Athletes and DVT and Health Care Advocates

[velogirl]

Rather than drift the existing thread, I wanted to throw a couple of quick thoughts out there.

Sarah shared my article with you -- http://www.velogirls.com/resources/publications/dvt.pdf

Since writing that article, I've heard from dozens of athletes around the world who've also suffered DVT and PE, including some folks I know here in the bay area. It's much more prevelant that you would think, as many of you have noted in your messages to Sarah.

The biggest lesson I learned is that we need to be our own health care advocates. If something is wrong, you need to be able to communicate that with your docs. If your doc doesn't listen, find a new doc.

When I had my DVT, I didn't fit the profile -- I didn't smoke, wasn't overweight, didn't take birth control pills, and wasn/t sedentary. My doc told me that, but somehow she still listened to what I was saying and allowed me to have an ultrasound. I was very lucky.

Unfortunately, I had another health situation a year later and my doc didn't listen. It took me a long time to get up the nerve to fire my doc -- time when I got sicker and risked my long-term health.

So, if we take something away from this experience, I hope it's that we need to be our own advocates. We have a choice in healthcare. Find a doc you like and respect and one who takes you seriously. Too many times, I've found docs will blame women's health-care woes on ovulation, menstruation, or menopause (or they'll just say we're depressed). If you have a doc you don't like, find a new one.

We all deserve to be healthy. But the responsibility for that rests on our shoulders.

[maillotpois]

Agreed!

My low point came Monday night when I knew something was very wrong, and my doctor wanted me to see a pulmonologist within the next week (she was still waiting on the results of the blood tests which would eventually give indicators of PE, but in the meantime, the chest X ray had shown something "strange" in my lung she wanted checked out.) Well, the scheduling troll at the pulmonologists said the first appointment I could get was July 13. I told her I was having chest pain and coughing up blood and she said, well, the other doctor can't see you til July 20, so which day do you want?

So I took the July 13 date, hung up the phone and cried. But then I talked to some friends who had had serious medical issues who said that was B.S. and scheduling trolls are there to make your life miserable and you have to push on your primary to get you in sooner, etc. Which I was in the process of doing when my primary got the blood work back and ordered me in for the CT scan.

Ask questions. Push. Get second opinions. You only get one shot at this.

[SadieKate]

Yes! Well said.

Insist that the doctor sit down and focus on your questions.

I once told a doctor that the appt was over when all of my questions had been answered, not his. The doc told my husband about a year later that he had learned a good lesson that day (and it wasn't to avoid me.)

[DrBee]

Very well said!

I seem to always be a bit paranoid/cautious about clots for no explainable reason. Now that MP has gone through this and you all have posted these articles, I feel much better informed.

I was out on a run this morning and thought back to a few weeks ago when I briefly had a weird pain in the back of my knee (I've had that once or twice before). I've been a bit winded (just a little bit) on my rides recently (since the crash and not moving around much for a week). I don't know what to make of that. I'm sure it's nothing, but all of this make you more aware of what you're feeling, ya know? It's a good lesson to us to be more in tune with our bodies and to listen to them.

[Lifesgreat]

AMEN!

Please, please, PLEASE establish a good relationship with your Dr. Be assertive. My reg. Dr. is now a family friend and really looks out for me and my family members. I have been blessed to have caring specialists as well.

Please be careful with DVT. Maillotpois' experience brought back some very sad memories I didn't feel comfortable putting on her "I am now out of the hospital" post. That was a post for her, not for me to share sad, tender memories. I will share here.

A dear, dear friend of mine died six months ago (4 days before Christmas) from blood clots in the lungs. That evening I was leaving a building and heard sirens not too far away, not knowing they were responding to my friend's emergency. I remember thinking "I hope whoever is hurt will be OK". Little did I know it was my friend. He had chronic leukemia for 15 years and took a bath to ease some leg pain he was having. It is thought the warm water loosened the clot that was causing the pain and it travelled to his lung and killed him. I really miss him.

[maillotpois]

Oh Lifesgreat - what a sad story. I am so sorry.

[snapdragen]

I'm very sorry Lifesgreat, I know how it feels to lose someone close like that.