Compression stockings after thrombosis and resolution of the thrombosis
Dear Dr. Schaaf,
Through your website, I have received many helpful answers in the past few weeks, thank you very much for that!
About me: 29 years old, female. First thrombosis (lower leg) in 2003 at the age of 16, which led to the diagnosis of a clotting disorder (Factor V Leiden mutation). I had a hospital stay and wore compression stockings and took Heparin or tablets (at that time Sintrom), after about a year I was able to stop both. I only injected when I was on a longer flight and tried to move regularly.
During my first pregnancy in 2012, I injected 40 mg of Heparin daily and had no problems.
During my pregnancy in 2015/16, I also injected 40 mg daily. My child was born on 1.3.2016, and due to the constant swelling of my leg in the hospital (which was initially overlooked), an ultrasound was performed by a vascular specialist after discharge. Diagnosis: Thrombosis in the thigh and behind the knee of the left leg. It could not be determined whether the thromboses were already present during pregnancy, but it is likely. I now inject 60 mg of Heparin twice daily and will be switched to lifelong blood thinning with tablets (Xarelto) after breastfeeding. Additionally, I wear compression stockings (on the left) or compression pantyhose.
During the ultrasound 5 weeks after the thromboses were detected, the following was found: there is no longer a clot in the thigh, and the knees are free. You can still see a small thrombosis just below the knee in the lower leg. A test was also performed where I had to wiggle my feet up and down to measure the functionality of the veins. The curve on the left was slightly different from the right, but overall the values were already just within the "green range" of the display.
I have read a lot on the internet lately, but I still have a few questions that I have not been able to answer conclusively:
1) Is the resolution of the thromboses good or bad? The risk of embolism is probably gone now, right? That was my biggest fear in the first few weeks, which sometimes even made me hysterical. What does the result of the examination after 5 weeks mean for me?
2) I usually only wear the compression stocking (class 2) on the left, is that sufficient? I am generally unsure: Is it possible to leave off the stocking in the summer? Of course, I won't go directly into the sun, but I imagine it would be difficult to wear the stocking at the pool on vacation. I would elevate my leg a lot and cover it with towels. By mid-June, the thrombosis will be 3.5 months old during my first vacation. Would that maybe be enough in terms of wearing the stocking? So far, I have only taken off the stocking at night and for showering. I didn't feel swollen legs then. Would swollen legs be the indication to start wearing the stockings again after leaving them off? Or can "more" happen than just swollen legs? How long should one wear the stocking? And: would a lower leg stocking be possible in the summer or does it have to go all the way up?
I would be incredibly grateful if you could help me with this!
Thank you for your efforts!
