Big news
I went to the doctor Wednesday afternoon, feeling short of breath and under the weather. I have asthma, so I was sure that it was acting up. The doctor told me that it was probably the case, but we needed to run a few tests just to be sure I didn't have a blood clot in my lungs. P'shaw, I thought, what is she thinking? She sent me for an X-ray and blood tests. The chest X-ray came back negative. I went back to work, and a few hours later got the call that my blood tests came back positive for clotting and to get to the hospital immediately.
My co-worker drove me to the ER. Scott arrived, and my friend Sarah. We hung around for a few hours, went upstairs for a chest scan, I had a few tests on my heart, more blood work. The test results started coming back, all of them normal. We were joking with the doctor, all kidding around. But then things started to change. Around 10 pm, one of my blood tests came back abnormal. Then another. Then the doctor came in, looking serious. "The radiologist called," he said. "He said your lungs are full of blood clots."
Blammo. Well then!
Lucky for me, I have an fabulous internist, and somehow I managed to not have a heart attack already, since pulmonary embolisms can be fatal. I am incredibly lucky to be alive. I have about seven clots in one lung, double or so in the other. Normally you have one clot in one lung. I have spent the last two days in the hospital. I'll be injecting blood thinners into my stomach twice a day for the next week. I'll also be taking a pill form of blood thinners once a day. Starting Monday I see my internist three times a week. I'll be on blood thinners for at least the next year, possibly the rest of my life depending on the genetic profile tests that went out on Wednesday night. I am still at risk for a heart attack for at least the next few months, and my lungs might scar over in spots from the clots. I'm on modified bedrest.
But I'm home with Scott and the furbabies. For now I'm okay. Statistically I should be in much worse shape. Nothing like a life-threatening illness to suddenly put things in perspective for you and realize that all of the mundane, daily tasks that you emphasize really just don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Now I am off to bed for some shut-eye. This whole breathing thing takes a lot out of me. :-) I hope all of you are doing well and I'll try to update regularly on Clot Busters 2007. Happy weekend!
My co-worker drove me to the ER. Scott arrived, and my friend Sarah. We hung around for a few hours, went upstairs for a chest scan, I had a few tests on my heart, more blood work. The test results started coming back, all of them normal. We were joking with the doctor, all kidding around. But then things started to change. Around 10 pm, one of my blood tests came back abnormal. Then another. Then the doctor came in, looking serious. "The radiologist called," he said. "He said your lungs are full of blood clots."
Blammo. Well then!
Lucky for me, I have an fabulous internist, and somehow I managed to not have a heart attack already, since pulmonary embolisms can be fatal. I am incredibly lucky to be alive. I have about seven clots in one lung, double or so in the other. Normally you have one clot in one lung. I have spent the last two days in the hospital. I'll be injecting blood thinners into my stomach twice a day for the next week. I'll also be taking a pill form of blood thinners once a day. Starting Monday I see my internist three times a week. I'll be on blood thinners for at least the next year, possibly the rest of my life depending on the genetic profile tests that went out on Wednesday night. I am still at risk for a heart attack for at least the next few months, and my lungs might scar over in spots from the clots. I'm on modified bedrest.
But I'm home with Scott and the furbabies. For now I'm okay. Statistically I should be in much worse shape. Nothing like a life-threatening illness to suddenly put things in perspective for you and realize that all of the mundane, daily tasks that you emphasize really just don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Now I am off to bed for some shut-eye. This whole breathing thing takes a lot out of me. :-) I hope all of you are doing well and I'll try to update regularly on Clot Busters 2007. Happy weekend!
5 Comments:
Cara....I'm sitting here dumbfounded.....OMG....I'm so relieved that the doctors were able to fing a diagnosis so quick....I wish you all the best and hope for a speedy recovery!
Holy crap, Cara. I'm glad they figured out what was going on with you. Do they think this is what was causing the numbness in your legs, too? My dad has had blood clots that travelled from his legs to his lungs... is that what happened for you? Sorry for all the questions. Good grief. Take care of yourself!
Jesus. I'm so sorry you're going though this.
Just wanted to tell you to take gentle care and mention that perhaps this relates to the numbness in your legs b.c Alissa's dad once had this thing yadda yadda see above.
Be sure to the cats up on the bed so they can knead/march/make cat bread out of the covers.
Good god, Cara. I'm so sorry, that's awful. Good thing they caught it, but jeez. As if the month before your wedding wasn't already stressful enough? Yikes. Take care.
Thank you for all of the well wishes. :-)
They're not sure where the big clot came from. They did an ultrasound while I was in the hospital and didn't find anything in my legs, but that could be because Bubba the Clot already broke up and moved on. It could have also come from somewhere in my abdomen or pelvis. I have a follow-up face-to-face on Wednesday, so I can ask more questions then. But since this happened? No numbness and I can move normally for the first time in weeks. Funny how that works, eh? :-)
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