Re: Re: Terrified of clots...

[Guest guest]

With your history of stasis and your BMI, it may be a good preventative to

go have a vena cava filter put in.

It probably would be covered.

Pammi

Re: Terrified of clots...

>

> > 1) Are there warning signs for clots? For instance, was Larry's

> short

> > breaths indications? IT seemed from the account they went on for a

> > while....how can one know?

>

>

> Sometimes the embolus can be preceeded by shortness of breath. The

> difficulty with a patient the weight that Larry was and the surgery

> he just had is that it could be a variety of things. Could be his

> weight, could be anxiety, could be from pain, etc. I believe that

> Dianne said that they did arterial blood gases and that they were

> normal.

>

> > 2) What can they do if they ascertain you have one? I realize they

> tried

> > to revive Larry but is there any other interim thing they can do if

> they

> > even suspect one?

>

> If it is a big clot, there isn't much they can do. Smaller clots can

> attempt to be dissolved. Diagnosis can be done by special X-Rays.

>

> > 3) Preventatively, is there anything besides walking we can do?

> I'm almost

> > wondering if we need to watch our diet in some way or take some

> certain

> > vitamins in advance....does anyone out there know?

>

> Many of the DS docs use Heparin while you are in the hospital to try

> and prevent them. I had two shots per day of heparin but even that is

> no guarentee. Using the compression boots helps as does walking but

> for some people no matter what they do they are going to get them.

> Some docs put in filters in the major vessels to catch the clots and

> keep them from traveling to vital organs but this is not 100% either.

>

> >

> > Thanks. I have lower leg venous stasis (blood does not pump back

> well) and

> > I am especially concerned about htis. So much so after Larry's

> account I'm

> > getting afraid to have the surgery. Of course, any encouragement

> welcome --

> > and info about chances for blood clots in normal life would be good

> to know

> > about...

>

> You certainly are at higher risk than some if you have stasis

> already. IMHO remaining morbidly obese and not having the surgery

> puts you at risk as well and for more things. Talk to your surgeon

> about what preventative measures he might take to help prevent this

> in your case. Bottom line is, we have taken on a certain amount of

> risk by becoming so overweight, the surgery is the final risk we have

> to take.

>

>

> Open DS with Dr. Anthone 7/6/01

>

>

>

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>