Surprise, surprise! Finally gotta a new episode for ya! In April of 2024, I—the West Coast Güero—had to check into the ER which subsequently sent me into emergency surgery to fix a case of blood clots. Yes, that’s CLOTS, plural, with an “s.” Scary stuff. Not casual at all. Unbeknownst to me, I had been living with DVT for up to possibly 10 years, maybe even longer. We’ll never know for sure their age! But it was so long, in fact, that after the original clot sat comfortably for a while, a second vein joined the party and formed its own. I was diagnosed with an extremely rare blood clotting condition in my upper left arm called phlegmasia cerulea dolens. In less technical terms, DVT of my left axillary vein and thrombosis of my left subclavian vein. To my fortune, though, my veins, left arm, and life were saved by an incredible team of physicians, technicians, and surgeons. My appreciation is infinite. This was a sudden happening for me, and has put everything into perspective. ¡Órale, mi vida loca! By all means, take care of yourselves out there in Podcastia!
Stay tuned for Part II…
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Technical Medical Info:
From the American Heart Association website:
Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is a rare syndrome caused by diffuse venous thrombosis that is characterized by sudden pain, swelling, purple ecchymosis, and arterial ischemia with loss of distal pulses. The so-called blue phlebitis is an often fatal form of venous thrombosis and frequently results in shock, venous gangrene, pulmonary embolism, and death.
Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens | Circulation
From the Cleveland Clinic website:
Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is a severe blockage from deep vein thrombosis or DVT (blood clot) in multiple veins. This usually happens in one or both legs, but can happen in your arms.
When a blockage affects your larger and smaller veins as this condition does, your leg can’t get the blood flow it needs. Because the blockages keep blood from leaving your veins, blood backs up. The swelling this causes increases the back pressure on your arteries as well, keeping them from bringing in oxygen-rich blood. This is like a sponge that can’t absorb any more liquid because no one’s wringing it out.
This is an emergency. You need immediate diagnosis and treatment to save your leg and your life.
How common is phlegmasia cerulea dolens?
Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is so rare, there’s little data on the number of cases. Healthcare providers may only see it once or twice in their careers.
Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens (PCD)
From Wikipedia:
Upper extremity PCD is less common, occurring in under 10% of all cases. PCD results from extensive thrombotic occlusion (blockage by a thrombus) of extremity veins, most commonly an iliofemoral DVT, of the iliac vein and/or common femoral vein. It is a medical emergency requiring immediate evaluation and treatment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlegmasia_cerulea_dolens
