It is clear no matter what the numbers, dvt and pe have become a major public health risk in the United States and has ranked as high as third in mortality rates following heart disease and cancer, yet it is virtually unheard of in the general population. Blood clots, including those of the leg (deep vein thrombosis/dvt) and those of the lung (pulmonary embolism/pe), affect upwards of 600,000 Americans each year. In the United States alone, one person every minute will be diagnosed with dvt and one person every six minutes will die of pe. One in three people will die from complications of a dvt, such as a pe and two will survive, sometimes battling lifelong complications. For those that survive, there is anger, frustration, pain and guilt; yet, there is also hope, eventual understanding and places like the Blood Clot Recovery Network to share our stories, educate, empower, encourage and enrich.
In June of 2012, my life was forever changed by a blood clot in my calf (deep vein thrombosis/dvt) that broke free, traveled through my veins, then my heart and lodged in my left lung (pulmonary embolism/pe). The blood clot was believed to be the result of antiphospholipid syndrome (aps), which caused a complete autoimmune meltdown. Everything changed for me – my view on health; my previously active lifestyle; my job; my relationships with other people in my life; my relationship with myself and my outlook on life over all – just to name a few things. In the days, weeks, months and even a year after my clotting incident, I often found myself searching the internet and other resources for every ounce of information I could find out blood clots, clotting disorders and what to do next. One year later, I am still recovering, still learning and still fighting to gain back either what I had or what I didn’t know I needed in a daily fight to regain control of my life.
I started the Blood Clot Recovery Network blog and website to begin not only journaling and sharing what I have experienced and learned, but to help others who are also moving through the blood clot recovery process. It is by far one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and I often hear others say the same thing. Recovery seems never-ending and many people that suffer from a blood clot, including myself, will have to face lifelong effects and even continued medical treatment. We don’t have to face these challenges alone.
Welcome to Blood Clot Recovery Network.
In healing there is hope and you are not alone,
