In late September 2023, my left calf started aching mysteriously. The pain was radiating up and down my leg so I thought maybe it was a pinched nerve. It was getting hard to walk, so I did an online urgent care visit. I was diagnosed with muscle strain and told to wrap it, take ibuprofen and heat as needed, but to go to urgent care if it wasn’t better in 72 hours. A clot had entered my mind, but my leg wasn’t hot, red or swollen, so I didn’t think that’s what it was.
72 hours later, on October 3, I woke up feeling lightheaded and like I was going to faint when I got out of bed. My heart would race just from taking a few steps. I thought maybe I was having a panic attack about my mysterious pain, even though I’d never had one before.
My husband took me to urgent care where they did a leg X-ray. My vitals were still surprisingly pretty normal, but the physician’s assistant was concerned enough that she gave me two choices: go straight to the ER or be referred for a leg ultrasound to rule out a clot. I was still in denial and scared of spending too much money, so I opted for the ultrasound.
Right after we got there, I passed out in the waiting room. Fortunately I regained consciousness, and an ambulance arrived within minutes and took me to the hospital across the street.
Eventually, a CT scan showed a bilateral pulmonary embolism. I was put on heparin overnight in the ICU and had a thrombectomy the next morning to remove the many clots from my lungs. My heart showed signs of strain, which was scary to hear, but an echocardiogram a few months later confirmed it had recovered.
I took apixaban for six months as the clot was very likely caused by birth control and my genetic tests were negative.
I’m grateful for the wonderful medical professionals I encountered that day. I know my story could have turned out a lot differently were I not so lucky.
I’ve learned blood clots are way more common than most people realize and that it’s common to be misdiagnosed. NBCA resources, like the Facebook support group and the Taking a Breath podcast, were therapeutic and reassuring for me in the months following my PE.
Resources
Signs and Symptoms
Birth Control
Thrombectomy and Other Treatments
