@karaf8 it is a mental challenge especially in the beginning. It still gets to me sometimes too. You do have to modify some things you do while on blood thinners, or have "accepted risk" and do it anyway. You are reminding me I need to get more serious about losing the rest of my weight to be my healthiest me. The farther out I get from my DVT and PE's the easier it is to ignore the things I should be doing to increase my odds for the happiest and healthiest life. So thanks for that. It is a journey and the initial anxiety over hearing the diagnosis is a normal and natural feeling, whatever word is used to describe it. My other blood clotting board has a lot of discussion about the associated anxiety. Sometimes I take a break from it. It doesn't change the diagnosis, but I'm 15 years from my first DVT and PE (where I went all those years inbetween with no long term blood thinner but I did go off birth control) and I'm almost 2 years from my other DVT abs PE's where we discovered my High Factor VIII which they didn't have the test for the first time around, and so I am on blood thinners now for life. So hoping a more positive story helps as I know there is a lot of anxiety out there with those with our diagnosis. Wishing you the best in your journey!!