Of course Girlawhirl thinks she is invincible, but truth be told, she knows better. And so, when she travels, she follows a few simple rules designed to get her there -- and back -- safely and soundly. And one of the rules she's diligent about is not sitting still for a long time on an airplane...
Sure the idea of cozying up in a business class seat and sleeping all the way to Europe or Hong Kong sounds lovely, but Girlawhirl makes sure that she gets up and walks around, even does a few stretches, leg circles and other exercises throughout a flight. The goal here is to keep her blood circulating to prevent what's called DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis -- a blood clot that can lead to some serious complications -- including, if it breaks loose and heads to her lungs, death.
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March is DVT awareness month and so she's brushing up on the facts about DVT. She found out that in addition to frequent fliers, people who are in the hospital or confined to their beds are also at risk. Women who take birth control pills or are on hormone replacement therapy are also at a higher risk for DVT. And the same rules that apply for airplane travel can also be applied to long car, bus, or train rides.
At the web site DVT.net, there's a quiz that anyone can take to judge their risk for developing DVT. Girlawhirl was surprised to find out that her risk was higher than she expected! Another reason to get up and move around in flight.