Six years ago, I woke up early to shovel the snow before work. I’m not in the best shape, but I’m never winded after shoveling.
That morning, I was having trouble catching my breath, but I just thought I was coming down with something. The next day, I could hardly walk. My best friend took me to the clinic and the doctor I saw said go straight to the ER.
I was rapidly triaged, got a CT scan, and it was confirmed I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism, a complication of a DVT in my right calf. I had a filter placed and was put on blood thinners. In terms of risk factors, I was taking the birth control pill, which is believed to have provoked my blood clots.
I remember the day I stopped taking the blood thinners and had my filter removed I was happy and terrified. The pill that saved my life was no longer a safety net. With every pain and every catch in my breath, I imagined the worst.
I was lucky — my family and friends were essential to my recovery. I will forever be grateful to them. The Stop the Clot support group on Facebook was also an integral part of my recovery, especially the mental health factor. It helps to know you know you are not alone.
