Take My Breath Away! - Part 1

So, after a long time, I am back to blogging.


Some of you might have heard about it or seen it on Insta (or on FB for precisely 30 seconds before it was taken down 😊).



I was diagnosed of Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism a few weeks back.


In layman terms this is blood clots travelling all the way from the legs to the lungs and causing blockages. Symptoms are typically severe breathlessness, sweating, dizziness ++, a la heart attack. Yes, I had them & kinda played with fire. But that is for a different day and different party regaling.






This is the first of the status updates that I had shared with friends after a couple days of the incident.

16/5/2017

I reached the hospital in time on Monday (14/5) for a quick angiogram (as the symptoms were similar to heart attack). Heart is clear (நல்ல மனசு!)

But a CT scan showed that both the lungs were severely blocked due to blood clots - thankfully in the branches and not the main trunk.

Three things happened:
1. I have been put on blood thinners to prevent further clotting
2. A small stainless steel filter called Gunther Tulip (picture below) has been placed in the biggest blood gutter in the bottom part of the body - also known as Inferior Vena Cava. This filter will act like our சாக்கடை சல்லடை by preventing the clots from reaching the lungs.

3. In a few days from now, the clots from the left leg (which has the clots) will be removed by another simple plumbing work (small tube inserted and clots will be sucked out)

These three steps will ensure that the immediate stuff is addressed.

If you are with me so far, then you will ask the question, 'What about the clots in the lungs?' Good question.

Our human body is a marvel. Normally there will be clots in everyone of us. They will be small and minute and the sheer speed of the blood flow in itself will break these clots and thus we can have our laddus.

Only when the clot is big OR where the flow is not that great - such as the calves (கணுக்கால் ஆடுசதை), this problem can arise. I know I am kind of over-simplifying; but the gist is this.

Reasons for such clots to be formed (also known as Deep Vein Thrombosis) are varied: sedentary lifestyle - sitting for long duration like in long-haul flights, standing for too long (umpiring, you say!?) or other internal reasons. Doctors have eliminated most of the reasons and in all probability it is the lifestyle that is the culprit - pending a few more tests.

I will be in the hospital for the next few days; will be out of the high-dependency-ward and move to the general ward this afternoon, which is good news.

Step 3 above is the next action to be finalised.

Breathlessness has improved. Heart rate, which was in 120s, has come down to 90s after Bhuvana rushed back from Chennai 😂(normal about 72)

Still under oxygen tube; with a pocket cardiac monitor attached - again as a precaution.

The funny thing is that we all crib about allopathy - but the fact of the matter this time around is, except for the blood thinner medicine, it is all plumbing and sewerage cleaning work only!

Thanks for all your wishes, consultancy and advices.

Special thanks to Vignesh (my mama Mali's Son) who showed that they have taught him well in TMC and he has learnt better than their teaching by readily rattling out the symptoms, actions etc. He also went out of his way to check with senior surgeons and provided valuable inputs. Thanks boy!!

PS1: Six months ago when I was in the hospital, Trump was elected the president. Now it seems he might be impeached. #goodsign

PS2:
Ok.
1. What happens to the clots in the lungs?
They get cleaned by the normal blood flow thru natural process. It will take some time - a few days to weeks.
2. Can the clots be broken thru chemicals?
Yes, in extreme situations! But not normally. Since these medicines can cause internal bleeding, they are not advisable as standard treatment. One went through that as well. More in the next instalments.