Taking Andrews One Day At A Time

David Andrew's is recovering from blood clots in his lungs suffered last summer and is expecting to play week one. All fans of the Patriots seemed to care about was how soon would he be back. It was the same for former Patriot and Toronto Argonaut Armond Armstead who had to retire from football due to blood clots back during the in 2014-2015 season. What people failed to grasp is this was a life threatening medical condition.

So how long does it take to recover from blood clots and what should we expect from Andrews? That's a question many Patriot fans aren't thinking about. There's more to football than entertainment and money, there's safety and healthy to think about. It's why the league is constantly upgrading rules, the NFL is starting to understand that players aren't cattle.

"In general, if the risk of another clot is low, then short-term treatment for 3 months is often sufficient (Figure). This is long enough for the present clot to heal. However, if the risk for developing another clot is high, then treatment for >3 months may be appropriate". (AHA Journals)

Andrews was put on the IR, it's pretty safe to say he was high risk for another clot. Offensive lineman are normally overweight for their height and push themselves too much physically. Knowing that I looked for a second opinion.

"Recovery from a PE (Lung blockage) takes one to two years. Not to be the bearer of bad news (although I do have a pessimistic nature to be honest), I think more patients need to be told this – and more doctors need to realize it.

Length of treatment can vary from a few months to long-term over many years and is determined by factors your doctor should discuss with you. If he or she does not discuss length of treatment with you or to your satisfaction, ask for clarification until you receive a satisfactory answer! 

At least 3-6 months of blood thinners are typically recommended, with a preference for long-term or often lifelong treatment in patients with unprovoked (occurs out of the blue, without any clear triggering factor such as surgery, pregnancy, injury, etc.) clots that occur in the pelvis, thigh, and/or behind knee (DVT) or PE (Lung Blockage)." (Bloodclotrecovery.net)

"I'm not ready to be done playing football. If there is any chance I can go play football, that's what I'm going to do, You really take pride in being out there, and that's what I want to do. I want to play football. Maybe coach one day, but not for a long time." - David Andrews said back in January.

"As a player that has been with the Patriots organization for five years now, everyone in New England and others that support Andrews have been hopeful that he would make a timely recovery from a scary situation. It looks like that is exactly what has happened. Though there is no definitive timetable as to when Andrews can resume football-related activities, it looks like that is right around the corner for him." - Devont Clements. 

Andrews had medical testing in February. At best case, David Andrews could be ready to go come week one. Fans should not have their hope's up. As we saw with Armstead, recovery may not come. Andrews is a 6'3" 300 pound center, recovering from a PE. 

The longer he stays away from football, the more out of football shape he gets. The less likely he is to return. While Andrews is optimistic about playing week one, like Andrews, we must take his recovery one day at a time. Andrews could start the season on the bench or pup, but we must keep in mind that a set back is always possible and David may never play football again.