Father time never stops.
We have reached November and some of the feelings I decribed on some of my previous posts have not really gone away.
During the first weekend is November is where Team #STOPTHECLOT has the chance to shine bright with the CLOT BUSTER #STOPTHECLOT polka-dots lining up on the backs of blood clot survivors and family or friends of blood clot patients for the world famous NYC Marathon.
Of course this year the race was not going to happen unfortunately. But considering that this second wave of the virus is coming with a vengance it is best that it is this way so that we can attempt to tame the spread. Let us all contiune to hang in there and find strength on the fact that following guidelines helps ALL OF US.
Despite the monumental challenge of the pandemic, inspiration is all around us.
I like ko focus on the inspiration provided by blood clot survivors who can and often do overcome the monumental challenges presented by blood clots. Thanks to the connectivity provided by the web the connections with blood clot survivors can go far and wide.
This month we are very fortunate to have TOM share his story with us. It is fitting that we get him to share his story during the month in which the NYC Marathon was to take place. Please checkout his story below and you will quickly understand why...!
"New Year's Eve, 2019, I woke up from a nap before starting my overnight shift at work. I'm a sergeant in the New York City Police Department. When I woke up, I noticed a sharp pain in my right side whenever I'd take a deep breath. At 39 years old, I figured it was probably from sleeping funny on the couch, a pulled muscle, maybe even a kidney stone. I went about my night, came home and went to sleep.
That next day, the pain wouldn't go away. It actually got worse and worse as the day went on. Finally I decided it was worth getting checked out at an urgent care center. The PA there was amazing. Right off the bat, he said the way I was presenting sounded like it could be a blood clot. No way, I thought. There's no history in my family, I hadn't been on any long flights. I was a runner, for crying out loud! I went to the hospital and within an hour, the doctors dropped a bombshell. I had a pulmonary embolism. I was lucky, they said. If I had waited any longer, there was a good chance the clot would have broken off and traveled to my heart. If that happened, it would have been too late. I was stunned. The doctors started me on blood thinners immediately. I was discharged, went home and began my recovery.
It was surprising how quickly the physical pain went away. The mental aspect, I'm still dealing with. Every time I feel a twinge in my chest, I wonder if this is it. Honestly, it feels like a re-run of Sanford and Son!
About a week or two after my episode, my hematologist and pulmonologist said I could go back to physical activity. The only restrictions were to listen to my body. I hopped on the treadmill and got a couple slow, pensive miles in. I felt okay, and did a little more a day or two later. I've been a runner about 5 or 6 years now. In 2015, I signed up for a half marathon to get in shape for my wedding. The running bug hit me, and I've been doing it ever since. I even finished the 2015 NYC Marathon, though there's some unfinished business with me and that course.
With each run, my confidence started to return. I was eating healthier and losing weight. That translated to speeds I'd never seen before in my running. I started thinking about giving the NYC Marathon another shot. While looking around, I discovered the NBCA and Team Stop the Clot. I was fascinated to read stories of other survivors who had not only recovered, but thrived in the face of blood clots. It inspired me, still does.
In February, I read a post on Facebook from an old high school friend who I hadn't talked to in 20 years. He was in the hospital with leg pain, and the doctors found clots in his leg. I could tell from his post that he was scared, so reached out to him to let him know he wasn't alone. We caught up a little. He was engaged to his old high school flame and looking forward to starting a family. I think having someone to talk to helped him. Unfortunately, later that day, his fiancee reached out to me and said that he had passed away. Doctors must have missed a clot, and his heart gave out. I think about Ray every single day. My heart breaks for his family, his fiancee. And to be totally honest, there's a measure of survivor's guilt.
A few months after that, I got a text message from another old friend of mine, April. She's the one I mentioned earlier where my story convinced her to get checked out, and it saved her life.
Every run feels like a gift, like I'm playing with house money and I'm on borrowed time. I hug my kids a little tighter, tell my wife I love her every single day.
In a bit of good news, my hematologist officially took me off Xarelto last week! I'm on a low dose aspirin regimen now. My blood tests have come back normal every single time. Doctors still have no idea where my clot came from. I have no genetic predisposition, no long traveling, no trauma, my job isn't very sedentary. We may never know.
That's my story. I run whenever I can, usually about 4-5 times a week. My Garmin Forerunner 645 watch is my favorite piece of gear, second to my Hoka One One Rincon's which have become my go-to racing shoe. I could eat pizza for every meal if possible, and there's nothing like a post long run beer (in moderation of course!!).
The best advice I could give someone going through a clotting episode is to listen to your body. Realizing the pain I was feeling wasn't normal fairly early kept me alive. Talk to your friends, your family, your doctors. Find resources online. You're not alone. And if you're able to, keep moving, keep running, keep breathing!"
Indeed Tom... KEEP MOVING, KEEP RUNNING, KEEP BREATHING...
BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!
Can't wait to see you conquer your unfinished business with the NYC Marathon. You will crush that course in your very own CLOT BUSTER #STOPTHECLOT polka-dots!
Thank you for reading,
The Clot Buster
