On December 15, 2022, I sprained my ankle and was checked at urgent care for a possible break. I was told that I had no break, but that I should not put any weight on my ankle for five days.
After that, I was able to put some weight on the ankle, but I started having an immense pain and burning sensation in my leg.
By Wednesday, December 21, our area had an arctic blast with strong winds, and I was having chest pain and trouble breathing. Nothing I did felt comfortable. I went into work on Thursday, December 22, barely breathing and thinking it could be an asthma or chest congestion.
I made an appointment with my doctor for the following day, Friday, December 23, and could barely catch my breath. As I walked into the office, my doctor’s nurse happened to be at the front desk and immediately put me into a wheelchair. She took my oxygen level, saw how low it was, and wheeled me back.
My doctor ordered an EKG then asked for the ambulance to take me to the ER. In the ER I was diagnosed with a DVT on the left sprained leg and a saddle pulmonary embolism.
They transferred me to another hospital and kept me in cardiac intensive care because I was experiencing heart strain. The staff later told me that the severity of the clot and my age of (38) became a teachable moment.
I found out after that I have protein S deficiency, which increases my risk for blood clots. This, along with my ankle injury, the estrogen-based birth control I had been taking, and my family history of clots, created a “perfect storm.”
I’ve had to change my lifestyle and habits, and I’ve had to deal with how this affected me emotionally. My advice to others is to advocate for yourself.
