Friends, family and fans are praying for the singer, Tweet as she fights against blood clots. Pastor Jamal H. Bryant, who confirmed last year that he and the singer are dating, took to Instagram to reveal that the singer had been hospitalized for blood clots in both lungs and her right arm.
The pastor called for prayers, writing, “I need your prayers for @tweet_. She’s been admitted in the hospital for blood clots in both lungs & right arm! Doctors can’t trace it but God is a healer! Prayers still work.”
Blood clots are serious no matter where they are in your body. But blood clots in your lungs is also called a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolisms cause death in one-third of people who go undiagnosed or untreated.
It can damage part of the lung due to restricted blood flow, decrease oxygen levels in the blood, and affect other organs as well. Large or multiple blood clots can be fatal.
The blockage can be life-threatening. However, immediate emergency treatment--which is what we expect Tweet is receiving--greatly increases your chances of avoiding permanent lung damage.
Blood clots can form for a variety of reasons. Pulmonary embolisms are most often caused by deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which blood clots form in veins deep in the body. The blood clots that most often cause pulmonary embolisms begin in the legs or pelvis.
Since releasing her breakout album, Southern Hummingbird, in 2002, Tweet has continued delivering soulful tunes to her faithful fan base. She released her latest album, Charlene, in 2016 and also earned writing credits on Solange’s critically acclaimed A Seat At The Table. She’s also been candid about strengthening her relationship with God, telling Vibe, “God is definitely the one to bring me out of some messed up situations and sometimes when I didn’t even want to be here…I had to have God and walk in his will to be able to do it.”
Surgery may be necessary to remove Tweets problematic blood clots, especially those that restrict blood flow to the lungs or heart. According to the Mayo Clinic, some surgical procedures your doctor may use in the case of a pulmonary embolism include:
Vein Filter: Your doctor will make a small incision, then use a thin wire to install a small filter in your inferior vena cava. The vena cava is the main vein that leads from your legs to the right side of your heart. The filter prevents blood clots from traveling from your legs to your lungs.
Clot Removal: A thin tube called a catheter will suction large clots out of your artery. It isn’t an entirely effective method because of the difficulty involved, so it’s not always a preferred method of treatment.
Open Surgery: Doctors use open surgery only in emergency situations when a person is in shock or medications aren’t working to break up the clot.
Whatever treatement Tweet is getting, we pray that her recovery time and healing is speedy and thorough.