Moments from death

By Tania Martin
KEITH Cusson is lucky to be alive after a massive blood clot last month left him in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the Angliss Hospital.
The Mt Dandenong man still can’t believe it happened.
But he attributes his survival to the staff at the hospital.
Mr Cusson said the nurses and doctors were amazing.
He had been the unsuspecting victim of a dangerous deep vein thrombosis (DVT) episode.
A DVT is a blood clot that can block vessels in the body but usual occurs in inactive people, those with heart disease, those who are overweight, pregnant, and in smokers.
It can also occur in people who have been on long air flights.
Ms Cusson still doesn’t know why he got the DVT when he is usually fit and healthy and doesn’t fit the criteria for at risk patients.
It all started on 8 December when Mr Cusson’s right knee started to hurt.
The next morning, although he was still a bit saw, Mr Cusson spent the morning chopping up wood with an axe.
But by lunch time his calf had started to swell and the pain had increased dramatically.
“It was the swelling that worried me, I knew it was unusual,” he said.
After seeing his GP, he was rushed to the emergency department at the Angliss Hospital.
Mr Cusson was treated to a battery of tests including blood test, an ECG and several chest X-rays.
But it was an ultrasound of his right thigh that showed the blood clot.
The clot ran all the way from his groin to just below the knee.
Doctors explained that Mr Cusson was suffering from DVT and told him the condition was serious.
He was told it could be controlled by medication.
Mr Cusson said the clot was causing his calf to swell because it was blocking his blood flow.
His calf was swollen to five centimetres larger than its usual size.
It was only lucky doctors decided to do another test – an upper body CT scan – after Mr Cusson complained of chest pain.
When he returned to his room after having the scan, Mr Cusson knew something was seriously wrong.
“They were looking at me like I was an unexploded bomb or something,” he said.
The scan had revealed the worst case scenario – the clot had broken up and was travelling through his bloodstream. “There were extensive clots on both sides of my lungs and it was very bad,” Mr Cusson’s said.
“We were told it was life threatening but it would be OK if we could make it through the next 24 hours.”
Mr Cusson was rushed to CCU.
And with the help of the medical staff he was released from hospital three days later.
“They explored every possibility so quickly and they really seemed to care… you weren’t just a number,” Mr Cusson’s said.
Mr Cusson still doesn’t know what caused the episode.
“We have a very active lifestyle and haven’t undertaken any recent air travel,” he said.
In the end it was the swelling that saved Mr Cusson’s life.
He is now on blood thinning medication and has to wear compression stockings on his right leg as doctors explore the reason behind the incident.
Mr Cusson said that stories about hospitals were often negative but that his experience was very positive.
He is calling for people to donate to the hospital so staff can continue to provide quality care.
“They were brilliant just checking up and generally concerned,” Mr Cusson said.
Those wishing to donate to the hospital can call 9895 4608 or log onto www.easternhealth.org.au.