December 20, 2010
Tens of thousands of us develop blood clots each year. Sometimes, they start as a pain in your thigh. Often, the cause is too little movement for too long a period of time. Hence, the need to take breaks and walk around if you are traveling in a car. Get up and move about on the plane or train or bus. Stretch your toes forward from your ankles when you are sitting and then pull your toes back. Repeat half a dozen times.
Stay hydrated. Drink water and not alcohol. For more advice about traveling and blood clots, visit http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/illness/deep_vein_thrombosis.html.
AND, talk to your family about this. Ask, “has anyone had a blood clot?” Your family history may predict greater than average risk. All of us need to avoid cramped spaces and long periods of not moving around. Some of us may have a family history that suggests we should be tested for genetic contributors to clotting. You won’t know if you don’t…ask.
When relating blood clots to driving or flying for long periods of time, I feel like the most important aspect that one could focus on when it comes to the Transtheoretical Model is counter conditioning and Reinforcement management. I feel like these two aspects will make a person want to stick with the model and strive to make the changes that they need to. If a person is traveling a long distance in a car, and they know that blood clots have been known to happen within their family, they could counter condition by rotating turns driving with another, and when it is their time to rest they could lay in the back seat and spread their legs out. Another easy way to do this is set a timer and make sure that they stop every hour or two and take a five minute walk to stretch their legs out. Simple things like this could greatly reduce the risk of clots.
For reinforcement management stage in the theory one could reward their behavior by stopping for a snack during the trip. This could help the person mentally feel like they will be rewarded by stopping and stretching themselves out.
When dealing with blood clots and the Transtheoretical Model the first this that anyone should do is precontemplate. With blood clots you need to think about how much exercise you get done and has anyone in your family suffered from blood clots. Second you need to contemplate and express your feelings about blood clots to either a doctor or close family member. It is important for you to express your feelings and emotions about the situation. Next you then need to prepare for what is about to happen. Whether or not you end up with a blood clot it is at this point in the process which you need to evaluate the situation and come up with a plan with your doctor and family. Finally it is time to take action and come up with alternatives for the problem and begin to commit to change. When your done with the overall Transtheorhetical process you need to finally take time and do your maintenance which is evaluating your whole process to see what you have and still need to accomplish.