Gary Barg:
You know, as a person who flies a
lot, I’ve heard about DVT over the
years; but now it seems that DVT
affects a lot more people than
commonly thought and affects more
people than just long-distance
travelers.
Lanie Kazan:
DVT affects roughly 3 million people
each year, and 300 thousand die
annually from a DVT complication
called pulmonary embolism. That’s
more than breast cancer and AIDs
combined.
GB: What
is DVT and what are some of the risk
factors for it?
LK: DVT
stands for deep vein thrombosis, and
the risk factors for a DVT blood
clot include restricted mobility
because of hospitalization or due to
acute illness or certain surgeries
such as hip replacement or knee
replacement surgery. If you’ve had a
prior DVT like me, or age and
obesity come into play, these can
also be factors. If you’ve had
chemotherapy, heart surgery,
respiratory diseases or if you smoke
or use birth control pills, or even
being pregnant can be triggers for
DVT.
GB: I
didn’t know that. When were you
diagnosed with DVT?
LK: I was
diagnosed in 1973 or 1975. I had a
pretty minor fracture of my foot and
ripped a lot of cartilage and
ligaments, so there was a lot of
blood, which coagulated in my calf
and moved up to my lungs; which is
what happens when you have a PE
(pulmonary embolism). I was on my
way to do a concert tour of
Australia and the next thing I knew,
I was feeling like I was getting the
flu. So here I had this cast on my
leg and had flu-like symptoms. I
called my doctor and explained that
I’d broken my foot, but was feeling
flu-like symptoms, and he asked that
I come to his office immediately. I
was put into the hospital and I had
a pulmonary embolism in both lungs.
GB: What
were your treatments like?
You probably know Tony award winning
actress Lainie Kazan from her many roles
on screen, stage, and television; in
particular her role as the bride’s
mother in the mega-hit “My Big Fat Greek
Wedding.” But I bet there were a
few things about Lainie that you did not
know. Did you know that her big break on
stage came as Barbra Streisand’s
understudy in the original Broadway
production of the musical “Funny Girl”
and that she and Barbra went to the same
high school or that she was in the Frank
Sinatra movie, “Lady in Cement” or even
that she was named the “Queen of
Brooklyn” at the Welcome Back to
Brooklyn Festival in 1997? I bet
you also didn’t know that Lainie has
long been a leading supporter for those
living with AIDS or that she almost died
from complications of DVT and has become
an advocate for DVT awareness.
What is DVT, and why is it so important
to you and your loved ones to learn
about it? Read Editor-in-Chief,
Gary Barg’s interview with Lainie to
find out.