Margaret
Message 1 of 1
Hi, On Feb. 13, I was diagnosed with DVT of the calf. Before this, I've enjoyed good health and, to my knowledge, no one in my family has had this condition. The only thing I can attribute it to is the 5 trips I took, by car, during the past year in which I was the primary driver. The last time I travelled was on Dec. 15th for 8 hours departing and 8 hours returning. This trip took place over a 3-day period. Two months later, I developed systoms of DVT (calf swelling and pain). Is it reasonable for me to conclude that my travelling, two months prior, could have resulted in this condition? How long from the time of the contributing factor would one develop DVT. Needless to say, this condition has caused quite a stir for me. I am a 50 year old woman with two young children (9 and 15) and the thought of loosing my health at their young ages is devastating. I'm told that the recurrence rate in DVT patients is high. What is the chance (%) that I will have a recurrence of this condition? What can I do to prevent a recurrence? If I change my lifestyle, e.g. stop travelling, walk daily, etc., would it prevent this disease from reoccurring? I was administered 2 injections of Lovenox (1 at 100 MG and 1 at 30 MG), given simultaneously, once a day for five days. I will be on coumadin for 3 months. Should I seek further therapy with an aim to restore venous patency. I came across some literature stating that anticoagulation therapy is effective in reducing the associated risk of pulmonary embolism, but is ineffective in restoring patency of the venous system of the lower extremity. Should I be concerned about this? Thanks in advance for your response.