Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!
On July 29, 2018, I will be racing Ironman Canada - swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles in less than 17 hours - to raise funds for the National Blood Clot Alliance, and to raise awareness and prevention of pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the lungs. Please consider donating to my fundraising efforts.
As some of you know, I suffered multtiple bilateral PEs in July 2009, and again in March 2010, resulting in a lifetime of anticoagulants to prevent another occurence. I was one of the lucky ones, as blood clots are deadly. I will be wearing a Stop the Clot jersey and racing in honor of those that have suffered from clots, those that have passed away, and those that will suffer in the future. Most importantly, by finishing this 140.6 mile race, I hope to set an example that being on anticoagulants does not mean you cannot continue to do the things that most inspire and challenge you.
Even if it sometimes involves going downhill fast, and makes your doctors cringe.
It is estimated that up to 600,000 people in the United States are affected by DVT/PE each year, and that up to 100,000 Americans die each year due to DVT/PE. 10 to 30 percent of people affected by DVT/PE will die within one month of diagnosis. In about 25% of people who experience a PE, the first "symptom" is sudden death. A recent study found that PEs are the one of the most commonly misdiagnosed medical condtions.
Although I had classic shortness of breath and other symptoms, it took no less than 4 doctors, including a cardiologist and a pulmonologist, over 5 weeks to finally diagnose my PEs. I didn't fit the mold of a typical patient - I wasn't elderly, hadn't been on a long plane ride or been immobilized. Heck, I was healthy and young and had just finished Ironman Arizona a few months before.
On average, one person dies every 6 minutes from a blood clot.
Don't be one of them. Blood clots can be prevented. Know the signs and symptoms.
The NBCA is a non-profit, voluntary health organization dedicated to advancing the prevention, early diagnosis and successful treatment of life-threatening blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and clot-provoked stroke. For more information about the NBCA and its cause, please visit http://stoptheclot.org/.
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. You can also donate to me directly if you'd rather pay by check or venmo or paypal, just contact me at cjmenjou@gmail.com. All donations go 100% to the NBCA.
Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too! Thank you for visiting.
Chris
