Source: Daily_Mail
Gary Cahill: The slightest knock and blood clot could have killed me
Gary Cahill wants to make a correction before we go any further.[LNB]The blood clot that jeopardised his World Cup dream lurked in his upper chest, not his left arm. And it was no ordinary blood clot, either.[LNB]Ahead of an anticipated comeback against Manchester United at the Reebok, the England squad defender described how a check with Bolton's club doctor, less than two hours before kick-off against Fulham last month, led to the discovery of a one-in-a-million defect that could have threatened his life, let alone his career.[LNB] Enlarge Time for reflection: Gary Cahill has been through a painful process but is fit again and hoping to be in the thick of the action against Manchester United[LNB]The doctor's initial diagnosis of a clot proved sound enough but told only half the story, as Cahill, 24, was to discover during a bewildering round of tests, scans and surgicalprocedures that ended with a rib being removed at an Exeter clinic seven days later.[LNB]The longest week of his life unfolded behind a veil of secrecy. The official line that it was simply a blood clot requiring up to six months' rest and medication was bad enough, given his soaring hopes of a place in England's World Cup squad this summer.[LNB]The reality was even worse, as specialists explained how it had been caused by his top rib and collarbone being so close together, they were squeezing the life out of arteries and a vein every time he lifted his left arm.[LNB]Had he skipped the doctor's appointment and played against Fulham, the consequences could have been catastrophic.[LNB]'The slightest knock could have sent the clot travelling towards my brain, lung or heart,' he said. 'Potentially, it could have been life-threatening. That's how serious it might have been - I could have been in real trouble.'[LNB]A full 90 minutes in the reserves has removed any lingering doubts about his readiness to return today, but there was still a shudder at the memory of striding through the Reebok doors the last time he was on Bolton's team sheet.'I noticed on the Thursday evening that my left arm was a bit swollen, but there was no discomfortor any other symptoms, and I thought nothing of it,' he said. 'I wondered if I'd banged it, but I couldn't remember. Anyway, I trained as normal the following day and everything seemed fine.[LNB]'But there must have been a concern at the back of my mind because, on the Saturday morning, I phoned the doc and asked if I could see him before the game. I was in my club suit, ready to go and get changed after a quiet word of reassurance. Instead, he took one look and said, 'Sorry, Gary, you're not playing today."[LNB]'He was careful not to alarm me, and referred to a blockage in my arm rather than a blood clot, but he still insisted on our physio driving me straight to the Alexandra Hospital in Manchester. That's when the alarm bells started ringing.[LNB] Heading for a return: Cahill clashes with Blackburn's David Dunn earlier this season[LNB]'I didn't know much about clots, but I knew I was fit and strong, and they shouldn't happen to me. I had heard you could get them from tumours, so could there be some sinister underlying problem?[LNB]'So many thoughts were going through my mind as I got to the Alexandra. An ultrasound scan showed no blood was flowing through to my arm, so they fed a tube in through the inside of my elbow and ran it up the vein until it reached the affected area.[LNB]'I had a local anaesthetic to numb the arm, but I remember, as the tube expanded like a balloon inside my chest and they pumped a fluid in, it felt like a chimney sweep working away with his broom. It was a horrible feeling, being aware of all that going on inside your chest. It was quite near the heart, and you can't help feeling a bit on edge.[LNB]'The fluid at least dissolved the clot, but only after having the tube in for 24 hours and spending all that time in the intensive care unit. It was only so they could monitor me closely, but it still brought home to me that I might be in a spot of bother.[LNB]'It was no easier for my parents, sister and girlfriend, who all came to visit me that Saturday night, only to find me in intensive care with two bags of fluid either side of my arm and tubes everywhere.[LNB]'They told me it was fortunate they had caught it early. Left any longer, it would have thickened and become drier and, when that happens, it has to be treated withwarfarin. That's rat poison. You take it in tablet form to thin the blood. It sounds awful.[LNB]'Even worse, the recovery period is a lot longer. It would have been six months, and an end to any thoughts of making the World Cup. That was a relief but, as I lay in bed, the specialist tried to explain how, though everything had gone well, there was one more thing that needed doing. They had to take a rib out.[LNB]'He showed me a series of scans, and even I could see the problem.There was such a small gap between the rib and collarbone that, when Iraised my left arm, it was nipping the vein. It was like when you get akink in a hosepipe and it stops the water flowing through.[LNB]Ambitions: Cahill wants to play for England at this summer's World Cup[LNB]'Everyone we asked recommended the same specialist, a guy called John Thompson in Exeter and, the following weekend, we were down there, ready for another operation. He was great. He told me he had operated on boxers, athletes and shot-putters with similar problems and restored them all to full fitness. I wasn't going to spoil his 100 per cent record.[LNB]'The surgery lasted an hour and a half, and I was really sore when I came round. That wasn't surprising, considering he had cut right across the width of my armpit and removed the whole of my top rib.[LNB]'He said it was an incredibly rare abnormality that only needed the slightest contact to lead to a clot. It could have happened at any time and, when I look back and consider what might have happened, it doesn't bear thinking about. I remember, when I was in the Alexandra, all I could think about, stupidly, was how long will I be out? How many games will I miss?[LNB]'It was only when I saw the anxious faces of my family and girlfriend that I began to realise there are more important things.[LNB]'The best day by far was going back to Mr Thompson after the operation and hearing him say everything had healed perfectly, there was no danger of it happening again and all I needed was two weeks of blood-thinning injections and a few weeks of taking aspirin.[LNB]'From an initial forecast of six months, the recovery was only going to take six weeks and, here I am, ready to play again. There has been the inevitable banter as well. Whenever any of my pals go to a Chinese restaurant, they always order spare ribs and send me a picture on their mobile phones. I can't complain. I did something similar.[LNB]'I remember coming round from the surgery and the first thing I saw was the rib, in a clear plastic container next to my bed. I thought someone was having a laugh, but it was the one the surgeon had removed. So I took a photo on my mobile and sent it to my dad, with a caption saying, 'Have you got any barbecue sauce to go with this?'[LNB]'There were about 40 messages on my phone when I switched it on and I'm so grateful to everyone at the club, from the chairman to the supporters, for all their backing. I also received a letter from John Terry, wishing me well. It was hand-written and posted to the club, and I really appreciated it. He didn't have to put himself out like that.'[LNB]Cahill might have wished for an easier test of his World Cup credentials than tangling with an in-form Wayne Rooney. He is ready, though.[LNB]'In my first reserve game back, I blocked a shot that hit me exactly where the rib used to be,' he said.[LNB]'It was no problem, and I knew then that I was back. I'm just buzzing to be involved in the first-team again, and if I do end up facing Wayne, I'll expect the unexpected. That's the sort of player he is.[LNB]'The World Cup has to be the target for me now. I left the rib at the hospital because all that is behind me. I'm only looking forward and, after being involved in the last few squads, that means getting some game time in an England shirt.'[LNB] Bolton's Cahill fit to face Manchester United after eight-week lay offI'm ready, Fab: Bolton ace Muamba dreams of senior England call-upBOLTON WANDERERS FC
