Blood Clots - Im having trouble dealing.

[ConcernedInNY]

Well you know my mom has a blood clot in her leg.  They did a scan of her lungs and found another clot in each lung.

Symptoms?  Well her leg was bothering her...and later on she said she had some shortness of breath.

Anyway, was it the surgery that caused it or the chemo?

Im afraid. I spoke with my mom on the phone and from the sound of her voice I can tell she is getting depressed.  I dont know what to do.  Before her spirits were good and its important her spirits remain high.

Im terrified the blood clots are just the beginning.  Im hoping itll be smooth after this.  I dont want my mom to give up.  This situation really stinks.

[kitten22]

My sister had a blood clot in her leg last year and she was fairly fit and healthy, she was given injections everyday for a week to dissolve it and she's obsolutely fine now. A positive aspect of this incident could be the fact it was found and treated quickly because your mum is under close medical supervision. You may want to check out something called Carctol on the web, I can't speak for it personally but from what I've heard and read in the media over here it's worth a look if nothing else.

[birdcarver]

Major surgery is a definite risk factor for the formation of blood clots. Usually heparin injections are given until the patient is up and around and for a few days at home. I remember having them with my bowel resection & colostomy and again for the colsotomy closure. My dad also had heparin shots when he went for his hip replacement and again for his knee replacement. I have given myself many heparin shots since because I have a stent in my heart. Did your mom have heparin during her post op period? Also, laying in bed and not moving can help clots to form. If she has been very ill and not able to walk around much it could be a factor. I'm sorry she and all her loved ones are going through this.
Michelle

[Gatsby]

Your Mom is under the care of some great drs.  They caught it in time.  They know what to do and how to treat this.  Remember Dawn (bluesgrlIN)?  She discovered that she had a DVT.  They took her off bc and put her on blood thinners.  Please have faith.  Godspeed
~Tascha

[MickeyVicki]

Alan, I can tell you that several members of my own family have developed blood clots, and these people were not undergoing chemotherapy, nor had they undergone surgery.  In fact, not all of them were over the age of 65 and none had predisposing conditions that resulted in the clotting.  There are multiple factors involved in the process of developing these clots, as well as where the clots are located.  Yes, it might be that the surgery caused them, and I know that blood factors can become "unbalanced" due to chemotherapy, but  something as simple as being sedentary can contribute to this development.

Did you ever find and join a support group?  I think that you need "face time" in dealing with your stresses.