Kaytie Richmond | Stayton, Oregon
The Warning Signs
I was about 37 weeks pregnant when I started to experience leg swelling and pain. It was localized near my ankle, which I have injured in the past. I thought maybe the extra weight from pregnancy had flared it up. I told my nurse, and without looking up from her computer she told me it was normal.
The Night Everything Changed
The night I went into labor I experienced a cramp in my leg, shortness of breath, and dry heaving. The monitor was beeping and all the nurses surrounded me — someone paged my OB. By the time my OB got there, all my symptoms had subsided and I wasn’t feeling any pain. They said it was probably my body’s reaction to my water breaking. No tests were run.
The Diagnosis
I was discharged a few days later — a healthy postpartum new mom. About four days later I experienced another episode similar to the one prior: a wave of heat from my lower back up to my neck, then shortness of breath and a fast heart rate. It wasn’t long before I was in the ER and the doctors were running tests. I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and AFib, along with a leaking heart valve. I was admitted to the ICU for seven days and have been on warfarin for six months.
Life After
My experience has stayed with me — I now deal with daily anxiety and have turned to meditation as part of managing life after everything I went through. I’ve done a lot of learning on my own, reading about other people’s experiences, which has helped me feel less alone.
My Advice
Please advocate for yourself. Push for tests, push for acknowledgment — always, always listen to your body and don’t gaslight yourself into thinking it’s nothing. There’s no harm in going to the doctor even if it turns out to be nothing. You deserve peace of mind after such a scary experience.
