That heat thing is not good because it does indicate clots, but as you say, they may well be superficial. Do you have any sign of what appear to be "spider web" broken capillaries anywhere on your lower leg, say, around the ankle? That was the symptom that alerted the first doctor that Machka saw, and he said: "I will bet my career as a doctor that you have DVT".
I'm sorry to hear that you are having these complications. I am trusting that you will get through them OK, and that in two and five years' time they will hardly be a memory.