What is deep vein thrombosis? Is it dangerous?

Those of you who follow my writing know that I was was diagnosed with DVT, Deep Vein Thrombosis. DVT is a common but serious medical condition that occurs in approximately two million Americans each year. DVT occurs when a thrombus (blood clot) forms in one of the large veins, usually in the lower limbs, leading to either partially or completely blocked circulation.

After being rushed to the hospital and undergoing a 4 hour procedure to remove the clot, we began the process of trying to find out the cause of my problem. Prior to the sudden swelling of my left leg leading to my emergency-room visit, I felt I was in the best shape of my life.
I was lucky. More people suffer from DVT annually than heart attack and stroke. Up to 600,000 people are hospitalized in the U.S. each year for DVT.

The most serious complication, a pulmonary embolism (PE), can occur when a fragment of a blood clot breaks loose from the wall of the vein and migrates to the lungs, where it blocks a pulmonary artery or one of its branches. As many as 200,000 people die from PE each year.