I conked out on the couch around 8:45pm and woke up around 1:20am to some god awful leg pain in my right leg in the back of my calf and top of my thigh. Now I am no typical female hypochondriac, in fact I'm one who prefers to self diagnose and opt for the natural medicinal route, because NHS doctors in my opinion are not very good or thorough. I'm rarely sick, am lucky if I get the odd cold more than twice a year and generally don't think I'm dying if I get a pain, scratch or a niggle anywhere.
After taking 7 flights in less than 2 weeks I am not playing or taking any risks with my health. I always opt for a window seat over an aisle, and being 5'8 with long legs as you can imagine the leg room is very minimal. I invested in some of those in-flight socks specifically created in the prevention of DVT, they are long [over the knee] and very tight. Since 2006 every flight I've been on I've worn those bad boys. You'd be surprised to this day the amount of people who've never heard of DVT [Deep Vein Thrombosis] or even wear the socks when flying. Now the socks won't stop it from happening but they can prevent it. Don't be a tight ass and skip on the socks because of the cost. Mine were £9.99 ($15) 2 years ago, they last, and being so tight keeping everything compressed in your legs your feet remain warm on board too which is also a plus.
My lazy behind did no exercises, I rarely drink water, in fact all I had were caffeine beverages coke and tea, and probably got up once on the long haul journeys to use the bathroom, so that's my own damn fault. I've pretty much always felt some kind of pain or pressure during the flights and always in the same places in the same leg, but it usually disappears over time. Not tonight. A day later and my right leg for better sense of the word does not feel right. So still on the couch grab the BlackBerry and Google 'leg pain after flying'....Yep there was enough info for me to say don't ignore this one, and on advice of a forum poster to call the NHS [National Health Service] Direct hotline on 0845 4647 [it seems 3 digits too short but that is the UK number] and they are available 24 hours a day. They will take your phone number, name and address before you get to the discussing your particular health concerns, and it makes sense, if you call about pains in the chest and drop down, they know who you are and where you live.
A Story: DVT and the flight that nearly killed me
I spoke to Kate she was very nice and very friendly, more than I can say for my own damn crappy GP who I know that if I left it till morning would be a waste of time and probably tell me
'I don't think you have anything to worry about.' Well DVT can kill you on the damn spot, some people have died before even landing at their final destination [Ooooh there's a movie not to be watching right about now], and after these cases sparked nationwide concern and brought DVT to the forefront of everybody's attention.
I don't care about the small statistics being 1 in 2 million resulting in death. I don't want to be that unlucky bastard. It's amazing people will believe they could be the one to win the lottery but never the one to be the unsuspecting negative statistic. From reading the story [DVT and the flight that nearly killed me] it seems as though some of the airlines don't believe there is a hard link to flying and DVT. Let me tell you, I know my body better than anyone and less than 20 minutes into a flight my right calf always experiences muscle pain which dissipates shortly after landing. I never get this driving or travelling by any other means, so of course the airlines do not want to get sued like they have been doing in the past. [And never believe a damn word that BA - British Airways says, I've boycotted that airline for the past 2 years and will never fly with them again. For what they charge and they way they conduct business - sorry not getting my money, plus I'm a Richard Branson supporter anyway]. And although you may not die from DVT you could still get it and have to be treated for it with surgery, that I don't want either. NOTE: You can get DVT not just from flying but driving too.
So whether long haul or short haul, make sure you do everything you can to prevent a possible fatal situation. I'm not getting over-the-top-dramatic, but I know enough with the women in my family the risk is higher due to a blood disorder that my 2 aunts and mother has to not even take things lightly. From reading about it before I made the call my body could be breaking down clotted cells which is causing the pain. Either way I'm not taking any risks in waiting for it to go away. I'm not sure if taking a garlic supplement or even an aspirin to thin the blood would have helped before flying, but it's also worth checking that out for future journeys.
My lazy behind did no exercises, I rarely drink water, in fact all I had were caffeine beverages coke and tea, and probably got up once on the long haul journeys to use the bathroom, so that's my own damn fault. I've pretty much always felt some kind of pain or pressure during the flights and always in the same places in the same leg, but it usually disappears over time. Not tonight. A day later and my right leg for better sense of the word does not feel right. So still on the couch grab the BlackBerry and Google 'leg pain after flying'....Yep there was enough info for me to say don't ignore this one, and on advice of a forum poster to call the NHS [National Health Service] Direct hotline on 0845 4647 [it seems 3 digits too short but that is the UK number] and they are available 24 hours a day. They will take your phone number, name and address before you get to the discussing your particular health concerns, and it makes sense, if you call about pains in the chest and drop down, they know who you are and where you live.
A Story: DVT and the flight that nearly killed me
I spoke to Kate she was very nice and very friendly, more than I can say for my own damn crappy GP who I know that if I left it till morning would be a waste of time and probably tell me
'I don't think you have anything to worry about.' Well DVT can kill you on the damn spot, some people have died before even landing at their final destination [Ooooh there's a movie not to be watching right about now], and after these cases sparked nationwide concern and brought DVT to the forefront of everybody's attention.I don't care about the small statistics being 1 in 2 million resulting in death. I don't want to be that unlucky bastard. It's amazing people will believe they could be the one to win the lottery but never the one to be the unsuspecting negative statistic. From reading the story [DVT and the flight that nearly killed me] it seems as though some of the airlines don't believe there is a hard link to flying and DVT. Let me tell you, I know my body better than anyone and less than 20 minutes into a flight my right calf always experiences muscle pain which dissipates shortly after landing. I never get this driving or travelling by any other means, so of course the airlines do not want to get sued like they have been doing in the past. [And never believe a damn word that BA - British Airways says, I've boycotted that airline for the past 2 years and will never fly with them again. For what they charge and they way they conduct business - sorry not getting my money, plus I'm a Richard Branson supporter anyway]. And although you may not die from DVT you could still get it and have to be treated for it with surgery, that I don't want either. NOTE: You can get DVT not just from flying but driving too.
So whether long haul or short haul, make sure you do everything you can to prevent a possible fatal situation. I'm not getting over-the-top-dramatic, but I know enough with the women in my family the risk is higher due to a blood disorder that my 2 aunts and mother has to not even take things lightly. From reading about it before I made the call my body could be breaking down clotted cells which is causing the pain. Either way I'm not taking any risks in waiting for it to go away. I'm not sure if taking a garlic supplement or even an aspirin to thin the blood would have helped before flying, but it's also worth checking that out for future journeys.
No those are not my legs, but some poor unsuspecting fool got caught with his pants off on that flight
- had a blood clot in a vein before
- a family history of blood clots in veins
- an inherited condition that makes your blood more likely to clot (this is called thrombophilia)
- certain blood diseases
- cancer, or have had cancer treatment
- circulation problems or heart failure
- had recent surgery or an injury, especially to your hips or knees
The risk of DVT is also increased in women who:
- take a contraceptive pill that contains oestrogen
- take hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- are pregnant
- have recently had a baby
So I'll wait for a call-back from one of the nurses, it may take up to 2 hours as she informed me that it's a busy night, but I'll be up after my sleep, plus with over 400 DVDs to choose from I think I have plenty to keep me entertained into the early hours.
For once I'm actually quite pleased with the effectiveness of the NHS. As a taxpayer I don't use them enough, but still had to pay for the 0845 call. We got a better set up than the Americans though that's for sure. At least we can get operated on and seen in hospital and at the doctor's surgery without paying a damn penny in insurance. The only thing is though you have to wait.
For once I'm actually quite pleased with the effectiveness of the NHS. As a taxpayer I don't use them enough, but still had to pay for the 0845 call. We got a better set up than the Americans though that's for sure. At least we can get operated on and seen in hospital and at the doctor's surgery without paying a damn penny in insurance. The only thing is though you have to wait.
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