Getting to do this blog since 2008 has been one of the coolest thing I have ever done.
Getting the opportunity to meet Blood Clot Survivors in person and virtually continues to be an outstanding experience that I very much appreciate and enjoy.
Getting inspired by these stories is an incredible gift.
Over the weekend while traveling to Oregon I got the incredible fortune to meet up with the "OG" Blood Clot Survivor on this blog Cheryl who I featured back in 2008. It was wonderful to get the chance to catch up and feel the energy that this survivor continues to have despite facing some devasting adversities over the years. I came away from Oregon supercharged and ready to keep going because every story of overcoming the challenges of blood clots matters. It matters to celebrate the survivors but it also matters to give hope and inspiration to others who are just starting their journey to overcome their very own blood clotting incident.
As the path forward continues to wind around at every turn I am ready to engage with someone new who was a story to tell... Please allow me to introduce to you Lisa. She has been generous enough to share her story of overcoming her own battle with a clotting incident. Lisa will supercharge you because she is a perfect reflection of BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS CAN DO ANYTHING!
There is such a thing as Blood Clot Survivor INSPIRATION POWER... This inspiration power has help me overcome some dark places in training and racing. There is NO question in my mind that after you read Lisa's story you will be ready to take on anything.
Please read on =
What is you sport/activity of choice? Why do you enjoy it?
My main sport has been running since I was about 9 years old, (I'll be 50 in July) but I also love road cycling, mountain biking, and hiking. I started something called Eat The Frog Fitness right before my blood clot and bilateral pulmonary embolism and I've really been getting into that H.I.I.T training, strength training and range of motions/agility exercises. One thing I am trying to do post-clots is become a more well-rounded fit person, not only with strong legs and heart, but also gain flexibility, balance etc... and these classes are helping a lot.
How did you get started in that sport?
I started running 10k races in the early 80's with my dad and did varsity track and cross country in high school. I got into triathlon and cycling when I was about 20, but since I detest swimming it didn't stick :)
What is the latest milestone you achieved or plan to achieve?
December 2021, about 3.5 months post clot I did the Scottsdale Half Marathon with the finish time that I wanted. It was not a personal best but within 10 minutes of my "good times" so I was super happy. April 30th, 2022 I just completed my first 50+ road bike ride since the clot and PE's and got to wear my polka dots which arrived in the mail the day before.
Tells about your clotting episode. Are you on blood thinners now? How long were you out of commission?
I had a dvt blood clot and bilateral pulmonary embolism in August. I'm 49 and in good shape so when I felt my calf was sore and swollen I figured it was either my HIIT class workout Friday night, my 3 mile run with my dog, Saturday morning or mountain biking Saturday afternoon.
I had done all 3 things within a 20 hour time-frame. I thought blood clots were only something elderly or sedentary people got so I had no idea even to think that might be the cause.
I was super dizzy and out of breathe on the mtn bike ride, my friend had to carry my mtn bike up the side of a hill so we could ride the road the last 3 miles back to my dads house.
I figured I was just dehydrated from my run before then.
I had a half marathon one week later, flying from AZ to Oregon to race. So I totally rested my leg for 6 days and did nothing. The swelling went down a lot.
I hiked a little the day before the race and my calf was still a little sore. I wore compression calf sleeves and got through the Half Marathon, disappointed
in how slow I had done and how easily out of breathe I got. I attributed it to a hilly course. It was a lovely race, Bridge of The Gods and goes from Oregon to Washington.
I flew home the next day and my leg was getting more and more swollen even without exercising. 4 days later I was hobbling around my office, and was kept up at night form the pain,
so I slept on the recliner in the living room and decided I better go to the doctor.
Since my doctor was booked up for weeks due to Covid, I decided to make an appt at Urgent Care and drop by after work.
When I got there the doctor told me I needed to go to ER for an Ultrasound. I had superficial thrombosis on my left inner thigh the day I flew home, but it didn't hurt. It
looked like I had 2 small mosquito bites on my inner thigh. I had superficial thrombosis in my arm twice twice before when donating blood, and the doctor had put me on antibiotics,
so I was not concerned about it was that combined with my symptoms that made the Urgent Care physician tell me I needed to go to ER.
When I got to the ER they found the DVT in my left calf and did the CAT scan with the dye to find the bilateral pulmonary embolism.
I wasn't really out of Commission for more then a couple days. I got home from the hospital, deep cleaned my house and was walking the dogs a couple days later.
I will be on blood thinners for life (Eliquis) since I am heterozygous Leiden Factor V. I was really disappointed when I heard that and saw a second hematologist and got the same answer.
So I decided to do the things I love (road cycling and mountain biking) and just be as careful as possible. I am still trying to decide if I feel safe enough to motorcycle again.
My Ninja motorcycle is getting dusty in the garage.
When were you able to get back into your activity? How did it feel that first time?
I spend 2 days in the ER to get the blood thinners into my system and was able to get into my primary care doc a week later. He told me I could run, exercise etc... but to take it a little easy the first month. So I was able to run a week later though I was super anxious and paranoid about every single ache and pain.
What is your favorite piece of gear for your favorite activity?
I LOVE my new women's cycling polka dot jersey and can't wait to wear my sleeveless running singlet at a 5k race in a couple weeks!
How much are you getting out doing your sport?
In January I started a body fat loss challenge and amped up my exercise. It was only 8 weeks but I lost 9 pounds and gained muscle so I've been keeping it up. I exercise 6 days a week, running a couple days a week, my Eat the Frog Classes about 4 times a week, bike when I can squeeze it in, and lift weights at lunch a couple days a week.
What is your favorite food?
My favorite "naughty treat" is french fries. Maybe I need salt after a hard workout but salty french fries are so good. I'm usually good though and have a protein shake.
If you could go some place to visit and explore, where would like to go?
My bucket list places I want to go are Alaska and Costa Rica
What would like to say to someone who is going through a clotting episode, perhaps very similar to yours? How can people return to do what they enjoy?
What I think is most important is to realize that while we all went through similar experiences, everybody's story is different. Everyone's recovery is different. And everyone's timeline is different. I had not realized until I read others stories on the National Blood Clot Alliance site how lucky I was/am. I think we all need to know to love ourselves and work forward but to be easy on ourselves too. We have to find doctors we trust and sometimes it's not the first doctor we get. I had to find a second hematologist that was better at listening and explaining things. She answers questions I didn't know I had before I can ask them. And this is the hard part for me, that I am still working on. Learn to trust yourself on how you feel. Because I ran a half marathon race and didn't know I had blood clots, I am trying to find a balance between explaining away every ache and pain and becoming a hypochondriac.
With time there is not question that you will find that balance Lisa. This is a new journey for you in which you WILL overcome and be the best that you can be in the end.
Anytime you want share on a basket of fires I AM IN!
But learning to trust yourself is a critical part of this journey where past experiences can be a guiding light to overcome what you presently feeling and thereafter be able to continue on.
May your journey take you where you want to go and keep wearing the CLOT BUSTER @TeamSTOPTHECLOT polka-dots PROUDLY!!!
Thank you for reading,
The Clot Buster
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