Interview with Marco Mordente, former captain of the Italian national basketball team, who experienced a pulmonary embolism in January 2023. This condition is as dangerous as it is insidious because it can develop with subtle symptoms, especially in young and physically fit individuals. His story helps shed light on some aspects of the disease and, above all, shows how an experience of illness can be transformed into a valuable resource. <\/p>\n
The diagnosis struck like a bolt from the blue. Marco was athletic, in excellent physical condition, and very attentive to his diet. “Let’s say that up until then I felt like a superhero… afterward, not anymore. I realized that these things can happen to me too,” explained the sport champion. Fortunately, at the hospital in Treviso where he was treated, “they worked as a team, consulted one another, and did true teamwork that made me feel I was receiving the best possible care,” Marco recalled. Indeed, just one month after being discharged, he gradually began returning to his regular physical activity, which for several years has been Pilates. <\/p>\n
“Of course, the first period was difficult, especially during the first month when I was advised to rest completely. Even going for a walk outdoors in the cold weather, it was February, caused me pain. But then I returned to my usual life. Obviously, while on anticoagulant treatment, you always have to be very careful with activities that could lead to injuries,” Marco explained. “For example, only four months after the pulmonary embolism, while I was still on full-dose anticoagulant therapy, I went skiing without a helmet. I didn’t think about it. It was the sports medicine doctor who later explained the risks to me, and since then I’ve been very careful, both when cycling and skiing, and above all, never without a helmet.”<\/p>\n
Apart from these precautions, Marco’s life, although he is still receiving anticoagulant therapy, has now returned to what it was before. In fact, he believes the experience has brought some unexpected benefits. “Sometimes these events also have unexpected positive consequences,” explained the former captain of the Italian national basketball team. “In particular, this episode will always be associated with reconnecting with part of my family, with whom there had been disagreements. But when faced with something as serious as illness, everything is put into perspective. It is important to be able to interpret reality and the events that happen to us in a positive way, to treasure them, to improve our perception of ourselves and our relationships with others.” <\/p>\n