clarky666 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Arrived back from Egypt at the end of June and after getting off the plan felt like i had a calf strain similar to playing football. A day or so later it was at the stage where i was struggling to walk without excruciating pain. Went into my local A + E and was referred to attend for an ultra sound scan on the calf the next day to determine if had contracted deep vein thrombosis on the calf. This came back all clear and i was given the thumbs up by the doctor and nurse saying there was no clot which i thought was very odd as i was in real pain and could not put full weight on my left leg. A couple of days later i started getting shooting pains across the front left of my chest which progressively got worse as i breathed in or out. Back into hospital i went, ended up being kept overnight and following a heart scan, ECG and chest x-ray all coming back as negative i was taken for a precautionary CT scan and told i had contracted multiple blood clots in my lungs - the initial DVT was missed as it had broken off and travelled round my body - which were causing this pulmonary embolism which blocked the main arteries into my lungs. Ended up spending five days in hospital and now on drugs to thin my blood potentially for the rest of my days. I got a fair bit of a fright - mainly caused by not moving or getting up for a pee on a 5+ hour flight back from Sharm El Sheikh. It's now three months on and i've just started back at work. Still get pain and absolutely puffed out knackered after doing just an easy day on reduced hours and slowly trying to build back up to something like full fitness. So if you are going on any kind of flight make sure you and your family/friends keep moving about and don't sit on your bum for the duration; don't be naive and think you'll be ok as i'm only 26, took the same attitude and according to the consultant was very, very close to being a goner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purity14 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Wow dude, that is pretty intense. Good luck on the health front, and glad you sorted it in the nick of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob wild Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Bloody hell mate! that is awful Glad you on the mend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Good advice, and not to be too morbid, but I've seen quite a few young people who have died from PEs, so make sure you either drink lots and walk about (aspirin helps too as it thins the blood to reduce clotting), or wear compression socks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mas Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Arrived back from Egypt at the end of June and after getting off the plan felt like i had a calf strain similar to playing football. A day or so later it was at the stage where i was struggling to walk without excruciating pain. Went into my local A + E and was referred to attend for an ultra sound scan on the calf the next day to determine if had contracted deep vein thrombosis on the calf. This came back all clear and i was given the thumbs up by the doctor and nurse saying there was no clot which i thought was very odd as i was in real pain and could not put full weight on my left leg. A couple of days later i started getting shooting pains across the front left of my chest which progressively got worse as i breathed in or out. Back into hospital i went, ended up being kept overnight and following a heart scan, ECG and chest x-ray all coming back as negative i was taken for a precautionary CT scan and told i had contracted multiple blood clots in my lungs - the initial DVT was missed as it had broken off and travelled round my body - which were causing this pulmonary embolism which blocked the main arteries into my lungs. Ended up spending five days in hospital and now on drugs to thin my blood potentially for the rest of my days. I got a fair bit of a fright - mainly caused by not moving or getting up for a pee on a 5+ hour flight back from Sharm El Sheikh. It's now three months on and i've just started back at work. Still get pain and absolutely puffed out knackered after doing just an easy day on reduced hours and slowly trying to build back up to something like full fitness. So if you are going on any kind of flight make sure you and your family/friends keep moving about and don't sit on your bum for the duration; don't be naive and think you'll be ok as i'm only 26, took the same attitude and according to the consultant was very, very close to being a goner. Glad you are feeling better mate, scary stuff! I fly to far east and back pretty much most of the year (at least 6 times!) and the shortest flight from london is the HK one which is about 12 hours I'll make sure I dont spend the whole 12 hours watching film this time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Yeah bud, that is one of the biggest risks of flying. Especially long haul. It honestly isn't drummed into people enough. As a side note. I would have your blood/medication checked as your blood might in fact be TOO thin.... hence why you are still breathless etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedrosixfour Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 26? Reading your story I was praying you were at least 50. I may never sleep again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evinX Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I was going to say the last bit you said, every year for 16 years i used to go abroad on 9-10 hour flights, and was always told every 2-3 hours go up and down the plane, we were lucky we used to get good leg room in a l1011 tristar and a340 just for the record, but ive been on a few other airlines and they dont half cram people in when it comes to leg room, sorry to hear about that mate:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony tt Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Bloody hell 2gm of speed for me next time i fly! I normally fall asleep for the duration. Thats nuts cheers for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarky666 Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Thanks guys. Scott - still getting my INR blood level checked every fortnight and it's ok thankfully, hopefully off warfarin after the six months as it is a bit of a pain. Alcohol is basically been a no-go as with the blood already thinned before i drink i ended up with absolutely stinking hangovers akin to my younger days from justa quiet night in and three or four tinnies....horrible. And the doctors tried to scare me off with horror stories about people getting pissed on nights out, getting a smack and not noticing due to being sloshed and then dying due to internal bleeding with the blood being thin ! The whole ago thing spooked me too, everybody i speak too knows "an uncle" or "a friend of my dads" who's had the same thing happen or is on the warfarin but never anyone my age. One plus side is i have enough 50mg tramadol pills stocked up to get a horse high :thanku: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARTIN R Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 bloody hell, I am so glad you are on the mend. I have taken days to sort out what I want to do regarding a career opportunity and when I read this and the terrible news of Alan M, I realise get a grip and live for now. I will certainly think again about sitting down for an entire long haul flight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 alright bud, glad your on the mend and the Docs sorted you out. Can you be Certain though, that this was the problem?? or was it coincidence that you got it just coming off the plane?? could anything else could have caused this, and the plane journey just added fuel to the fire so to speak?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Blimey. I'm off visiting girlfriend's family back in China next year...its an 11 to 12 hour flight. I'll be stocking up on aspirins next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazzaAlpine Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Glad you are getting better. I never get up on flights, I usually just flex my toes to keep the circulation going :s think I'll start after hearing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Doesn't alcohol thin the blood? That's my excuse anyway, whenever I want more booze in-flight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Glad to hear you are okay & well done on putting up a thread regarding it. I am due a 11 hour flight in December so will be taking this advice on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz6002 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Doesn't alcohol thin the blood? That's my excuse anyway, whenever I want more booze in-flight This! Those waitress people don't seem to agree though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo2810 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 I just dont fly...... Glad to hear you're getting better mate, what an ordeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 This! Those waitress people don't seem to agree though. The BA ones don't, they tend to tut like someones mum. The VA ones are a bit more relaxed though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz6002 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 The BA ones don't, they tend to tut like someones mum. The VA ones are a bit more relaxed though. They are more aesthetically pleasing, too. That's probably why they charge more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarky666 Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 alright bud, glad your on the mend and the Docs sorted you out. Can you be Certain though, that this was the problem?? or was it coincidence that you got it just coming off the plane?? could anything else could have caused this, and the plane journey just added fuel to the fire so to speak?? Got the followup with the consultant next week and it's one of the things i am going to ask. Apart from being overweight i was said to be otherwise perfectly healthy. I got sent to BUPA through work as the police have a private deal with them for occupational health stuff and one of the docs there said it could have been down to dehydration which could add up as i was floored for a day or so with the usual case of diarrohea from being in Egypt but made sure i had sank plenty of water and hardly touched any booze on the trip itself after that. Other thing is family history of clots but i don't think there is anything immediate on either of my parents' side. Other thing i meant to add is make sure you have health insurance all documented and sorted for taking with you. Luckily enough (if you could call it lucky!) is that it happened on Egypt>Glasgow coming home at the end of my holiday, if it occurred on the outbound flight and i came down with that over there i dread to even think what might have happened:taped: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Hope you're ok. I know this'll make me think the next time I fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee from China Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Sorry to hear that and to be on medication for life at such an early age too. I must say that I fly regularly here in China and the average flight time is 3-4 hours and I never get up and just stretch my legs occasionally. When I fly back to the UK the flight time is around the 12-13 hour period (unless I have a direct then close to 16) and again I never get up and just stretch the old legs from time to time. I have been flying now some 40 years doing the same, so maybe I'm lucky! but find many other passengers doing the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havard Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 After reading this I am glad that I walk up an down the plane rubbing myself against the stewardess's whenever I get chance..... Glad you are ok Clarkie. After our last flight to Turkey, I didn't get out of the seat for the duration (4 Hours). This could have been me...... H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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