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Mum Shares Horrifying Photo Of 20 Killer Blood Clots Buried In Her Leg – Triggered By The Birth Of Her 9.5lb Baby
A MUM has shared a horrifying image of 20 killer blood clots found buried in her leg - triggered by childbirth.
Starla Ellis, 30, from Ohio, US, had recently given birth to a "whopping" 9lb 10.5oz baby after a gruelling labour, when she began feeling pain in her right leg.
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Starla didn't think I was going to surviveCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media6
She gave birth to her third child Amaris via emergency C-section after the baby got 'stuck'Credit: Kennedy Newsand MediaIt began in November with an ache in her lower back, which then moved to her abdomen and right leg.
"The [leg] pain was excruciating I couldn't move, and I had to almost crawl to the car to go to the hospital," she said.
Doctors said the pain was a result of one blood clot in the femoral artery in her right leg.
She was sent home with blood thinners, which didn't work for long.
"As they discharged me, I was quite concerned as I had a numbing feeling in my leg, but I just ignored this as the hospital said I was good to leave," she explained.
At first, she thought the medicine was working.
But suddenly, she started developing a fever and noticed her leg had gone "stiff".
"Complete terror was going through my head, and I thought I might lose my leg," she said.
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Girl, 12, died at school as 'frantic' final moments revealed by teachersThe mum decided to go to a different emergency department for a second opinion.
'Close to losing my life'Scans revealed her leg was, in fact, riddled with 20 clumps, which needed to be surgically removed right away.
Disturbing photos show the bulging red clots on a piece of cloth after they were removed from her right leg.
The mum claims she thought she would die and is now urging people to be persistent with their hospital referrals to ensure they get the care they need the first time around.
"I broke down when I saw how many blood clots were in my leg as I didn't realise it was that bad," Starla said.
She added: "Seeing a photo of all the blood clots put it into perspective of how bad it was and how close it was to me losing my life.
"Not only did the photo of the 20 blood clots shock me, but it hurt my feelings that the previous doctor let me walk out of the hospital."
According to the NHS, blood clots can be very serious and must be treated quickly.
Clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.
This can lead to illness, disability and even death.
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Her leg was riddled with 20 blood clots which needed to be surgically removed right awayCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media6
The mum is urging others to be persistent with doctorsCredit: Kennedy Newsand MediaWhile it remains unclear what caused the clots, the mum claims a doctor told her the blood clots could have been caused by possible C-section complications.
Starla said her third child, Amaris, was a big baby for her petite 5ft 3inch frame.
This meant the baby got "stuck" in her vaginal canal - which led to excessive pushing before doctors decided to take her to the OR.
He eventually arrived via an emergency C-section.
Different types of blood clotAccording to Medical News Today, there are two kinds of blood clots women may experience after giving birth.
One is clots that are passed through the vagina in the days after birth, which are from the shedding of the womb's lining and the detachment of the placenta.
The second is clots that happen inside the body's veins, which are uncommon but can be life-threatening.
This may be because pregnancy raises the pressure in the veins in your legs and pelvis, making clots more likely.
"You need to stay persistent with your doctor with your healthcare and they don't always seem to be as worried as you are," she explained.
"You know your body, and if you feel like something is wrong, you need to get it checked out.
"Follow up with your doctor as blood clots can be fatal."
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Starla with her family while pregnant with her third child AmarisCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media6
Amaris was a very big baby for her sizeCredit: Kennedy Newsand MediaWhat are the symptoms of a blood clot?
There are two types of blood clots.
A blood clot in one of the large veins in someone's leg or arm is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
If not treated, DVT can move or break off and travel into the lungs.
A blood clot in the lung is called a pulmonary embolism (PE) - this can be deadly and requires immediate medical attention.
Symptoms of a DVT include:
Symptoms of PE include:
Source: NHS, CDC
Blood Clots Are Common And Can Be Deadly, But Many Americans Don't Know Enough About The Risks
Temple Health is on a mission to raise awareness about one of the least-known and most under-diagnosed serious medical conditions – a potentially deadly one that can be prevented, if caught early.
Blood clots, which often form to control bleeding in injured blood vessels, sometimes occur in deep veins, usually in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis and occasionally in the arm. When this happens it's called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. Sometimes a part of the clots or multiple sections break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a blockage called a pulmonary embolism (PE) – which can be fatal. Together, these conditions are known as Venous thromboembolism, or VTE.
MORE: Young adults are aging faster, and that may help explain their rising cancer riskAs many as 900,000 Americans suffer from blood clots and pulmonary embolisms each year, with up to 100,000 dying, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every six minutes, one American dies of a blood clot, which can result from inactivity, such as sitting during long-distance plane trips or lying in bed during an illness or post-surgery. Blood clots also occur spontaneously.
Though blood clots are the leading cause of preventable deaths in U.S. Hospitals and pulmonary embolism is the third most frequent cause of cardiovascular-related disease among Americans, many people do not understand these conditions. Also, Black Americans have a 30-60% higher occurrence of blood clots than white Americans, and, as with many other health disparities, researchers don't yet know why.
That is why Dr. Parth Rali, associate professor of thoracic medicine and surgery at Temple's Lewis Katz School of Medicine, and Temple Health have endorsed the Blood Clot Prevention and Treatment Act, a bill U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware) introduced last month in honor of her late husband, who died at 52 from a pulmonary embolism. The legislation is designed to raise national awareness about DVT/PE, and create more action and advocacy for its prevention.
"It's about primary prevention and also secondary prevention," Rali said.
Once someone has had a blood clot, they are at a higher risk for developing another one, Rali said. A person who has had a spontaneous blood clot with "no other risk factors involved" has a 30% chance of developing another clot over the next 10 years, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance.
Other risk factors for developing blood clots include pregnancy, cancer, hospitalizations, obesity and older age. But blood clots can occur without any known risk factors.
"It's a disease that can affect any race, any gender, any ethnicity," Rali said.
Catching and diagnosing blood clots early is one of the most effective methods of preventing pulmonary embolisms.
The CDC's estimate of 900,000 people who suffer from VTE each year is "just the tip of the iceberg" because current electronic medical record symptoms do "not have bandwidth to capture all the adverse outcomes and track (all) the data regarding blood clots," Rali said. "If you don't know how to capture the magnitude of this problem, you can't come up with an intervention."
Another complicating factor with blood clots is that people who have them – and some may not know it – are seeing all different kinds of clinicians. A pregnant woman with a blood clot, for instance, will most likely see her obstetrician/gynecologist. Because different physicians "may not have expertise in managing a blood clot," the disease often "becomes deadly or gets underreported, under-studied, under-treated, under-optimized in routine medical care," Rali said.
To solve that problem, Temple Health has trained clinicians and health care workers across the health system to recognize signs of a blood clot. Anytime someone comes into the hospital with a blood clot, or whenever someone already in the hospital shows signs of a blood clot, a specialized response team immediately activates, Rali said.
"It's a life-changing event, once you have a blood clot," Rali said. "Your life changes forever. You're always in a constant fear of getting a second blood clot or blood-clot-related side effects."
Rochester's bill calls for a three-pronged approach:
• Increase public awareness of blood clot signs and symptoms and educate health care providers and hospitals on the signs, symptoms and treatments of blood clots by requiring the CDC to conduct a nationwide public awareness campaign.
• Establish an advisory committee to provide advice, information and recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services regarding programs, policies and research to promote the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of blood clots and pulmonary embolisms.
• Improve our understanding of who and how many Americans are impacted by blood clots by requiring the CDC to conduct a study on new ways of detecting and monitoring blood clots at the national level.
Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolismAccording to the Mayo Clinic deep vein thrombosis can cause these symptoms:
• Leg swelling• Leg pain, cramping or soreness that often starts in the calf• Change in skin color on the leg — such as red or purple, depending on the color of one's skin• A feeling of warmth on the affected leg
Deep vein thrombosis can occur without noticeable symptoms.
The warning signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include:
• Sudden shortness of breath• Chest pain or discomfort that worsens when taking a deep breath or when coughing• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy• Fainting• Rapid pulse• Rapid breathing• Coughing up blood
Rep. Lauren Boebert Treated For Blood Clot, Diagnosed With May-Thurner Syndrome
United States Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has been diagnosed with May-Thurner syndrome, an uncommon vascular condition, after having a blood clot removed from her leg.
In May-Thurner syndrome, arteries in the pelvis become compressed, leading to blood flow problems and, potentially, blood clots in the left leg.
Boebert's surgery was a success, and she is making a full recovery.
However, her ordeal has brought attention to a condition that may, in fact, be more widespread than previously believed.
According to a statement from Boebert's campaign on April 3, the 37-year-old Congresswoman from Colorado was admitted to the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies for "severe swelling in her upper left leg."
Doctors identified an acute blood clot using a CT scan and subsequently diagnosed Boebert with May-Thurner syndrome. The following day she underwent surgery to remove the clot and insert a stent.
Although it's unclear what the exact cause of the clot was, Boebert's team cited "dehydration, travel, and extended periods of sitting" as potential factors.
"After taking time to rest as recommended by doctors, she is expected to make a full recovery with no significant concerns for her long-term health and no hindrance to her ability to perform her duties as a Congresswoman," the statement said.
Lawrence "Rusty" Hofmann, MD, a Professor and Chief of Interventional Radiology at Stanford Medicine who has spent 20 years studying May-Thurner syndrome, told Healthline that what Boebert experienced is "pretty typical."
"She presented with an acute deep venous thrombosis, and that is a blood clot that can occur in any of your deep veins in your arms, legs, or pelvis, and cause swelling and pain. That by itself is very rarely severely dangerous, but the real worry is that these clots can break off, go to your lung," he said.
May-Thurner syndrome is a condition in which the right common iliac artery (the primary blood vessel carrying blood to the right leg) compresses the left iliac vein (the primary blood vessel carrying blood from the left leg to the heart), which can result in blood flow problems and blood clots.
It was first described in 1957 by its namesake, Dr. May and Dr. Thurner.
"It's a normal variant in which they noticed that the artery that goes to the right leg compresses the vein to the left leg," said Hofmann, "They defined it as when the vein is compressed by fifty percent."
Hofmann calls it a "normal variant" because it is believed to be present in individuals without symptoms, who may go their whole lives without it becoming a serious health issue.
"If you have May-Thurner syndrome and no symptoms, you do not need any medicine or any procedures. It is just how you were 'put together at the factory,'" he said.
Estimates vary on how common May-Thurner syndrome is, however, because it is often only diagnosed in association with deep vein thrombosis, as in the case of Boebert.
Some estimates indicate that one in five people experience iliac vein compression but don't have a formal diagnosis of May-Thurner syndrome.
Other research puts the number between 14 and 32% of the general population.
While some may never have symptoms of May-Thurner syndrome, it can manifest through various symptoms, including:
Of greater concern is the potential for deep-vein thrombosis, which is when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins of the leg. Research indicates that May-Thurner syndrome may be responsible for between 2 and 5% of all deep vein thrombosis.
Symptoms of deep-vein thrombosis include:
Deep-vein thrombosis can lead to pulmonary embolism, a serious and potentially fatal condition in which the blood clot that has formed in the leg travels to the lungs.
"If you get a big blood clot, like the type that would kill you, you are going to know. It's going to be, 'Oh, my leg is almost twice the size of my other leg, and it hurts like crazy, and I need to go to the emergency room,'" said Hofmann.
May-Thurner syndrome may require no treatment at all unless it leads to deep vein thrombosis.
Doctors typically use imaging tools such as CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds to check for blood clots and compression.
If a patient is determined to have May-Thurner syndrome or an acute blood clot, they will determine a course of action.
Treatment may require hospitalization and surgery.
"The blood clot, if you don't fix this properly, you're at an increased risk for blood clots for life. What we do to treat this is we go in, and we use either drugs or a device to suck the blood clot out and clean up the vein," said Hofmann.
To lower future risk of blood clots, blood-thinning medications are commonly prescribed. In some cases, a doctor may elect for a surgical procedure such as removal of the iliac artery or bypass surgery.
More commonly, to prevent future blood flow problems, doctors may insert a stent into the affected vein or artery.
"[A stent] is basically curative. I have patients that are twenty or twenty-five years out and have never had another blood clot. They are not on blood thinners, and they're doing great," said Hofmann.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has been diagnosed with May-Thurner syndrome, an uncommon vascular abnormality.
May-Thurner syndrome affects blood flow in the legs and can lead to more serious health problems, such as deep vein thrombosis.
Boebert received surgery to remove the blood clot and insert a stent. She is making a full recovery.
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