I have been meaning to write this post for a long time. I saw Kristin Armstrong’s post Cause for Pause on Mile Markers at Runner’s World and it spurred me forward. Her post is about a friend who had a health scare. Her friend experienced a pain in her chest, nausea and vomiting. Armstrong ruminated on what she’s have done which was she says:
“Me? I would think perhaps I ate something that did not agree with me. Or I would think maybe this is what heartburn feels like and that’s why there are so many ads for heartburn meds on TV. Or maybe I had a stomach bug? Or an allergic reaction to something? Or my thyroid meds were wonky? My mind might even wander to a creepy parasite episode from Monsters Inside Me, a show I enjoy when I want to really relax.
Luckily our friend is much smarter than I am. And braver.”
Her friend called an ambulance and went to the hospital. She was having a heart attack. She had a blood clot that blocked an artery in her heart. She had no family history, no health conditions, was healthy and athletic. A runner. She was not “at risk.” Armstrong says,
“So, my dear people, pass the word along. IF you feel any of those things she experienced, do not minimize them, do not rationalize them, and don’t wait to see if you will feel better later. Do not fret calling attention to yourself or the possibility you might be wrong and therefore embarrassed.
We think because we are runners, our hearts must be in good shape. We think that because we are runners that we must be managing our stress levels…Perhaps, but not for certain. Pay attention.”
This story struck me close to home. Why? Well, it is not quite as dramatic, but it is equally serious. In 2011, I was getting my running legs back. I was finally able to “keep up” and ran a half marathon closer to my pre-injury times. Then, I got a pain in my leg. I got a massage and it went away. As summer started, I went out running and I could barely run one mile at that half marathon pace. I was so winded. It was hot and the season had changed. Maybe it was a fluke or an allergy? I tried again. I had a DNF in a race in NYC. I was breathing so hard that my solar plexus hurt for a week. I thought maybe it was allergies. I went to an allergist/asthma specialist. Nope, no allergies or asthma, but she thought something was wrong. Maybe walking pneumonia? She gave me some antibiotics and sent me for a chest X-ray (which was not surprisingly FINE because I did not have pneumonia).
I started having transient and moving pains in my back. Sometimes I could not lie on one side or another. So what did I do? Rolled over, of course. I got winded walking up stairs. My heart rate was sky high doing spinning or walking. My blood pressure was normal so I was fine. Right? I could not really run at all, so I stopped running. I was training for a 200 mile bike ride. Riding seemed to be OK, so I kept at it. Maybe the back pains were from an ill fitting bike? Maybe.
Just before the ride, I got scared and called my dear friend, Lisa. “Dr. Lisa” is my college roommate who is now an Infectious Disease specialist. After Lisa stopped yelling at me for not calling sooner, she told me emphatically that the symptoms made no sense for walking pneumonia (no cough for one). I promised to go to my primary care doctor to get checked again before my ride. I did. My doctor was not able to see me, but an old school doctor in her practice assured me that I had exercise induced asthma and that it could happen out of the blue to an adult. He gave me some inhalers and sent me on my way. In fairness, he did schedule a stress test, because my blood pressure went up walking around in his office. And, I am a marathon runner!
In mid-July, I did my ride with no issues at all. I felt good and enjoyed myself and had no physical ailments. Maybe there was nothing wrong after all. How embarrassing, right? Four days later my leg swelled up and was really painful. It was similar to what happened in a few months earlier but much more swollen and painful. Previously, activity loosened it up, so I went to spin class (duh, right?). It got worse. I phoned my Active Release Therapist to see if he could check it out. I was convinced it was two muscles adhered together. I went in and he checked out my leg. He asked me a few questions and then asked if I would go get an ultrasound. He said that it was very hot and swollen and that those are two tell-tale signs of a blood clot. But of course, I could not have a blood clot. I am active, fit, not overweight, don’t smoke and never have, had not been on long flights or drives, had no accidents, etc. But, I had insurance and the time, so I said I would go. [As an aside, people can say what they want about alternative therapies and chiropractors but Dylan Drynan saved me from a potentially life threatening health event and for that I am forever grateful! He rocks for Active Release Therapy, too, if you are in Chicago.]
I went for the ultrasound that afternoon and they found a blood clot in my right leg behind the knee. I had a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). They sent me to the ER to get blood thinners. I will spare you the details of going to the ER in July when new Residents arrive. They agreed it “did not add up”. But it was what it was. I was given shots and then put on blood thinners for 6 months. I had to say good bye to oral contraceptives forever. Those unexplained back pains? Oh, those were likely small pieces of clot in my lungs – so yes, I did try to “walk off” small pulmonary embolisms. I am a runner and I am tough, right? Well, like Kristin Armstrong, I was accustomed to making rationalizations for symptoms AND I was told that I was OK.
Since then, I have heard of more runners and bikers with blood clots. Emily recently sent me this article linking dehydration with some of the typical warning signs of blood clots for athletes like trauma, sedentary conditions like flying and blood disorders. Also, because I was on oral contraceptives for many years, my chances may have been elevated. This is a question I was not asked during this time!
Why am I telling you this? Well, as an athlete (or health conscious person), I know my body. I knew that this sudden onset of pain, exhaustion, winded-ness, etc. was NOT normal for me. I put my health and my life (I shudder to think of what could have happened if I crashed on my bike in that 200 mile ride) at risk, because I did not trust my gut and keep pushing my doctors to get to the root cause of my problem.
I thought because I was a runner that I was immune from issues like this. I wasn’t. So please, pay attention to how you feel, get a physical and if you have unexpected health blips, get them checked out right away. Best case, it really is nothing.
PS. Please share this story with your fit friends! It could make a difference to someone.