In early September 2024, I noticed major swelling in my left leg/ankle but did what any 34-year-old would do — I chalked it up to something I ate that was bad for me. I had massages lined up toward the end of September to make me feel better from other health issues and stress at work.
In early October, Covid hit me for the third time and knocked me down for a week. Then it felt like pneumonia was setting in, so I went to urgent care where they shrugged it off as lingering Covid. I was told to come back in a week if I wasn’t better.
Not even a week later, the cough was so bad I couldn’t get two words out. Walking 10 feet felt like I ran a marathon. My pulse was rapid, I was exhausted, and I was having neck, shoulder, and chest pain.
I went back to urgent care, and I was assigned to the right PA that night. He wanted me to go to the hospital, as the lab was closed for a D-dimer test to “rule out a tiny suspicion that’s probably nothing.” God bless that man.
My D-dimer ended up being elevated, so a CT scan was ordered. After 45 minutes, the doctor came in with the scariest news of my life, “You have several pulmonary emboli in both of your lungs. Your body gave you signs and you’re here now. Let’s begin treatment immediately.” That felt like a death sentence, and I was petrified.
I was put on apixaban 5mg twice a day and met with hematology the following week. “This will help prevent more from forming and stop the ones there from getting larger your body will try to break down the clots,” I was told.
The anxiety, panic, the pains, tears, the unknowns, the what-ifs that followed were miserable. I’m 35 with a 10-year-old daughter. I grabbed 20 pairs of compression socks, drank only water, took frequent walks, and set timers for my pills.
Today I am more aware, and I know what to look for. I still have anxiety, but now I can share my story to help others and spread awareness.
Resources
Covid and Blood Clots
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