Scholar, professor and news host Marc Lamont Hill is on the mend after suffering a heart attack.
The 42-year-old took to social media on Wednesday, sharing an image of himself in the hospital, to reveal his recent condition. He noted that a blood clot was the cause of everything.
“I am home and recovering after a rough week,” he wrote. “After my successful Achilles surgery on Friday, I was rushed to the ER on Saturday after suffering a mild heart attack.”
Hill went into the hospital on Sept. 24 for surgery to tend to a ruptured achilles. Before he went in for the procedure, he let his fans know that he was optimistic all would go well. “Surgery Day. Finally getting this ruptured Achilles handled. Should be light work,” he wrote. “Holla at y’all later!!!” But things, as he shared most recently, took a quick and scary turn.
“Turns out that I had DVT (deep vein thrombosis), which caused a pulmonary embolism. Blood clots nearly completely blocked my lungs, preventing blood flow to my heart,” he said. “The doctors told me that I was VERY lucky not to have died. Fortunately, I received EXCELLENT medical care from the team at Temple University Hospital.”
Doctors were able to figure out that his heart attack was caused by blood clots and removed them. Now Hill is back home, recuperating and thankful.
“My body is worn out and sore but I couldn’t feel more grateful to be alive and on the path to full recovery,” he said. “Please listen to your bodies. If something feels off, GO TO THE DOCTOR. Don’t worry about seeming like a pain or a hypochondriac. JUST GO. Thanks to everyone who helped, or offered to help, during this terrifying time. I’m blessed with amazing friends, wonderful family, and plenty of unmerited grace and mercy.”
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in at least one but sometimes more of the deep veins in your body. The leg is the most common place, but it can also happen in the pelvis and arm. They can occur if you don’t move for a long time, like after a surgery, when on bed rest, or when traveling a long distance. If you have medical conditions that impact the way your blood clots, that can also create a situation where deep vein thrombosis occurs.
There can be some symptoms, like leg pain and swelling, but it can also show up in the body without them. If the blood clots break loose, they can then travel to other parts of your body, like your lungs, blocking blood flow to the heart, which was the case for Hill. Thankfully, things were caught in time.
We’re glad to hear that he is doing much better. We’re also glad to see that he’s using his experience to help other people be more aware of what’s going on in their bodies, too. Here’s to a quick recovery.