"Treated for DVT in my left leg"

In May 2011 I had my second DVT in my left leg - I was an regular outpatient for 2 weeks and will now be on long term anti-coagulants (warfarin).

I started having pain in my leg in April so my GP referred me into hospital as a result of my history of a large DVT in 2001, I had 2 ultra-sound scans on my leg - the first showed a slight 'mark' behind my knee which prompted the follow-up which apparenlty showed nothing. My experience of the first scan was not that great - I felt the clinicians were rushed and that I was left feeling that I was over-reacting. The follow-up one was slightly better, but not much.

about 2 weeks later my leg had not got better but was starting to feel a lot worse and walking was difficult, so I went into A&E - and they referred me for another scan and put me on heparin immediately. The third scan showed a clot in my calf (the previous clinicians had been concentrating on my thigh presumably because me previous DVT had been there).

I was a patient in Day Medicine for 2 weeks with almost daily bloodtests - I had to administer my own heparin (by injection) at home - this was ok. The nurses and the doctors in Day Medicine (stirling hospital) were fantastic - I didn't mind seeing them everyday at all.

I got a fitting for a compression stocking really quickly. However considering it'd been decided that long-term warfarin was probably the best option for me I did not have an automatic referal to a heamatologist - I had to go to the GP who then thought it would be a good idea to be referred - I would've thought this would've been automatic.

I've seen my heamatologist now, and I have regular checkups at my local health centre.

All in all my exprience was good - despite the initial scanning exprience and the fact I had to ask for a referall to a Heamatologist