After a dilation and curettage (D&C), my doctor tore my cervix. I was given medication to stop the bleeding, but I passed out in the hospital from blood loss five days later. My doctor gave me tranexamic acid (TXA) to control the hemorrhaging.
Later that day, I started feeling a burning sensation in my chest. I told the hospital staff, and they performed an EKG, but said everything looked normal. Over the next few days, I continued having episodes of rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) and heaviness in my chest. When I returned to the hospital, they again said everything was fine.
For the next month, my symptoms continued—chest pressure, shoulder pain, and a racing heart—but each time I went back, I was told it was bronchitis, anxiety, or tendonitis. My blood pressure and heart rate remained high, yet my concerns were dismissed.
After another surgery two months later, I woke up with sharp pain in my right ribs and tingling in my arm. I was told it was just post-surgical discomfort. A week later, I developed fever and chest pain, went back to the hospital, and was finally diagnosed with multiple pulmonary emboli (PEs) — blood clots in both lungs.
I spent six months on blood thinners. Mentally, I’m not doing well. I’m afraid of the future, and am still processing how many times my symptoms were overlooked. I was repeatedly told it was just anxiety, but I knew something was wrong.
Resources
Psychological Impact of Blood Clots
Know Your Risk
Signs and Symptoms
