I am a member of the National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophelia (NATT), whose slogan is Stop the Clot. It's mission is to raise awareness of risk factors, prevention, signs and symptoms of blood disorders and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVTs) otherwise known as blood clots.
We are holding "Kicks for Clots," a Kickball Tournament to raise money for NATT. The tournament will be held on Saturday, June 26th in Ocean City, NJ.
Two years ago I was 26 years old, and my right arm suddenly swelled from shoulder to fingers, my hand turning purple. My first thought was that it was an allergic reaction, so I took a benadryl. One hour later an urgent care center told me to come back in 24 hours if the swelling remained.
A few hours later I went to the Emergency Room where a nurse practitioner told me that I was discharged and should see an orthopedist. When I insisted on seeing a doctor, he ordered an ultrasound, and sent me home with instructions to go to a vascular surgeon. I showed the doctor my forearm, as it was orange with white spots; he said that I was fine to go home.
About 2am, I woke up with pain in my armpit and my whole right hand was numb. I drove to another ER, and a D-dimer test was completed followed by another ultrasound. The ultrasound tech found 3 blood clots in my arm in the brachial, axillary and subclavian veins. My right arm measured 1 inch larger in circumference than my left arm. During my 5-day hospital stay, doctors tested me for blood disorders (such as Factor V leiden), cancer and thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). After the initial course of IV heparin, I was instructed to take a combo of warfarin and Lovenox shots, which was adjusted every few days after blood tests to get my INR (International Normalized Ratio) checked to determine the rate of my blood coagulation.
This continued for 3 months when I finally agreed to have surgery to remove my first rib due to TOS since I was unable to use my right arm. After, my hematologist prescribed warfarin for an additional 6 months with Lovenox injections as needed. Now, I take a baby aspirin a day to prevent future clots.
It took 24 hours to diagnose, as an urgent care center and a Hospital Emergency Room sent me home. Many of us know someone who is affected by DVTs, but typically we do not think it will happen to us, especially younger people. My goal for “Kick for Clots” is to promote being active at any age while having fun, to share information regarding blood clots, and to raise money to go towards NATT to improve healthcare and understanding in all phases of DVTs: prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the clot, as well as post-thrombotic management.
Here are ways that you can get involved in Kick for Clots:
1) Sign up as an individual to play.
2) Form a team to play.
3) Tell a friend.
4) Donate money to NATT or to a specific player/team.
5) Donate food, equipment or prizes for the event.
6) Donate your time to help out at the event at our table, or as a Referee.
Thank you for reading my story & for your participation!!!