When I was 18, I was diagnosed with multiple bilateral pulmonary emboli.
I was an active young adult, attending university and playing volleyball for my school. I woke up one night not being able to catch my breath and felt crazy amounts of pain in my ribs, upper right quadrant of my abdomen, and back.
At first I thought it was all in my head because what else could this be? My mom convinced me to go to a nearby walk-in clinic.
After five hours of waiting at the clinic, the doctor dismissed my concerns as anxiety or possible pneumonia. He sent me home with antibiotics without listening to my lungs or sending me for a chest X-ray.
I’m forever grateful for my family convincing me to go to the hospital as my symptoms progressed. Having a doctor dismiss me while I was also in denial wasn’t a good combo.
In the ER my D-dimer came back and was crazy elevated, and I finally got a diagnosis of bilateral PEs, and birth control was thought to be the cause. A few weeks later I was also diagnosed with pulmonary infarction and pleural effusion.
After a few weeks of being in and out of the hospital and eight months of blood thinners, I was medically back to normal, but the mental strain this put on me has changed me forever. It will be four years since my clots and I am forever grateful that they were caught before things escalated.
This experience completely changed the course of my life. It sparked an interest in health care and I will soon be working as a paramedic in my province. I will be able to advocate for my patients so no one gets dismissed like I did.
Resources
Living Your Best Life on Blood Thinners
Psychological Impact of Blood Clots
Know Your Risk
