DVT and possible post thrombotic syndrome

briped

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I suspect that's why my right foot and leg is more swollen than my left. I had a DVT in 2015 and again in 2016, because some stupid doc took me of my Xarelto (blood thinner). Anyway, vain me absolutely refused to have anything to do with compression socks. That's something my dad wears at 85, but not me. I was sure that I'd never hear from my ex-thrombotic leg again, but now I'm not so sure.
I'm still not keen on wearing compression socks - or socks at all, for that matter. I know you lot can't give me any medical advice on this, but I'd like to hear if anybody else has had DVT and/or post thrombotic syndrome, and have managed to at least stop the progression by doing exercises aimed at this affliction?
My aim is to get rid of the swelling.
I know that DVT may not be directly related to diabetes, but quite a few of us get it anyway, so I'd appreciate to hear from anybody experienced with this.
 

Rachox

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I know we can’t give medical advice but I’d strongly advise you to seek medical help. If you do have a DVT, untreated the clot can travel to somewhere else where it can cause a lot more damage, like your lungs or your brain. With the weekend on us your best bet is to call 111, mentioning your previous history is really important.
 

briped

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I know we can’t give medical advice but I’d strongly advise you to seek medical help. If you do have a DVT, untreated the clot can travel to somewhere else where it can cause a lot more damage, like your lungs or your brain. With the weekend on us your best bet is to call 111, mentioning your previous history is really important.
Oh, I'm not worried about that. Tried a DVT twice before, and know what that feels like. 2nd time I went straight to my GP, who referred me to A&E, but there's not much they can do as I'm already being treated with Zarelto. First time was a different case altogether. I didn't know what it was, but it felt just like a sore muscle, so I just massaged it. I ended up in hospital with lung embolisms. Not good fun. My calf muscle is not sore, but my right leg and foot is fatter than my left, so I suspect that it might be damage from the DVT, that my vein can't really pump my blood back up towards my heart. I was warned that this might happen even after a couple of years, but oh no. This couldn't happen to me, right? Dr. Google says there's no treatment other than compression socks, but I'm looking into specifik exercises that'll help my circulation, hoping that someone in here might have tried something similar. Compression socks would really turn my life very sour.
Thanks for caring :) That's so sweet of you.
 

Happyhomelands

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I suspect that's why my right foot and leg is more swollen than my left. I had a DVT in 2015 and again in 2016, because some stupid doc took me of my Xarelto (blood thinner). Anyway, vain me absolutely refused to have anything to do with compression socks. That's something my dad wears at 85, but not me. I was sure that I'd never hear from my ex-thrombotic leg again, but now I'm not so sure.
I'm still not keen on wearing compression socks - or socks at all, for that matter. I know you lot can't give me any medical advice on this, but I'd like to hear if anybody else has had DVT and/or post thrombotic syndrome, and have managed to at least stop the progression by doing exercises aimed at this affliction?
My aim is to get rid of the swelling.
I know that DVT may not be directly related to diabetes, but quite a few of us get it anyway, so I'd appreciate to hear from anybody experienced with this.
Seek medical advice. My husband says that all exercise helps but he still has to wear compression socks fairly often. Losing weight is helping. His veins were permanently damaged by DVT. I would add that he also suffered pulmonary embolism whilst he was not on thinners and I'm lucky he is still here. Do keep talking to the medics. He says that you will work out what works for you but don't ignore symptoms.
 
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briped

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Seek medical advice. My husband says that all exercise helps but he still has to wear compression socks fairly often. Losing weight is helping. His veins were permanently damaged by DVT. I would add that he also suffered pulmonary embolism whilst he was not on thinners and I'm lucky he is still here. Do keep talking to the medics. He says that you will work out what works for you but don't ignore symptoms.

Thanks for taking your time. Were they damaged in one leg, or did he get DVTs in both of his legs? So he doesn't have to wear socks every day, but just when his legs are particularly swollen? I was told I'd have to wear them every day, or they wouldn't have any effect, and I really and truly can't bear that thought.
I won't be able to contact my GP till Tuesday, but don't feel it's urgent enough to get referred to A&E, and like I said in my post above, I'm already being treated anyway. Lifelong Xarelto.
Actually my calf is a little sore, but that could be from all the foot wiggling I've been doing today. My right calf is a bit more than an inch thicker than my left, so I'm not just imagining things.
I promise I won't ignore symptoms, but I admit that I am bad at underestimating them when it comes to myself. I know I have to lose weight, but am still waiting for the keto-miracle to kick in.
I'm so glad he survived the pulmonary embolism. That's no fun. When I couldn't climb the stairs from one floor to the next without taking a 15 minute break halfway up, I knew something was seriously wrong. Till then I kept telling myself it was just a virus.:banghead:
 

briped

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Just leaving this here for you @briped , please read it and take this seriously.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt/

Thanks Rachox, just to make sure I'll give the duty doc a call tonight, and ask his/her opinion, but the reason I'm hesitant is that I'm already on lifelong treatment on this drug, and last time I was told there's not much else they can do :

"Rivaroxaban is a medication recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a possible treatment for adults with DVT, or to help prevent recurrent DVT and pulmonary embolism.

Rivaroxaban comes in tablet form. It's a type of anticoagulant known as a directly acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC). It prevents blood clots forming by inhibiting a substance called factor Xa and restricting the formation of thrombin (an enzyme that helps blood clot).

Treatment usually lasts 3 months and involves taking rivaroxaban twice a day for the first 21 days and then once a day until the end of the course.

Read the NICE guidance about rivaroxaban for the treatment and prevention of recurrent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism."

Reading this made me blame myself less: "If you have had DVT, you should not be offered special stockings, called compression stockings, to stop you getting it again or to stop you from getting post-thrombotic syndrome. This is because it isn't clear if stockings help prevent these conditions." What a relief.

I am taking it seriously, but am a little too worried about being a nuisance.
 
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I suspect that's why my right foot and leg is more swollen than my left. I had a DVT in 2015 and again in 2016, because some stupid doc took me of my Xarelto (blood thinner).
I am under the impression from the cardiologist that I see, that once you start taking Xaralto (Rivaroxaban) you are on it for life.

My GP has never suggested that I stop taking it in the last four years.
 

ziggy_w

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Hi @bribed,

I went through the same thing as you. End of May 2015, I was diagnosed with DVT, pulmonary embolism and T2 diabetes. I also thought initially that the thrombosis was just a sore muscle. So, I really empathize.

Since then, I have put in quite a lot of time researching both conditions. There seems to be some connection between DVT and diabetes because high blood sugars make blood platelets stickier. So, having good control of blood sugar levels will probably help a lot.

Anyway, I actually did wear the support stockings regularly for two years, even at night for the first half year -- though I have to admit that I hated it. I agree with you -- compression stockings is what old women wear. I am also not sure whether they did actually help. There seems to be some research that questions this. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24315521. Anyway, in spite of having worn the stockings, my left leg still swells when I am out and about for a long period of time.

So, when I spend long hours at work, I still wear the stocking to minimize swelling (though I generally decide to wear pants or opaque wool stockings to cover it). If I spend much less time outside, I usually go without.

Exercise, such as running might also help. I used an elliptical trainer daily since diagnosis and though I still observe some swelling after standing up for long periods of time, the affected leg is at least functionally equivalent to the other (based on clinical tests).

Sorry that I can't be more helpful.
 
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briped

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Type 2
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Hi @bribed,

I went through the same thing as you. End of May 2015, I was diagnosed with DVT, pulmonary embolism and T2 diabetes. I also thought initially that the thrombosis was just a sore muscle. So, I really empathize.

Aww, and just two months after me. A sore muscle was exactly what it felt like, but I let that 'sore muscle' go on for just a bit too long. I don't know ... A week, perhaps? Then it felt back to normal, and everything was hunky dory till I started feeling breathless, but that was just some virus, right? Smashing, and to think I could've warned you if I'd known you at the time.

Since then, I have put in quite a lot of time researching both conditions. There seems to be some connection between DVT and diabetes because high blood sugars make blood platelets stickier. So, having good control of blood sugar levels will probably help a lot.

Our bodies are very complex machines, and one thing leads to the other. The hard thing is helping our bodies back in balance. At least my BG is within an acceptable range now, but like so many others I'm struggling with my weight. Thanks for the info. The doc at the hospital got a very long and very incredulous look from me, when she asked me why I got the embolisms. I mean, that's what normal people would expect the patient to ask the doctor, not the other way aroundo_O

Anyway, I actually did wear the support stockings regularly for two years, even at night for the first half year -- though I have to admit that I hated it. I agree with you -- compression stockings is what old women wear. I am also not sure whether they did actually help. There seems to be some research that questions this. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24315521. Anyway, in spite of having worn the stockings, my left leg still swells when I am out and about for a long period of time.

It's just so difficult to know, isn't it? I mean, maybe your leg would've been even more prone to swelling if you hadn't made the effort. Yet it's good for me to know, because the hospital insisted on measuring me up for one after my 2nd DVT, and it was as if I'd offended them when I politely turned down their offer. This was in the spring of 2016, and till just a couple of weeks ago my legs were their normal old selves. A bit swollen at times, and completely normal the next day. Then I noticed that the ex-thrombotic one was more swollen than the other, and that I didn't like. I turned to Google, and then to my trusty bank of knowledge, shared experience and wisdom in here.

So, when I spend long hours at work, I still wear the stocking to minimize swelling (though I generally decide to wear pants or opaque wool stockings to cover it). If I spend much less time outside, I usually go without.

It's actually comforting to know that you can wear it on and off according to your needs and plans. I was under the impression that once you started wearing one, it was a life sentence, always to be worn like your diabetes, only much more visible.

Exercise, such as running might also help. I used an elliptical trainer daily since diagnosis and though I still observe some swelling after standing up for long periods of time, the affected leg is at least functionally equivalent to the other (based on clinical tests).

Sorry that I can't be more helpful.

11 years ago, when I'd managed to shed enough weight to be just on the ok side of BMI things, I did try to take up running, but after only 1 - 200 meters my shins would go all acidy and painful. Maybe I just wasn't persistent enough. I walked a lot, about 5 km/day or more. I know that today my right knee (that leg again) really wouldn't thank me for it, but while googling yesterday I found a PDF from the University Hospital of Aalborg (Denmark) with quite a few exercises for people with swollen legs. I'll give those a try twice daily once I've hoovered the floor :p If you're interested, do let me know and I'll translate it for you.

You have been ever so helpful. I'm sure you don't even know, but you really have. Thank you so much.
 
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briped

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I am under the impression from the cardiologist that I see, that once you start taking Xaralto (Rivaroxaban) you are on it for life.

My GP has never suggested that I stop taking it in the last four years.

Well, in Denmark at least the routine treatment after a DVT is 6 months on Xarelto, but I'd had an episode of Supraventricular tachycardia while admitted to hospital, and that should've meant a 'life sentence' on Xarelto, but she took me of it, and that did worry me, with good reason, as it turned out. 6 months later I had another DVT.

These attacks of Supraventricular tachycardia would come and go, but they always stopped again. Sometimes within a few minutes, sometimes within an hour, I never knew, so I couldn't really get it seen to or diagnosed. I'd been getting these attacks occasionally for at least 20 years, and didn't know what they were, but I noticed that I kept on living so stopped worrying about it.

But at the hospital while admitted for my first DVT I had electrodes plastered all over me, and a screen would tell me how I was doing. Suddenly, while chatting peacefully to my husband on the phone, I had another episode. I barely had the time to mention it to him before 4 nurses were panicking around my bed. I told my husband that I'd better attend to these nurses, because they really did seem very flustered.
Very dramatic episode that was. While my heart was beating so hard and fast you could see it just by looking at my chest, I did my best to calm them down, and panick turned into confusion on their part, but after consulting somebody they asked me if I'd mind getting a diagnostic injection of adenosine? It would only stop my heart for a fraction of a second. What! :wideyed: Sort of like ctrl/Alt/delete, only for the heart. Well, ok, I agreed, but they had to inject it into a vein close to my heart, and they had trouble finding somewhere suitable for that, so I lay back and closed my eyes to give them peace and quiet to do their work, while hoping that my dear Michael wouldn't show up and see all these ongoings. He did, of course. I heard his voice going "Are you putting her into a medically induced coma?". That was my cue to open my eyes and soothe him too. Anyway, the adenosine worked like a charm, and my heart was back to normal again. A nurse wiped my clammy brow, and I felt a lot better.:)

Anyway, that's why I'm back on Xarelto, and for life this time.
 

ziggy_w

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Aww, and just two months after me. A sore muscle was exactly what it felt like, but I let that 'sore muscle' go on for just a bit too long. I don't know ... A week, perhaps? Then it felt back to normal, and everything was hunky dory till I started feeling breathless, but that was just some virus, right? Smashing, and to think I could've warned you if I'd known you at the time.



Our bodies are very complex machines, and one thing leads to the other. The hard thing is helping our bodies back in balance. At least my BG is within an acceptable range now, but like so many others I'm struggling with my weight. Thanks for the info. The doc at the hospital got a very long and very incredulous look from me, when she asked me why I got the embolisms. I mean, that's what normal people would expect the patient to ask the doctor, not the other way aroundo_O



It's just so difficult to know, isn't it? I mean, maybe your leg would've been even more prone to swelling if you hadn't made the effort. Yet it's good for me to know, because the hospital insisted on measuring me up for one after my 2nd DVT, and it was as if I'd offended them when I politely turned down their offer. This was in the spring of 2016, and till just a couple of weeks ago my legs were their normal old selves. A bit swollen at times, and completely normal the next day. Then I noticed that the ex-thrombotic one was more swollen than the other, and that I didn't like. I turned to Google, and then to my trusty bank of knowledge, shared experience and wisdom in here.



It's actually comforting to know that you can wear it on and off according to your needs and plans. I was under the impression that once you started wearing one, it was a life sentence, always to be worn like your diabetes, only much more visible.



11 years ago, when I'd managed to shed enough weight to be just on the ok side of BMI things, I did try to take up running, but after only 1 - 200 meters my shins would go all acidy and painful. Maybe I just wasn't persistent enough. I walked a lot, about 5 km/day or more. I know that today my right knee (that leg again) really wouldn't thank me for it, but while googling yesterday I found a PDF from the University Hospital of Aalborg (Denmark) with quite a few exercises for people with swollen legs. I'll give those a try twice daily once I've hoovered the floor :p If you're interested, do let me know and I'll translate it for you.

You have been ever so helpful. I'm sure you don't even know, but you really have. Thank you so much.

Hi @briped,

Wonderful reply. It's brilliant that you decided to join the forum.

My experience was quite similar. My hubby took me to the emergency entrance after I felt that the sore muscle pain had started moving upwards -- this was three to four days after the first symptoms occurred. In hospital then, I was diagnosed with DVT. When they did a CT scan, they also found that there were some blood clots in my lungs -- though I was still asymptomatic. I guess we are both incredibly lucky to be alive.

Like you, I remember the HCPs keeping on asking why I got the embolism. I had travelled the week before, but apparently the flight wasn't long enough to cause DVT. It seems to matter whether the DVT/embolism is provoked or unprovoked -- I guess this is why they keep asking. They even did genetic testing, but it seems I have no genetic abnormalities. Did they test this for you too?

Personally, I attribute the embolism to high blood sugars and high cortisol (due to extreme work stress and lack of sleep). Did you know that people with Cushing's syndrome (who produce way too much cortisol) have a tenfold increased risk of DVT?

Anyway, when I saw my GP in September last year (approx. 2 yrs later), he suggested that I come of blood thinners (im my case Apixaban Eliquis) and that I stop wearing the stocking. So, wearing stockings doesn't necessarily have to be forever.

The exercises you found sound interesting. What type of exercises are they? The nurse told me that flexing the front of my feet (with heels on the ground) while sitting is helpful in strengthening the muscles that support the veins in your calves.

Are you planning to get your leg/foot checked out? Maybe, they can do an ultrasound scan to see if there is any blockage.
 

briped

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Hello my twin thrombotic friend

Hi @briped,

Wonderful reply. It's brilliant that you decided to join the forum.

Oh I couldn't not join the forum once I found it. The main difference between this place and the corresponding Danish one is that this is so positive and encouraging. It gives me hope that I can be the master of my body, and not vice versa :)

My experience was quite similar. My hubby took me to the emergency entrance after I felt that the sore muscle pain had started moving upwards -- this was three to four days after the first symptoms occurred. In hospital then, I was diagnosed with DVT. When they did a CT scan, they also found that there were some blood clots in my lungs -- though I was still asymptomatic. I guess we are both incredibly lucky to be alive.

I had quite a time getting my GP's office to take me seriously. You see, in Denmark we can't just go to an A&E. We need a doctor's referral first. The secretary told me to come see them, and I told her that that simply was out of the question, and that I'd send for a private medic to come see me instead. Apparently the secretary told this to my GP, who rang me. She could hear that I had speech apnoea, and decided to admit me there and then without seeing me first. She arranged for some transport, but the **** driver refused to let my husband come along with me, so I sent him packing, and found a regular cab. Not being used to hospitals I just asked him to take me to the hospital in question, and he took us to the main entrance. It turned out that the A&E entrance was 2-300 m. away. I had to take several breaks to reach that entrance, but I managed, and was happy to see the lift that took me ½ a floor up. I'd packed my small cabin suitcase, and this made the nurses ask me if I'd come straight from the airport, but no. I knew that I was a keeper, and had packed my laptop and several other necessities, chargers, and what have you. To cut a long and rather tedious story short, after a horrible blood test in my wrist they did keep me. Not being used to being a patient I felt dazed and confused. Didn't know what questions to ask and what to expect, but they "re-diagnosed" my diabetes (surprise!!), and my BG was way up there. I remember I was handed quite a portion of white rice for my supper!! I was also carted off for a CT scan. It was exactly like in a bad American movie, where all the patient sees are all the light fittings in the ceiling :hilarious: That same evening I had this episode of supraventricular tachycardia, as narrated to Tipetoo further up in this thread, so quite a few things to deal with. Yes, I'm glad we're both alive too :)

Like you, I remember the HCPs keeping on asking why I got the embolism. I had travelled the week before, but apparently the flight wasn't long enough to cause DVT. It seems to matter whether the DVT/embolism is provoked or unprovoked -- I guess this is why they keep asking. They even did genetic testing, but it seems I have no genetic abnormalities. Did they test this for you too?

Yes, they did test me for that too, and no, no genetic reason for it.

Personally, I attribute the embolism to high blood sugars and high cortisol (due to extreme work stress and lack of sleep). Did you know that people with Cushing's syndrome (who produce way too much cortisol) have a tenfold increased risk of DVT?

No, I didn't know about cortisol playing a role, but you could well be right about the high BG. I know a lovely man who used to be a consultant on a medical ward. At least I believe he's lovely, but to be honest I sometimes have trouble understanding him because he's from Skåne in Sweden :hilarious: From what I could gather he was telling me not to blame myself, and not to take any s*** from anybody, because a DVT can happen for no apparent reason and to anybody, and I suppose that if anybody knows, it would be him. Of course a DVT is as stigmatising as our T2, so double whammy to us!

Anyway, when I saw my GP in September last year (approx. 2 yrs later), he suggested that I come of blood thinners (im my case Apixaban Eliquis) and that I stop wearing the stocking. So, wearing stockings doesn't necessarily have to be forever.

That's good news, unless it turns out to be necessary to wear it :mad: I won't ever come off my Xarelto, as I've explained to Tipetoo earlier in this thread. I bought a pair of cheapo travellers' socks. Perhaps they won't help much, but they'll have to do for the next couple of days.

The exercises you found sound interesting. What type of exercises are they? The nurse told me that flexing the front of my feet (with heels on the ground) while sitting is helpful in strengthening the muscles that support the veins in your calves.

They're mostly floor exercises, and there's lots of waving your legs in the air. For some reason I can't download and save the PDF, but here's the link. The drawings will give you some sort of an idea, while the text might be gibberish. If they look interesting to you, I'll be happy to translate :) The link was longer than my arm, so I shortened it.

https://bit.ly/2KC5TPC

Are you planning to get your leg/foot checked out? Maybe, they can do an ultrasound scan to see if there is any blockage.

I suppose I have to do something, but they do look better today. I can actually see my veins on both feet, and there's not much of a difference, if any :) Mind you, I did spend some hours with that leg raised very high up. I'll keep a close eye on it, keep it elevated whenever I can, and do those exercises. I'm more optimistic today that I was yesterday.
 

ziggy_w

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Hi @briped,

I echo your sentiment. I almost feel like as if I were your twin too.

Wonderful that you have seen the swelling diminish. How do you feel today?

Your experience back then sounds quite scary -- what if your GP hadn't decided to admit you to A&E right away. It seems your breathing was already quite compromised. What did the doctors say?

To be honest, (and this was probably a bit crazy), I didn't really worry about the DVT and PE too much (after being given a shot of blood thinner) and the immediate danger had passed. What really concerned me at the time was the diagnosis of diabetes, as I thought life as I knew it was over. It actually took me many months to resign myself to this. Now after three years of being low carb, I don't really miss my old life very much (except maybe having some Mickey D's French fries).

I didn't know that there was a stigma attached to thrombosis. Is it similar to the one attached to diabetes? I really hate this prejudice because most of the people judging us T2s don't really know anything about the real causes (unfortunately including some HCPs). They see that maybe the majority of T2s are overweight and thus believe this is the cause, never thinking twice if it might be the deranged metabolism bringing on the weight gain and thus starting a vicious cycle.

Thanks for attaching the link with the exercises. The look good and not too difficult -- easy to understand even without speaking Danish. Exercise 8 actually looks similar to the one the nurse was telling me about.

Edited for grammar.
 
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briped

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Hi @briped,

I echo your sentiment. I almost feel like I am your twin too.

Thanks for your lovely reply. I'm going to an internet black spot till tomorrow :arghh:, but will get back to you asap. Uh, will also need to download a bit of Netflix for off line watching before going to sleep. Scary thought, isn't it?
 

ziggy_w

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Hi @briped,

Yes, the way we live has changed a lot. If we are not hooked up to the net, we feel something is missing. Tbh, though, I sometimes fondly remember the times, when we weren't constantly expected to be available. Enjoy your time off the grid.
 

briped

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Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi @briped,

I echo your sentiment. I almost feel like as if I were your twin too.

Wonderful that you have seen the swelling diminish. How do you feel today?

It looks better, but still not quite as it should be. Mind you, it's not really polite to swing your legs up on a chair when visiting other people, even if they are laid back. I'm sure they wouldn't have minded at all, but I would :) Too well brought up, I suppose.

Your experience back then sounds quite scary -- what if your GP hadn't decided to admit you to A&E right away. It seems your breathing was already quite compromised. What did the doctors say?

Thankfully I have had the same GP since some time back in the 80'es, so she knows me, which was probably why she wasted no time once the secretary had told her about my call. She knows I'm not likely to ask for help unless I mean business. I only have to learn to mean business a little sooner than I do.

The hospital doctors? I must say I can't remember all that clearly. It's been 3 years, and I was confused. My self image was being drastically transformed, and I had trouble dealing with that. On top of everything I was in an environment and a situation I wasn't used to. One doc told me about the PE, another about my BG and the day after a third doc told me about the heart condition, and suggested a surgical procedure called an ablation. I got the feeling that the longer I stayed at the hospital, the more diagnosis they'd find for me, so I made it my business to get out of there as quickly as possible. I told you I wasn't very good at asking the right questions at all, but I did ask the doc, who told me about my heart condition, one question. "Is this condition dangerous?". She said "no", and then I saw no reason to have the procedure done.

Yes, my breathing wasn't good at all. I was given oxygen, and a drip with something, but my memory of that is fairly hazy. Possibly a blood thinner, and certainly an ordinary saline solution. A hospital porter told me that during training they were asked to try breathing through a straw, just to get an idea of what it felt like not being able to breathe properly. I do remember the first thing I did on arriving at the ward. I unpacked my laptop, because I needed to send a mail to a customer. I was more concerned with getting that done than getting into my bed. The nurse, who helped me getting settled in, looked decidedly stern, and told me to stop doing that, and get into bed immediately :stop:I knew how to get my priorities right.:hilarious:

To be honest, (and this was probably a bit crazy), I didn't really worry about the DVT and PE too much (after being given a shot of blood thinner) and the immediate danger had passed. What really concerned me at the time was the diagnosis of diabetes, as I thought life as I knew it was over. It actually took me many months to resign myself to this. Now after three years of being low carb, I don't really miss my old life very much (except maybe having some Mickey D's French fries).

I recognise that feeling of gloom from when I was first diagnosed in 2005. The problem with T2 is that it's such a sneaky condition. It doesn't hurt, you don't have bruises or any other visible signs, and after a while it's so easy to kid yourself into thinking that everything is ok, and go into denial. But, yes, I do remember my first 'breakfast' after my GP told me about this diabetes thingy. The only thing I dared eat was a cucumber!! I was hungry, but had no idea what to do. I was scared too.

At the hospital, 10 years after I was diagnosed for the first time, I wasn't at all surprised that my BG was way over anything sensible, but I had this gut feeling that I'd be ok, and didn't worry too much. At least as long as they'd stop finding out every little thing that was wrong with me :banghead:

I didn't know that there was a stigma attached to thrombosis. Is it similar to the one attached to diabetes? I really hate this prejudice because most of the people judging us T2s don't really know anything about the real causes (unfortunately including some HCPs). They see that maybe the majority of T2s are overweight and thus believe this is the cause, never thinking twice if it might be the deranged metabolism bringing on the weight gain and thus starting a vicious cycle.

I'm actually glad you didn't know, because it could very well just be me who sees it like that, so maybe it isn't true ...? When I think about it maybe I'm just too good at blaming myself for just about everything.
Incidentally, the consultant I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the Swedish guy, remember? I didn't mention that he's specialised in blood coagulation, so if anybody is able to comfort me, he's the guy. I should've listened to him, even if he does speak Swedish :happy:

Thanks for attaching the link with the exercises. The look good and not too difficult -- easy to understand even without speaking Danish. Exercise 8 actually looks similar to the one the nurse was telling me about.

Edited for grammar.

You're very welcome. I hope you find them useful, and do let me know if you need help with your Danish ;)
 

briped

Well-Known Member
Messages
947
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi @briped,

Yes, the way we live has changed a lot. If we are not hooked up to the net, we feel something is missing. Tbh, though, I sometimes fondly remember the times, when we weren't constantly expected to be available. Enjoy your time off the grid.

I remember too, even if sometimes I don't know what we did without it. Anyway, I did have a good time, and my sister in law and her husband were excellent at understanding and catering to my LCHF needs. Dinner: Roast pork with two different salads both with low carb veggies, and for brunch this morning: Scrambled eggs, bacon, avocadoes and shrimps, and they didn't bat an eyelid at my 'strange choice of foods' :):hungry:
 

ziggy_w

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @briped,

How are you today? How's your right leg? Hope the swelling is back to normal.

Based on what you have written, I wouldn't be surprised if your TVT/PE hadn't been brought on by high blood sugars and stress also. I think that answering emails first thing after getting into hospital is quite symptomatic.

Not that I was that much different myself. I was admitted on late afternoon/early evening on a Sunday and had to run an important aptitude test on Monday. I kept telling the HCPs that I had to be back at work early the next day -- of course, they just kept ignoring me.

How long did you end up staying in hospital?

By the way, your sister-in-law and her husband sound lovely. Definitely makes it so much easier if your family is supportive of your way of eating.
 

briped

Well-Known Member
Messages
947
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi @briped,

How are you today? How's your right leg? Hope the swelling is back to normal.

Hi Ziggy,
Much better today, thanks :) Even the scales agreed with me, and showed me 1kg less than yesterday. How's your leg - and the rest of you?

Based on what you have written, I wouldn't be surprised if your TVT/PE hadn't been brought on by high blood sugars and stress also. I think that answering emails first thing after getting into hospital is quite symptomatic.

You may be right, but I'm also terribly good at overlooking the real problems, at least the physical ones.

Not that I was that much different myself. I was admitted on late afternoon/early evening on a Sunday and had to run an important aptitude test on Monday. I kept telling the HCPs that I had to be back at work early the next day -- of course, they just kept ignoring me.

They didn't even listen to you? Shocking. Our old accountant was admitted to hospital with terminal pancreatic cancer. Would you believe it, he called us from the hospital about some minor economic question. Within a week he was dead. Such a lovely guy, and as it turns out, quite like you and me, and probably so many other people.

How long did you end up staying in hospital?

4 days, as far as I remember. They wanted me to stay till the day after for more tests, but I felt well enough to discharge myself. They had this terrible habit of moving beds around at 1 am, and it would take me hours to go back to sleep. Then they woke us up again at around 6am, so really I felt that lack of sleep was becoming my worst problem o_O


By the way, your sister-in-law and her husband sound lovely. Definitely makes it so much easier if your family is supportive of your way of eating.

Oh they are. Out of curiosity I tested her post prandial BG. She'd had potatoes and red cabbage, and hers was 6.3. I didn't test her pre prandial. Min was 5.7, and only up by only 0.4 mmol/L. Interesting.