GWS ColinJ.. DVT/Pulmonary Embolism

[classic33]

Had to google it I'm afraid! but yeah!

Include Sefton and we've a three horse race!

 

[Saluki]

So pleased for you that it's not a recurrance of the DVT. Maybe it is asthma, what has your doc said about it?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'd like to make it to 80 and still be riding. A great uncle of mine in Scotland was well into his 80s when he finally gave up his bike because his sense of balance was letting him down. (He should have switched to a trike!)

I have chatted to quite a few riders in their late 70s and early 80s. They admitted to having slowed down a lot with age, but they must have been handy when they were young because they weren't exactly hanging about when I saw them!

Some of the old boys I see are impressive, out on a ride a few weeks ago I got well smoked by a pack of 70 year olds, I found that if I dug in I could just about stay with them but once we hit a hill they were gone, a nice group of people I was talking to them in the cafe, I've got friends in the club who are still time trialling into their 60's and 70's, I haven't seen any of my mates results this season but last year he was setting personal bests at 70 years old, around the 26 minute mark for a 10.

 

[ColinJ]

So pleased for you that it's not a recurrance of the DVT. Maybe it is asthma, what has your doc said about it?

He wanted to get the clotting test done first. Now he is going to send me for 'lung function tests'. He didn't specify what they would be other than I would have to exert myself with a face mask on, and my breathing would be checked.

I Googled and found that there are lots of different tests that could be done.

If they get me to launch straight into exercise without a warm-up, it would be obvious very quickly that something is wrong. If I warmed up first, they would probably think my breathing was pretty good until I was going flat out when problems would manifest themselves again.

 

[Saluki]

They had Hubster on an exercise bike and big mask but when they realised that he was a cyclist they switched him onto a treadmill and had him do a spot of running.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

They had Hubster on an exercise bike and big mask but when they realised that he was a cyclist they switched him onto a treadmill and had him do a spot of running.

When I had my stress test in 2008 they had me on a treadmill.

 

[Dogtrousers]

THis is an attempt to make my utterly pointless tagging of @ColinJ appear to be at least vaguely on topic.

Did you get an alert?

 

[ColinJ]

Hmm, yes! I wonder if there is something odd about that other thread?

 

[beanzontoast]

Colin - this is just to say 'keep positive' matey. I'm certain I speak for everyone on Shaun's tech site too.

Let the quacks get to the bottom of it, and meantime, you look forward to all the brilliant cycling fun you'll be having in the future.

 

[ColinJ]

Now that I am here ... I noticed the s.o.b. come on this morning and at the time, my pulse was in the normal range (70-ish bpm). The pulse rate went up slowly after that so it tends to make me think that there is a breathing problem which the heart reacts to rather than the other way round.

The heart rhythm changes that I get from time to time might be a different problem. The consultant mentioned last week that it had been noted on my initial ECGs 2 years ago, and I remember the doctors talking about it at the time. They were of the opinion that most of the problem had been caused by the huge clot pressing against my heart. The problem did subside as I got over the illness.

Colin - this is just to say 'keep positive' matey. I'm certain I speak for everyone on Shaun's tech site too.

Let the quacks get to the bottom of it, and meantime, you look forward to all the brilliant cycling fun you'll be having in the future.

Cheers.

I can bimble along ok, but it would be nice to get a bit of oomph back! I quite fancy having a go at time trialling one day but I couldn't put enough effort in as things stand now. (I did century rides at 17 mph average speed when I was not really fit in the past, but I would probably struggle to average even 15 mph over that distance now.)

 

[Dogtrousers]

But if I make a post like this that doesn't tag you
and then edit it to tag @ColinJ
you won't get an alert

 

[ColinJ]

But if I make a post like this that doesn't tag you
and then edit it to tag @ColinJ
you won't get an alert

Correct - I found your post through 'New Posts' without getting an alert!

I will report it to Shaun, because it seems like a bug. Not a terribly important one, but something for the XenForo software team to look at.

 

[cyberknight]

Only just seen the re emergence of this thread , all i can say is glad your not as bad as you could have been matey .

 

[ColinJ]

I received a letter from my consultant today. To my horror, in the bottom half of it ...

... signs of ongoing blood clots causing strain on your heart.

Oh FFS - just when I was feeling a lot better!!!





But then ... I unfolded the sheet of paper and on the top half ...

The recent heart scan and lung function tests were both normal and show no ...

I just have a routine appointment next January to monitor progress.

I still get symptoms of lung damage and I don't think I am ever going to make a 100% recovery, but it looks like I might manage 90% (say) and be able to get a lot more great cycling done before I finally pop my clogs.

For the future, to try to avoid future relapses I will:

• Stay on anticoagulants for life - warfarin for now, maybe switching to one of the newer drugs in the future if that looks like a better bet
• keep my weight under control (excess weight is a risk factor)
• avoid alcohol (a risk factor for clotting, and something I struggle to moderate)
• avoid dehydration (it 'thickens' the blood)
• maintain a consistent vitamin K intake (to not mess up my warfarin)
• never wear excessively tight clothing again (bloody uncomfortable, and probably the cause of my first DVT)
• put my legs up when sitting for long periods of time (more comfortable and reduces swelling in my left leg)
• stand up and walk about regularly to keep the blood flowing
• keep my legs warm (cold blood clots more easily)
• wear travel socks when travelling or standing (their mild compression keeps the swelling in my bad leg under control)

So, hopefully I will not be posting in this thread too many more times in the future, though I will report any relapses or significant breakthroughs.

I would like to stop thinking about clotting so often. When I first got ill it was 24/7 - you may have noticed! Later it became every 15 minutes or so. Eventually it got to once an hour. Now, it is probably just 5 or 6 times a day. I look forward to the time when I realise that it has been a week or two since I last thought about the subject. I don't want to forget about it altogether because remembering the horror of the illness keeps me vigilant, but I do want to live a more normal life now.

Thanks for your support, and see you on some forum rides in the future!

 

[Ganymede]

YAY!!!!!!!!! I know we've never met Colin but being just a forum acquaintance still makes me feel very pleased for you, have some emoticons:

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