My best friend Smitty, who ran for AN Webber, was asked to run teams, mostly from Chicago to El Paso and back. Well, they ran hard. Made good money. Ends up they ran too hard.
Smitty developed a clot that traveled to his lung and killed him a week ago this past Sunday. He was 64.
I had two bouts with clots myself. Not surprising, seeing as they ran in my family. The first one traveled from my sprained ankle (they can start from an injury) up to my lung, and killed a small part of that lung. The second time, I went in for my routine CT scan to watch for any returning cancer. It showed that my lungs were full of small clots. I stayed in the hospital for a few days until the doctors were sure they were gone.
Both times I had them, they developed while I was driving. And we run pretty hard at Great Plains. The first time I had a pain behind the knee. The second I got weak and sick to my stomach for days, until they found them. Now I take an aspirin a day, and keep an eye open for any changes. But many times there are no signs something's wrong; and when they do find them, often it's too late to help. That was Smitty's result.
Smitty dying was the final straw for my wife and me. I'm getting off the road because of the clots. It's not worth chancing it.
If you run hard, make sure you take frequent breaks and walk around. That helps to prevent clots from forming. Take an aspirin a day. That lubricates your blood cells, so they don't stick together as easily. Aspirin may help prevent heart attacks as well, in the same way.
Don't take this lightly. Find out if you're at risk, and do what's necessary to prevent them. They're more common than you might think.
Take care of yourself, drivers!
Clots!
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Knucklehead, May 3, 2021.
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Appreciate all the information. Take care of yourself and enjoy being off the road.
I also take a 81mg. aspirin every day and have been for probably 30 years. They're a miracle pill.
~
Can get blood clots on long flights, such as going overseas. Need to stand up and stretch the legs a few times during the flight.
Sometimes someone dies during a long flight and blood clots can be the culprit.sevenmph, Rideandrepair, NavigatorWife and 4 others Thank this. -
In that case, a city P&D job would be better. At least you're getting up and walking around fairly frequently.
sevenmph, Lumper Humper, Rideandrepair and 4 others Thank this. -
RIP Smitty.
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Enough is enough. Happy Trails...!!sevenmph, rachi, Rideandrepair and 7 others Thank this. -
Clots are the reason I’m off the road. Three days in the ICU with lots of TPA to try and get multiple, bilateral, embolisms in my lungs, plus two fully clotted up legs. Had to do the root-rooter treatment thing, after they put a clot catcher in my main chest vein..... nurses were awesome, though, with the exception of the former marine medic. No sense of humor.
If your legs start hurting (stinging, sharp pains), short of breath, legs swelling, shoes don’t fit anymore.... get yourself checked out. Any of those clots in my lungs could have been “lights out” if they had gone “left” instead of “right”. Like they did my uncle at 44.
Try to walk around for five minutes every two hours, or at least do toe lifts and leg pushes to keep the blood moving.sevenmph, Rideandrepair, NavigatorWife and 2 others Thank this. -
This is one reason I take my dogs. We get out and walk every few hours. I do think I am going to start taking a baby aspirin a day. U got to watch your sodium and carb intake also. Junk food causes edema when sitting behind the wheel all day. I have noticed mygmy ankles get puffy after weeks on the road..when I get home it goes away.
sevenmph, Rideandrepair, NavigatorWife and 6 others Thank this. -
May not be a clot for me...
But I get dehydrated and it can do this...
Hydration and beans and lemons
No salt
48 hrs clearedsevenmph, Rideandrepair, NavigatorWife and 3 others Thank this.
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