In February 2025, while at work, I started developing a terrible headache, fever, chills, and body aches. I assumed I was coming down with the flu. I spent a day in bed watching TV and resting. Two days later, the flu-like symptoms subsided, but I developed stiffness and pain in my neck. Within 24 hours, that pain moved from my neck to my arms, and then to my legs. Something felt off, so I went to the ER.
My platelets were high, but the doctors sent me home with a diagnosis of “post-viral inflammation.” I left feeling anxious and uneasy, with a strong sense that something was seriously wrong. The next morning, I went back to the ER. Again, I was sent home, and my platelets were even higher. On day three, I returned. Sent home. Day four, the same thing. Each time, my anxiety grew stronger. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was being missed.
While waiting hours in the ER (15 to 18 hours each visit), I started researching my symptoms and examining my lab results and kept asking if they were checking for blood clots. I was told I wasn’t at risk and to stop Googling. No one, not even my parents or my husband, took me seriously.
On day five, I went back to the ER again. After waiting 18 hours, a doctor came in, and I told him I wasn’t leaving until they ran a D-dimer test. He finally agreed. Within an hour, he returned and told me it was positive. I was immediately taken for a CT scan, which revealed a bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE).
That week, I saved my own life.
I still don’t have answers. I’m on blood thinners and following up with a hematologist, but no one can tell me why it happened. I continue to advocate for myself and keep searching for answers.
I struggle with health trauma and daily anxiety. Every ache and pain sends me into a spiral of fear. I’m terrified to stop blood thinners or even catch a cold, because I don’t know what caused this to happen.
Listen to your gut no matter what friends, family or professionals say. If you don’t feel right in your body, advocate for yourself!
Resources
Psychological Impact of Blood Clots
Know Your Risk
Patient Support Group
