The Next 50 - December 2008 - (Page 16)

livingwell waynesboro country music singer crusades for blood clot awareness By JOAnnE DiMAGGiO for yEars, waynEsboro country singEr/songwritEr mark hacklEy pErformEd his songs without a glitch. That all changed in June 2006. What began innocently enough as a routine concert performance turned into a life-threatening event that would change his life forever. In some ways Hackley’s situation mirrored that of NBC news correspondent David Bloom, who spent prolonged periods of physical immobility on planes and in cramped army tanks while covering the war in Iraq. Bloom died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism (PE)—a blood clot that moved from the leg to the lung— caused by a condition called deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). Hackley had been standing in an awkward position during his three-hour concert and like Bloom had no idea he was cutting off or reducing the blood flow to his calf. Although he felt a dull pain in his left calf, he shook it off and continued performing. By the time he returned home, the pain had moved to his chest. “It felt like serious muscle cramps in my chest wall, but I never suspected it to be a blood clot,” Hackley recalled. Not realizing the increasing seriousness of the situation, Hackley tried to sleep, but after a restless night he decided to seek medical attention. His doctor recognized the symptoms and tested for a PE. That is when a clot was discovered in Hackley’s right lung. He was admitted to the emergency room and immediately treated with anticoagulant therapy. While in recovery, Hackley thought a lot about DVT/PE. If he hadn’t recognized the symptoms, he wondered how many other people experience a PE and don’t realize what it is? It was only after his diagnosis that he learned that sitting for long periods of time, injuries and surgeries are all possible culprits for blood clots, especially if the person has an acquired genetic clotting disorder. Thinking about the more than 100,000 Americans who die each year from PE, Hackley began to ponder whether there was some way he could help reduce that number by developing a national platform to tell his story. That desire was made all the greater in September 2008 when the U.S. Surgeon General issued a Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism. “Having a DVT or PE is a very serious situation, as one of three PEs results in death,” Hackley said. “I want to help increase awareness of both conditions so that others may prevent blood clots before they happen.” Hackley donates 15 percent of his music sales to the National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia (NATT) to help in their DVT/PE awareness campaign. He began with a small donation in 2007, but is seeking corporate sponsorships for start-up capital so he can conduct an annual “Man on a Mission Tour” promoting blood clot awareness regionally and raise more money for the NATT. “After what I have been through, I truly believe many people would ride out the pain and not seek medical attention in time,” he said. “If they don’t, many of these people will die. I’m a cowboy and I tried to ride it out that night, but I’m so glad I saw my doctor when I did. It probably saved my life.” For more information, visit www.markhackley.com. 50 Warning Signs of dVT/PE 1. a dull to sharp pain in the back of one calf, and then in the chest 2. possible swelling and/or discoloration of one calf to purple or blue Steps to Prevention walk and stretch your legs often, especially during: 1. Extended trips by plane, train and automobile 2. lengthy periods of bed rest 3. long hours sitting behind a desk 4. any tight or cramped situation 16 December/January 2009 phoToS by ????????????? http://www.markhackley.com

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The Next 50 - December 2008

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