Gary standing confidently with hands on hips, wearing a blue shirt.

Meet Gary

Gary won’t let deep vein thrombosis hold him down

Gary is a husband and father who has always led an active lifestyle – whether it’s cycling, playing soccer or traveling. However, his vigorous routine was almost put on hold due to a blood clot in his leg. Yet, he fought back at what held him down and now advocates for awareness and education about deep vein thrombosis. Dive into his inspiring story below. *

* This is a personal report of the patient and does not necessarily reflect the views of JOBST or the current state of science. Always seek advice from a Healthcare Professional if you experience any symptoms.

Gary wearing JOBST Casual Pattern compression stockings under khaki pants and casual shoes.

“I still don't know where it came from.”

Despite leading a healthy lifestyle, Gary was taken by surprise when he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. The blood clot could have developed during a long-distance flight, or he might have a genetic predisposition in his family to develop blood clots. Refusing to let the condition hold him back, he sought early diagnosis and implemented preventive measures. Today, he confidently manages his condition, and is able to fully enjoy life with his wife and kids. Gary is dedicated to spreading awareness about vein thrombosis so that others too can benefit from early diagnosis and treatment.

“People should know more about blood clots. I could have easily left this for a few weeks without going to the doctors.”

Gary, how would you describe your condition?

“I was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis. It's effectively a blood clot. In this part of my leg, I had a 22-centimeter blood clot in the vein. Obviously, if that comes away and travels up your vein and gets into your lungs, it's not good.”

Did you know anything about this condition before?

“No. And people should know more about blood clots and other venous disorders. I could have probably left this for a few weeks without going to the doctors. It's only because I got pressure from the missus to go and get checked out. And if I hadn't gone things could have been worse.”

How do you manage your condition?

“When I was diagnosed, they gave me injections that I had to self-administer into my stomach. That was for the first 10 days. [...] After that I was given oral medication, which is a blood thinner. So I did that. I think it was about four or five months. [...] And I wear compression socks. It aids recovery; it manages it. [...] And when I don't wear them, I do notice it – I do get a bit of pain in my legs.”

How was the synchronized swimming?

“It's quite good seeing the routine come together. I mean, the star shape that you do with your legs and things like that – when you look from above, it looks amazing. Haven't nailed the backward roll yet. I'm still trying to get that sorted out.”

Get the right diagnosis

If you recognize signs and symptoms similar to Gary’s, please seek advice from a Healthcare Professional to initiate the right treatment. For now, we have some helpful information available about the existing condition and its potential treatment.