On October 7, 2020, a vein burst in my leg. At the ER, they ran no tests. They told me the vein looked like cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection, and sent me home with an antibiotic. They said if the red area got bigger, I should come back.
I went back on the 11th and asked them to do some tests. They did bloodwork, which showed high D-dimer levels. They then did X-rays and a CT scan of my lungs, which showed I had multifocal pulmonary emboli in the segmental and subsegmental arteries of the right lower lobe, left lower lobe, and lingula.
They kept telling me that I was so young. At the time, I was 38. Doctors still don’t know what caused them, but I was on hormonal birth control at the time. I also had back surgery in July of that year, but my doctor said it didn’t cause my PE.
I will be on blood thinners for life. I’m more cautious with things that could cause me to fall or get hurt due to the blood thinners. I was very nervous in the beginning, but I learned that whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. I’m taking my medication and being careful.
What I’ve also learned from this is to be your own advocate. Know your body and something isn’t right, fight for yourself.
Resources
Living Your Best Life on Blood Thinners
Know Your Risk
Hospitalization and Surgery
