When I was just a few months shy of turning 24, I traveled to Mexico, which included a four-hour drive to the airport and four-hour flight. Once I returned, I got sick with a gastrointestinal bug and was off work for three days.
The night before I returned to work, I had some chest pain but I dismissed it. I went to work the next day and after a few hours I was unable to walk five feet and I had become short of breath. I was taken to the emergency room where I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. I stayed overnight and was put on blood thinners for a few months afterwards.
Additional risk factors included the fact that I was a smoker and was on hormonal birth control. Since my PE, I quit smoking and no longer am able to use hormonal birth control.
I knew it was a risk when I got the birth control inserted into my arm, but I convinced myself it would never happen to me. NBCA has been helpful by reading others stories and knowing I’m not alone.
