TubeNet

I was recently diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) in my lower left leg. As near as I can tell this clotting occurred immediately after a 3 day weekend of almost continuous tuba playing. I hold my tuba in my lap and had recently started using a rubber shelf liner on my left thigh to keep the tuba from sliding around. In that position, most of the weight of the tuba rests on my inner left thigh, and was likely restricting the blood flow in the large vein that is located there. To prevent further clotting, I'm now taking a blood thinner, drinking more water, sitting less, and using a tuba stand. So far, so good.

Anyone else had this experience, or heard of others who have?

I would think this condition might be fairly common among tuba players who rest their tuba on their lap.

DVT is common, and sitting is the way to get it. Dick Cheney was the reason I learned of it, he got it from long plane rides. After I heard that I started to move around more deliberately.

Thanks for the heads up. Bloke is probably a lot younger and needn't worry yet....

I could easily see a tuba causing DVT. One of the causes of clot formation is turbulent blood flow, such as you might find if a tuba compresses a vein. As the vein is compressed, the velocity of the blood increases (you can see this effect by putting your thumb over a the opening of a running water hose).

Having said all that, its probably just as likely that it was all the sitting, not necessarily the weight of the tuba, that contributed to the formation of DVT.

Disclaimer: I am not a human doctor, but I am a veterinarian, and the majority of medical principles are the same. It should be noted that the internet is a potentially dangerous place to get medical information, and you are almost always more likely to get reliable information from your physician.

I'm a firm believer in using a tuba rest for a variety of reasons. This just adds to the list.

I don't know the answer to my question.

Was this one of the conditions Harvey Phillips was afflicted with later in life? Was there a recognized connection between tuba and his medical issues?

swillafew wrote:DVT is common, and sitting is the way to get it. Dick Cheney was the reason I learned of it, he got it from long plane rides. After I heard that I started to move around more deliberately.

Is this same that it is not recommended to be still long times - as in aeroplanes ? For us humans it is necessary to move as much as and as many ways as practically possible in the situation. If I am (feeling) playing good and concentrated continously a long time it is sure that a tuba will press my leg too much. A little different but same type thing is that if I play my bass trombone for an extended period I get wrist of my left hand very sore (this could cause also serious but different kind of problems if there is not enough rest). Regarding blood vessel problems that simply must take very seriously.

GregTuba79 wrote:Good thing to catch this now, a clot can move to your lungs or heart quickly and worse..you won't be playing the horn anymore if it goes there you'll either die or lose 60-75% of your lung function. Get well.

Yeah, true, this is a very serious thing.

bloke wrote:Well...

yet another puzzling medical issue resolved on the tube-net.

bloke "Sheesh. Who needs 0b@m@c@re ?"

Who do you think is going to pay for my tuba playing stand??

I also have the deep blood clots: genetic, from Antithrombin III clotting disorder and Leiden Factor V mutation. I do not sit my tuba on my leg. I have the leadpipe and receiver repositioned so it sits on the edge of the chair as I hold it.

I stay in regular contact with my doctor for blood tests, walk a lot, take frequent breaks from my desk, and get my feet up on a regular basis. The good news, unlike my ancestors who all died too young from them, is that with the daily dose of both aspirin and "rat poison" I am the lucky one in several generations to get to live to tell about it, after a particularly nasty one Christmas week, 2007, that finally dissolved through extensive treatment before finishing its journey up to plug the pump plumbing for good.

Take care. Stay regular with your doctor. I wasn't the best at doing that at first, and a couple years later I had another one pass through and had to spend a couple of days getting over it. The feeling of gnomes beating on your chest with sledge hammers is not pleasant.

This may not apply to you, but I have to take extra precautions, not just the tuba, to make sure I don't bruise or cut myself, which triggers clotting. This, in an of itself, would be normal to start the healing process, but without the markers, there is nothing to tell my blood to stop after it has clotted normally. So the clotting tends to cascade, and that's how persons with this particular condition get into trouble. So no church league softball, only an electric razor, much care in changing bass guitar strings, etc., and modulating those foods that have naturally higher levels of vitamin K so that they balance, but don't impede the protime reading with the warfarin.

Good luck!

Thanks to all of you who responded to this post. I appreciate your sense of humor, your willingness to share your personal experiences with DVT, your opinions and advice, and your good wishes.

Based on my own experience, my doctor's advice and your responses, here are my preliminary thoughts on this-
1. For some of us, holding our tuba on our lap may be associated with DVT
2. For some of us, using a tuba stand may decrease our chances of getting DVT
3. Since there are other advantages to using a tuba stand, and decreasing ones risk of DVT could be life saver, why are so few of us using tuba stands?
4. More research is needed - how about a doctoral thesis on this topic?

Jack Denniston wrote: 4. More research is needed - how about a doctoral thesis on this topic?

I'll do one for $450k

Good deal - please go ahead and start the study and bill me later (smile).

to prevent blood clots I wear knee- high compression hosiery, grade II...
and for my convience I use an tuba stand (K&M 14950)

bloke wrote:

Three Valves wrote:Who do you think is going to pay for my tuba playing stand??

Doesn't EBT cover that...??

What??

Tap into my beer funds??