By Tonya Lockwood, Special to Everyday Health
The ripple effect of many risk factors gave me my wake-up call about blood clots.
I was feeling the classic stress that comes from being a single working parent, sitting 8 to 10 hours a day talking on the phone to earn my sales commission, and feeling overweight and out-of-shape. I also made long road trips to visit my boyfriend.
What I didn’t know then was that all of this inactivity could put me at risk for life-threatening blood clots.
When I developed a fever, I thought maybe I had bronchitis, which I had overcome many times before. This time would be no different — or so I thought.
I was often short of breath, and I tired easily. That, I rationalized, must be the extra pounds I vowed incessantly to shed someday after having two kids. Like other parents juggling multiple priorities, I always put getting back in shape on the back burner of my growing to-do list.
But maybe it was a lung infection, I thought, and that prompted me to see my doctor.
My physician prescribed a steroid after assuring me that my lungs were all clear. They were not.
Checking Into the ER — Checking Out With Pulmonary Embolism
Over the next two months, my symptoms intensified and were compounded by hives and stiffness in my neck. I was told to see if I might have allergies. But in February 2011, I began to feel sharp chest pains. My mother convinced me to go to the hospital, stat.
The emergency room doctor seemed taken aback at the test reports. “You have multiple large pulmonary embolisms [blood clots] in both of your lungs!” he said. He looked genuinely surprised that I had endured these debilitating symptoms of pulmonary embolism (PE) for so long. These blood clots in the lungs can cause serious illness and can be fatal.
Without my mom’s dogged insistence, I wouldn’t be here today. Thanks, Mom!
I was 38 at the time, living in Utah, a proud mother of two teenagers. Like many other women, I was taking birth control pills — another risk factor for the blood clots of PE. I had gradually let my health slide downward.
Turning My Life Around
Fast forward, and I’m now a proud mother of two young adults. The distinct difference today is that I’ve done a 180-degree lifestyle turnaround. It hasn’t always been easy, but my near-death experience is a constant and haunting reminder of what might have been.
Steadily, I gained strength, and with it the determination to improve my health by taking positive steps to cut my risk of having another pulmonary embolism. I’m eating nutritiously and squeezing in time to work out: A combination of kickboxing, running, hiking, and biking is now the rule versus the exception. For the record, I also ditched the oral contraceptives. And I’ve become a more informed and educated patient about blood clots.
Do You Know if You’re at Risk for Blood Clots?
If you suspect you have blood clots, called venous thromboembolism (VTE), in your legs or lungs, it’s vital to diagnose the problem as soon as possible. It can be difficult, though, because the signs and symptoms are not always clearly evident. But you can become an educated consumer.
Here are a few facts to put VTE into context:
- VTE refers to both deep vein thrombosis (DVT, or blood clots deep in your veins, typically the legs) and pulmonary embolism (PE, or blood clots in the lung).
- A number of risk factors can increase your chances of developing a clot. These include being over 60, recent surgery, not moving for long periods of time, obesity, pregnancy or recent childbirth, and estrogen-based oral contraceptives.
- A VTE risk assessment can help you and your doctor determine your blood clot risk. Don’t be shy — ask to be assessed for your blood clot risk if you have one or more of these risk factors.
I know from experience that VTE is a serious, life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. There are viable options not only for prevention, but also for treatment. Not everyone will have a determined mother, like mine, to assure you pay heed to your symptoms. So be alert to the sometimes not-so-evident warning signs.
Going Farther Than I Ever Thought I Could for My Health
Almost two years ago, I did the unimaginable: I ran my first Iron Girl sprint triathlon. Now, I’ve pledged to participate in a 30-mile bike ride down the winding roads of Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. I also try to bike to work and go on rides with my boyfriend when I can.
In the process of intentionally changing my lifestyle, I’ve shed not only a few pounds, but also several VTE risk factors that had compromised my health.
Truth be told, I feel lighter — not only weight-wise, but also in the confidence of knowing I’m an active ambassador to other women and men who hear my story and are alerted to the potentially debilitating and deadly condition of VTE. While doctors were not 100 percent certain of the cause of my blood clots, and a genetic test for blood disorders proved negative, we all believe that my getting to a healthy weight, moving more often, and tabling the oral contraceptives have been positive steps forward.
As I wake up to a new day, every day, I’m grateful for this second chance at life. Not life as I knew it, but life as it should be: a healthier me. Put your health in your own hands and take the first step. For more information, find out more about World Thrombosis Day. It just might save your life or the life of a loved one!
P.S.: Don’t forget to hug your mom.
Tonya Lockwood recently moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the active mother of two adult children.