From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.org/MayThurnerSyndrome
symptoms to look for
A few links that I follow to keep in the know:
DVT and May Thurner Syndrome Network:
DVT & MTS Network on Yahoo! Groups Site
DVT & MTS Network on Facebook
To Join the May Thurner Resourse Group, email Diane @ woodcreek12@aol.com
May Thurner Resourse Group on Google Groups Site
May Thurner Resourse Group on Facebook
my.ClevelandClinic.org
ClevelandClinic.org-MayThurnerSyndrome
Chat.ClevelandClinic.org Online Health Chats
DVT & MTS Network on Yahoo! Groups Site
DVT & MTS Network on Facebook
To Join the May Thurner Resourse Group, email Diane @ woodcreek12@aol.com
May Thurner Resourse Group on Google Groups Site
May Thurner Resourse Group on Facebook
my.ClevelandClinic.org
ClevelandClinic.org-MayThurnerSyndrome
Chat.ClevelandClinic.org Online Health Chats
www.StopTheClot.org
MY STORY:
I was diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome in October 2011.
I was at work (6 Oct 2011) when all of a sudden I felt something strange with my left leg. It felt tight, a little painful and slightly akward to walk. It was just before my lunch and since I walked with co-workers everyday, I went walking. I thought I that I maybe pulled a mussel. My co-workers and I noticed some swelling, but I went about my work day. I never even looked at my leg.
That evening I had an appointment with a dermatologist. I just wanted to get a base line exam. As I was getting undressed for the exam, I realized that my leg was indeed swollen and a kind of purpley-red. The doctor didn't say anything about it (WTF!!), so I thought I'll just go home and prop it up. The swelling will go down. Sure.
I said something to my mother, who was going out to a meeting. In attendance were a few nurses. She mentioned my swollen leg and was told that I should "go to the doctor immediately".
The next morning (7 Oct 2011), I called the doctor for an appointment, called off from work, and propped my leg up to wait. I went to my appointment, we discussed the possible causes. 1) Blood Clot. 2) Inflamed Lymph nodes. 3) I also have Uterine Fibroids, which could be causing some pressure on the lymph nodes. I had been feeling some odd bloating for a while and had made an appointment with my OBGyn about a week prior. 4) Other. First for some tests. She sent me to an imaging center to get a Venous Doppler Ultra Sound of the left leg. STAT!!! This test came back negative. Now what?
Over the weekend, I kept my leg propped up. I made a little comfy nest on the couch. I mostly stayed there the whole time. It was starting to become a little more difficult to walk and slightly painful. The doctor had sent me home with Lasix to see if that would help with the swelling. It did a little.
First thing Monday (10 Oct 2011)morning I called the doctor again. It seems that sometimes Ultra Sounds will come back with a false negative and are often repeated within a week. If it was still negative, she wasn't sure what was causing the swelling. We again discussed the possibilities. She set me up with another Ultrasound for the next day. I would contact my OBGyn for an appointment, got it for the next morning. She also talked about seeing an orthopedic MD, maybe something in the knee was causing the swelling. And some other options that I don't recall. This is were she started veering off for me. I felt like she was grasping at straws. I wouldn't realize how much until much later.
Tuesday (11 Oct 2011) morning I have my appointment with the OBGyn. Later I will go for the 2nd Ultra Sound. I discuss with my doctor why I am there, the bloating, now the leg, the last few days, etc. On initial exam, he can tell that there is something different going on. We go for the internal exam. When the doctor comes back into the room, he takes one look at my leg and says "That's a DVT." and promptly sends me to the emergency room. He calls over to the ER (across the street) and tells them that they need to do an Ultra Sound on the left leg and both the internal and external pelvic exams.
I spent the next eleven days in the hospital. The Ultra Sound at the ER showed clotting from calf to groin. The tech confirmed this when she said "This is a big clot. You're going to be here a few days." The Hospitalist conferred with the Radiology Interventionist and my OBGyn. At this point no one is sure what caused the clot. All the doctors agree that the best thing for me is to remove the clot. Since I am young enough (HA! - relatively) and healthy enough the surgery would give me a better chance of getting back to a healthy normal. Hopefully less vein damage, minimal Thrombosis, better mobility and overall life style. I was put on Lovenox shots until the surgery and my blood was tested every eight hours. I an given a catheter the night before
On Thursday (13 Oct 2011) I waited around for them to come and get me. The surgery was performed, under general anaesthesia, by going in behind the knee and up into the vein. They injected ______ to break up the clot, then sucked it out. Then did Angioplasty and inserted a Stent because the vein would not stay open. During the surgery they discovered that I have May-Thurner Syndrome. They wanted to do a second surgery the next day, going in through the groin to clear out more clotting and place a stent in the upper iliac vein. In the end I have a total of 4 stents.
At this point, as far as the IR is concerned, after given a few days to heal, I can go home. The Hospitalist has a different idea. I need to get up the therapeutic levels of Coumadin before I can go home. I knew that I would be in the hospital until at least Monday, probably Tuesday, but then Wednesday came.... and Thursday..... Finally Friday morning (21 Oct 2013), on of the nurses said I would probably be going home. The doctor still needed to review my results and sign off on it, but it was probably a go. YEA!!
I am at home for the next two weeks. Continuing to recover. Making small steps. I see progress when I can finally make it to the house phone before the answering machine picks up. Progress when I can make it upstairs with out having to take a nap. I stopped using the walker in the hospital, now there is progress as I rely less and less on the cane. Progress when I have forgotten to use the cane and when I finally stop using it. Progress when I get stronger and stronger, needing to sleep less, nap less. Progress when the pain n my leg subsides, the swell continues to diminish, I am limping less and less then not at all.
MY STORY:
I was diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome in October 2011.
I was at work (6 Oct 2011) when all of a sudden I felt something strange with my left leg. It felt tight, a little painful and slightly akward to walk. It was just before my lunch and since I walked with co-workers everyday, I went walking. I thought I that I maybe pulled a mussel. My co-workers and I noticed some swelling, but I went about my work day. I never even looked at my leg.
That evening I had an appointment with a dermatologist. I just wanted to get a base line exam. As I was getting undressed for the exam, I realized that my leg was indeed swollen and a kind of purpley-red. The doctor didn't say anything about it (WTF!!), so I thought I'll just go home and prop it up. The swelling will go down. Sure.
I said something to my mother, who was going out to a meeting. In attendance were a few nurses. She mentioned my swollen leg and was told that I should "go to the doctor immediately".
The next morning (7 Oct 2011), I called the doctor for an appointment, called off from work, and propped my leg up to wait. I went to my appointment, we discussed the possible causes. 1) Blood Clot. 2) Inflamed Lymph nodes. 3) I also have Uterine Fibroids, which could be causing some pressure on the lymph nodes. I had been feeling some odd bloating for a while and had made an appointment with my OBGyn about a week prior. 4) Other. First for some tests. She sent me to an imaging center to get a Venous Doppler Ultra Sound of the left leg. STAT!!! This test came back negative. Now what?
Over the weekend, I kept my leg propped up. I made a little comfy nest on the couch. I mostly stayed there the whole time. It was starting to become a little more difficult to walk and slightly painful. The doctor had sent me home with Lasix to see if that would help with the swelling. It did a little.
First thing Monday (10 Oct 2011)morning I called the doctor again. It seems that sometimes Ultra Sounds will come back with a false negative and are often repeated within a week. If it was still negative, she wasn't sure what was causing the swelling. We again discussed the possibilities. She set me up with another Ultrasound for the next day. I would contact my OBGyn for an appointment, got it for the next morning. She also talked about seeing an orthopedic MD, maybe something in the knee was causing the swelling. And some other options that I don't recall. This is were she started veering off for me. I felt like she was grasping at straws. I wouldn't realize how much until much later.
Tuesday (11 Oct 2011) morning I have my appointment with the OBGyn. Later I will go for the 2nd Ultra Sound. I discuss with my doctor why I am there, the bloating, now the leg, the last few days, etc. On initial exam, he can tell that there is something different going on. We go for the internal exam. When the doctor comes back into the room, he takes one look at my leg and says "That's a DVT." and promptly sends me to the emergency room. He calls over to the ER (across the street) and tells them that they need to do an Ultra Sound on the left leg and both the internal and external pelvic exams.
I spent the next eleven days in the hospital. The Ultra Sound at the ER showed clotting from calf to groin. The tech confirmed this when she said "This is a big clot. You're going to be here a few days." The Hospitalist conferred with the Radiology Interventionist and my OBGyn. At this point no one is sure what caused the clot. All the doctors agree that the best thing for me is to remove the clot. Since I am young enough (HA! - relatively) and healthy enough the surgery would give me a better chance of getting back to a healthy normal. Hopefully less vein damage, minimal Thrombosis, better mobility and overall life style. I was put on Lovenox shots until the surgery and my blood was tested every eight hours. I an given a catheter the night before
On Thursday (13 Oct 2011) I waited around for them to come and get me. The surgery was performed, under general anaesthesia, by going in behind the knee and up into the vein. They injected ______ to break up the clot, then sucked it out. Then did Angioplasty and inserted a Stent because the vein would not stay open. During the surgery they discovered that I have May-Thurner Syndrome. They wanted to do a second surgery the next day, going in through the groin to clear out more clotting and place a stent in the upper iliac vein. In the end I have a total of 4 stents.
At this point, as far as the IR is concerned, after given a few days to heal, I can go home. The Hospitalist has a different idea. I need to get up the therapeutic levels of Coumadin before I can go home. I knew that I would be in the hospital until at least Monday, probably Tuesday, but then Wednesday came.... and Thursday..... Finally Friday morning (21 Oct 2013), on of the nurses said I would probably be going home. The doctor still needed to review my results and sign off on it, but it was probably a go. YEA!!
I am at home for the next two weeks. Continuing to recover. Making small steps. I see progress when I can finally make it to the house phone before the answering machine picks up. Progress when I can make it upstairs with out having to take a nap. I stopped using the walker in the hospital, now there is progress as I rely less and less on the cane. Progress when I have forgotten to use the cane and when I finally stop using it. Progress when I get stronger and stronger, needing to sleep less, nap less. Progress when the pain n my leg subsides, the swell continues to diminish, I am limping less and less then not at all.
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