My short lived life over the road was cut short by a kidney stone, which took two weeks and two procedures to get extracted. Just shortly after being initially diagnosed with the stone, I was having a little pain in my lower calf muscles. The pain felt kind of like the aftermath of a "charlie horse" You know, when the calf muscle tightens up so that it feels like a small baseball knot in the muscle... one of the few pains that make me whimper like a puppy. The calf muscles were sore for a few days.
Little did I know these were warning signs that I was developing blood clots in the deep veins of my legs. Fast forward two weeks, or 3-days after my second kidney stone procedure, and I found myself short of breath. A simple walk from the bedroom to the kitchen, and I was breathing like I had run 100 yards. My daughter rushed me to the emergency room whereby they used a MRI to detect multiple blood clots in the lungs. I spent the evening in the hospital, where they administered my first dose of blood thinner, and started me on oxygen treatments. Deep Vein Thrombosis was the diagnosis, a serious condition that affects people who have sedentary lifestyles.
I stayed on oxygen for 6-weeks, and I am currently still on a blood thinner, which I will come off of in another 3-weeks. I was at risk of DVT's because I was heavy set (300+ lbs), and I kept "the left door closed" and drove nearly 11-hours straight. I did not adjust my seat correctly comfort, and I did not keep my feet moving... DVT's are a serious health issue, and can be very deadly. I did not take the threat seriously until I googled Deep Vein Thrombosis, or blood clots in the lungs, and saw that 75% of the images on google are autopsy photos!!
Run hard and die hard. Learn what to look for, or better yet, take prevent measures. Since my episode, I have lost 45lbs, and walk daily, and when I come back to the road, I will make the healthy changes that will keep me from ever contracting this condition again.
Little did I know these were warning signs that I was developing blood clots in the deep veins of my legs. Fast forward two weeks, or 3-days after my second kidney stone procedure, and I found myself short of breath. A simple walk from the bedroom to the kitchen, and I was breathing like I had run 100 yards. My daughter rushed me to the emergency room whereby they used a MRI to detect multiple blood clots in the lungs. I spent the evening in the hospital, where they administered my first dose of blood thinner, and started me on oxygen treatments. Deep Vein Thrombosis was the diagnosis, a serious condition that affects people who have sedentary lifestyles.
I stayed on oxygen for 6-weeks, and I am currently still on a blood thinner, which I will come off of in another 3-weeks. I was at risk of DVT's because I was heavy set (300+ lbs), and I kept "the left door closed" and drove nearly 11-hours straight. I did not adjust my seat correctly comfort, and I did not keep my feet moving... DVT's are a serious health issue, and can be very deadly. I did not take the threat seriously until I googled Deep Vein Thrombosis, or blood clots in the lungs, and saw that 75% of the images on google are autopsy photos!!
Run hard and die hard. Learn what to look for, or better yet, take prevent measures. Since my episode, I have lost 45lbs, and walk daily, and when I come back to the road, I will make the healthy changes that will keep me from ever contracting this condition again.
