In March 2020, I couldn’t move my right leg after waking up, and soon my entire leg and thigh became rock-hard and swollen. I was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in my right leg, running from my right foot to my right pelvis.
The doctors said that if had waited, I could have lost my life as I had already developed a massive pulmonary embolism in both of my lungs from the DVT. My oxygen saturation was low, so I was transferred to another hospital and put on enoxaparin sodium injections immediately.
After three days of extreme pain and swelling, my doctors started me on a day-long heparin infusion with a condition to monitor my blood INR levels every two hours. It was a risky treatment, but fortunately, I responded within 18 hours of infusion. My condition improved gradually and I was put back on enoxaparin sodium.
After seven days of immobility, I could move my leg with the best effort. Though I was not able to stand or walk, I was released from the hospital with a wheelchair after 10 days. I continued to take blood thinner rivaroxaban twice daily for 21 days. After six months of treatment, my pulmonary clot dissolved.
In terms of risk factors, I had been taking oral contraceptives for four months before my DVT, and I was also found to have antithrombin III deficiency.
Two years later, in February 2022, I took a step towards fulfilling my dream of learning Indian classical dance (Bharatnatyam) and I joined a class. With the help of regular rivaroxaban medication and doctor’s supervision, I am able to exercise and dance in spite of having a chronic DVT in my right leg. I believe exercising will help with the current venous insufficiency and chronic thrombus of my right abdomen and leg.
My advice to others is to ask your doctor about genetic testing for clotting disorders before using oral birth control. Never ignore early signs of clotting and rush to the hospital as early as possible. With regular exercise and positivity, we all can stop the clot or recover from it.
Resources
Women and Blood Clots: Birth Control
Antithrombin III Deficiency
Know Your Risk
