I Didn’t Listen to My Body

Two years ago, after traveling and flying across country with my 8 pound dog on my lap, I came down with what I thought was the flu or bronchitis.

I had a nagging cough that wouldn’t go away.

I got a script for cough medicine.

The Pain Began

Almost 10 days later, when I got ready for bed, I had a sharp pain in my back on the right side.

I was sure that I had pulled a muscle and didn’t worry too much about it.

After I went to bed the pain got much worse with every breath I took.

I had never given any thought to blood clots or embolisms.

The night went on with pain getting sharper and sharper until I had to push breaths out just to get a breath back in.

Alone — and Waiting

My mind wasn’t very clear and I decided to wait until the morning and go to a hospital.

I live alone so the decision was mine alone.

I have a small dog I had to worry about.

I thought I had to wait until 8AM for the hospital to open!

When you are in pain, your mind is not wholly engaged.

The Drive to the ER

At 8 I actually drove myself to the hospital nearby.

I was in the mountains, so the elevation was about 6700 ft.

That can also cause breathing problems — I thought that must be it.

The emergency room doctor said I probably had a pulled muscle.

But he did an X-ray and MRI just in case.

The Diagnosis

They discovered I had a pulmonary embolism with multiple clots and a collapsed left lung.

I was in disbelief.

I am generally a pretty healthy person so it was a shock.

I waited too long to get help and 3 doctors told me I was lucky to be alive.

I had oxygen full time for the next three months until I was able to fly back to my winter home in Florida.

Returning to sea level made a difference in my need for oxygen and I was able to stop.

What I Learned

The moral of the story is that I was 72 years old and thought that nothing could be wrong.

I didn’t listen to my body.

Now I do everything right when I travel.

Nothing on my lap.

Compression socks, water, apixaban, and movement.

I realize that I am at increased risk for a reoccurrence, and keep aware of any sharp leg or back pain.

Life After

Since this experience I have focused on weight loss, increased activity, more hydration, and caution when traveling.

I have also learned about risk factors through NBCA resources.