Originally Posted by bobinjeffmo

After battling them for over 9 years I've learned a few things that might help you - hopefully.

First, take them seriously. I've now been on blood thinners both orally (daily) and when the really bad storms hit we revert to shots that I keep at home all the time.
Secondly, there is a test called a Protime test that checks us for how thick our blood is. I have to go into the doctors office at least once a week to have mine checked. The doctor adjusts my blood thinners accordingly.

I've had clots hit my lungs but got lucky even though 4 out of 5 people usually die. I was in the hospital at the time with a body-wide septic infection so they caught mine in time. We then installed a filter/umbrella that's in the main vein that leads into the lungs. This is suppose to break up the clots the next time they hit into smaller pieces.

Blood clots are just like everything else. We learn how to live with them. For people who are less mobile or wheelchair bound all the time, the risks increase. Unless you have no choice other than being bed-bound 7/24, then you must get up and get out of that bed. It only makes a bad situation worse.

The blood flows down our legs through large veins deep inside the legs and then gets pumped back up and into our body through smaller veins that are on the outside of our legs. When you stop moving, this blood is no longer moving back and forth. That's when you get clots and that's when things can get very dangerous and fast. The less you move today, the more likely you are to stop moving or even breathing tomorrow. Blood has to be moved around. In other words we have to move it ourselves and our body.

Carefully monitored it's something anyone can live with, but only the person can decide how much they're willing to alter their lifestyle so a blood clot doesn't take our life. It might be hard hitting, but so are these darn suckers. I know, and now so do you. Best of luck, Bob.