This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After a three-day stint in the hospital, state Sen. Curt Bramble was released late Tuesday night after undergoing a series of blood tests that determined he was suffering from blood clots related to deep vein thrombosis.
The Provo Republican said he experienced difficulty breathing Saturday night and was admitted to the emergency room at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where he said he eventually passed out.
Bramble said all of the tests have come back negative, and he said he doesn't expect the diagnosis to slow him down when the legislative session begins Jan. 24.
"I expect to answer the opening bell when we convene," Bramble said.
Deep vein thrombosis, according to the National Institutes of Health, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep inside the body — usually in the lower leg or thigh. The danger is a blood clot could loosen and travel to the lung, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Bramble said he may have to be on blood thinners to help combat the clotting.
According to PreventDVT.org, more than 2 million Americans are diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, and an estimated 300,000 people are admitted each year with a first-time diagnosis.
The 57-year-old Bramble said he had been flying "quite a bit" over the past two months and doctors told him flying can exacerbate deep vein thrombosis. He said doctors have not restricted him from flying now, but he said he has to be careful not to sit still for long periods of time and to avoid dehydration.
He said the experience caught him by surprise.
Bramble was supposed to make a presentation before the Senate Republican caucus Monday but bowed out due to his illness and kept the details of the hospital stay to a small circle of family and friends.
His name has been floated by several lawmakers as the one to lead the way on carrying a comprehensive immigration reform bill — a task he says he would still be up to in spite of his medical problem.
"I will manage some challenges with the blood clots, but every test came back negative, and I appear to be in very good health," Bramble said.