I thought it was just another day. I got out of bed and placed both of my feet on the floor as I normally would. This time it felt different. It was like I had a pulling feeling in my left leg. You never forget the pain of DVT, and this pain was familiar. I took a closer look and I noticed the swelling. I just didn’t want to believe I could have deep vein thrombosis (DVT) again. I hadn't had one in 10 years. In the past decade, I’d had many blood tests to check for blood disorders. I hadn’t had any, but my blood still clots easily. So I couldn’t understand why my leg hurt so badly. That was Father’s Day 2021. I went to the hospital. I let the doctors know about my history with right leg deep vein thrombosis, so they would know what to rule out. I got an ultrasound on my left leg and a CT scan. I paused for a minute after getting the diagnosis -- a left leg DVT that’s in my thigh as well. All kinds of thoughts started running through my head. Mostly I was hoping and praying my clots wouldn’t travel to my lungs or brain. If that happens, they can cause a pulmonary embolism or a stroke. I haven’t forgotten the emotions that go with a DVT diagnosis, either. I wanted to break down into tears in front of the doctor, but I knew I needed to be strong to overcome this condition. This new diagnosis has taught me that it’s very important to listen to your body especially If you have a history of blood clots and you start to feel symptoms like tightness in your calf, chest pain, and warmth in the area of the pain. Please seek medical attention. Another thing you should do is educate yourself. Exercise and eating healthy are big ways that can help you prevent clots. You need to know the things you can and can’t eat. I don’t eat anything high in vitamin K because it works against my medication. Be proactive and know that even if you get deep vein thrombosis, it isn’t the end of the world. You may feel alone but you aren’t -- so many people have this same diagnosis. Reach out to them for help. You can check with your doctor to find support groups or look for them online. I told myself I got through this before, I will get through this again -- and so will you. Source
