Media 250 internship Piranha Productions Final Report
The Most Important Thing I Learned - the short version
by Richard L. Gilmore
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Generally you would expect to find a report of this nature dealing with issues
of interpersonal skills improvement and exposure to new technologies. That, in
fact, is what I expected to write when I started thinking about my internship
report. I expected to write a formulaic bit of fluff about my "new" experiences
with the work environment and how technologies taught at BCC were being used in
creative and innovative ways in the "real world". Well, here's reality. I'm 47
years old and have successfully worked in both blue- and white collar situations
for years. Interpersonal relationship skills in a professional environment is
something you keep learning and practicing all your life. As for
applications of technologies - my preference for CorelDraw over Illustrator as a
vector graphic tool was validated out here in the real world. However, I did
learn something that is vitally important for all people in sedentary
occupations to know.
In the summer of 2000, I developed a large blood clot in my left leg. This
condition is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Pieces of a blood clot can
break off and migrate to the brain, lungs, or heart and is potentially fatal.
Because of my general level of health and physical activity, it is strongly
suspected that the cause of my DVT was the long sedentary periods I spent
sitting in front of my computer. Recently a 28 year old female flew home from
the Olympic games in Australia back to England. Upon landing in Heathrow, she
walked off the airplane, collapsed, and died from a pulmonary embolism caused
by a DVT. DVT is not an "old person's" disease. Clots seem to form much more
quickly than they are reabsorbed by the body. In my own case, the clot formed
and was growing despite my almost daily exercise including bicycling home from
my internship.
Human beings were not designed to be immobile for extended periods of time.
Risks associated with sedentary occupations are still being discovered. Carpal
tunnel syndrome and eye strain are two recognized risks to the general health of
people who work with computers. Deep Vein Thrombosis and the attendant
secondary risk of embolism and stroke, seems to be another risk - a deadly risk.
Preventative measures must be developed to mitigate the risk of blood clots.
Currently there are only suggestions (not backed up by any long term studies)
about preventative measures you can take to avoid DVT. The most obvious is to
do something to keep the blood moving enough to prevent the start of a clot.
What I now do is run a timer program that tells me every 20 minutes to stand up.
That's it, just quickly stand up and sit down. This does not break
concentration very much and takes almost no time. The muscles of the leg flex
and any veins that might be compressed are momentarily opened. Leg muscles are
a large part of the circulatory system that help the heart pump blood when you
are walking, running, or bicycling. When sitting, the heart must do all the
work. I also don't cross my legs anymore when I sit. Will these things reduce
or prevent DVT? I don't know. I am not a doctor. But I do know that it won't
hurt me to follow the simple rules of standing every 20 minutes and not crossing
my legs when sitting.
I am now on a course of warfarin, a drug designed to thin the blood and help my
body to reabsorb the clot. This is preferable to surgery. I am told that the
warfarin treatments can last between 3 months to a year. Because the cause of
the clot is suspect, the doctors are recommending the conservative route of a
full year of warfarin.
What that means is that I am in effect a hemophiliac for the next year. I have
indeed found that minor scratches bleed profusely. In addition, I must refrain
from many of my normal activities like bicycling. Not because the exercise is
bad, but because I must avoid trauma. If I fall, a hard bump could cause
internal bleeding. Being hit in the head could cause a cerebral hemorrhage.
I had know idea that working on a computer could be so damn dangerous.
Some people who have heard my story have asked me about the advisability of
taking aspirin to keep blood thinner and flowing better. I do not advise taking
any medication, supplement, or dietary regimen. I am not a physician. Not
crossing your legs and standing up once every 20 minutes shouldn't hurt, but I
don't know if it will help. I give these disclaimers not only to protect
myself, but to reflect the fact that medical opinion varies on the issues of
prevention and treatment.
Before taking any blood thinning medications, check with your doctor.
Before taking any blood thinning herbal supplements, check with your doctor.
Before changing your dietary intake of vitamin K - check with your doctor.
rlg
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