Darren drums up support for DVT
02 October, 2013
After a disastrous session on the dance floor in Turkey left him with a broken leg, sprained ligaments and a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), Darren Dixon is planning to run the Haltemprice 10k to raise money for the service that helped him back to health.
‘I slipped over in a mini-disco while I was dancing with my daughter and ended up with a broken fibula, a sprained ligament and a chipped bone. I spent 12 days in a wheelchair on holiday and went to the fracture clinic when I got home. They put my leg in a full pot, then four days later I woke up in agony feeling as if my calf was going to explode. I went back to hospital and cut off the pot and confirmed that I had a DVT, a blood clot in my calf.
‘I was given injections into my stomach to thin my blood and put on Warfarin tablets, but the problem was that I couldn’t exercise because my leg was broken, so the blood wasn’t flowing properly. My GP sent me to the DVT clinic at the Westbourne Centre and they were brilliant.
‘The nurse sat me down, talked to me, explained what a DVT was and asked why I wasn’t wearing compression stockings (which I’ve now got and have to wear for two years). I had ultrasounds and they asked about my diet. I just didn’t know anything about DVT, but it’s a life-threatening condition and I’ve had to change my lifestyle completely, stopping drinking and eating healthily.
‘The blood clot’s gone now but I have to have blood tests every week and I can ring the DVT centre any time if I have any problems. I’m so grateful for the treatment they gave me, I’ve decided to run the Haltemprice 10k to raise money for the service and also to tell more people about DVT and how dangerous it can be.
‘I’m not a runner by any means and my leg still hurts if I do too much, but I’ve already got £600 in sponsorship and I’m hoping for more.’
Denise Everett, Senior Operations Manager at CHCP CIC said, “We are very grateful to Darren for his support to the DVT service, and wish him all the best during his 10k run. Darren is helping to raise awareness of the and symptoms of DVT as this condition can be life threatening if left untreated.”
In some cases of DVT there may be no symptoms, but possible symptoms can include:
- Pain, swelling and tenderness in one of your legs (usually your calf)
- Heavy ache in the affected area
- Warm skin in the area of the clot
- Redness of your skin, particularly at the back of your leg, below the knee.
If you think you may have a DVT, contact your GP who can refer you straight to the DVT service
If you’d like to sponsor Darren, email darren.dixon@smales.co.uk or phone 07801 027961.
