I had an appointment with my PCP on October 5, 2019 for shortness of breath. I could barely walk to my car from his office door. My lower legs were hurting. I was 56 and on no medications. He referred me to a cardiologist.
The following day, after my morning coffee, I could hardly walk. I noticed my left leg to be super hot and red with some swelling.
I called my PCP’s office and a nurse picked up. She asked me if I thought I could drive. I said yes. (Don’t do this, by the way.) She told me to go to the ER immediately. I went to a small hospital in the town where I lived.
The ER doc immediately did bloodwork, including a D-dimer test. It came back positive for a DVT, which he expected after looking at my leg.
He wanted to scan my heart and lungs just to be sure, so off I went to imaging. Honestly, I was feeling pretty well, except for the shortness of breath. The pain in my legs had subsided a bit.
My husband and I had dinner reservations that evening. I had been looking at the menu online on my phone, picking out my dinner and cocktails. I was sitting on the hospital bed and cleaning out my purse when the ER doctor returned. He did not have a good poker face! It scared me.
The doctor said, “You have multiple, bilateral pulmonary emboli. You have minutes.” And, he knocked on the door, which was a signal to the care team outside. Four people were on me like bees on honey!
As he continued on, he asked: “Have you been throwing up blood? Have you had any pain in your chest?”
“No,” I said.
He continued, “Your vitals are all good. This is amazing, because you never see that.”
I spent five days in the ICU. I didn’t exactly have the best follow-up care, but I ultimately landed with a great hematologist!
I experienced PTSD, but thankfully my new PCP recognized it and I got help.
In terms of risk factors, I have prothrombin factor II and my hematologist suspects both of my sons have it as well.
My advice to others is research, research, research, and do genetic testing if your doctor recommends it.
