My heart was beating unusually and I felt tired; it was a long day. After family holidays and an accident on the road, we were trapped for several hours in the car. When I arrived at my destination, my heart still racing. I felt it in my neck. My heart rate was between 160-180.
As the hours passed and my heart continued beating so fast, my husband decided to take me to the emergency room. The ER doctor didn’t believe me, despite the heart rate. They took tests, and my troponin was slightly elevated.
They kept me for observation, and the frequency dropped a little. The doctor wanted to send me home, but my husband didn’t let him.
A new doctor arrived that night to evaluate me. She didn’t like my clinical presentation, so she decided to extend the exams. Thank God she appeared that night. If it weren’t for her, I would have gone home with clots in my lungs. I had multiple submassive pulmonary emboli.
I’m a doctor myself; I learned that PE presentation differs for each patient! When our body speaks, we must listen to it!
Resources
Travel and Blood Clots
Blood Clot Resource Center
Signs and Symptoms
