Bottom Line With Rob Black
Talking About DVT
Transcript by Angie

Rob Black: Tara Lipinski, Olympic Gold Medal Champion. How are you today?

Tara: I'm good. How are you?

Rob Black: I'm doing well. Nice to talk to ya.

Tara: Thank you.

Rob Black: So first of all, we [in-audiable] a little bit longer while we were waiting for the call talking about that there's more deaths each year then breast cancer, AIDS, highway deaths, collectively and it's something you suffered from. Tell us a little bit about that.

Tara: Well, I was at risk for it. Two years ago I had hip surgery for skating reasons and thats how this all came about because after the surgery they put me on these blood thinning medicines and I was lucky enough for him to know the effects of DVT [in-audiable] where a clot forms and eventually, it's deadly. So I was lucky and I prevented it but when I saw the statistics I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' So many people are unaware of this. So with Spotlight Health I have been kind of creating an awareness so people understand and know the dangers of it.


Rob Black: Now what typically brings on Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Tara: Well, It could be anything really, and it could be anybody. I mean look at me. At 17 it was just because it was in the hip area and it was a major surgery. But it could be a medical patient with heart disease, cancer, people who are just immobile in the hospital. It can also be someone who is just sitting on a plane for a long time.

Rob Black: Ok. So a friend of mine, a young man in his 30's has Deep Vein Thrombosis in his knee's. His doctor basicly said don't worry about it. Is that something he should persue further and how can the average person out there know if they're having problems Tara?

Tara: Well, I think for people like that as long as long as they're doctor is aware of it and.... I think just being aware. When you go into the hospital know that. To know when your gonna have surgery you're gonna be down for a while and just ask and see what the doctor says.

Rob Black: And its obviously life threatening. How about for the average person out there. Someone like me. I'm sitting here talking to ya. I have no clue what Deep Vain Thrombosis is. No clue about the signs. No clue about the side effects. What should I be looking for?

Tara: Well, I think that the doctor's on the line with us. He would know more about that.

Rob Black: Well

Tara: Want to talk with him?

Rob Black: Sure Tara, yea.

Dr. Tapson: One of the major signs of a blood clot in the leg of Deep Vain Thrombosis would be pain or swelling in the leg. When the clot breaks off, if it does, and goes to the lung patients can get sudden shortness of breath or chest pains, they get anxious and they feel their heart beat fast. And sometimes there's no warning at all. It just strikes suddenly and the patient dies suddenly.

Rob Black: Let me introduce you because I forgot to. You're Dr. Tapson. Tell us your relationship with both situations here.

Dr. Tapson: Well, I've been doing Thrombosis for a number of years at Duke University. It's an interest of mine. It invloves clinical research studies and Tara and I have kind of teamed up here with Spotlight Health to try to raise awareness of this problem because it's so often under appreciated.

Rob Black: Now from a indirect standpoint I always talk about, we're getting older and as we get older we're getting more drugs and its a great example of an Olympic athlete obviously needing more drugs, more help, and more doctors.

Dr. Tapson: Sure.

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