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

[bodywhomper]

Checking in…. Harry, how’s it going?


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[Harry]

Checking in…. Harry, how’s it going?


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Well, I seem to be doing ok. Day 5 now on the new blood thinner. Pain in my calf is gone, but it is still somewhat uncomfortable to walk. And they want me moving around, not sitting. There is still some swelling, but not like a few days ago.

I don’t know how these things work, but I assume these are all good trends. I also don’t know if I am out of the woods yet. My primary care doctor at Mayo Clinic wants to see me next week, I hope to find out more from him.

I have no idea how long it take for these blood clots to go away. I have been on a maintenance dose of Plavix for several years now, ever since the Bozeman cardiologist installed my heart stent. But obviously that wasn’t a strong enough dose to keep these clots from forming.

This whole episode really threw me for a loop. I was not expecting this.

[muted reborn]

I wish you luck. Just got taken off blood thinners yesterday after a year on them. Still on some other poison that i think is making me slightly chubby, but I'm alive!

[bodywhomper]

Harry, if you haven’t already, I suggest you reach out to your PT to let them know what’s going on. You want to mitigate the setback from your recovery from knee surgery as much as possible and get back on some sort of PT routine, even if it’s augmented for now.

Having a new plan in place to get back to being a strong and functional athlete will be helpful. Having that convo with your team should be helpful for them, too… and of course, all should have the expectation, that the plan may need to change and be flexible.

I assume your PT and primary care are aware that you’re an athlete, plan to continue your athletic pursuits once recovered, and your expectation for them is that they’ll help and advise you on how to achieve that your realistic goals.

[Harry]

Wow, that sucks. I hope the new ratatouille mix is tolerable and lets you get back out there quickly. Dont like the word extensive at all unless it’s about the availability of hookers and blow

That’s the exact word the ER Doc used: “Mister Harry, you did not pull your calf muscle skiing, you have extensive blood clotting in your leg.”

Harry, if you haven’t already, I suggest you reach out to your PT to let them know what’s going on. You want to mitigate the setback from your recovery from knee surgery as much as possible and get back on some sort of PT routine, even if it’s augmented for now.

Having a new plan in place to get back to being a strong and functional athlete will be helpful. Having that convo with your team should be helpful for them, too… and of course, all should have the expectation, that the plan may need to change and be flexible.

I assume your PT and primary care are aware that you’re an athlete, plan to continue your athletic pursuits once recovered, and your expectation for them is that they’ll help and advise you on how to achieve that your realistic goals.

That is excellent advice, thank you.

I was really making solid gains since my knee surgery and I don’t want to lose what I gained.

They do know that I am an athlete. When I first started PT they had me slated for old person PT based on my age (mid-60s). At the first session they had me fill out a questionnaire, for my goal after PT I put down that I wanted to return to being the best skier on the mountain. That questionnaire got me bumped from the old-person PT to the Sports Medicine track. Different therapist with a program more aligned with an athlete.

I sent her a message via Mayo’s portal.

[mcski]

It’s been a long time but I seem to recall Plavix is more about making the blood slippery and works a bit different than thinners like Coumadin, etc. Don’t know what your on, but I recall my dad being kept on his maintenance Plavix while they temporarily added a thinner to his medicine cabinet

Exercise is your friend.

[old goat]

If we're going to discuss the difference between Plavix and anticoagulants--let's use the correct terms. Plavix is an antiplatelet agent. Platelets are the cells which cause blood clotting in intact arteries and stents. They are most commonly used in people who have hardening of the arteries--atherosclerosis. As mcski says, they don't do much to stop clotting in veins. "Blood thinners" could refer to Plavix or to anticoagulants. The latter are drugs which reduce the activity of blood clotting factors, which are (mostly) proteins in the blood plasma that can cause clotting in intact veins. There are a couple of types--heparin, which is injected and is used in the perioperative period (and also during heart and artery surgery), oral warfarin (Coumadin, "rat poison", and newer oral drugs like Eliquis. Both platelets and the plasma factors produce clotting in injured blood vessels--obviously that's why we have them, but when it comes to clotting in intact vessels--it's primarily platelets that start the clotting in arteries, the plasma factors in veins.None of the drugs make the blood actually thinner or more slippery. I think doctors do a disservice when they treat patients like idiots instead of just telling them what the drugs actually do. Even the idiot patients can understand it.Harry, a blood clot in the leg could theoretically extend from ankle to heart (I've never actually heard of one that long) but certainly not rare to see on from the calf to the groin. Did they say if the clot goes above the knee? Those are the ones we worry more about, both because of the risk of it breaking off and going into the lungs--little risk of that this long after and while on anticoagulation--and because as the clot resolves is can damage the valves in the veins which can lead to swelling and chronic pain.

[old goat]

I try to leave paragraphs. It does no good.

[::: :::]

Double return, old goat

[Core Shot]

Blood clot a foot long?
Nvrmind. Nothing to see here

PS. Good luck on the recovery. To all.

[mcski]

Thx OG, I was hoping you would chime in with the real differences. It’s been too long since I had to deal w Plavix and sometimes heparin with my dad to describe accurately. And I always enjoy your paragraphs

[old goat]

My post as written had 3 separate paragraphs, neatly separated by double spaces. If I saw a post the way mine came out after I posted it I wouldn't waste my time trying to read it. TGR has a blood clot 2 feet long.

[Harry]

Just got back from Mayo primary care appointment. Calf is still swollen, red, and hot to the touch. He says actual measurement has the clot at 18 inches, ER Doc just said “over a foot”.

I am on oral Eliquis, (Five) mg twice a day. Currently on Day (Twelve), saw fast progress Days One through Three, but plateaued since. Doc says that is fairly normal.

He said expect a long recovery. Stressed that he could not make any predictions. Most likely another month or two. Or maybe longer. Also told me about possible damage to my veins, no way to know for sure until the clot resolves.

Old Goat: I really appreciate your input. Sounds like you and my Doc are on the same page.

[old goat]

Yeah, I agree your course in normal. As far as the length of the clot--that's not an important number as far as how to treat and expected course. It's like Doc, how many stitches did I get?

[yeahman]

Good luck with the healing, Harry.

[Harry]

<p>

Checking in&hellip;. Harry, how&rsquo;s it going?

</p>
<p>
&nbsp;</p>
<p>
Checking in.</p>
<p>
Approaching 3 months since the blood clot was diagnosed, and I am still dealing with it. It is reduced, but still there. This seems like a long time, but what do I know.</p>
<p>
I am not dead, so I am counting that as winning. I have another appointment in a few weeks, curious what they say.</p>

[::: :::]

glad to hear it

stay not-dead, harry

[old goat]

The clots don't always resolve. They can turn into scar in the vein.

[mcski]

One of my buddies had developed clots in his leg at least three times in the last decade, but he never stays on the blood thinners once the clots go away. What could got wrong? lol

[Harry]

The clots don't always resolve. They can turn into scar in the vein.

Doc mentioned that at my last visit. Not what I wanted to hear.