1) Sitting for long periods of time, whether at work, playing video games, or using other technology, puts people at risk of potentially life-threatening blood clots like deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms, similar to the risks faced by those on long flights or car rides without proper precautions. 2) Surviving a pulmonary embolism can have long-lasting emotional and physical effects, with recovery taking years rather than weeks or months. The lifestyle changes and need to take blood thinners regularly can increase anxiety, depression, and psychological stress. 3) An excerpt from the diary of someone who suffered a massive pulmonary embolism describes their inability to move or do basic tasks without feeling

1. Does your job or your hobby make you sick?
Blood clots are not fussy who they pick on, although more common in older people, modern day work
and play means they can take their pick from the young, the old, and everyone inbetween. You can be
as fit as you like, spend hours in the gym, but no one is immune.
If you work in an office and enjoy hours of X-Box fun on the weekend, you may as well be on one long
haul flight without your compression stockings, the risk is the same as a long car journey without a
break, unless you take measures to protect yourself. Foot and leg exercises, frequent walks and plenty
of fluids help a lot.
We’ve all heard the words, blood clot, thrombosis, DVT, and in more recent times ‘gamers thrombosis’,
and there are many things which put people at risk, obesity, smoking, the pill, child birth, surgery and
certain blood disorders such as Factor IV Leiden. The stuff we may not have considered is sitting for 8
hours to complete ‘another level’ in a game, or just a few more hours of Facebook. With the trend for
children to spend more time indoors with technology and for adults to work from home, is this an ill-
ness on the increase, a ticking clock.
SIT or ‘Seated Immobility Thromboembolism’ was first recognised during World War II, when people
lucky enough to dodge the German bombs died later from PE’s, Pulmonary Embolism, having spent long
periods of time sitting in air raid shelters.
The fear of dying may not be there for everyone, but that invisible debilitating thing called depression,
well that is harder to deal with, and a blood clot brings that along for the ride. It starts when a clot
takes over, and continues long into and possibly beyond the recovery.
A DVT or a PE has a serious effect emotionally as well as physically, and recovery time, although differ-
ent for everyone, is measured in years not weeks or months. The shock of surviving a life threatening
event sends many a normally level headed person into turmoil. The lifestyle impact of having to take a
daily dose of blood thinners (Warfarin) contributes to higher levels of anxiety, depression and psycho-
logical stress.
Below I would like to share with you, straight from the diary of a victim of a massive pulmonary saddle
embolus, words you hope you will never write yourself.
“How much longer before this rat poison kicks in? I want to cry so badly but I can’t, the anti-depres-
sants don’t allow for tears. My body feels it has aged 20 years and there’s no chance of hauling it out of
bed today, even if I did, what is there to do, a walk to the loo is as far as I get without feeling like I am
suffocating. I used to be so sociable, now I don’t want to see anyone. If I end it all today and just check
out, it’s all over, that thought brings feelings of relief, one dose of pain killers or all the doses left in the
box?”
The writer, thankfully, did not ‘check out’ but instead granted themself permission to be ill and more im-
portantly permission to take time to recover. This person was fortunate to be surrounded by people who
were aware of the illness and all its baggage, and a more recent extract from the same diary reads
“No two days are the same, yesterday I could barely move, but today, for the first time in 18 months, I
walked further than the car park without dying! Still can’t binge on Guinness but I am still alive, a life-
time of meds but things are looking up considerably”.
What will you be putting in your diary?
www.facebook.com/hugsphotographic