doc.  He told me that my stone had been caused by oxalates.  Thinking it would be funny, I said, "it's all those pesky vegetables, right?"  He said, "Seriously, yes." 

Y'all can google it, but turns out spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, beets, sweet potatoes, nuts, wheat berries, shredded wheat, and tea top the list.  So, I'm back to coffee and Captain Crunch in the morning, and my salads are all made with ice berg lettuce and peeled cucumbers.  All those dark green leafy vegetables, and those "colorful" ones are just a trap. 
 
 

[Bruno of NH]

I love green tea
No green tea for me
One of the worst right there with kale for the blood thinner

[GrahamW]

Red
a
I had a DVT in my leg many years ago and then 6 years ago contracted a bilateral pulmonary embolism so I am 9  or 10 mg warfarin (rat poison) daily for the rest of my life unless they find a better treatment. Warfarin is a vitamin K inhibitor which is why leafy greens can affect your INR.  Another issue is alcohol as it thins the blood which increases the INR, especially 'binge' drinking.

What I am trying to get at is if you have a salad with your meal every night that will not be a problem nor would regularly eating greens and if you are going to drink then it is either a little rarely or any amount regularly 

Good luck with your treatment.

Graham