At 35 weeks pregnant, I had a feeling that something was severely wrong. While cooking Father’s Day breakfast for my husband, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I called my OB and was told to come into triage for monitoring. I was admitted, but my oxygen levels were perfect, and my EKG was pristine. I would spend a few days being monitored for my advancing preeclampsia until my high-risk OBGYN said it was time to have my daughter because it was progressing too quickly.
I had my daughter in the late afternoon on a Thursday via C-section and things went beautifully. However, no one could explain my chest pain and shortness of breath.
Thirty-six hours after having my daughter, panic set in as I knew something was horribly wrong. My oxygen levels dropped to the low 80s, and my back and chest pounded with pain. I was suffering from a saddle pulmonary embolism and both lungs were riddled with other little emboli.
The ICU was full, so I found a home in the pulmonary unit for a week. Balancing IV medications and oral blood thinners, an ultrasound found two extra large DVTs in both legs. I thankfully didn’t need surgery and walked out of the hospital by myself after seven days with an initial treatment plan of six months of blood thinners.
Today, I am waiting to redo bloodwork and see if the protein S deficiency that was detected at the hospital is genetic or just due to pregnancy.
I am thankful to be off blood thinners for now, as I suffered countless complications on them. My legs are stiff and painful, but thankfully I don’t have any other symptoms at the moment.
If I hadn’t been at the hospital already, having just had my daughter, there is no way to know what would have happened to me. I initially had tried to tell myself my symptoms were just from heartburn and a big pregnancy belly.
I generally try not to cause a fuss to others when it comes to my health. I assume that pains or strange feelings in my body are just temporary and due to something not serious. Because of this experience, I will never ignore my body again and I will always speak up.
I have a new appreciation for compression socks and, regardless of the outcome of my upcoming bloodwork, will always take precautions to care for my legs when traveling and to keep active.
