Hi guys – Here is the final part of my story. . I will pick it up now from when Sam was 3 years old. Up until this stage nothing major had happened and things had been okay.
I had adapted to a life that was a 
little different to most and was determined that my illness would not effect Sam if it could be helped. I had also had a few relationships but nothing serious as I came with two much ‘baggage’. . This didn’t concern me and I was looking towards the future.
I led a fairly quite life and didn’t really get out with my friends that often as my leg prevented me from standing or walking for too long, I was unable to drink alcohol and this tended to put a dampener on things . .
This all changed when one day while visiting my sister, I met Tony (my now hubby). My friends all laughed when I said I’d met an interesting guy as they knew that I wasn’t looking for a bloke and they said that ice oozed from me when men were around.
Before I got to see Tony again I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. Luckily for me it was caught early and it was removed with surgery plus my doctors decided to be cautious and I also endured 3 doses of Chemo.
It was a few days after my final dose of chemo that Tony came to visit me at home. I looked like crap, felt like crap but his warm smile and kind nature won me over and we sat up talking for hours . . . Slowly but steadily we built a relationship, Sam loved him and within two years we were married.
Just after we married my problems fired up again. One day while playing with Sam I coped a smack in the eye. Within minutes I was completely blind and Tony was rushing me to the doctors. My GP sent me straight for test and it was discovered that a small clot had been laying in wait to cause some problems in my brain.
This small clot on its own would not have really done any major damage but it wasn’t alone, other things were going on. I was given a lumbar puncture and it was found that my cranial pressure was 42 (normal pressure is between 12-17). I was hospitalised immediately and put on some rather high doses of medication.
Two days later I suffered a small stroke, which affected my left side only. My doctors were unsure if I would ever recover properly as my body was still in stress and recovering from my original DVT 3 yrs earlier. I did recover, my stubbornness proved to be my best friend. Once again I amazed the medical community by going home 12 days later with the full use of my body, the only things left by my stroke is a slight weakness on my left side when I am tired and I can no longer hold a pen for any length of time. Yes, I am left-handed!
From here on in I began to suffer time and time again from blood clots in my superficial veins (Superficial Thrombophlebitis) in my left leg. Doctors kept finding more and more test to preform, as they were desperate to find a cause. I endured multiple tests over and over whilst all the time being a mum and a wife . . . . .
Then one day I dropped a bombshell, I asked my GP to arrange a telephone conference with ALL my specialists! I had literally had enough of all the tests, needles, injections and other medicines when it was obvious that using and doing these things long term was not really doing anything!
So via a phone conference late one night I told ALL my doctors that I was NO longer prepared to be a guinea pig, I was also going to stop ALL medication except my Insulin. I still laugh as I look back at their responses! They ALL yelled so loud that I had to move the phone away from my ear! They begged and pleaded with me BUT I eventually got through to them, I believed that my body needed rest, it needed time out and so did my family!
So in 1995 I went off ALL medications except my Insulin. Tony was a great support and was a tower of strength. This is where things really got interesting. I stopped getting blood clots! . . It was as though my body was saying thankyou to being drug free. . I spent the next two years being blood clot free and once again I found myself in medical journals!
Then in 1997 my hubby and I found out that he could have children. He had suffered from Cancer and as a result his sperm apparently no longer swam! Somehow his little soldiers bounced back bigger and stronger than ever and we made the decision to try for a child! It was a hard struggle and we had to turn to IVF as I was the one with the problem.
Once again I agreed to be monitored by doctors from all over. No mum had ever knowingly done what I was about to do and it was a first. I put together my own team of doctors, these were ones that I trusted! ! ! They were also ones that I knew would listen to me, for me this was very important as this was my body and if it was in trouble then I was always the first to know. My team consisted of my GP Stuart, my Endocrinologist Joanne and my Obstetrician Lisa – we had agreed to first names only as we had become close over the years.
In 1999 Danesha was born via c-section. My pregnancy had been a difficult one and at 36 weeks she was not doing well and needed to be delivered. I had not had any clots throughout my pregnancy and this amazed the medical community! ! ! ! I had kept a very strict routine and I believe that is and the fact that I had a good team of Dr’s was my key . . .
Three years later I began to develop blood clots again. I was getting a new blood clot every two weeks; all were superficial but very very painful! This time I had the misfortune to have one travel to my lungs and then once I had recovered from that another one broke off and headed back towards my brain. . I survived all this but I also learnt something – I really learnt how to understand my body!
It was here that I took control once again – I became the doctor! . . I took myself of all medications and with the support and guidance of my GP I slowly began to introduce them back into my life as needed . . .
As you all know I had another child in 2006. Sumara was my miracle, she was conceived naturally and both her and I survived against all the odds again as I battled time and time again with clots!
These day’s I live my life as best I can and have to date had 3 DVT's and 76 Superficial Clots. My left leg is now severely damaged and Dr’s are amazed that I still have it. Keeping my leg viable is very important to me but it is also very hard. I am constantly in pain and it swells up and down all the time. I am on painkillers and if I accidentally miss one I am in severe pain.
But I live! . . Doctors continue to keep track of me and I am still talked about and referred to in many medical journals. Last year I was also asked to speak to some Junior Doctors about my experiences.
My advice to everyone is to learn to listen to your body! . . Never accept that anything is impossible! . . If you want to try something, then try it! . . Get to know your doctors well and if you don’t click then find another one! . . Even if you are a public patient you can still pick and choose your doctor, I can never get private health insurance but I don’t need it – I have GREAT doctors.
My body is far older than my years and it has its good and bad days BUT my marriage is strong and my children are even stronger. People look at me and see a big fat person but those close know me ‘the survivor’ and the ‘celebrity’!
My biggest advice and one that I live by is “take each day as it comes and wait for tomorrow”
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope by sharing my story that others will benefit and learn that being sick or having a complicated medical history is not the worst thing. Perhaps like me you may be able to help to teach the doctors and that way you are helping thousands that come after you!!
Cheers Kellz
© Copyright 2008 Kellzacar. . All writings by Kellzacar remain the property of Kellzacar and should not be republished or copied without written permission. Kellzacar can be emailed via Minti
(March 31st) (
